Former professional boxer Paul Huggins puts his successes down to his home town of Hastings. Born and bred here, he says that the town and his loyal supporters “fuelled his fire to go on and achieve”.

And achieve he did. Spotted as a ‘natural’ at the age of nine by a trainer at the then existing gym on Whitefriars Hill, Paul rose through the ranks culminating in a famous bout with Barry McGuigan, losing only, as he says, to a controversial decision.

Now Paul wants to ignite that same fuel in other young people in Hastings.

Holding boxing training sessions at Trojan Gym on Ivy House Lane is Paul’s way of giving back. Only running for a few weeks so far, the classes are proving popular and already talent in the members is beginning to shine through. And, understandably, gym co-owners and experienced coaches Karl and Zak are delighted to have someone of Paul’s calibre on board.

Held on a Monday and Friday evening from 5.30pm until 7.30pm and costing £5 for under 14’s and £6 for over 14’s, the training is accessible, not to mention how rare it is to boast such an experienced trainer.

Paul’s life has been extraordinary both in and out of professional boxing. Documented in his book Knocking Out My Demons, he has fallen from the highest of heights to the lowest of lows, but it is these incredible experiences that mean he is able to relate to anyone from any circumstance. Other than his professional boxing skills, he can offer a listening ear and be a true mentor to the young members of the club.

There are simply too many stories to tell here, but the discipline of boxing as a child is what initially kept Paul on the straight and narrow. As a young adult he became professional and was ranked UK number one, and ultimately world class. His trainer believed he’d go all the way. But Paul’s demons returned and after retiring from boxing at the age of 29, he became involved in crime leading
to a  prison sentence.

Yet even in this darkest of times something extraordinary was to happen. While confined in a cell he discovered Christianity. From there he became a missionary, published a magazine for ten years and now his return to boxing to share his talent with the youth of Hastings completes the circle.

Paul says, “Boxing is a leveller. It teaches manners and discipline and self-control. Boxing isn’t for bullies. It’s a noble art of pugilism that breeds gentlemen. It teaches respect.

“Hastings fans made me what I am – a world class boxer. I want to put that back in to the sport and the town and let the kids have that opportunity.”

He plans for the club to get affiliation with the ABA and join the competitive circuit. His ultimate hope: “Maybe one day one of my students will bring home the Lonsdale Belt – the one that got away.”

Paul’s book Knocking Out My Demons can be purchased online
Boxing classes Monday and Friday 5.30pm to 7.30pm, contact Paul directly on 07751 629651 trojangym.co.uk

Wallace and Gromit may not have been in attendance at the Azur, St Leonards on Monday but that did not prevent 200 London school children from experiencing a truly Grand Day Out.

Instead, Charity patron Jane Torvill, Hastings Deputy Mayor Heather Bishop and Scooby Doo himself made appearances – just a few of the VIPs at this lively charitable event.

Deputy Mayor Heather Bishop said: “I’d like to acknowledge the fantastic benificence of the Albany taxi charity which Hastings so welcomes and salutes.”

Thanks to Hastings’ year-round fundraising, the 200 school children with special needs and learning disabilities are escorted in 50 gleaming and decorated hackney carriages to experience the delights of the sea, local attractions, song, dance and fish and chips in St Leonards – and Monday June 12 they hit the weather jackpot.

Jane Torvill said: “I’ve been to Hastings in all weathers, from pouring it down to sunshine but today is just beautiful.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about the event Ms Torvill said, “the looks on the children’s faces, it makes you feel so happy that they are, and of course they get to eat fish and chips!”

The Albany Taxi Charity was originally created by a group of cabbies based on Albany Road, London, simply wanting to do something to help. They decided on donating their time to take selected pupils for a day by the sea. The charity expanded quickly, with Hastings Friends of Albany Taxi Charity establishing itself in 1992.

