sea front

Les Hobeaux Skiffle group Warrior Square St Leonards 1957

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Supplied by Helena Wojtczak

Helena Wojtczak… Les Hobeaux Skiffle group seen here performing on the sea front at Warrior Square. May 1957. I’m pretty sure this is where Goat Ledge is and performing in the luggage van on the train going to Hastings May 1957. In those days you could also drop the blinds and get some kip!

Great Hastings photos on this video…

David Russell… I remember the day like yesterday (I was the washboard player). I also remember busking in Shepherds Market where the ‘girls’ would pay us to gather a crowd that they could then solicit. One evening I told this to my landlady who exclaimed that I was ‘living off the immoral earnings’ whereupon I handed her my rent and told her ‘so are you’. I gave up early as I was studying Architecture and decided that there was more promise in that than playing skiffle. Those were the days.

Kevin White… David, that’s a great story, and the photos are brilliant, thanks for sharing!

John Wilde… Wow this is a fantastic piece of local history. Hastings and St Lennies own Skiffle group. Does Dave have any more photos or posters, history, names of members? These images are terrific.

Terry Pack… Great stuff. My friends Pete White and Pete Burden began playing music around 1960 in Bexhill and Hastings. I saw a photo of them at the De La Warr around then. The bass player had a tea chest bass.

 

Who remembers having a knickerbocker glory in Fortes?

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Wendy Weaver… They always looked lovely but my mother couldn’t afford things like that. When I had my own money I never got around to buying one😋 We had several large Forte establishments in Bournemouth including The Barbecue where Ted Heath, Edmundo Ros, Mantovani played. Charles Forte lived in Bournemouth for a while.

Matt Thomas… They still do them in Rainbow Restaurant

Alan Wood… Yes, was a Grans treat for me, very occasionally in Hastings

Nicola Barfield… Omg yes and they used to do the extra large brandy glass with Eccles cake in bottom so many other cakes with ice cream then loads of cream

Eric Harmer… Free one from Phil ? I think , as my mum worked there

Dennis Torrance… Yes and also lime ice cream sodas

John Coleman… Had one yesterday! In Liverpool! WTH cookie dough & salted Caramel!

Charlie Ball… Yep

Steve Thorpe… Nice ones in Dimarcos!

Jan Warren… Fortes on Bexhill Seafront opposite “Ags” amusement centre, we all used to hang out there in the 60s/early 70s!!

Lyn Humphrey… Yep, and also had one last month in Simply Italian at E/B Harbour!

Pauline Richards… Banana split was my favourite

Monica Bane… No way as good as they use to be with jelly and real cream not cheap at over a fiver!

Mike Guy… My goodness, you were rich!

Dave Nattress… In Bexhill as Jan Warren said we had the Forte’s Ice Cream/knickerbocker glory/coffee bar on the seafront on the corner of Wilton Road opposite the amusements, round the corner from the Wimpey bar in Devonshire Road, and along from the Continental cafe/restaurant and basement club. Used to gravitate from one to another. Across the road by the amusements was a little late night club – drinks after hours – forget the name now – was it the Arcadian? Could have made that name up. There might even have been another little place along from that one for a short while. On the corner the RAF club. Further along was the Bexhill club – far too straight for a bunch of long-haired weekend hippies, no way would we have got in there, or wanted to. It was for people back then who were at the age I am now – which is very old! We were never gonna be that old. Never thought about getting old or anything like, being young was going on forever and in many respects you bet, it has. You know the old gag, went out with a girl the other night but it was all knickerbocker(s) and no glory!! Had to lower the tone!! The Criterion – one in Western Road the other (think it was also The Criterion opposite the DLW did knickerbocker glories and all sorts of ice-cream. The old type with little chunks of actual ice – remember those? Hastings seemed to have many more ice ream parlours.

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Who remembers The De Luxe Cinema Hastings?

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cuttings 1965

Alan Esdaile… Always remember it was cheapest to go to the very top of the building.

Keith Veness… So high up there

Sid Saunders…  I remember that there were wooden benches behind the top seats that we were not allowed to sit in.

