The Tubman Pub.

[Marina]

That's excellent news Terry, i'm not a Tubman regular but I love the new paint job and have signed the petition at Inspire, 34 Robertson Street.

Hope we get enough support to sway the council's decision on this.

Marina

[Zippy123]

Glad to hear it!

Must frighten the oaps over the road though!

Not my style either but then if everyone was the ame this would be a booring world!

[terry_again]

It seems the council are being extremely stubborn and refusing to compromise. They have demanded the mural is removed within 21days. Perhaps it should be replaced with a picture of the back of the observer building, the popcorn factory or the Whitefriars. The council seem to like that sort of thing. Eyesores are ignored, but do something creative and they run around like headless chickens.

It's more important than ever that as many people as possible sign the petitions. It may not do any good, but at least it will expose the council for the unimaginitive, bureaucratic jobsworths they really are.

[terry_again]

Suggest pasting Flickr with pictures of the rear of the observer building, the popcorn factory, the Whitefriars pub, the boarded up Angel pub, the Manor pub and any of the numerous eyesores in and around the town until the council cease their stupidity.

[Herring_Gull]

Just in case anyone who is not from the town and want to know what happened well_ _ _ the Council told the Tubman to nooooo broken keyboard cannot write the result.

[priscille]

[quoted]
Terry again wrote:
Just a stone's throw away from the Tubman. Is THIS in keeping with the area???

[img://www.hastingsforum.co.uk/forums/sf_attachments/1.jpg]
[/quoted]

hey, do you know more about this building by the way? i would like to work on it for an architecture project (an art and theatre school + emergency accomodation for youth) , do you know about the car park just next to it? why is it like that?



[/quoted[/img]

hey, do you know more about this building by the way? i would like to work on it for an architecture project (an art and theatre school + emergency accomodation for youth) , do you know about the car park just next to it? why is it like that?

[terry_again]

Hi Priscille, I do know a little about the building. It opened in 1924 as the offices and print works of F J Parsons, publisher of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer. Other publications were produced there, but it has always been known locally as the Observer building. It was designed by Henry Ward, the same architect that designed Hastings Town Hall and a number of other local buildings. It has been extended at the rear and an extra floor has been somewhat clumsily added at the front. The floors are said to be sprung to absorb the vibrations and weight of the printing machinery. By the 1980s this type of printing technology was rapidly becoming obsolete and there was no longer any need for such a huge works and it was abandoned. Since then it has had a number of owners and there have been a few proposals regarding what to do with it, but due to the construction methods and the sheer size of the building, converting it into domestic accommodation would be difficult and expensive and there would be little natural light. As yet, nothing has been done to the building since it was abandoned.

A couple of years ago a glass surface over the cellar in Cambridge Road collapsed and the resultant hole and the other glass surface was covered initially with sheets of marine plywood and has since been covered with steel sheets.

The building is unlikely to find an industrial use as transporting goods to and from it would be difficult due to the location.

Although the building looks very grand, if the ornate tiles were removed you would be left with a rather unattractive and ugly brick box. This is one of the reasons I have less passion for this structure than many other local people and think that if a use cannot be found for it soon, it should be torn down. Whilst it is of some historical importance, unless some work is done on the building, it will ultimately become unsafe and a danger to people passing it and also to surrounding buildings. It cannot and should not be allowed to rot any longer.

See the fllowing links. There are a number of other interesting sites with information about the building, this is just a small selection.

http://www.1066.net/Henry_Ward/observer.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ward_(architect)

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/sho ... ing-sep-12

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aspexdesign/8055529705/ This link leads to a series of photos.

[terry_again]

Regarding the Tubman mural. My understanding is that the council's planning authority still wants it removed, but don't seem to be doing a great deal to enforce their wishes.

The pub management are having second thoughts about the mural as it seems to worry some potential customers, who are nervous about what sort of pub it is. It does attract a few people from the Gothic persuasion, but it certainly couldn't be described as an exclusively 'Goth' pub. It is used by people of all types.

We have to remember that this is a business and as such it must make money in order to function and provide employment.

The pub is actually well run, cheerful, friendly and lively. Whilst it isn't your traditional English boozer, it isn't too far removed from that.

It is popular (especially with youngsters) and often features live music and entertainment of a type not normally seen in this area. Whilst this may not be everyone's cup of tea (it isn't mine), I can't help applauding the idea of doing something different.

[DuncanB]

The Observer building is up for auction

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for ... 67259.html

[priscille]

that awesome, thank you so much!! i ll be around at the begining of november, do you think it is possible to get plans of it and to visit it?