Stella, one of the original Hastings committee members, is rightly proud of the event. She said, “The taxi drivers do this all for nothing, then when they arrive the children have so much fun. Most of them have never even seen the sea before.” 

Stella will be stepping back from her organising role this year, but the Friends will continue to fundraise throughout the year to ensure the event continues. As well as food, live entertainment and A-list celebrities like Scooby Doo, the children round off the day with a goody bag filled with toys, books and party items to take home. All of this is achieved through donations and the hard work of volunteers.

As an observer I was struck by the impressive sight of rows of gleaming black cabs, the sheer joy on the faces of the children, the palpable excitement in the Azur, and the unbelievable dedication and generosity of the people behind it all.

A Grand Day Out indeed.

We’ve burnt effigies, we’ve protested, filmed illegal dumping – yes pun intended – even sought legal advice against bill paying, yet Southern Water plough on pumping raw sewage into our waters.

This is not an issue to give up on – it’s simply too important. Nor should the newly appointed chair of Water UK, Dr Ruth Kelly, be anything to be excited about. Her mock shock at the condition of our waters (ranked the worst in Europe), the enormity of the fines absorbed easily and ineffectually by Southern Water, the continuing lies from the company and of course the main concern, the continuing dangers to the climate, marine life and human life, appear to be well known to all but Dr Kelly.

She claims it has taken years to collate the data. Surfers Against Sewage took on the most accurate and comprehensive study of our waters in one year – 2021. Yes, this shit show has been years in production, but the reviews from the public have never been so vocal and so recent. It’s thanks to the critics she’s been wheeled out in her current role at all.

As a layperson and swimmer I came across this information (Read it and Weep) last summer. Following an illness diagnosed by the GP as caused by sea swimming, I checked a tool called Beachbuoy – Southern Water’s ‘accurate,’ ‘live’ map of sewage spills. The beach was declared safe – even “excellent”. I then checked the Surfers Against Sewage equivalent graphic. It sported a bright red flag translating as ‘do not enter the water at any cost.’ I contacted Southern Water. An extremely tedious reply from them indicated that it was the Environment Agency who set the guidelines for judging water quality, and that data was only collected between May and September which then stands for the whole year (unlucky for you if you’re a winter swimmer, or a fish.) 

When I pointed out it was in fact August I was told that “swimmers are expected to use their common sense”, a line they still use today. So they declare the beach safe, nay excellent, yet I had the lack of sense to swim. “Please note: Southern Water can’t make any safety recommendations for water users. Beachbuoy is simply a release reporting tool – users are advised to use their own discretion when entering the water.” Well, that’s cleared that up then.

Swimmers are asking for it

So when Dr Kelly promises “additional data will be added to The Hub [the shiny new name for Beachbuoy] to let people see the real world impact”, I fear that no one has told her that this live map already exists, and it lies. 

I had a look yesterday at the Southern Water (SW) site. Between May 13 and May 25 of this year there were 27 “genuinely impactful” (the SW term for ‘this is serious shit’),  raw sewage dumps in Bexhill and St Leonards. Don’t fear, the very same beaches are still declared “excellent” for the very same period.

A phrase oft used by SW to explain away the flow of untreated excrement into our rivers and seas, is that of “rainwater overspills”.  Sounds almost wholesome doesn’t it? Sewage overflows are only permitted to discharge sewage into the environment during “exceptional rainfall events”. Water companies are prohibited from making “dry spills” from sewage overflows when there has been no rainfall.

Yet there were four times as many “dry spills” from Southern Water than the next worst offender, South West Water. A total of 95 “dry spills” at locations classified as “excellent” under the current testing regime.

In a groundbreaking court case regarding Southern Water over further crimes back in 2019, the offences the company were fined for included “deliberate failings, causing major harm (Category 1)”. 

“Southern Water charges its customers for treating wastewater and is required by permit to properly treat wastewater so as to protect the environment. Instead, the court heard SW admit to causing 6,971 illegal discharges over the offending period (2010-2105), which lasted a total of 61,704 hours, the equivalent of 2,571 days or just over seven years.”

