hastings

White Rock Baths Hastings 1950’s

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photo © Hastings Public Library

Paul Cullen… Learnt to swim in this pool

Carol Arnold… So did I

Steve Cooke… So did I.

Graham Sherrington… Yes I still have my HESSA Certs and the ribbons

Roger Simmonds… Wow I remember it!

Daryl Perkins… School swimming lessons!!

Ian Johnson… Daryl, same

Jane Collins… Swimming lessons there

Angela Frances Gardner… Swam there in the 60s during the winter and in the summer at the bathing pool in west st Leonards

Jacquie Hinves… And it was so cold!! I remember being there when Alice Cooper was blaring out “Schools out for Summer “and this very creepy man hovering around our changing rooms. 1972?? I would have been 13/14.

Russell Field… So did I, hot blackcurrent 2p from the machine.

Carol Acott… Went there with school but Mrs Penny couldn’t teach me to swim….I still can’t because it gave me a fear of the water…what a wimp lol …

Eric Harmer… t was cold and smelly , Miss Penny was the teacher , we had to jump in off the side I hated it.

Bernard Baker… I caught a verruca in this place in 1972 and it took a year to get rid of it!!

 

 

Forte’s Ice Cream Parlor, 31 White Rock, Hastings c1936

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supplied by Bren Hall

Linda Gowans… I remember the juke box in the 1950s/60s. In my childhood Dad used to give me the money to play something, but I was careful not to pick anything that would stop him giving me any more! Later when I went with friends we could liven things up!

Ju-ju Davies… I believe my dad worked for these delivering ice cream to the pier restaurant on his pushbike

Kay Lobb… I worked there in the mid sixties. The jukebox was the main attraction of eight hour shifts.

Linda Gowans… Kay, You’ve probably served me a milkshake or two!

Colin Clarke-Hill… Brilliant memory. Did the ice cream parlour belong to the Rocco Forte family ?

Kay Lobb… It was run by Ralph Forte, if I remember correctly. Such a LONG time ago. I can remember The Beach Boys, Good Vibrations being played nearly non stop on the juke box. Quite ironic for one of my first jobs I made sandwiches and served tea and coffee…..as I did in my last job!

Colin Clark-Hill… Kay, just wondered if it was the same family as Trusthouse Forte, Alex Polizzi etc but probably not. Maybe distant relations . Beach Boys . Yes!

Glynis Phillips… Yes I remember the juke box in Fortes. Happy days. Some of the best days

Sally Smith… Ralph Forte and family were our neighbours for many years, as my family owned Salmons (post office) next door. Remember them well and their beautiful dobermans.

 

White Rock Baths Hastings 1972

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supplied by Kate at Teddy Tinkers 134 London Road St Leonards. For antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing and more. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1410711675833278

Alan Esdaile… I can smell the chlorine!

Paul Coleman… Wow! That does bring back memories, including the smell of chlorine! Great pic. Never thought of seeing it in colour. Bexhill could do with a decent pool like that !  Some hope.!!

Carol Arnold… Aaaahhh loved it there!!!

Dave Nattress… I recall this scene well.  We used to come over from Bexhill to use this indoor pool as we only had the outside Egerton Park pool. Or the sea – which was probably about the same temperature as Egerton Park. I assume the water was heated?  Anyone know if it was?

Nicola Dobson… the outside pool in the park had no heating but was always a deep blue colour and also a deep pool

Phil Gill… That’s where I learned to swim, I can smell it from here. Lovely pic. The smaller pool in the eastern side was always great fun too. Now I want a powdery hot chocolate in a plastic cup from a crappy vending machine.

Russell Field… Phil, it was warm black current for me. Walking out to meet mum with albino eyes

Sheila Devine… Phil, ha yes the hot chocolate! Also the changing rooms with the wooden bench’s and stubbing your toes on the tiles – loved it!

Lloyd Johnson… We were always there in the 1950s….Alan Mitchell me and Johnny Mitchell….great fun….

Nadia Compagnone… If you left your clothes touching the floor in the changing rooms, they got soaked when somebody dived in!

Pauline Hillier… Nadia, It was such an exciting day out ! I can smell it ! Brilliant days !!

Sean Fox… Shame the council, didn’t do it up and instead opted for tiny pool at summer fields! it was such a great pool! Swam there with primary school and seagulls swimming club. Happy days!

Glen Collins… Sean, I remember my mum and dad taking me down there for swimming. Was a fantastic pool but those changing cubicles were freezing

Allan Mitchell… Awesome‼️ Picture I Remember Those Days Always In There Great Swimming Pool Thanks For Sharing This.

Lin Greenfield… Went twice a week

Gaynor Lewry… Loved it

Anne Phillips… Gaynor, so very sad it’s no longer there! Where exactly was it?

Kelly Hayes… Anne, it became an ice rink and is now The Source skate park

Jacquie Hinves… It was bloody cold!

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Remembering Chris Hutchinson The Mellow D Man

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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.

Inside Marriott’s photographers shop Hastings 1983

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photo © A Walker

Claire Finn… Remember them x

Virginia Davis… Remember the sawdust on the floor upstairs when I visited my grandad at work.

Alan Roberts… Remember it well, they helped me a lot in my first dabblings with professional photography (35mm film). Especially remember them telling me not to use 36 pics roll of film in my motor driven camera because of thinness of the film (24 exposure film much thicker and less likely to strip the drive sockets even though some 24 rolls did for me!!). Funny the things you remember.

Andy Maby… Excellent shop

Robert Carey… When I was growing up in Bexhill, Marriotts & Gifford Boyd were the two photographic shops that were mentioned in the same breath as Woolworths and Demarcos.

Angela Frances Gardner… I got all my films developed there in the 80s and 90s

 

White Rock Baths outside open space – charity event 1953

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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!