Do You Remember When?

1908

THE opening of the Town Hall Extension by Lord Brassey on Monday afternoon marks an important epoch in the municipal life of Bexhill, and doubtless in years to come it will be recorded by local historians as an indication of the growth of the town and the development of its civic work. It will readily be admitted that the new portion adds in no small degree to the dignity of the Town Hall and to the general enhancement of Buckhurst Place, surely so far as members and officials of the Corporation are concerned, they now have excellent accommodation in which to transact the business of the town.

THROUGH the generosity of the residents of Bexhill, local cabmen were enabled to hold their first subscription dinner at the Devonshire Hotel on Wednesday evening last, and it proved a right enjoyable function. Everyone will readily admit that since the introduction of trams, motor cars, and other means of facilitating access from one place to another, the cabman's lot has been a hard one, but to see the jolly lot of men who sat around the well-spread tables of the Devonshire, no one would have imagined that they were troubled with so much competition.

1958

FOLLOWING complaints of damage to railway carriages by children travelling from outlying areas to schools in Bexhill, the railway authorities are appealing to the public to co-operate in stamping out this hooliganism. They are asked to report immediately any hooliganism instead of "turning a blind eye" and, as sometimes happens, getting into another, quieter, compartment.

"TODAY, the schoolgirl, at least superficially, is much more mature in many ways than the pre-war schoolgirl. Naturally, the community in recent years, has been profoundly disturbed in social habits, standards of morality and sense of values," said the Headmistress of the Bexhill Grammar School for Girls (Miss C.M. Ramsden) presenting her report at the Annual Speech Day on Wednesday.

1968

THE end is nearly in sight for the old Ritz Cinema in Buckhurst Road which has stood empty since 1962. Demolition work to make way for a new automatic telephone exchange is due to begin in a fortnight's time.

SIR,- How good it would be if the citizens of Bexhill would get together and do something constructive about the old railway track from Sidley to Crowhurst, and, incidentally, the viaduct. Surely there are many who would welcome a good footpath, free from traffic. In its present state it is a very painful walk but worth the effort to hear the birds and enjoy the wild flowers.- letter.

1978

SIDLEY will soon have a youth club of its own '“ one night a week in Sidley Community Centre as a "temporary measure." Plans to raise an estimated 30,000 to build an individual youth club have been shelved as a result. "It is about time this community centre did something for everybody," youth club organiser Mr Wally Bown said at Sidley Community Association's annual meeting last Thursday.

1988

BY the time contractors have completed the clearance of storm-ravaged Collington Wood, 80 per cent of its former glory will have gone. Clearance began almost on the first anniversary of the hurricane. Of local beauty spots, the 12-acre wood suffered the greatest damage. Now as the site, which has been a much-loved walk for generations of Bexhillians, reverberates to the sound of chain saws and crawler tractors, every effort is being made to save as many as possible of the trees left standing.

A SECURITY firm has been appointed to patrol the trouble-hit 1.3m waste derived ful plant development at Pebsham tip. Gipsy families living near the construction work on an official county caravan site have been given until the end of this week to sort out their differences or East Sussex County Council says it will introduce further measures to increase security.

1998

TWO primary schools have called off big fund-raising firework displays. But two other schools say it's business as usual. Sidley Primary have abandoned their Guy Fawkes celebrations because of stringent new safety regulations. And St Mary Magdalene's, badly hit by rain and wind last year, decided not to risk a second loss-making event. But fireworks go ahead at St Peter and St Paul Primary and Little Common.

PACKING cases and labels, one home half empty and the other half full. Every householder knows the agonies of house-moving. Rother staff are in the throes of moving to the authority's newly-acquired premises at Beeching Road. Staff at both the Watch Oak at Battle and from offices at 10 London Road, Bexhill, are on the move.