Completion of an historic garden will be celebrated in a grand re-opening later this year.
After a year of work to restore St Leonards Gardens, they were finally opened again to the public in the spring. Now a family day of fun, games and special guests is planned for 21 June to mark its completion.
While details of the VIPs are still firmly under wraps, the day promises to be packed with activities for children and adults alike including guided walks, talks, story tellers, sports, music and even some roaming historic characters!
St Leonards Gardens were designed by James Burton in 1828, an integral part of his vision for a new, Regency resort on the wild shoreline three miles west of Hastings.
Burton had already made his name in London as a famous developer, collaborating with Nash on Regents Park among many other projects.
Jane Dodson, Community Development Officer for St Leonards Gardens, said:
"Over the years the gardens gradually became more and more run down. We applied for and received a one million pound grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Now that the landscaping, replanting and repairs to the buildings have been done, local people are putting a huge amount of voluntary work in bringing the gardens back to life. We can't wait for the re-opening and look forward to seeing the gardens being used and enjoyed by everyone."
On top of all the fun and games planned for the day, the winner(s) of the Observer's St Leonards Gardens photographic competition will also have their work displayed in the South Lodge.
The Burtons' St Leonards Society has now moved in to the South Lodge and created an interesting and totally free display open to the public Wednesdays between 11am and 2pm, Saturdays between 11am and 4pm and on Sundays between 1pm and 3pm.
For regular updates, visit the St Leonards Gardens Restoration page or read the notice boards in the gardens.
Three acclaimed poets will perform works inspired by Hastings Museum's art collection.
John Agard, Grace Nichols and Imtiaz Dharker have written new poems inspired by the museum's world art display, which includes a feather cloak, a suit of Sumurai armour and Egyptian funerary items among many other artefacts spanning 4,000 years of history. These works will be performed at a special event on Wednesday 30 April, along with some of the poets' most popular other work.
Free tickets for the event, called 'Ethnographic Imaginings' are available now from the museum and refreshments are included. The performance starts at 4pm and will finish with a discussion about the poets' work and the writing process.
This project is part of Word County, a written and spoken word programme designed to celebrate a sense of place and get professional writers and speakers involved in their communities.
This event is for adults and children at Key Stage 3 or above. For more information and booking, call 0845 274 1052 or email museum@hastings.gov.uk
Hastings Borough Council will receive more than three quarters of a million pounds to help community groups.
The money, from central Government, is part a £30 million pot created to support local authorities transfer buildings and office space to voluntary and community groups. The Big Lottery Fund will administer the funds.
In the case of Hastings, this money will be used to refurbish the Tressell Training centre, at Jackson Hall in Portland Place, which will then be handed over to a partnership between the Hastings Trust and Hastings Voluntary Action (HVA).
A council spokesman said:
"Jackson Hall will be brought right up to date with a renewable energy heating system and complete refurbishment of the garage building to bring it back into use. It will be fully accessible for wheelchair users and create a vibrant hub for community and voluntary sectors in the heart of Hastings. It's been a great base for Tressell, but they will soon be moving to the new college being created near the station."
Steve Manwaring, Director of HVA, said:
"We are delighted with the news. This is a major breakthrough and provides, for the first time ever in Hastings, a specialist resource for the voluntary sector. We have clearly demonstrated both that we need this provision and that we can successfully deliver it for the town."
Mel Bonney-Kane, Executive Director of the Hasting Trust, said:
"I am grateful for the commitment that Hastings Borough Council has shown to the third sector by participating in this project. This has been exemplary partnership working and will ensure the sustainability of a vibrant voluntary and community sector in Hastings for years to come."
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This page last updated: 16/04/2008