The Environment Agency’s successful prosecution secured the largest fine for environmental pollution by a water company to date. The package of penalties and rebates is the biggest Ofwat has ever imposed, reflecting the deliberate misreporting of performance information. This meant the company avoided penalties under Ofwat’s incentive regime. This was 2019. Only two years later they are fined £90million for the same behaviour. Words fail.

So it’s not surprising that Southern Water customers are refusing to pay their wastewater bills in protest at sewage spills by the firm (see HIP 225 We Won’t Pay For Environmental Vandalism).

Law on our side

Sussex resident Katy Colley said her protest group was considering legal action after law firm Leigh Day secured funding for households to make claims. Ms Colley has refused to pay waste water charges on her Southern Water bill for the past five months.

“So far nobody has told me that I have to pay,” Ms Colley said.

Dr Kelly announces a £10billion injection of funds to upgrade dilapidated drainage systems. It looks suspiciously like the public will have to pay towards this upgrading – for up to a century. Her summation of the situation was as far-reaching as I believe her effectiveness will be: “We’re sorry.”

Tempting as it is to give up on a company that lies, refuses to let a mere £126million fine slow it down, and one that appears to have no interest in changing – it is protest that has got us this far. The whole nation knows about it now and a law firm is backing non-payment for customers. So rather than be swamped in the mire, keep fighting. Check Surfers Against Sewage and their new accurate water safety app, write to Southern Water, HIP,  MPs and keep on burning turds. It’s about time the tide was turned.

Read about Southern Water’s role in town flooding page 1

Read it and Weep

There are enough statistics regarding the state of our waters, crimes committed by Southern Water and monies both taken and given within the company that even the Andrex puppy would run out of paper, here are a few of the key ones, provided by Surfers Against Sewage:

39% of report of sickness after bathing were linked with a sewage discharge in the area

In 2021, Southern Water were fined £90 million for serial misreporting, admitting “…they may have illegally released untreated sewage into rivers and waterways”.

22% of seabird species have declined

There has been a 92% loss of seagrass meadows

Half of UK sharks and rays are in a threatened or near-threatened category on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Just 36% of UK fish stock are declared healthy

Shellfish are the ‘forgotten victims’ of sewage pollution according to the Lib Dems. Waters containing shellfish were dumped in nearly 29,000 times last year, with the longest event lasting 5,000 hours.

 Last financial year, water companies paid out a cumulative total of £16.5 million to their CEOs.

And the one that I really cannot bear:

“Evidence shows that we have a water quality testing regime that wilfully discounts and ignores the worst pollution events in the country.” (Surfers against Sewage)

Iszi Lawrence has so many job titles it’s a struggle to list them all, but here are a few: writer, comedian, podcaster and History presenter with countless TV credits and radio contributions.

But it’s as an author and lover of history that she comes to Hastings this week, to share her passion with students from a number of schools in our town.

Both children and teachers of years three and four are taking part in this ground-breaking local reading programme developed by the National Literacy Trust Hastings Hub and Bloomsbury Publishing.

The scheme has run throughout the year and has involved authors visits each term to ignite the spark of creativity in the listeners. And it seems to be working.

Statistics from the National Literacy Trust show that more children and young people who had experienced an author visit reported that they enjoyed reading in their free time compared with their peers who hadn’t experienced one (58.6% vs. 39.3%). (Full report published June 2023)

This week, as the final visit of the year, Iszi Lawrence is talking about her new book Explorers and Milkshakes between June 13 and 15 with more than 1,000 schoolchildren from Silverdale, Hollington, West St Leonard’s, Robsack Wood, Churchwood, Baird and Dudley Infant Academy.

Iszi’s visits promise to be as engaging and entertaining as previous author visits and a great way to see out the school year. She will be at Silverdale and Hollington on June 13, West St Leonards, Robsack, and Churchwood on June 14, and finishes in style at Baird, and Dudley Infant on June 15.

