Alan Esdaile… This was a Great shop for cards.
SMART
Chat group of like minded people who are interest in 70’s music and other eras, bands who played Hastings Pier.
Collins and Hayes – who remembers Peter and Nicholas Hayes?
photo © Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland
Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland… Did you work at Collins and Hayes on Ponswood in the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s? Do you remember Peter and Nicholas Hayes, who owned the company?
Merv Kennard… I started working with C&H in August 1968 when Norman Hayes (ex battle of Britain pilot) brought the company down from London.
Paul Marshall… My mum worked in the staff canteen. Old fabric swatches & ice buns on a Friday are a memory for me in the 70’s
Pete Prescott… two guys from Collins and Hayes at my Flat in 1981
Helen Haddock (nee Balls)… I do, I worked at Collins and Hayes in the early 70’s. Great furniture and good bosses as far as I could see. I remember Peter and Nicholas Hayes as I worked for them in Accounts Dept., in early 70’s before leaving to have my lst son James in 1974. If I am correct I am in the photo, to the left hand side, in half profile within the Furniture Showroom on Ponswood Estate. They probably wouldn’t remember me. But I remember them and Peter was quite ill before that. I loved my Collins and Hayes Suite I bought with my husband Mike, and it lasted well into the late 80’s. It was called Cygnet.
Martin Hollands… Worked there from 1983 to 2012, used to work with ‘Nan’ too
David Martin… we used to make the chrome plated Cygnet brackets at Winstone Engineering.
Pete Prescott… Remember them so well. I can’t put the best stories on this. David Backler is the bearded guy in the background. Great guy.
Richie Weeks… I worked there, from leaving school at 16 in 1978 until joining Royal Mail in 1987…
Andy Knight… my neighbour was Alan Pledge, the designer back in the 80’s and 90’s, I bought a pair of salmon settees from C&H
Phil Foley… I like that brown velvet whistle
Alan Esdaile… When I had Masons Music building next door, a number of Collins & Hayes staff would walk over our land and constantly ruin our fences. It probably only saved them a minute or two. I did keep getting them repaired but realised it was a losing battle and better to leave it as their new walkway!
Bob Lloyd… I worked closely with Peter and Nicholas, they were great to work for, along with all of the other staff there.
Hospital Radio Hastings interviews
All photos © Conquest Hospital Radio archives
Alan Esdaile… How excellent does the cricket ground look in the Don Estelle photo.
Matt Thomas… Is that weatherman Ron Lobeck?
Alan Esdaile… Yes, Matt. How excellent does the cricket ground look in the Don Estelle photo.
Graham Sherrington… THE CRICKET GROUND!!!! Brilliant!
Linda Turnbull… It’s a shame we don’t have the names of those people in the photos
Alan Esdaile… Linda, hopefully others can fill in the names.
Roy Penfold… And a bonus for Don, he didn’t have to travel far – he lived in Fairlight around that time I believe.
Darryl Way’s Wolf & Factory Hastings Pier 23rd November 1973
poster & ticket supplied by Mick Mepham
Tony Qunta….Also remember being blown away by John Etheridge playing some of the fastest guitar I had ever heard!
Glenn Piper….Another one I worked on
Andy Qunta….Funnily enough, I remember seeing Darryl Way’s Wolf – they were great, but I don’t remember seeing Factory that night. I must have been in the bar during their set!
Geoff Peckham….I would definitely have been in the bar with you, Andy, so Factory would have been a duo that night.
Andy Qunta….Looks like it must have been just Lol Cooksey playing that night! I’m sure he put on a great show, as always!
Chris Coleman…Music Machine Disco AKA Jon Royle.
The Cambridge pub Cambridge Road Hastings – Jim and Di Davidson.
David Cowley… Jim was a great landlord.
Andrew Freeman… A great old fashioned pub that I frequented a lot back in the 70’s.
Michael Hayes… Jim and Diane a lovely couple !
Mick Jackson… Had some lovely times in the pub back in the early 70’s.
Remembering Chris Hutchinson The Mellow D Man
Nick Bloomfield… I missed mentioning this on then 16th March but it was 4 years since local jazz musician Chris Hutchinson (Mellow D Man) died. I’d only got to know him in that last year and he was already seriously ill when I filmed four of his songs in Bexhill. He was a lovely man and was also musical director for a singing group of pensioners in Silverhill. I made a short video of rehearsals of that too. His father was the legendary pianist & singer Leslie ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson. Leslie Hutch Hutchinson from Grenada and was a jazz superstar in the 20’s and 30’s but managed to get in big trouble with all the affairs he had with the nobles. One resulting in a pregnancy which killed off his income to a large extent. His name is Leslie ‘Hutch” Hutchinson and he was the inspiration for the character Jack Ross in Downton Abbey. He allegedly had affairs with Edwina Mountbatten. The rumour scandalised the British upper classes, becoming the subject of tabloid news, and an embarrassment to Lady Mountbatten’s royal in-laws. The Mountbattens sued the tabloids for libel. As a result of the scandal, Hutch was shunned by many of his former patrons. Other reported mistresses were the Hollywood actors Tallulah Bankhead and Merle Oberon. Hutch may have been bisexual and was alleged to have had relationships with Cole Porter, and Ivor Novello. A very busy chap by all accounts. There is a playlist of Chris (including the short documentary on the pensioners) on my YouTube channel for those interested.
Pauline Richards… 4yrs!
Linda Lowcock… My late mother in law actually new Hutch as a child as he was friends with her parents .She remembered him playing the piano in their house in London. I took her to see Chris Hutchinson singing at St Michaels Hospice one evening and she managed to have a chat with him about her memories. He was amazed that she had known his father. She became a fan and I took her to see him sing on several occasions and she bought his CD. As a surprise for her 80th birthday party I contacted Chris and asked him to sing at her party which he very kindly did and she was so happy. Her favourite song was A nightingale sang on Berkeley Square. We were very sad to hear he had passed away. Happy memories .
Paul Cullen… Knew Hutch for a long long time. Sad news. Sleep easy my friend
Perri Ann Haste… Lovely man with a lovely voice, I used to see him with his wife walking their dog at the Bos regularly. I can’t believe it is 4 years.
Ray Wood… Is this the Chris Hutchinson who sang Amazing Grace on Songs of Praise?
SMART coffee meet no.82 – Friday 28th November 2025.
The next SMART coffee meet is on Friday 28th November 2025. I was hoping to have it a couple of weeks earlier but unfortunately the room was fully booked. Hopefully you can make it. Please put it in your diaries and mention it to other like minded people.
Al Hudson and The Partners – Hastings Pier 8th December 1979
Terry Tollan… Can i just say . Many bands played on our pier over the years but it and who will never beat T Rex live fantastic gig. Just saying. We saw them all .
John Wilde… we (Stallion) had the great privilege of supporting T Rex that very night. It was packed!
Terry Tollan… John, I saw you many times over the years .
Angela Colosi… I have the flyer with the bands autographs including Alicia Myers!
Alan Esdaile… Angela, pease share if you can. Thank you.
The Cambridge, Cambridge Road, Hastings 1961
supplied by Matt Thomas
Andrew Freeman… My local in the 70’s, landlords Jim and Di. Happy memories.
Tony Court-holmes… Andrew, went to have The Railway in Kings Road
Pauline Richards… Just trying to remember the landlords name at that time! Can imagine his face but can’t bring name to mind!
Douglas Palmer… I was only 13 in 1961 so did not frequent The Cambridge, but by 1966 was a regular Monday night meeting place for Hastings 18 Plus Group. Best days of my life with those guys many whom I remain in contact with.