Hastings memories
Here are memories of Hastings and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Hastings or a Hastings photo.
Pett School Days 1939 to 1946
I am working on this. Many things to record.
Summer Holidays
The sun always seemed to shine on our annual summer holiday to my grandmother's at Emmanuel Road. What excitement running down West hill to the town and the beach. There was always a ride on the boating lake, you could smell the petrol fumes from the little boats and a trip on the train! Money begged for continual "goes" on the laughing policeman machine and, of course, icecreams from Demarco (do not know how it was spelt). There were endless tales about The Caves where my grandmother and her sisters would shelter overnight from the bombing raids during the war. They were happy days!
Bottle Alley
I can also remember Bottle Alley which was the St Leonards side of the pier during the 1950's. My Mum sometimes used to take me to the Sun Lounge near Bottle Alley when I was a very small child where she would have a coffee and I would drink orange squash and there was often a pianist playing, even in the middle of the morning! We too lived in Ore (I went to Red Lake Infants and Sandown Primary schools) and we spent a lot of the summer weeks down on the beach and my Dad would join us during his lunch hour for a picnic. I can vaguely remember the tub man but not the details.
Boating Lake
I remember the boating lake very well and I loved being taken on it by visiting relatives. The boats were dark red and had rope 'bumpers'round them and at the end of the day they all used to be collected up together in the middle of the lake which used to fascinate me as a small child. They were small motor boats with tiny steering wheels but did not go very fast at all. I also used to love going on the miniature train that started at the boating lake and went to Rock-a-Nore, which I think may still be there.
Bottle Alley
Does anyone else have any memories of 'Bottle Alley'? I think it was on the Promenade and it was a covered walk (built in Victorian times, I believe) of concrete encrusted with bottles, mainly the bottoms, in all sorts of patterns. Some of my family lived in Ore and I used to visit as a child. My other lasting memory is of the beach with the old fishmarket and 'the old man in the tub'. He was something of an eccentric (must have been!) who used to paddle along the front of the Esplanade in a tub or barrel.
Chapmans Dairy.
This building was Chapmans Dairy and belonged to my family. It was originally two houses, numbers 22 and 23, with a stable at the rear for the ponies. The door now remaining led into the shop and the downstairs windows were bay windows. The whole building was painted white! How it has changed!
Bathing Pool!
I think that this id the boating lake in Old Town. Wonderful memories - trained at RESH 61 - 66.
No Luxuries!
Hello again, Referring back to my childhood growing up in Rye, can you picture it today, eleven children, no fridge, only a larder, no washing machine, only a copper boiler, no tumble dryer, only a mangle for squeezing out the water from the clothes, and not even a T.V. and without a phone in the house, only a radio, and that is if you could afford one how would people manage today. Another item we had delivered which we had to do was sort out peas in the front room, milk was delivered by horse and cart, and you took out your jug for the milk, a chap came round now and again with a push cart to sell shrimps, bread was delivered by the baker from a van, also the butcher came around in his van to sell his meat and other odd items he carried in the van, boyhood memories, not all good I hasten to add. Stan Wilson.
Living in Rye
Hi, I lived in Rye until I went into the army in 1955. I went to the Primary School in Ferry Road, then to the Rye Secondary Modern. When the Seond World War was on we were living at Cadborough, then we moved to Military Road, a family of eleven children, and our parents. We would walk from Military Road to the train station with a pram and get a sack of coal. We would walk for miles and miles, when the mushrooms were in season we would pick them and sell them round the houses, also when the horses went by we would have to go and pick up their droppings for the allotment. Three of my sisters worked at the bedding factory, two worked at the Rye Model Laundry. We all went hop picking at Reeves Farm at Peasmarsh, we travelled from Rye to Peasmarsh in a lorry with a tilt for cover. Most of the family had hand-me-down clothes, I even started work on the Kent River Board... Read more
My Hastings Memory
I remember my gran taking for walks along Bottle Alley in the summer in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I also remember her taking me on the last trolley bus to run. At the time she lived at 106 Bohemia Road, those houses have long since gone. I lived in Crowhurst at the time, I used to catch the train from Crowhust to Warrior Square, I can still 'smell' the station. Sometimes a load of us Crowhurst boys would come to Hastings and go up the East or West Cliff railway, we would have been about 10 years old at the time, 1964/65, with the older boys who were at secondary school looking after us. If anybody reading this was one of those boys, contact me, David Power, by email: goatbasher@ymail.com
B. W. Matthews (butchers) 406
Hi
My wife has acquired a photo of a Butchers shop ,possibly in Hastings or Brede area
The shop nameboard is BW Matthews and shows the 4 shop staff outside the front of the building.
One of the butchers is apparently my wifes Aunts father but there are other towns with the family connection, so it may NOT be a Hastings Area photo
The photo was taken by a C W Pooke (or similar) but carries no other notes
Does anyone recognise the de scription estimate 1890-1900 photo
Can send scan
Thankyou
John Wells
All Saints School : Miss Martin
Does anyone have any school photos,class groups etc who taught at All Saints and rose I believe to be Deputy Head.
She was my wifes Aunt and I am trying to put together a family history file to include details.
Was there a school magazine or photo archive etc
She later became Olive Gammage
Thank you
John Wells
Memories of East Sussex
School Holidays
Friends of our family once lived in Railway Cottages, Bexhill Road and in those days when you were young and your families were friends you tended to call the adult members 'uncle' and 'aunt'. Their real names were Harry and Rene Eaton. I used to stay with 'Uncle Harry and 'Aunt Rene' during school holidays, and what a treat it was, because Uncle Harry was a signalmen at Bo Peep Junction. I used to go down to the signal box when he was on duty and he would sometimes let me pull the signal levers, under his supervision of course. The next duty would be to log the passing train in, what a treat, I never wanted to go back home when the time came. What hazy happy days these were, gone forever into the mists of time. Also Uncle Harry was a keen bowler and played at White Rock. I also had a game and played at the one at West Marina right opposite where Aunt Rene worked... Read more
Romany Folk
My ancestors were Romany gypsies around Hollington and the surrounding areas. True Romany folk living off the land, who were well respected in the area. If anyone thinks they have gypsy blood from this area I'd love to hear from you. rebekahm28@aol.com
Childhood Holidays
My family and I stayed in the old vicarage in Westfield in the 70's with Robert Wright and his family, we had such lovely times and we loved the old house - does anybody remember the family or going into the house? If so, I'd love to hear from you!
Sunny Days in Crowhurst
I was having a trip down memory lane the other day and thinking of those summer days making camps up in 'the bunny fields' and fishing down at the marshes, in 1963-65. It seemed most of the village boys went, with the older lads taking charge e.g Malcom Bishop, Philip 'Shorty' Goodhand, Pete Saunders, the younger lads included myself, Johnny Saunders, David 'Snowy' Goodsell, Denis Anley plus a good few others. I am sorry if I have not mentioned anybody, if anybody remembers me you can contact me via e-mail: goatbasher@ymail.com
Merrion House School During WW 2
I think it was 1944 when I visited my brother Brian at the boys school known as Merrion House, run by Mr. and Mrs. Brummell-Hicks under a spartan but friendly and encouraging regime. Doodlebugs(V1's) aimed at the LOndon area would fly virtually between the chimneypots of the building which stood on something of a bluff. I combed local fields with my brother for crashed German bombers, and played each day in a decommissioned Dornier!l I think I was five at the time.
Michael Gould
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