photo: Joan Hills
Stewart Rockett… Yours truly (centre) trying to hide behind a twig, while working with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (now just the Conservation Volunteers) on the pond at Guestling Hall c.1995
Colin Jefferys… I was there. Left in 1980. Great times
Peter Ellingworth… Used to stay there a lot in the eighties when it belonged to the YHA ( Youth Hostels Association). The warden/manager was Barry and his wife from Liverpool, succeeded by Melanie Baker and her Dutch boyfriend. I remember Melanie saying she had a brother who had gone to either Priory Rd. or HGS ( can’t remember which off hand) , she herself the High School.
Great place to stay- sadly it closed in the 90’s, when the YHA due to financial restructuring sold off a lot of its hostels. I think Melanie and her boyfriend went to Holland or Germany and continued their outstanding work there. This was a great loss to Hastings and also left a big void in the YHA South East network. As mentioned previously, I contacted the then Hastings MP who rather curtly replied that no longer being a Hastings resident I was not in his remit, but my local MP Grant Shapps was the exact opposite and could not have been more helpful !
I was there. Left in 1980. Great times
Used to stay there a lot in the eighties when it belonged to the YHA ( Youth Hostels Association).
The warden/manager was Barry and his wife from Liverpool, succeeded by Melanie Baker and her Dutch boyfriend. I remember Mellanie saying she had a brother who had gone to either Priory Rd. or HGS ( can’t remember which off hand) , she herself the High School.
Great place to stay- sadly it closed in the 90’s, when the YHA due to financial restructuring sold off a lot of its hostels.
I think Melanie and her boyfriend went to Holland or Germany and continued their outstanding work there.
This was a great loss to Hastings, and also left a big void in the YHA South East network. As mentioned previously, I contacted the then Hastings MP who rather curtly replied that no longer being a Hastings resident I was not in his remit, but my local MP Grant Shapps was the exact opposite and could not have been more helpful !