Archives for Top Stories - Page 7
Explosive Chemical Find Brings Chaos to St Leonards
PAUL McLAUGHLIN and FERDUSARA ALI Emergency services cordoned off roads around the A259 Marina on Thursday evening after explosive chemicals were found in a property. Police declared a major incident…
FOOTBALL: Hopes Fade For Goal Shy United
11 March Hastings Utd 0 Wingate & Finchley 2 15 March Dartford 2 Hastings Utd 0 22 March Hastings Utd 0 Chichester City 2 HUGH SULLIVAN Three further defeats have…
Unscripted: Liv Long on Teaching Locals the Art of Improv Comedy
HANNAH FOULDS Tucked away in the back room of the Horse & Groom, a small group of adults are doing something unexpected — and a bit brave. They’re trying out…
The Biggest Change in Local Government in Fifty Years
JULIA HILTON Last week our council debated the biggest change being proposed for local government in 50 years. According to the Labour government’s plans for “devolution and reorganisation of local…
Hastings Rocks–life as we know it
JAMES ROWLINS The 4th Annual Hastings Rocks International Film Festival will run from 11-12 April at the Printworks this year, and will showcase 60 films made in this region. This…
Foraging for Wild Garlic
STEVEN SHORT Ever wondered why the rats in Alexandra Park are so chill? It’s probably all that wild garlic they’ve been munching on. Wild garlic has been scientifically proven to…
Meet Matt: Tales from the Tent
CHRIS CONNELLEY It’s a radiant Sunday morning – after months of greyness, spring has finally sprung – and Matt is in fine fettle. Photo: Jason Ellis For the last six…
Unitary Authority Will Bigger be Better?
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) will lose its responsibility for helping the homeless under the current plans to replace it with a Unitary Authority in around two years’ time. So far…
How Many Die On Our Streets?
The most visible manifestations of homelessness in Hastings are from those who have been sleeping rough – piles of blankets and sleeping bags left in seafront shelters or makeshift tents…
Fran And Flora: Transylvanian Rhapsodies
VICTORIA KINGHAM They have just returned from a trip to Transylvania, but there’s nothing remotely Gothic about Fran and Flora, the duo who played at Crown House on 27 February.…
FOOTBALL: Lifeline Victory For Battling ‘U’s
1 March: Cray Valley PM 1, Hastings Utd 14 March: Chatham Town 2, Hastings Utd 08 March: Hastings Utd 2, Hendon 0 HUGH SULLIVAN Jon SmalldonDavide Rodari on the ball for Hastings in earlier game…
Boxing Sisters
Yazidi women are boxing their way back to health. Local radio producer Jodie Taylor has produced a documentary that has just come out on BBC World Service. Jodie is a…
Consultation over Castle and Café Project
HUGH SULLIVAN Plans for the development of a £3m plus ‘interpretation centre’ and café/restaurant at Hastings Castle will be presented to local residents at West Hill Community Centre next Thursday…
Council Tax set to increase again
PAUL McLAUGHLIN Most local council taxpayers will see bills increase in April by over £100 after East Sussex County Councillors and Hastings Borough Councillors agreed their respective budget plans for…
DEMOLITION JOB
Hollington tower blocks to be bulldozed, residents relocated HUGH SULLIVAN Southern Housing, the largest provider of social housing in Hastings, last week announced plans to demolish four tower blocks on…
Prepare to be Wowed: Fat Tuesday is Back
ERIN WARD This year’s Fat Tuesday festival is anticipated to be just as exceptional as ever. Photos: Fat Tuesday From live performances and music conventions to the annual umbrella parade,…
FOOTBALL: Danny Speaks His Mind
‘U’s manager Danny Searle answers questions from HUGH SULLIVAN before the game against Wingate & Finchley was postponed HS: Danny, I’ll start at the deep end. A Hastings United supporter…
International Women’s Day Festival at the OB promises to be a roaring success
CHRIS CONNELLEY Hear Me Roar 2025 is a day-long community festival celebrating International Women’s Day and the many inspiring women and women-led organisations in our town. Erica SmithKin Choir at…
Council Changes Fast-Tracked
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The Government has confirmed plans to cancel elections to the East Sussex County Council due in May 2025 and to fast-track Sussex as one of its priority areas…
Water Compensation Victory
PAUL McLAUGHLIN Southern Water has agreed to pay £ million in compensation to its customers in Hastings who were left without water for several days last May. The incident, which…
Why Won’tThey Behave?
