Memories from the 1950s. Fact or Imagination?

[David Saunby]

I spent a year living with my granny in 1957 ai Warrier Gardens St.Leonards at the age of 7. Could anyone tell me if they were trams or trolley buses which ran along the sea front and what year did they stop running.I can also vagually remember a fairly big varnished speed boat which used to take people on trips from the pier or was this a figment of my amagination? And finally i can remember some sort of clock in the white rock gardens which was decorated with i think animals. Can anyone help with these questions?
I am planning yo return to Hastings in a couple of weeks time for a weekend from Cornwall. Please see the missing friends forum.

[Geoff Wolfe]

Hi David

Some info on Trams and Trolly Busses is available in the history section of this site. As for the other questions, anybody_ _ _.

Geoff

[Deborah]

My apologies for replying to a message from last April, but have only just discovered this site, and couldnt resist mentioning the clock. I believe it may have been the Guiness Clock, made originally for the Festival of Britain, then several copies were made and toured seaside towns during that decade. If you look on the Guiness website, it details the clock with fantastic photos. Know info rather late, but its a very interesting piece of machinery and so typical of that era.

[barry collins]

I remember the speed boat, which used to pick people up from the pier_ _ _I also seem to remember that it once struck a swimmer and caused him damage.
The main clock in the town, was of course the clock on the roundabout, later removed, sadly. Does anyone remember the "old man in the boat", and solid lines of deck chairs along the front, the houses after the White Rock Pavilion being painted in camouflage, the Salvation Army band playing every Sunday on the front and the visit of Churchill to the townhall?

[nina]

to barry collins do you mean the old man in the tub his name was biddy, nina

[jane_johnstone]

I remember something that was around in about 1960 so maybe earlier too. A long blue bus thing called the Jollyfish that went along the sea front. It was a series of linked open carriages that children could sit in and I loved it! I also remember from around that time a man with a little monkey who used to stop people to take their photo holding the monkey. Wanted to take it home with me.

[vivianthomas27_hotmail_com]

Hi
i remember the trollies and the guiness clock, and my dad also took me on a trip
on the speed boat.
Dad worked on the trollies in 1950 then re joined the army, my nan and great gran were hairdressers and had a shop almost the opposite the pier Madam Fox was the name of the shop,
does anyone else remember the 2 old girls who owned and worked in the shop on the pier up untill 1965 i think it was i believe they were known as gert and daisy.
i also came back to hastings in 1964 and went on to nurse in st helen,s hospital
i now live in cornwall but i do love to remember,the times I stayed with great gran and her teas with fresh shrimps bought from old town by the pint with bread and butter.
the shrimps you bye these days never quite taste the same as hastings shrimps

[vickielloyd5_hotmail_com]

I too am a child from the 50's my cousin Jack Durrant, who sadly died this year aged 82 used to drive the local speedboat from the end of the pier ,he then went to Eastbourne and drove that one !! i also remember the guinness clock on the front by the White rock baths and the trolly busses that used to go up and down the front,i used to get a number 8 from Bexhill Road to the gas showrooms inQueens Road all by myself ,( the conductor kept an eye on me !!)i was about 6 at the time ,couldn't do that these days ? i moved away in 1972 but still return every year for a seaside holiday ! in fact we are arriving on 14th June !!staying next door to The Filo !!and now daughter and family love coming down as well ,Never forget your roots !!!
Fireworks in the park every Wednesday evening in the Summer ? the fair up on The Oval ?and The Carnival ( when it was 1 )ending up at The Park Good old days !!i used to work in The Rock restaurant in the school holidays ,doing the candy floss !it was right by the Carlisle ,sadly gone now !!Memories are good !

[trina]

[quoted]
jane johnstone wrote:
I remember something that was around in about 1960 so maybe earlier too. A long blue bus thing called the Jollyfish that went along the sea front. It was a series of linked open carriages that children could sit in and I loved it! I also remember from around that time a man with a little monkey who used to stop people to take their photo holding the monkey. Wanted to take it home with me.
[/quoted] Tne blue bus thing was a whale and my nan used to take me on it when she came for holidays, glad somebody else remembers my friend s think i dreamt it as a whale was washed up un the beach at the same time

[trina]

[quoted]
jane johnstone wrote:
I remember something that was around in about 1960 so maybe earlier too. A long blue bus thing called the Jollyfish that went along the sea front. It was a series of linked open carriages that children could sit in and I loved it! I also remember from around that time a man with a little monkey who used to stop people to take their photo holding the monkey. Wanted to take it home with me.
[/quoted] Tne blue bus thing was a whale and my nan used to take me on it when she came for holidays, glad somebody else remembers my friend s think i dreamt it as a whale was washed up un the beach at the same time