Which place wins your heart?

[Richard]

The old town seems to be the most desirable place to be in Hastings in terms of street chat, cafe's, quaint old houses and lively trade, especially in places like George street.
St. Leonards has some very attractive gardens and secluded properties for the very wealthy.
The coastal area seems much less touristy and altogether calmer and open to water-sports.
I am not really sure which I prefer or why.

[seahermit]

I was thinking of posting some thoughts on this myself, because your comments, commendable though they are, in fact highlight how dreary and abnormal is the mood in the streets currently.

Bit sad really, the Old Town indeed is a really enjoyable place to be in normal times, interesting shops and junk shops, great cafes and pubs, bohemian atmosphere. But much of that has gone, it's a ghost town, everywhere closed, some places shut up for good. Metaphor for life generally under Covid.

Hastings town centre isn't much better, a very few "essential" shops still open where atleast you can take your mind off the lockdown by browsing the books in W.H. Smith. People dash around intently, bent on necessary shopping, then getting back to the sofa a.s.a.p.! I am not quite sure why M&S has got away with keeping its clothing section open, hardly life-saving, but in any case the stock is expensive, dowdy and drab, hence virtually no customers.

St Leonard's is marginally livelier. The Co-op seems to have become a popular community spot! They are well-stocked with all sorts of essentials and I have bumped into a number of friends in there for a brief social interaction! Kings Road used to be a nice, busy and interesting local street, very empty now and frequented by scruffy types who have just got out of bed and don't possess a hairbrush (wait for the comebacks on that!).

On a sunny day, the tree-lined backstreets of St Leonard's are still as nice to walk through as before - lovely old Victorian mansions and huge gardens (reminiscent of Miss Haversham's abode). And the seafront and shore are another area which is always atmospheric and mood-boosting, helping you to forget a lockdown is in place.

My prediction is that things will revive, they have to, people need to get busy again and make money, but it will be a slow process and the end result will be different. Some marginal businesses, where profit margins were thin even before the lockdown, will not reopen and risk more setbacks in the future. Maybe there will be a shift towards safer businesses, also opportunist ones - I have noticed an increase in takeaway/snack outlets, various shops which could stay open even if there are further lockdown.

But the high streets are likely to look rather different in character, few old-established department/chain stores, more cheap retail outlets relying upon a quick turnover.

[Richard]

I gravitate towards Hastings old town for social interaction.
Funny, weird and friendly people, a bit cliquey but never boring.
Some seem to be acting out their odd fantasies.
A man in ladies tights often seen riding a bike, but quite normal really.
A gay man who looks like a portly grocer but gets away with extreme innuendo aimed at locals walking by, they openly adore him!
A strange man who wears Bavarian-style lederhosen.
Even now you can buy coffee in George street and stand outside the shop having a chat.
The High street was always the best for business in normal times, with George street coming a close second, only problem is the street drains stink in summer!
The antiques yard off Courthouse street is pleasant to potter around in, not currently of course.
In Queens road you have people stealing from the supermarkets and offering goods for sale in the street, security staff have difficulty keeping control of pilfering.
Police don't bother as they have other priorities.

Not sure about St. Leonards, probably the same, good with bad, cheek by jowl.
Nothing changes, people get away with whatever they can.

[seahermit]

Hastings Old Town is of course one of the most interesting parts - when places are open. Like a ghost town currently. The fishing boats always fascinate me and the shore by the harbour arm is a favourite spot, very peaceful and scenic, been painted many times by local artists.

There are quite a lot of odd people around Hastings. Gets less entertaining after a while, normal people give you a more intelligent conversation!

There is a lot of pilfering and other petty crime around Hastings, because the authorities seem to take the view nowadays that it is somehow acceptable, doesn't matter much - never mind the trouble and pain it causes to others. That was never the attitude once and is one way in which I think the country has rather gone down. Absolutely wouldn't be tolerated in many towns and cities across the channel, where you feel safe and the streets are spotless.

I still like Hastings but no point in pretending about its failings, as Hastings Council does consistently.

[Richard]

Depends what you mean by 'normal' people really, seahermit.
There are plenty of 'normal' people who will take what they can from life and relationships and not care a damn about other people's feelings or the consequences, as long as they manage to pursue their own selfish objectives.
Plenty of 'normal' people will stab you in the back.
Straight, gay, criminal, weird, abnormal, flambouyant, eccentric, odd, strange - they are all human beings with weaknesses.
I don't know what constitutes 'normal' or whether it implies superior intelligence by any measure.

[seahermit]

Normality has little to do with intelligence, that is a separate matter really. Plenty of normal people around who are nevertheless thick as two planks! Or, as you say, have many flaws in their characters.

"Normal" is of course subjective, what is generally considered normal also changes with time, attitudes, changes in society etc. .. But Hastings does seem to have more than it's fair share of people who are just plain weird, whose minds don't travel in straightforward directions. Makes the place more colourful and I don't actually mind eccentrics too much - they often seem to come out with brilliant insights which average, "normal" people can't manage!

Ultimately, all humans are equal. And all animals are equal. But some people are more animal than human ..

[seahermit]

And I still like Hastings, with all its eccentricities. Beautiful landscape too, especially with the current blue skies and migrant birds starting to return along the shores.

[Richard]

In my experience it matters little what you are or where you come from.
History relates, time and again, that you have to keep on trying after many failures, no one achieves anything by resting on their laurels.
That's not how it works.

[seahermit]

I think that sentence is an oxymoron - if you have acquired some laurels, the Romans would assume that you HAVE achieved some things, therefore you might well be entitled to sit on them for a while and take a break. (Bit uncomfortable mind you and don't even think about holly leaves ..).

You would be considered lazy only if you had NOT won some laurels, cos you never made an effort in the first place. But continuing to sit on your laurels is not a good idea - the rear end has some very sensitive spots ..

Pedantic of course but it passes the time whilst my cup of tea cools.

None of this has much to do with Hastings.

[Richard]

Hastings is full of drop-outs or at least people doing their own thing.
My friend in the junk trade has written a trilogy about his experiences.
Quite an effort for me to arrange his jumbled, rambling words into a sensible order.
Another matter altogether to make a talking-book presentation.
Hilarious actually as you have to scan ahead of what you are reading in order to make sure that what you are about to say makes sense and is not boring or repetitive.
You can get away with some careless words in a book but to crop waffle and make it interesting when spoken requires some mental agility and smooth flow.
Easy to slip up too, I mistakenly spoke the words 'metal buttocks' hanging from the ceiling, instead of 'metal buckets'.