Alex Park Aviary

[Richard]

Maybe not a building proper, but here goes anyway:

I am told there was once an Aviary in Alexandra Park.
Does anyone remember this?
I believe it was eventually closed down owing to vandalism, a bit like the Model Village at White Rock.
A shame neither have been resurrected as they would surely attract many tourists, unlike the much-derided and rather sterile Jerwood.

[Derek Jempson]

Yes, there certainly was. Off the top of my head, I can't recall when it disappeared (1990s?). It was situated alongside the footpath, on the opposite side of the park to the café and a little further towards Hastings.

[ColinL]

I remember it well and it was very popular for children. It was certainly there in the 1980s

[Hairygit]

Oh yes, the aviary! Spent many hours looking at the birds, and developed a great fondness for our feathered friends as a result, to the point that most of my spare time is spent rescuing and rehabilitating wild birds now. In my living room at the moment I have (loose, not caged!) my Amazon parrot, a young Woodpigeon that was attacked by a cat, a collared Dove, who was found in a nest in a hangar at Exeter airport, after her parents had been shot, on grounds of aircraft safety, 2 disabled Feral pigeons, and a young Carrion Crow, which has a broken wing after being hit by 2 cars, and outside in an aviary, there are 7 disabled Woodpigeons, all with broken wings after being hit by cars, and 8 racing pigeons we were given after the owner died and the family couldn't be bothered with them. All of this, because of the Alexandra Park aviary!

[JACK :)]

I can remember it there in the very late 50s? early 60s.

[whiffler]

It shows on the 1920s map as behind the sports pavilion, backing onto St Helens Rd.

Not there post-war, and pavilion/toilets much enlarged. Might have moved and become smaller but not detailed on maps.

I sort of remember it, 1960s/70s, but can't place it so wonder whether it is a false memory.


PS - I don't suppose any of you remember the maze ?

[ColinL]

It backed on to the Priory Stream with the pathway directly in front of it , but before the large toilet block at the end of the first park, coming from the main entrance

[northants1066]

The whole of Alexandra Park was a fantastic place and to some extent still is.
Living at the Bohemia Road end we would often play on the steep grassy bit as you enter, great when it snowed. The stream that ran from the reservoir was a great place to build dams, although the "Parkie" would always knock them down by the time we came again. I remember collecting tadpoles and taking them home, only to find them gone a few days later, cant imagine what must have happened to them. The playground was always a fun place. It used to be next to the reservoir but many years ago moved to an area opposite Newgate Fields.
The woods of the park and those of Newgate woods were a fantasy land where we built secret dens and climbed to the top of some very high conifers.
We often went on to "Tingles Dingles" (St Helens Woods?) and played there and in springtime picked loads of bluebells for Mum. As previously mentioned the Pumping Station was a great attraction. The thing I most remember was the noise and enormous spanners on the wall.

As you progressed through Alex Park towards the Queens Road end first you encountered the tennis courts and the aviary and then on to the formal gardens and the boating lake.

When I was in my late teens/early twenties I worked at the Borough Treasurers office and on summer evenings we regularly played rounders and stoolball in the park. On other evenings we helped collect the money for the firework displays...do they still have them?

What I love about this forum is the opportunity to drift back to a different age and recollect what a fabulous place Hastings was to grow up in , in the post war years....even playing on bombsites !!

[mrh2-slos]

I remember this well, it was about halfway between Park Cross Road [now renamed Dordrecht Way] and the main Park Gates, close to a steep sloped side entrance, The area is now planted with rhododendrons.