The National Literacy Trust has a mission to improve the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of those who most need it. Its research and analysis make them the leading authority on literacy and it believes literacy is a vital element of action against poverty. The Trust have created Words for Life a website that provides simple, fun and educational activities for children and young people aged 0-24 to support learning at home and help them feel more confident.

The Hastings Literacy Hub began in 2019 raising awareness of the importance of literacy while encouraging reading for pleasure. They run their Literacy Hubs in communities where low levels of literacy and social mobility have serious impact on their lives.

Alison Sleet manages Hastings Literacy Hub. She said: “Every child in Hastings deserves the opportunity to fall in love with reading and develop the literacy skills that will help them thrive. Working with our friends at Bloomsbury Publishing we will be able to reach the children who need our help the most, hopefully sparking a life-long love of reading that can change life stories.”

Further information can be found at literacytrust.org.uk and for fun activities to do at home check out wordsforlife.org.uk

While holistic health has been talked about for many years, the concept is still vague and it’s rare to be able to cite an example of the practice in action, particularly within the NHS. But Arts on Prescription is such a thing.

Hastings resident and project director, Tara Reddy utilised her background as an artist and Social Prescriber to create the programme in 2019 – a GP referral service that offers isolated, and often ignored members of the local area access to creative activity.

AOP created terracotta tiles with the help of local creatives, displayed now in Pocket Park Alley

Tara explains, “In 2018 I attend-ed a public consultation looking at, ‘Why in a creative town there was little engagement in art and culture for the wide majority of residents.’ Hastings is a town in an area of high need and with health inequalities. We have a large number of creative people in the town; however, a huge number of residents do not engage in the arts, despite the growing awareness of the benefits that participation brings to health and wellbeing and reducing loneliness and isolation.

“I became inspired to create accessible art for wellbeing, using art as a conduit to open up conver-sation, reduce loneliness and isolation, break down stigma and create a platform for people through creativity to rebuild their confidence.”

While NHS social prescribing is predominantly a signposting service to existing organisations (its aim was to reduce GP work-loads and link individuals with alternative forms of support), Tara went a step further. Knowing the benefits art can have on wellbeing she created the AOP programme – 14 weeks of funded art classes, held in accessible GP surgery spaces and run by professional artists and wellbeing practitioners.

The scheme has gained in demand and popularity – more GPs are expressing interest in referring, more local artists are keen to be involved, and with the new hub in Alexandra Park, free or low-cost classes and workshops are now open to the entire community. 

Tara believes the success of the programme is in bringing people together to explore creativity, getting a sense of achievement in learning something new, and doing so in, with, and for the community.

“We are not therapists,” Tara says, “we deliver practical hands-on workshops. We believe the experience of trying new things, playing through creative processes and risk-taking builds confidence. 

“We know that participation reduces stress, connects others and helps build confidence. The ‘five ways to wellbeing’, which involvement in art sessions delivers, shows the benefits and is now well-documented, and part of the NHS Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We have had clients go from low hope; lack of self-esteem; depression and loneliness, even potential suicide risk, to attending colleges, becoming volunteers and setting up their own creative practices. Some of our clients had never entered a library or museum or art gallery until they had accessed our AOP courses. It’s been humbling and inspiring sharing their journey as they progress through our programme.”

AOP run workshops for local school children in the America Ground

The involvement of local artists and creation of local projects go further to establish a true sense
of community and inclusion. A ceramic wall mural, depicting the history of the America Ground, Trinity Triangle, installed in Gotham Alley is just one of AOP’s projects.

Tara continues, “Over the past few years there has been an emergence of art projects across the town, and I think that AOP has been responsible for an increased awareness in the importance of engaging people in art across the community.”

Now, the new hub in the park – Art in the Park – offers the next level of opportunities for residents. It offers continuity – so often missing from projects like these. AOP uncovers skills, develops them, then provides the facilities for them to be honed and shared with others. 

