A moment of Bexhill history in the making

On, Tuesday, November 24, Rother District Council moved towards setting up the new Bexhill Town Council for May 2021. This follows a ten year successful campaign by many Bexhill citizens to restore more direct democracy for the 40,000 people of Bexhill who, for the last 46 years, have had no parish or town council, unlike nearly all other similarly sized towns in the UK.

These local rights were enjoyed from 1902 until 1972 when these democratic rights were given to Rother District Council, along with a free gift of the Bexhill Town hall, built and maintained for over 70 years by Bexhill tax payers.

So, we now have something to celebrate!

And why not use the new Bexhill Town Council to help Bexhill people and their communities, schools, shops, businesses and many voluntary associations to mark the 1250th anniversary of the birth of Bexhill in 2022, when King Offa gave lands to St Peter’s church in 772?

Perhaps the new Bexhill Town Council could even initiate an even bigger and better event than that created by the then doomed Bexhill Borough Council, 1902-1974, RIP.

Their 1,200th anniversary event included new iron railings around St Peter’s; plaques and events in the Manor Gardens; a fine and specially commissioned book on The Story of Bexhill (by L J Bartley, 1971), and much else. Could Bexhill Museum summarise their event for us to emulate?

There are other memorable 1902 events to commemorate in 2022, such as the opening of the very grand Bexhill Station, the first Bexhill Motor Racing event; and the official incorporation of the then new Bexhill Borough Council.

Tuesday’s Rother District Council meeting on setting up the Bexhill Town Council contained a nostalgic detail that links 1902 with the proposed King Offa anniversary event of 2022. Amongst the return from RDC of 89 items of ‘regalia’ that were lost to Bexhill in 1974 were two special items: item 60, the Bexhill BC Charter of Incorporation, 1902; and item 88, the Bexhill Borough Council 1200 Charter Goblet! I am sure they will be in pride of place in the BTC office next May: this is likely to be in our old town hall, thus minimising costs to today’s hard pressed rate payers!