William Conquers Hastings
PAUL McLAUGHLIN
The Prince of Wales paid a whirlwind visit to Hastings on 9 July, spending the day meeting local fishermen, playing crazy golf and being inducted into the Winkle Club as an honorary member . The visit was designed to highlight the vital work of local youth organisations and community-driven groups.
The royal visit began with Prince William descending from the East Hill funicular railway where he was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers. His first official stop was with local fishermen where he climbed aboard the Senlac Jack and chatted with crew members about the struggles of the town’s historic beach-launched boats. He listened attentively as skipper Roland Kelly told him about the problems of overfishing by large EU trawlers, the complexities of fishing quotas, and the impact of warming sea temperatures on the fishing industry. He later toured the iconic wooden net shops.
On a lighter note, the Prince was inducted into the Winkle Club as an honorary member. The local charitable organisation was founded by fishermen in 1900 to support families in need, and past members include his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, Sir Winston Churchill, and Field Marshal Lord Montgomery.
Prince William was given a silver winkle as a token of his lifetime membership and was told that members of the club, known as ‘Winklers’ must carry their shell at all times and that failure to present it on demand when challenged to “Winkle Up” would result in a fine. He accepted the responsibility with a smile and promised to “take good care of my winkle”.
The next stop was a visit to Eagle House, where the Prince chatted with young people and volunteers who use the space as a youth club and gathering place. The building is owned by Hastings Commons which aims to transform some of the town’s historic and neglected buildings by turning them into shared homes, workspaces and hubs of social support that are owned and run by the community.
Later in the day, William headed to the Hastings Adventure Miniature Golf, meeting young people supported by the local youth charity XTrax and enjoyed a round of crazy golf. At almost exactly the same time Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex – William’s estranged brother and his family – were meeting their father, the King, 160 miles away at Highgrove
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