“Art in the Park offers volun-teering opportunities for AOP peers who wish to share the skills they have acquired or built upon through our courses and give something back by running fundraising events and facilitating creative workshops,” Tara says.

“We are developing a training volunteer programme working with Hastings Voluntary Action so the venue becomes an asset-based, creative wellbeing hub promoting the benefits of connecting with art, nature and community. It will be an exciting stepping stone for AOP participants to develop their personal creative practice and for the wider community to get involved.”

This includes as many groups and individuals as possible. Zoom classes are run for those who can’t access the spaces. During Covid-19 the organisation sent out a lockdown activity pack across East Sussex to schools and families – Quentin Blake liked the project so much he designed the logo! And, given the prevalence of low mental health and higher suicide rates among males, AOP has run a pilot men-only group, which proved so successful that the course is being extended. 

Events in the park are for all; half-term Halloween and Christmas activities being just two examples. The aim is for the entire community to become involved in the park in the long term, whether it be to join classes, projects or one-off events. Tara says, “Our Alexandra Jubilee Project has invited families, children and everyone to become involved in a variety of workshops and to share their memories and stories about their own relationship with Alexandra Park, this urban park spanning through the heart of Hastings, and our team of artists and peer volunteers are currently working to create a lasting legacy celebrating Alexandra Park.”

The practicality of running something on this scale, as for any community organisation, is daunting and time-consuming, and further expertise is needed in order for AOP to continue in its work. Tara says: “I would like AOP to continue as an embedded service as part of the new health care vision in Hastings, and to obtain long-term funding to provide paid staff and weekly sessions available on prescription. Without funding it will be hard to know where we will go. The organisation has grown and we are receiving a high number of referrals into the service – Covid saw an increase in people experiencing anxiety, mental health issues and isolation.”

Now, this community project is looking to the community for assistance.

 “We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate people with ex-perience working with the NHS; mental health; community projects; social media and promotion, and artists who can volunteer their time. We desperately need an experienced fundraiser who will write bids on a pay-what-you-earn basis”.

The success of AOP lies un-doubtedly in the nurturing of skills that service users discover, the visible benefits to mental health that exploring creativity can bring, and the true inclusion and uniting of the community. Run by, with and for all residents, it is genuinely art for wellbeing, and art for all.

• NB: AOP faces winter closure. It has a £300 monthly bill for electricity. HBC is aware this is incorrect but advised they must pay and wait to be credited, meaning a likely suspension of the service.

By Sharon Duggal, 
Bluemoose Books, 2020

INTERVIEW BY LUCY BROWN

Brighton author, Sharon Duggal, launches her latest book Should We Fall Behind on October 22nd. The novel is a piercingly accurate depiction of unnoticed lives. From the homeless protagonist Jimmy, to the carer tending to her silent husband and the single mother battling to raise her daughter, Should We Fall Behind is a story of loneliness and connection, difference and similarity.

Duggal is unflinching in her portrayals: the rawness of Jimmy’s existence; the bitterness of a grieving widower, the abuse suffered by a mother now guarded and fearful for her child: the characters are not perfect, just human, and behind the hurt are glimpses of compassion. It is in the optimism of newly homeless Betwa, the lack of prejudice in the child Tuli and the generosity in the maternal but childless Rayya. Should We Fall Behind is a tender account of the ordinary; a book that is ultimately about us, not them.

Sharon talked to HIP about her work. 

What is it that draws you to write about the lives of those largely forgotten?
I read a lot but rarely see the world as I know it reflected in the books I come across, and when I was younger, this made me feel as if those books were not for the likes of people like me.  I try to do my bit to redress the balance with my own books by trying to write about the lives of people I walk past every day and in doing so, I hope others may see a little of themselves reflected. 

