Day: 31 October 2024

All supplied by Leigh Kennedy. From facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/historicalhastings/

Leigh Kennedy… Two further views of Wellington Square, this time looking up Castle Hill Road. Judging by the clothing and the cars I’m going to say early 1950s ? In the background of both photos is No14 Castle Hill Road, used for 50 years between 1899 & 1949 as the offices of the Argus Newspaper.

Alan Esdaile… What was the name of the drinking club upstairs, about next to the newsagent sign? My dad used to go in there

Roger Simmonds… What happy times !

Peter Ellingworth… Definitely around early 50’s. My grandmother lived in one of the flats between Wellington Square and Castle Hill Passage I think it is. M&D buses : anybody remember where route 12 used to go -Tenterden / Maidstone ? Hastings Corporation were going to build a dedicated bus station dating back to pre war days, but this only came about when Hastings Station was rebuilt.

Peter Ellingworth… Following on, I’ve just had a look around the web and there is a very interesting website ‘The Transport Library’.

https://www.thetransportlibrary.co.uk/

-which features photos many in colour, and very good quality, of a lot of Hastings bus services and the town itself from the ‘50s to ‘90’s.
If the link above doesn’t work, just type in The Transport Library- Maidstone and District – Hastings. There were also some very clear Hastings trolley bus photos in black and white taken in by Derek Giles in 1950, some of which I hadn’t seen before. Am I right in saying M&D route 12 shown in the photo above went from Hastings to Tenterden, via Sedlescombe -Northiam and return ?

Paul Morfey… yes! The mud and dust no 12 as we called it went from Hastings to Tenterden via Sedlescombe and Northiam. I worked as an apprentice electrician for Farley Paines from the basement of no.1 Wellington Square and caught the bus home from there to Northiam every night.