Recalled to Life
Posted: 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!!
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!!