Is there a character with whom you most identify?
I identify with each of them a little bit – any one of them could be me, or you, if our lives were slightly different or if we’d had something happen to us to throw us off kilter. 

Where did the inspiration for Jimmy come from?
About twenty years ago I discovered a young man sleeping in my old car. I have thought a lot about him over the years, where he came from, how he had arrived at such a low point in his life, how any of us could find ourselves in a similar position if something devastating happened in our lives. More recently I worked as a volunteer in an emergency shelter for rough sleepers, and also I have friends whose life experiences were not dissimilar to Jimmy’s in one way or another.

The characters in the novel are all lonely in one way or another. Social isolation is spoken about now more than ever, but do you see it as a longer standing condition?
Yes, I think loneliness and social isolation are closely related but also distinctive. Loneliness is an age-old condition which can affect us all at different points in our lives wherever we are, especially as we become less connected to family or friends.  Social, and specifically urban, isolation are probably more recent phenomena born out of the way we live now, in nuclear families or on our own, often in big bustling cities, surrounded by other people but in a way which can make us almost anonymous.

Tentatively the characters connect with each other, their small gestures effecting big change – is this something you see in reality in society?
Essentially, I think most people are good, caring and decent but sometimes we can get wrapped up in our own lives and fail to see if others may be struggling around us. Sadly, I think we have been driven to be more individualistic and less community-minded over the last decade or so, and this has been exacerbated by a more recent shift in the political landscapes both globally and closer to home. The world seems very divided at the moment with the rich getting richer and a lot of ordinary people slipping further and further behind, and this seems likely to get worse as a result of the Covid pandemic. I do worry that we are being led to blame the wrong people for this situation – refugees, immigrants, those with less than ourselves – rather than those who are in control.

On the flipside of that, I thought it was indicative of the true nature of the vast majority of people when all the mutual aid and other support groups very quickly came into being at the beginning of the Covid outbreak. I am also optimistic that people, including many young people, seem much more motivated to affect meaningful change and right some of the wrongs of the older generations, including my own. Young people in particular seem determined to reverse the racial and economic inequalities which should have been eradicated centuries ago. Also, people are finally taking environmental issues seriously and coming together to address the climate emergency. 

There is strong female representation in the novel. How important was it to you to place these women at the forefront?
It is very important to me, but also something I do naturally without thinking too much about it because I am a woman I suppose. I get fed-up with stereotypes, whether they are gender-based or culturally based, and I want to read about all kinds of people so I write about all kinds of people. Many women – from my female relatives to my friends and colleagues to my own daughter – play an incredibly important part in my life, so yes, it was important to put them at the forefront of the stories I write.

Your novel is published by Bluemoose Books who have dedicated 2020 solely to female authors. How do you feel to be part of that list?
I feel very privileged to be published alongside these other incredible female writers. Data shows that women get published less so than their male counterparts, and when they do, they tend to get less support from publishers in terms of promotion and advances, plus they don’t get nominated or shortlisted for prizes in the same numbers as men. My publisher, Bluemoose Books are brilliant – they constantly put their heads above the parapet to try and bring new voices and stories to the fore, so I am very proud of them for doing this and I am very proud to be included in it.

You work supporting writers from under-represented back-grounds. How difficult is it to get heard as one of these authors? 
My day job is with New Writing South, the literature development organisation for the South East Region. We focus on providing opportunities for writers from under-represented backgrounds where least opportunity currently exists. It is very important that a diverse range of writers are able to get published so readers have the chance to read across a spectrum of stories – not least because it’s boring to always read the same kinds of stories about the same kinds of people! I hope things are changing in the industry but I worry that until actual structures change – i.e. people from different backgrounds are in decision-making positions – any progress will be short term.

Finally, do you have plans for a third novel? Will you continue to write about those whose stories we don’t often hear? 
I am just beginning to develop my third novel – all I can say about it at the moment is it’s based on a road trip and a true story from within my own family. 

