Hastings Forum

What is the current use of the shop that was the Sainsbury's Store in Wellington Place Hastings Town centre before the mid 1970s when the Sainsburys Supermarket in Cambridge Road [current ESK] was opened?

I have read that it became 'Nationwide' Building Society at no. 15. Wellington Place.

Correct, Nationwide is at 15 Wellington Place.

My mother worked there late 60s and then at the supermarket until her death in 1980.

My brother worked there as a student, and was once admonished when answering a customer's "Young man, do you serve chicken" with "Yes madam, we serve anybody".

I started at the supermarket before it opened, where there were 2 tons of sugar when it was being rationed to one 2lb bag.

Anyhoo ... the old shop. Yes, you entered and the floor was a mosaic, with the office at the far end of she shoppers' area. Here dwealt the manager (name .... ??? it'll come) and accountant.

Opening was Sun/Mon closed (no fresh fish), Sat 'til noon? remainder 08:30?-16:30?

You would shop and pay at each counter.

Butcher - mid-left
Provisions - incl eggs and cooked meats on right
Fish?
Cheese - mid-right, including mum.
Tinned goods - far right

I thank mum for working on the cheese counter, as she had to try every bit of cheese that came in - little came in wrapped (cracker barrel ?) so they had to know that they were commending to customers. All portions were effected by cheese-wire, so they had to have a good eye. Wallace & Gromit are amateurs on the cheeese-lovers' scale, as the last bits of many cheeses were allowed at discount to staff.

Upstairs there was the staff restaurant, which I visited on the odd occasion. One day I just missed the action over the road, where a couple had been relaxing in a private way. Unfortunately they were too excited to draw the curtains and gave a free show to the JS diners, causing embarrassment and merriment in equal measure.

The building society a couple of doors along was the Hastings & East Sussex, before merging with Hastings & Bexhill?Thanet over the years. It had a fish pond inside. Yes, a pond with running water.

Sainsbury's was at no 14 Wellington Place. 15 Wellington Place was Lyons Tea Shop. No 14 is now the Card Factory.

I remember the original Sainsbury too and another similar shop in Queens Rd. I think it was called Flay's and had counters that sold chees, ham etc. My mum always bought her cheddar there.

Flays - a couple of doors down from The Pilot (my Grandfather's haunt) IIRC. Also our haunt for Penny for the Guy .... real pennies !

Did it become Tandy's, or was that an adjacent property?

Flays were at no 50 Queens Road and Tandy were at no 48.

If 15. was a Lyons Tea Shop, (now Nationwide) and 14 was Sainsbury, (now the Card Factory)
What was Oxfam?
Mind you, the whole place has gone to the dogs now!! Not sure why but it's crawling with junkies and low-life who seem to think they own it.