Do you remember when?

1907

AT a time when every loyal citizen is bubbling over with patriotic spirits, and anxious to do everything possible to render the reorganisation of the military forces of the country a success, it may be opportune to call attention to the serious disadvantage under which every local Volunteer suffers by the absence of a rifle range in Bexhill. It is marvellous, when we come to think of it, that such a large proportion of the young men of our town are members of one or the other of the three Corps of which there are local detachments, and devote so much of their leisure time to making themselves efficient factors in the defence of their country, when they have to journey far afield '“ to Eastbourne, Battle, and Hastings, to make themselves proficient in the art of shooting. - Leading article.

A SUCCESSION of very wet days and windy nights seemed to culminate on Wednesday evening in a remarkably fierce but short storm of hail. About half-past five o'clock there was a flash of lightning, followed by a peal of thunder, and after that Bexhill suffered a cloudburst.

1957

A SECOND wave of influenza has hit Bexhill, the Borough Medical Officer of Health (Dr. R.J. Toleman) told the "Observer" this week. At present, the greater number of victims are youngsters, and several schools have reported a steep decline in attendances.

THE Bexhill Amateur Swimming Club are looking forward to a successful season. Over the past two years membership has been steadily rising, and the number of junior members has soared from 192 in 1956 to 283 this year. This was reported at the annual meeting on Monday evening.

1967

THE new community centre for Pebsham may be sited in Seabourne Road where the Town Council owns land forming an open space. The Council is being asked to approve in principle the grant of a 28-year lease on an area of some 20,000 sq. ft. The recently-formed Pebsham Community Association has decided, after earlier interest, that a piece of back-land which had been offered by the Council for 1, is unsuitable.

PEARTREE Lane '“ Detached bungalows being built with warm-air, gas-fired central heating; lounge, dining room, two or three bedrooms, bath, kitchen, w.c. and garage for 5,650 '“ Advertisement.

1977

TWO MPs gave Bexhill grim warnings of Britain's future at separate meetings in the town, including one by the outspoken Mr Enoch Powell at the De La Warr Pavilion. The Ulster Unionist MP said Parliament had first surrendered authority to Europe; then given it away to the nationalists. And Conservative MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells, Mr Patrick Mayhew, posed the question: "Can Britain be defended?"

THE town hall is bursting at the seams. So are Rother council's other offices at the Watch Oak, Battle. Now the council has received a staff call to take drastic action '“ including the possibility of a completely new, centralised, office block in either Bexhill or Battle, rumoured to cost up to 2m.

1987

AN acute nursing shortage could force the continued closure of storm-damaged D Ward at Bexhill Hospital, says a worried Bexhill doctor. At Bexhill, GPs have received a letter from Hastings Health Authority's acute unit general manager Geoff Lovering calling them to a meeting.

EIGHTEEN people still remain temporarily housed in Glovers Court, Sidley, following the storm and some may remain the responsibility of Rother Council. Chief housing officer, Mr Cyril Catt, told councillors in a report, that they will remain in the flats whole their landlords or managing agents carry out repair work to their homes.

1997

PLANS to transform the 62-year-old De La Warr Pavilion into an international centre of art and architecture were explained this week. Project architect Adam Brown said: "It was an active, dynamic place until the war. A lot of this we want to reinterpret to make it the people's palace by the sea." He told a pavilion seminar: "As we were learning about the building there were a lot of unseen problems caused by sea corrosion. The fabric of the building is in a very bad way."

A CASH crisis faces Carnival Committee volunteers as they begin planning the 1998 event. This year's rain-hit event has cut deeply into funds. At last Thursday's Grand Hotel annual meeting, representatives of four charities shared 1,400 from the traditional Carnival Day street collection. But the meeting was told that this leaves the organisation with just 446.20 with which to start another year. That is less than a tenth of last year's opening balance.