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Archaic Sexism
Dear HIP
On opening HIP 221 expecting to see coverage of International Women’s Day I was horrified to see one of the few photographs used in relation to successful women was the banal image of Barbara Windsor from the outdated, sexist and frankly no longer funny series of Carry On films (page 19). What century are you in, HIP? Do you see any contradiction?
A picture speaks a thousand words. This was a nice flash back to page three of the Sun. There are so many women to be celebrated: to use something so tacky and titillating can only appeal to men of a certain age. You should know better. “Times are changing”. Times have changed. We don’t need this kind of reminder of the mistakes of the past, particularly not in the week of International Women’s Day.
On a still more serious note, the article with the rather sinister headline Look Don’t Touch on the same page is so far from journalism that I was rendered almost speechless. The entire copy is a tortured, sexist commentary on the attractiveness of not only the performers but the audience themselves (only the women). The use of the word “CONSENT,” kindly capitalised, demonstrates an ignorance that is frightening.
I am beyond shocked, beyond disappointed. The ‘article’ is one long male fantasy, no mention of talent, no mention of achievement, just that the performers were “sexy as hell”.
Perhaps the editor and Mr Fryer would like to explain the link between Me Too and White Privilege.
This is so serious that I can only ask that the author and the editor are addressed.
Alma Duxbury
Population truths
Dear HIP
There were some interesting points raised by Derek Stocker in his letter headed Overpopulation in HIP 220.
Given the gentleman’s evident expertise on the subject, I began to doubt my own senses. Sure, anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes traveling up the A21 may have been frustrated by the traffic at times, but a look either left or right quickly affirms the fact that we really aren’t at serious risk of becoming so overpopulated that folk start falling off the cliffs into the encroaching sea.
Now, to be fair, I don’t think anecdotal evidence is really a basis for questioning Mr Stocker’s assertion that the “UK is blindly going into overpopulating the UK.” So I sought some facts, some data to help understand the situation. Are all these people put up in hotels driving us to a situation where it is standing room only?
I was surprised to find that his assertions just don’t seem to tally up with the data. The UK population has been rising pretty steadily for the last 75 years, very much a reflection of improved life expectancy and health. In fact, according to the UN, we can expect the UK’s population to peak in about 30 years’ time, and then start to decrease.
So, what about all of these folk staying in hotels? Well, once again, I was surprised to find that the facts seem to contradict Mr Stocker’s views of the world. It appears that, in the year to June 2022, around 35,000 people entered the UK on small boats. That really isn’t that many, when you consider that during the same period over 560,000 emigrated from the UK.
Mr Stocker is correct in showing concern about the asylum seekers staying in hotels. Unfortunately, a lack of investment has forced the system to almost breaking point. Those waiting to complete their application are forced to stay in hotels and are given just £9.10 per week to live on. These are people that could be working and contributing to the economy, if only the waiting times to be assessed weren’t actually getting longer.
It’s interesting how silly some ideas look when you evaluate them using facts, data, and the truth.
Kevin O’Hara
A Life Lesson
Dear HIP
I was appalled to learn of the human rights abuses at Hastings Academy.
Whenever I hear from grandparents, parents and students on their experience in local schools it’s always US TOO! Going to school is not straightforward if you have your period or IBS [irritable bowel syndrome]. However, I feel the protestors are getting a wonderful education, expelled or not.
What did that headmaster, who refused to address his students’ very justified complaints, do himself two days later? He CLOSED THE SCHOOL as his staff went on strike because their grievances were not being listened to by the government. He’s done it again today. So children: watch the way your teachers cope with deaf authorities – but if you do this, you’ll be expelled.
What a telling and valuable life lesson about those with power.
Dr K Vale
FUTURE OF ST LEONARDS CHURCH
Dear HIP,
I write as the facilitator of the meeting which lay behind the HIP article Between a bomb, some rock and a hard place referred to by Bryan Fisher in his excellent letter of 10 March.
Several misconceptions seem to have become current concerning the project mentioned. The recent public meeting was not held mainly with a view to discussing possible future uses of the church (although a number of tenable proposals are current) but to show how formidable and costly will be the engineering required to stabilise the surrounding land. Until this is done the church – closed for safety reasons – will remain unused.
The project team, which is in the process of becoming a charitable organisation, has been working intensively over the past 18 months looking at a complex of issues and examining technical solutions. It contains current geotechnical and other engineering expertise as well as that of experienced architects and conservationists. So it is by no means true, as has been suggested, that nothing is happening and no work is in viable prospect.
Readers interested in being kept up-to-date with the team’s progress can, for the time being, do so via hastingsandstleonardssociety.org.uk.
Chris Joyce
News History
Dear HIP
Issue 221 of HIP carried two letters about the Hastings News, the free weekly newspaper that strongly influenced the politics of the town from 1973 until the late 1980s. Launched by four young local newspaper workers on 13 September 1973, it was a landmark in the history of the Hastings papers. It was a low budget free-sheet, originally published on Thursdays, two days before the ailing Hastings Observer. It carried lively and controversial news stories that highlighted the feebleness of the Observer, and helped create a new cultural atmosphere in the town.
It was bought by Senews in 1985, becoming part of the Observer group, but it retained much of its editorial independence until 1990.
The full story of the News, and of all Hastings newspapers, is in my book The Hastings Papers, which I wrote and published in 2007 – see my website www.hastingshistory.net/books.
Steve Peak
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