Do You Remember When?

1908

REAR Admiral E. St. John Garforth, C.B., presided at the sitting of the County Magistrates held at the Town Hall, Hastings, on Saturday. Wm. Davis was summoned for obstructing the Marina, Bexhill, by leaving a hand-cart there. Defendant admitted the offence. P.C. Mitchell said the hand-cart was there 30 minutes. Defendant said there was a pleasure boat-man on the beach from whom he was buying some rope, and he kept him a little longer than he expected. He did not think he was there more than 20 minutes. There was nowhere else to put the cart except the beach, and he could not put it there as there was two hundredweight of stuff in it. A fine of 2s. 6d. (12.5p) including costs was imposed; in default three days. Defendant was given a week to pay.

THE opening meeting of the Bexhill Harriers, under the popular Mastership of Mr. C. Ward-Jackson, took place at the Kennels, Cooden, yesterday. There was a record following, including four Masters, and the mounted contingent was stronger than on any other occasion in the history of the Hunt. Subscribers, owners, tenant farmers, puppy walkers and foot followers flocked from near and far to give the Master a good send-off and the ground around the Kennels was crowded with brakes, carriages, traps and horses to say nothing of the ubiquitous motor car, without which no present-day open-air function appears to be complete. It is estimated that 400 people were present.

1958

ALTHOUGH attendances during the 15-weeks-season of the summer show "Starlight Rendezvous" this year were slightly lower than during the 1957 season of 14 weeks, receipts at 9,035 were an increase of 339 on last year's figure. There was no alteration in the prices of admission for the 1958 show, and the higher receipts are accounted for by more tickets being bought for dearer seats. Total admissions were 49,849 compared with 50,021 the previous year.

THE Borough Surveyor has reported that in order to put the Museum building in a satisfactory state of repair and carry out necessary redecorations, about 3,500 would have to be spent. The General Purposes Committee of the Town Council think that the Council would not be justified in spending this amount on the present building, but as they consider that a Museum should be maintained by the Council, then consideration should be given to the acquisition of an alternative building, or a site on which to erect new premises.

1968

ADDRESSING the audience after the final concert of the town's first Light Music Festival, the Mayor (Councillor E. T. Johnson) announced that there had been a total attendance of more than 4,000 at the three evening concerts and fringe events.

AN old wooden wheel that may once have been used to operate roasting-jacks and which has been concealed for many years, has been found by demolition workers at the Manor House. Situated high in the roof of the original part of the Manor House, it has now been taken down and is being kept for the Museum.

1978

A DRASTIC revision of De La Warr Pavilion summer entertainment is planned. This follows the dismal attendance at Bexhill's summer show, main plank of Rother showbusiness policy. Barrie Manning's Champagne Spectacular attracted audiences of only 786 a week and lost the council 14,396 - 4,728 more than the budgeted deficit.

WHETHER Bexhill people like it or not, the Marina open air market plans are going ahead. Last week the Observer asked readers to give their opinions. Of those who answered, about 65 per cent did not approve.

1988

THE trouble-torn Sackville has finally gone up for sale with a price tag of 1.75 million. Estate agents Strutt and Parker say they have already had a fair amount of interest shown in the complex since it went on the market earlier this week.

BANNING disabled orange badge holders from restricted town centre parking places before midday is the latest traffic flow-improving scheme by the Chamber of Commerce.

1998

PROPOSALS for a 30m sewage treatment works raised a stink even before the wraps were taken off on Wednesday. Pebsham residents are already protesting against Southern Water's scheme to build the plant serving Bexhill and Hastings on land next to Pebsham tip. Southern Water claimed at a Press conference that the wastewater treatment works heralded "cleaner-than-ever waters for the coast between Bexhill and Hastings." But Rother and county councillor Jean Hopkinson says the plant will cover three fields in an area scheduled as a countryside park to serve as a green wedge between the communities and produce 14,000 tonnes of material a year.