photo © Hastings Public Library
Alan Esdaile… Jazz band playing at the outside open space at the White Rock Baths. Raising money for cancer in 1953. It’s interesting that this space was used for many years to raise money for various charities. I remember they had roll a penny slides and various buckets to throw money into. Anyone else remember this?
Peter Ellingworth… I do indeed.
Jim Breeds… I more than remember it, I helped out with it for one week every year in the 1960s when my Dad had the use of the well to raise money for his charity.
Colin Bell… I’d forgotten about those penny slides, that’s jogged some memories!
Alan Esdaile… Jim, this must have been the main place for raising money for local charities at the time. I can also remember, that chemist shops always had a charity box outside for national charities?
Jim Breeds…I don’t know if it was the main place, but it was hugely important for the charities that managed to get allocated their week in the well during the summer. My Dad’s charity also raised funds by selling “roses” on Alexandra Rose Day. I used to help with that too – we all used to stand on street corners selling the roses (cloth roses on pins) from a tray rattling the collecting tin at passers-by. A bit like poppy day. For the well over the baths, we used to collect coins thrown down by people. We had to take our own ladder each evening to be able to climb down in!
Steve Cooke… Yes, I had forgotten about these.
How it looks today…
Colin Bell… Looked a damn sight better back then!