Dave Nattress… The advert says it was on the seafront so whereabouts? I recall the other cinemas in Hastings and the Tivoli (was it) – the one in Norman Road, St Leonards but not one on the front. Or was it where the large amusements place has been for years along from Pelham Crescent?

Alan Esdaile… Yes the large amusement place which has a bingo club above.

Tony Court-holmes… saw rob roy there 4 times one week up in the gods. Remember Roxy silverhill, Curzon norman road and the flea pit now Yates god i feel old

Trevor Unwin… The flea pit was the Orion and yes we are old

White Rock Baths illustrated talk by Andre Martin – Hastings Museum Hastings Friday 12th October 2018

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photo: © HBC Hastings Museum & Art Gallery Hastings

http://www.hmag.org.uk/events/details?event=10336

Sophie Ash… Was in there when a Scots Pipe Band marched in and out again. Quite
a surreal experience, and the noise was incredible.

Glenn Piper… Like so many others this is where I learnt to swim with the Seagulls back in the 60’s

Gerry Fortsch… The Robertsbridge youth club took us and we had fish n chips on the way home.

Sue James… Like a lot of people I learned to swim there

Tim Moose Bruce… Went to swim there in the early 70s and later on went to ice skate there.

Lucy Pappas… Swimming lessons in the 60s….

Jon McCallion… Went to swim there and also the other smaller one across the other side.

Janine Anne Scott… H.E.S.A. Hated it, but loved the hot chocolate machine.

Brigitte Lee… That was my favourite bit too. xxx

Alan Esdaile… I remember the hot chocolate machine, might have been the first place to have one??? Also remember the mangle to put your swim wear through.

Janine Anne Scott… Oh yes, the mangle

Lucy Pappas… I’d forgotten the hot chocolate machine, the best part of swimming lessons!

Andy Dinsdale… I remember learning to swim there in the ‘70’s. And later on unicycling on the ice rink in preparation for the British Unicycling Convention in ‘94! Slushy ice was better for unicycling I believe!

Sandie Carlyon… Learnt to swim there with HESSA

Dennis Torrance… I remember the mangle and the chocolate machine there to

Carol Paffett… Remember both swimming baths , should have been done up instead of new ones built.

Pete Fisher… freezing water, chlorine in your eyes, hot chocolate afterwards…

Alan Esdaile… Those big hair dryers which I think were a penny for so many seconds and remember your cloths going in a wire basket and given a rubber band for your arm.

Paul Magee… Remember the instructor there in the 60’s was called Jim Riper or Ryper. Went with West St Leonards School. Remember the plastic hosepipe hoop on a rope being put round my neck and Jim heaving me back to the side. Got a certificate for my first width 🙂 The hot chocolate afterwards was heaven.

Pete Fisher… Could be the same guy “taught” me to swim…found it pretty scary being dragged across the pool, but when I did actually manage a width under my own steam I was dead chuffed, and yes, there was hot chocolate afterwards…

Dave Nattress… Used to go over from Bexhill in the early/mid 60’s when Bexhill’s cold outside pool was in Egerton Park.

Alan Esdaile… I remember the first lesson from a woman instructor, we were all in the water holding on to the railings at the side and she wanted us all to let go, duck under the water for so many seconds and if we didn’t do it she would stand on top of our heads and force us under.

Nigel Ford… A Mr Ryper taught my brother to swim there in the early 60’s bellowing out instructions but when he tried to teach me the first thing he made you do was to try and retrieve a brick on the floor of the shallow end and, as I still do, was still trying to take in a deep breath as I went under and hence took in a load of water & panicked thus ending all attempts by anyone to teach me. I later learned by myself in ’64 / 65 when the school (Mountfield & Whatlington) used to go to the small baths and I still only swim with my head well above water….!

Nigel Ford… What time is the talk, please?

Alan Esdaile… Listed as 7.30pm Nigel, so you will have chance to go to the SMART meeting in the afternoon.

Jeanette Jones… Learnt to Scuba Dive there

Pete Brazier… I learned to swim there!

Ian Cramp… I also learnt to swim there in 1969 – great times