I will always write about the world as I see it, and inevitably this includes stories, people, places we don’t see enough of in books.

• More information can be found at www.sharonduggal.com  

INTERVIEW BY LUCY BROWN

St Leonards author Jane Metcalfe launched her book Things in Heaven and Earth at the town’s Funky art gallery on Sunday.

A true story told through diary extracts, interviews and letters, Things in Heaven and Earth tells of a couple’s meeting and the extraordinary impact it had on the two – a visible impact so lasting and profound it reached those around them.

 Jane Metcalfe

What happens between Colin and Dee, a playwright and a famous actress, could variously be described as spiritual, religious, paranormal, or even insane.

It defies definition and Metcalfe’s skill is not to offer one. She presents this compelling story as is, without over-analysis or dissection. Her voice is that of an observer and in writing without sensationalism, the intensity and wonder expressed by the protagonists is only magnified. 

She writes with wisdom; Metcalfe is an engaging guide. She makes the indescribable accessible, exciting and deeply thought-provoking without ever losing the essence of mystery and joy at the story’s very core.

Jane took time to answer some questions about her work.

How would you describe Things in Heaven and Earth?
The subtitle gives you a clue as to the broad scope of the book: A Story of Love, Mystery and Transformation. The narrative hinges on an extraordinary meeting that took place in Beverly Hills in 1979 between two strangers, an unknown British playwright and a famous actress. As they shook hands, they were catapulted into an altered state so out of the ordinary that neither they nor anyone else had any idea what had happened. The narrative focuses on this incident, the effect it had on the couple and others in their circle and what came later. Overall it is a love story with an extra dimension, set against a backdrop that moves between the hybrid world of Hollywood and rural Wales. 

What prompted you to write the book now?
I can only say that the time was right. I had had the material for some time and talked to quite a few people about it; even made false starts on writing it, but lacked the confidence to continue. The defining moment was when a wise woman I know, author of numerous books, said to me: “Many people say they want to write a book but very few do it.” That was my spur!

The events are described through the protagonists’ accounts, one being your ex-husband. How was it to be in possession of such personal information?  
My marriage to Colin had been at such a young age that when I met him again he was an entirely different man. So reading the diaries written by Colin and Dee intimately detailing their five months together touched me on a level that was not reflective of my own time with him. It was like reading about two strangers. Colin had always come across as very pragmatic, both as a younger and older man. You would never have guessed in a million years that he had had this experience!

Did you feel a certain responsibility to Colin and Dee in sharing their words?
In the first part of the book I share how I came to be the keeper of the documents that form the basis of Things in Heaven and Earth. Colin told me he thought I would be a good person to take on a writing project that required thoughtful editing. He shared the bare bones of the meeting between him and the actress, telling me that Dee’s clairvoyant, Naomi, felt that the story should be widely shared, but she had been waiting 25 years for the right person to ‘take on the job’. As it turned out, I was ‘the one’! After the deaths of Colin, Dee and Naomi, I felt a sense of responsibility more to fulfilling Naomi’s wishes, than towards Colin and Dee. That may sound odd, but all this is described much more fully in the book.

You let the experiences stand alone in the book without too much comment or analysis, was it difficult to decide how to present their story?
After many false starts, I decided I would be like an onlooker, commenting as it came to me to do so, but not analysing or positing my own theories. Following the events of 1979, those who simply heard the story found it had a deep effect on them. I wanted to leave that as it stood, to ‘speak’ through the letters, diaries and interviews that form the basis of the book.

Colin and Dee clearly experienced something ‘other’ than the physically accepted expression of a world chopped up into increments of time

What is your understanding of what happened between Colin and Dee?
This is a question that puts me in mind of the poem ‘Days’, by Philip Larkin, which Dee alludes to in her letter to Colin written the day he returned to England. The last two verses sum it up: “Where can we live but Days? Ah, solving that question/Brings the priest and the doctor/In their long coats/Running across the field.”  

