Hastings Forum

I was brought up in Ore village, Churchill avenue to be precise, 1962-75.

There were some fantastic places for us discover as kids, Coghurst woods, Old Barn, Fairlight etc. Great times in a great place that was part of the great Social experiment of the time.

There was one place I remember though that many have forgotten and that was the "Roman Pond". Needless to say it wasn't actually roman, it was, I think, an old 2nd world war gun emplacement. It was up near the North seat (original wooden structure was still there at the time). It was made of concrete and about 20 feet in diameter, it was shaped like a conical hole in the ground with steps leading down into the middle. The bottom was filled with water and rubbish, tyres, bike frames and other unmentionable detritus.

The rumour was that if you fell into this swampy mess you would get typhoid fever and die_ _ _..So we used to dare each other to run around the inside, using speed and centrifugal force to keep out of the swampy stuff, just like the wall of death. Each lap required a massive leep over the steps_ _ __ _ _we were so brave

I returned there a few years ago and it has sadly but perhaps wisely, now gone. Does anyone else remember the "Roman Pond"_ _ __ _ _or perhaps any other forgotten childhood haunts from around Hastings.

Didnt get to venture up to North Seat too often but spent loads of time in Ecclesbourne Glenn_ _ _There was a rock next to the hermits cave _ _ _it seemed massive back then but i went back there last year and it was quite small and all over grown _ _ _we spent our lunchtimes from Priory Road Annex up there on that rock_ _ _We just had enough time to get up there with a bag of chips , relax for half an hours and then back to school again_ _ _
Then there was the old quarry up at Fairlight with its telegraph 'lookout pole ' and another old air raid shelter, now used for cattle last time i went there. About 20 of us use to go up there from Hardwicke Road during the holidays and we would spend all day there. We reckoned we ruled it ! Yeah right !

I remember the Hermits cave. Priory Road school cross country run from the east hill, we would stop for a fag at the cave . That was one tough run.

I have a vague memory of the quarry although I don't remember the shelter. I think you were there a few years before me. I remember some kids reckoned they'd found old ammunition there.

There was a rope swing somewhere over fairlight called "the killer" if I remember rightly.

Yes G.K. I remember those awful cross country runs too_ _ _.(i was at Priory Rd 71- 78 (til the end of its days ))
Im not sure if 'the Killer' is the same swing that I also remember.The one im thinking of, hung from a massive tree and swung right over the cliff edge and back.It was on the way down into Warren Glen. It wasn't for me !!! But plenty did . The tree has now gone over the cliff years ago_ _ _Probably just as well really !!!

I left Priory road in 72. I sincerely hope you don't remember me, I was not considered a good lad.

The swing sounds like it's the same one, most sensible kids at the time considered it suicidal.

Another haunt that I remember was the old cemetery in Winchelsea rd behind the carwash on Rye rd, a cool place to play in the hot summer months. Access was gained via an iron kissing gate_ _ _..We called the grave yard the "Cemy" or "Cembo". It was full of graves and trees, it had a massive Yew tree in the center that we called the "Eagle Tree". It always had sap running from one of the limbs, making the wet bark look red. This sap was authoritively and unanimously declared to be the ghostly blood of an eagle that had crashed into it, kids

The graves have now been removed and the Eagle Tree is no more although the open ground is still there_ _ _..Anyone know the history of this grave yard?

S 8/9 WHEN Iwas tranfered by train from Northhanpton to A hospital because I had rhramatack fever, Iam looking for the hospital I was in Iknow I, GOT POLIO WHILE i was there, I was there for a afull long time,I am now 70 years old and Iwas called WILLY, AND MY POLIO has come back.
40% of the dreded POLIO ,OF AUSTRALIAN ,CALLED POST POLIO SYNDROME, 1,00000000IN AMERICA HAS OR INDEED HAD IT,WE IN AUSTRALIA ,have a populal: have only a pop: of less than 15. MILLION
PLEASE forgivre the spell iing
regards
WILLY WILLAM BILL ABRAHAM
P.S CAN ANYBODY YELL ME THE NAMEOF THE HOSPITAL

[quoted]
Then there was the old quarry up at Fairlight with its telegraph 'lookout pole ' and another old air raid shelter, now used for cattle last time i went there. [/quoted]

I was over there today looking for the old Chain Home radar station - only found one brick rectangular building with a flat concrete roof - somewhere round about here
http://goo.gl/maps/ER36J
Is this the right spot?

