Recalled to Life

Conversation regarding Hastings attractions and events taking place in the area.
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Richard
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Recalled to Life

Postby Richard » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:16 pm

Many of the events staged locally, especially in the Old Town today, e.g. carnivals, Fairs and Jack-in-the Green and the celebration of 'Guy Fawkes' Bonfire Night, have all been rescued from near-oblivion.
Organisers have delved into the past to recreate events that had almost faded from memory. As well as inventing Pirate's day, even a Herring Fair has been celebrated, in a similar vein, Hastings Pier is being resurrected and will soon stage theatrical shows recreating memorable events from Victorian times.

What has been overlooked entirely is a famous Fair, held on the edge of Hastings, as its then boundaries were drawn up at the time.
That was the annual 'Rock fair', lasting from centuries ago until July 26th 1861, when it was finally suppressed, on account of the "lewd and revolting excesses",
it was a particularly notorious attraction, drawing in an assortment of youths, labourers and undesirable characters, from neighbouring areas, to Hastings.
(Better-off people did not like its common air and had been trying to quash it for many years).
The 'Rock Fair' had been pitched on, or not far from, the site of what eventually became the America Ground / Priory Field, being typically held on 26-29th July).
Perhaps the development of the area, (including the America Ground), eventually sealed its fate?
Whilst that one seems to have slipped through the net we certainly manage to celebrate the more manageable parts of our history today, even if some were very serious matters at the time, example the Pirates with their Smuggling, often involving fatalities, and the Gunpowder Plot.
We even have a 'Museum of Crime' although that may not be all about local crime, although there is plenty to be had, of course!!

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Derek Jempson
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Derek Jempson » Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:12 am

Interesting, Richard. Do you know what the Rock Fair was all about, or what it was intended to be all about before it degenerated into "lewd and revolting excesses"?

cbe
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby cbe » Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:22 am

I have just been re-reading a book which makes a passing reference to the Rock Fair.
It said that this was held, as Richard says, on the America Ground/Priory Meadow and it got it's name because of the proximity to White rock.
It goes on to say that it was fishermen's annual celebration' held 'since time immemorial on July 26 and 27'.
Apparently the council had always tried to discourage it because of 'drunkenness and gambling' but goes on to say that the real 'crime' was loss of earnings by local traders during those days. Local traders being heavily represented on the council.
It finishes on the topic by saying that it began to die out from around 1858 when 'building work and hostile landowners forced it to move from its old home to Mount Pleasant'. 'It seems to have been held for the last time in 1861 .In that year the borough magistrates' posted notices to the effect that the police would take action against people selling excisable liquor at the fair. (This is from Steve Peak's Fishermen of Hastings)

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Richard
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Richard » Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:28 pm

Interesting cbe, if it was indeed a fisherman's Fair then it may well have been disliked by the council.

It appears Fairs occurred elsewhere instead:

Fairs Too Popular
July 4, 1908
Public nuisance caused by the noise of fairs in the Central Cricket Ground was a recurring complaint, said the Mail. It was annoying to residents. The fairs also diverted a substantial amount of money from businesses and amusements organised in the town. They collected a crowd of undesirables and an atmosphere of tawdriness and disorder.


It also appears that the tradition of a themed Guy Fawkes event has some old roots, and November 5th was still adhered to :

Guy Fawkes Anti-Slave
November 5, 1866
At 5pm Hastings Bonfire Boys got into marching order headed by a drum and fife band. The guy was of an anti-slavery character.

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Chris in 1066
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Chris in 1066 » Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:22 am

A good sketch of the Rock Fair on the Derelict Land, known today as the America Ground - aka Robertson Street

https://www.flickr.com/photos/escchisto ... otostream/

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Chris in 1066
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Chris in 1066 » Sat Oct 03, 2015 11:33 am

When I first moved down here in 1984, I purchased a First floor flat on the Seafront and I remember having a BBQ on the Balcony with friends as we watched the St Leonards Carnival go past. What has happened to it?

Chris

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Gerry Glyde
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Gerry Glyde » Sat Oct 03, 2015 3:55 pm

Chris in 1066 wrote:A good sketch of the Rock Fair on the Derelict Land, known today as the America Ground - aka Robertson Street

https://www.flickr.com/photos/escchisto ... otostream/


Thanks for the link to the sketch

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Richard
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Re: Recalled to Life

Postby Richard » Fri May 06, 2016 9:00 pm

A most interesting account of the (White) Rock fair' from Steve Peak 2016:

http://hastingschronicle.net/wp-content ... k_Fair.pdf


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