Wouldn’t it be wonderful if frosty winters were just like snowy Christmas card scenes? Unfortunately those cosy images don’t always reflect the reality of a truly cold winter.
As much as we all like to see a snowy landscape, the effects of a harsh winter can be severe indeed. This is especially true for the more vulnerable members of our community, like the elderly and infirm. Bad winters mean an increase in the risk of accidents both on and off road, difficulties in carrying out our daily business, like getting to work, school or just going shopping.
Before the worst of the winter weather arrives it’s important to attend to those jobs you’ve been putting off through the summer, like installing new insulation or attending to a broken pipe. Don’t be caught out when the worst of the weather hits.
October this year was very mild, one of the warmest in the last 100 years. However, we should remember this is exceptional, cold weather is more the norm for this time of year. In 2001 following a warm October, a sudden cold north wind set in early in November, which brought heavy snow showers across most of the UK.
Hastings is no stranger to extreme winter weather; those of you old enough to remember the record-breaking winters of 1947 and 1963 will certainly agree.
The Government and local authorities are doing lots to improve the country’s resilience in emergency situations. Here in Hastings, advance planning is being carried out to ensure the town is capable of providing a robust response to a range of crisis situations, some of which have been mentioned here in About.
Winter’s here so what can you do to make sure you are prepared?
You may also find the following organisations useful sources of information during the winter months:
A leading light in the suffragette movement and survivor of the Titanic has been honoured in her hometown, following extensive research by local historian Helena Wojtszack.
Elsie Bowerman was born in 1889 and lived with her parents in London Road, St Leonards.
She studied medieval and modern languages at Girton College Cambridge, before joining a women’s rights group, the Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU), campaigning for the right to vote.
In 1912 Elsie and her mother spent £55, then a considerable amount of money, on first-class tickets for New York aboard the Titanic. They were among the 700 saved, rowed to safety aboard lifeboat six.
After the First World War Elsie re-joined the women’s rights movement as a member of the Women’s Party and toured the country with Flora Drummond and Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst. At 31 years of age she turned her hand to a profession and settled on becoming a lawyer. She became one of the first women called to the Bar and the first to appear at the Old Bailey.
After three years working in America as a liaision officer for the BBC, she took a job for the United Nations and became Chief of the Division for the Advancement of Women.
On her retirement she bought a house in Silchester Road, St Leonards, where she stayed at weekends, now the home of the Council’s latest blue plaque.
She died in 1973 at the age of 83.
Councillor Jay Kramer, portfolio holder for culture, said: “I am very pleased that we have been able to honour Elsie Bowerman in this way. She was an incredible campaigner and achieved a huge amount during her life. This is a very fitting way to remember her. I was delighted that so many people attended the unveiling of the plaque by the Deputy Mayor, and stayed on to listen to Helena Wojtszack’s fascinating talk about Elsie Bowerman”
It has been said that ‘the one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again’. With this in mind, the local Holocaust Memorial Day service, supported by Hastings Borough Council, will be held on Saturday, January 28 at St Mary-in-the-Castle at 11am. Linking in with national events and TV coverage marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the service offers a time to remember the victims of the Holocaust, to reflect on what has been lost, and commit to working to ensuring such genocides never happen again.
There will also be contributions from local schools and Gizmo, The DIY Theatre Company will perform ‘The Spectacles’, a play specially written for the service. Entry is by ticket only. These can be obtained at the Hastings Information Centre. Anyone who has visited Auschwitz death camp will remember the piles of belongings – shoes, suitcases, kitchen implements and spectacles left by the victims. During the service there will be an opportunity to respond by making our own pile of old pairs of spectacles, both as a personal memorial to the Holocaust victims, but also to be put to good use afterwards bringing improved sight in developing countries. So do bring your old pairs of specs with you.
In addition, a fascinating exhibition on the Holocaust and the history of anti-Semitism is planned for the Phoenix Arts Centre, William Parker School, Monday, January 23 to Friday, January 27. The exhibition, which is mounted by the Judeo-Christian Studies Centre, Hull, is available to all local schools, and open daily to the public between 10am and 5pm. It will be a thought provoking display.
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This page last updated: 21/12/2005