[quoted]
G.K. wrote:
I was brought up in Ore village, Churchill avenue to be precise, 1962-75.

There were some fantastic places for us discover as kids, Coghurst woods, Old Barn, Fairlight etc. Great times in a great place that was part of the great Social experiment of the time.

There was one place I remember though that many have forgotten and that was the "Roman Pond". Needless to say it wasn't actually roman, it was, I think, an old 2nd world war gun emplacement. It was up near the North seat (original wooden structure was still there at the time). It was made of concrete and about 20 feet in diameter, it was shaped like a conical hole in the ground with steps leading down into the middle. The bottom was filled with water and rubbish, tyres, bike frames and other unmentionable detritus.

The rumour was that if you fell into this swampy mess you would get typhoid fever and die_ _ _..So we used to dare each other to run around the inside, using speed and centrifugal force to keep out of the swampy stuff, just like the wall of death. Each lap required a massive leep over the steps_ _ __ _ _we were so brave

I returned there a few years ago and it has sadly but perhaps wisely, now gone. Does anyone else remember the "Roman Pond"_ _ __ _ _or perhaps any other forgotten childhood haunts from around Hastings.


[/quoted]
I remember the 'concrete pond' very well, situated in the pine trees just to the left of the road to North's Seat and as you turn left on the footpath.

It did have a sinister atmosphere and my brother Peter did fall in when we were playing there - unfortunately on the oposite side to the steps and he was pulled out by lowering a branch. At the time the water was deep and there was no rubbish in it - quite a fright for a non-swimmer ! A long walk back to Offa Road, soaking wet and expecting a good telling- off . ( In those days we had complete freedom - but the rules were: Don't go near deep water, stay away from the cliffs and be home before dark - you can guess what we did !!).
When I last visited a couple of years ago the concrete rim is still there but the pond has been filled in long ago.
The Look-out at North's Seat was always a favourite and we still have family photos of it. Ironically, much later in life I was visiting my parents in Ditchling Drive and took their dog for a late night walk to the look-out. I saw fire glowing inside one of the large square supports ( which must have been partly rotten), reported it to the Fire Brigade who attended. It was later closed and demolished. The date is to be found in Hastings Chronicals web.
The sand quarries were also great adventure areas for us. I remember the railway and trucks that ran to Fairlight Road and the brick shelter in the large quarry. It had a convenient fireplace to keep us warm in winter and to cook spuds and chestnuts from Mallydams ( which we called Marydams for some reason).

Plenty more memories of such happy days_ _ __ _ _..fairlight, coghurst, ore tunnel ( rail) etc,etc_ _ __ _ _..weren't we the lucky ones ! Tony.

Tunnels and caves were my favourite places in the early 60s. I remember crawling along the larger caves at Rock Anore using home made candles to light the way. The tunnels that the stream runs through in Alexandra Park were also fun places to explore although some have now been fenced off to prevent access- shame!

[quoted]
Tony Crittenden wrote:


I remember the 'concrete pond' very well, situated in the pine trees just to the left of the road to North's Seat and as you turn left on the footpath.

[/quoted]

That's the place

It's a shame the old Norths Seat was burned down, it used to make a great climbing frame. Unfortunately it wasn't vandal proof.

Ore tunnel up at Coghurst wood! _ _ _.that brings back fond memories. I won't say what we used to do there but I will say that it was probably the most dangerous thing I have ever done in my life. The fact that no one was killed was a miracle. If my kids did the same I would have gone absolutely ballistic _ _ __ _ _As I remember (and I could be wrong) that train line was a double track in those days. They had to use special narrow rolling stock on that line because for some reason the tunnel was too narrow for standard width carriages?_ _ _.is this right or am I talking rubbish.

Another favourite haunt was the old navvies huts at the top of the cutting. Standing on the Iron Bridge facing the tunnel, they were about a third of the way along on the left_ _ _..This area was infested with Adders which were easier to spot in the spring time. Myself and mates used to catch them. If you held them in cupped gloved hands for long enough they used to get used to you, in fact I think they liked the warmth, eventually you could take the gloves off_ _ _..I got away with this several times until I got bitten. The hospital staff were very good.

I remember the rock n' ore caves. Great place to explore during the Priory Rd dinner break.