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Introduction
Following an announcement by the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games organisers, Hastings will host the Olympic Torch Relay on Tuesday 17 July 2012.
Being one of the first 74 locations announced across the UK to host the torch will provide a massive boost to the local economy and there will be an event at the Stade Open Space to mark the occasion.
Nominees who have been shortlisted to be Olympic Torchbearers were informed by email at the beginning of August 2011.
The shortlisted nominees will then be put forward to one of 12 judging panels around the UK. The stories will remain anonymous as the judges decide which they think have the power to inspire the world.
In December 2011 the nominees will find out if they've been chosen to be one of the 8,000 inspirational Olympic Torchbearers.
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Olympic Torch relay route details announced
Details are now available of the route the Olympic Torch will take on its journey from Brighton to Hastings and onward to Dover.
The Torch will leave the Pavilion Gardens in Brighton at 7.20am on Tuesday, 17 July and will arrive at the Stade in Hastings at around 7pm that evening.
There are plenty of places you can watch the Torch relay throughout the town and you can download the route between Brighton and Hastings and Hastings and Dover to help you choose your viewing spot!
On Wednesday, 18 July the Torch leaves Hastings at 7.45am to begin the journey to Dover.
The list of Torchbearers is also available on www.london2012.com
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March update
Since the announcement that the Olympic Torch will visit Hastings, plans have been gathering momentum for an exciting week of celebrations and a community task group has come together to plan events aimed at getting as many people involved as possible.
The celebrations will begin on Saturday, 14 July with the St Leonards Festival, which will see the usual fantastic mix of bands and stalls in Warrior Square.
The festivities continue on Torch day itself, Tuesday 17 July, with four main sites of entertainment.
In Grosvenor Gardens, at the western end of the seafront, there will be community events golf putting, bowling competitions and bike rides.
In Warrior Square, another community day has been organised, building on the success of the St Leonards Festival.
There will be a ticketed event on The Stade Open Space in Hastings Old Town, and we will shortly be announcing how you can apply for tickets to this event.
During the rest of the week, Wednesday through to Saturday, there will be a number of Olympic-themed sporting events and competitions throughout the town and St Leonards.
On Sunday, 22 July the Red Arrows will be providing a spectacular aerial display and Hastings' Olympic Torch Week will finish with a grand "Arrggh!" on the same day when the record breaking Hastings Pirates Day takes place. Hastings hopes to amass the highest number of pirates ever counted in one place and regain their 2010 Guinness World Record title!
For details on how you can get involved contact our Olympic Torch office on 01424 451130 or email olympictorch@hastings.gov.uk
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2012 Cultural Olympiad
It's also been announced as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, that Hastings will play host to the 30 foot yacht built out of donated wood, by The Boat Project. In March last year, residents were invited to take along pieces of wood (along with a story about the wood) to the Stade Hall where performance artists Lone Twin recorded the reasons people had for contributing particular pieces of wood. Details of the maiden voyage have been released and the boat will be stopping in Hastings between Saturday 07 and Tuesday 10 July 2012.
Visit www.london2012.com and www.theboatproject.com for further information about the 2012 Olympics and The Boat Project.
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