HUGH SULLIVAN Ark Alexandra Academy, the biggest secondary school in Hastings, is in the firing line as parents, teachers and local MP Helena Dollimore trade accusations and demands over disciplinary…
Alright Jack
Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green has been awarded £23,572 through Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants. The money will contribute to the costs of this year’s festival on 5…
Ammonites atthe Museum
NICK PELLING There are certain subjects that baffle the human mind. For example, I do not know what a proton or a quark is. And I know this is embarrassing,…
FOOTBALL: Crunch Time for the ‘U’s
1 February:Hastings Utd 0, Lewes 1 4 February:Horsham 1, Hastings Utd 0 8 February:Cheshunt 2, Hastings Utd 1 HUGH SULLIVAN Hastings United suffered three more Isthmian League defeats in the…
Make Timeto Do The Roo
CHRIS CONNELLEY gets excited at the Prince Albert’s bar menu We didn’t have a television in my house when I was growing up in the 1970s, so I spent a…
FOOTBALL: Pointless January Confirms Relegation Threat
19 January: Hastings Utd 1, Cray Wanderers 2 22 January: Hastings Utd 1, Binfield 2 26 January: Chatham Town v Hastings Utd – match abandoned 28 January: Carshalton Athletic 2,…
‘Hastings Three’ Acquitted
KENT BARKER Three men prosecuted for taking part in a peaceful protest at arms manufacturer General Dynamics have been acquitted of all charges at Brighton Law Courts. Laurie Holden, 72,…
‘Victory’For Hastings Academies
KENT BARKER Eight Hastings schools and six others across Sussex are to be removed from control of the University of Brighton Academies Trust (UBAT). In a brief statement on 20…
West Marina Consultation Jump-started
HUGH SULLIVAN A coalition of design and community groups has unveiled proposals for the future of the ex-bathing pool and holiday camp at West Marina. At a recent exhibition and…
Domestic Theatre as Future Hope
VICTORIA KINGHAM At the present time, the ‘value’ of education appears generally to be measured in literal financial terms: it ceases to be about learning to think, argue, or evaluate.…
End Game For Local Councils
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The Councils of Hastings Borough, Rother District and East Sussex County are set to be to be abolished. Taking their place, probably by 2028, will be a new…
Bus Fares Rise
Bus fares rose across England from 1 January as the government raised the nationwide cap for individual journeys from £2 to £3. However, a system of subsidies awarded by East…
Tax Hike on Farms: A Local Perspective
HUGH SULLIVAN Frank Langrish’s grandfather first came to farm in the Tilling Valley to the north of Udimore over a century ago. Frank eventually inherited, and has worked on the…
Interim Director for Hastings Contemporary
Arts powerhouse Kathleen Soriano is to become the Interim Director of Hastings Contemporary, taking up her new role in January 2025. She is an independent curator, strategic consultant and broadcaster.…
Future Growth at Ore Station
The Friends of Ore Station are thrilled to announce the next step in transforming unused derelict land near the station into a thriving community garden. Building on the success of…
Wisdens Closure: The Departure of a Sporting Family
HUGH SULLIVAN In 1896, W G Grace was opening the batting for England against Australia at the age of 48; The Wednesday club (later re-branded as Sheffield Wednesday) beat Wolves…
2024 In Review
Issue 244: Keeping HIP on the Road: Birthday Special, discussion of what the paper does, recent redesign Voices from founding and contributing membersIssue 246: International Women’s Day Festival Promises to…
Hastings Housing Crisis: No Room at the Inn
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN We all know there is a massive housing and homelessness crisis in Hastings. The growing visibility of rough sleepers on our streets, the simmering anger about the condition…
The Year In Sport 2024
ATHLETICS At Hastings Athletics Club (HAC) it’s been a busy and successful year for the club in every discipline - from local events to international level – as it celebrated…
Stand up for White Rock
Hastings Comedy Festival presents the second night of their winter stand-up comedy programme at the White Rock Studio, on 11 January. There will be live comedy from Suzi Ruffell and…