Colin and Dee clearly experienced something ‘other’ than the physically accepted expression of a world chopped up into increments of time.  Haven’t we always been looking for the deeper meaning behind the backdrop? I suppose I see it as ‘proof’ that there is much more to existence than meets the eye!  

The experience between the two also affected others around them. In the retelling did you find it affected you or your beliefs?

In the book I start off by sharing a childhood experience that led me to not accepting the tangible world as the only expression of life, or consciousness. Running alongside the story of my life in worldly terms was always this ‘knowing’ and experience of ‘otherness’, which I prefer to call it, rather than give it one of the numerous labels that cannot even hint at an experience beyond the flesh! 

What Colin and Dee say, particularly in the interviews, concurs with my own felt sense of existence. I suppose delving into the material and writing the book gave me more assurance in that which, despite my Taurean nature, I have always sensed is far from lodged on earth! 

Why do you feel their story should be shared? Do you believe their experiences can affect change on a wider scale? 
I believe we are living in particularly difficult times. The world is spinning out of control and the more we destroy the earth with apparent progress, the more people are seeking for meaning. On the one hand there is an ever more mechanistic view, but on the other a feeling of lack and unrest in people is awakening them to a sense of themselves as spiritual beings. This story shares the unity of love that transcends the need for expression only in form but in a greater totality.

Finally, what do you hope an audience would take from the book?
I would hope it will make the reader think, ponder, wonder, explore.

• Things in Heaven and Earth is available from The Bookkeeper, Kings Road, St Leonards and Amazon.

This anthology by young writers from Hastings based on the theme of the Covid-19 lockdown is as varied in content and style as the ages of the authors themselves.

Ranging from just three years old to seventeen, the Full Stop contributors tell us through fiction, fantasy, poetry and direct accounts, their experiences – both imagined and real – of a bewildering time. What is consistent is the talent and creativity in each and every piece.

Funded by Magdalen and Lasher Charity and produced by Hasting Young Writers Group, all proceeds from the book go to Charity for Kids who support disabled, sick and terminally ill children and their families in the Hastings and Rother area. Contributions from writers outside the group are included and the result is a beautifully vivid, at times funny, and very often moving collection. 

From personal suffering of illness and isolation to compassion for others who are, the anthology demonstrates an empathy from these writers that belies their years.

They describe their loneliness and fears, for themselves, for their futures, for all of our futures, in ways which are at times raw and incredibly touching. But alongside these sensitive perceptions appear pieces that use energy and ingenuity to create fantastical and optimistic worlds, worlds always triumphant in conquering uncertainty.

While missing friends, family and their former freedom, it appears the time confined has served to open wide the imaginations of these authors. Dragons, aliens, fairies and unicorns feature alongside the real, and the depicted battles and escapes, caves and open landscapes provide compelling metaphors for how the authors see difficulty can be overcome. Tales of adventure where good conquers evil and hope quashes fear bring the compilation into vivid colour and we are able to joyfully escape with them.

It’s a book you want to own. It stands alone as a rare insight into the minds of these young people and an exciting glimpse of their talent

I was interested to gain some understanding of the impact isolation has had on the young, but for it to be presented in such a poetic, accomplished and exhilarating manner was a genuine delight.

It’s a book you want to own. It stands alone as a rare insight into the minds of these young people and an exciting glimpse of their talent.  Not only is Full Stop full of hope for a future beyond the pandemic, it’s full of hope for the future for these writers, and therefore ours as their audience.

While we want a full stop for the difficulties this year has brought, I can hope only that this is the beginning for these creators.

• Full Stop can be found at Teddy Tinkers, 134 London Road; The Book Keeper, 1A Kings Road, St Leonard’s on Sea; Printed Matter and Book Busters,
Queens Road, Hastings and is also available on eBay.

Hastings Young Writers can be found on Facebook, check and follow for update magdalenandlasher.co.uk and www.charityforkids.co.uk