Don't let the kids have all the fun this summer! Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is holding a series of workshops just for adults, inspired by its current Japanese prints exhibition. Each workshop is led by an expert and will provide you with an opportunity to learn new skills or develop existing techniques in a friendly and supportive environment. All materials are provided and so is lunch for three of the workshops. So why not give yourself a creative treat and come along?
Embroidery with Japanese seed beads with Alison Hawkins.
Saturday 12 July 10.30am - 4pm
Create your own pattern design inspired by kimonos to turn into a unique bag or purse. This session costs £25 including lunch.
Shibori with Josephine Ho
Saturday 16 August. 10.30am - 4pm
Discover the fascinating craft of Japanese resist tie-dye. This session costs £25 including lunch.
Ikebana with Mao Bramall
Tuesday 19 August 10.30am - 12.30pm
Learn the beautiful art of traditional flower arranging. This session costs £25 including lunch
Haiku with Jane Metcalfe
Saturday 20 September 10.30am - 12.30pm
Develop haiku form poems in response to the prints on display. This session costs £10 including refreshments.
Places are limited on all workshops and must be booked in advance. For more information and bookings, please call the Museum on 0845 274 1052 or email charvey@hastings.gov.uk
Hastings Borough Council's Leader, Cllr Peter Pragnell, is leading a campaign against rush-hour train service cuts, planned for next year.
When domestic train services start operating on the new high-speed line from December 2009, Hastings line commuters are faced with fewer, slower trains to the City. Currently there are three rush hour trains in each direction between Hastings and Cannon Street, but there are plans to cut these to just two :- and they would call additionally at stations like Tonbridge and Sevenoaks.
Cllr Pragnell explained :-
"I am most unhappy about what is being planned, and have written to the Managing Director of Southeastern to tell him so."
"I have told him how we have been working hard to improve Hastings and its image over the past few years, pointing out the many major investment projects already underway and, indeed, completed. However, despite our rightly-improving image, Hastings is still the most deprived town in the South East, and the second most deprived seaside resort in the country. We need to raise the profile of the town as a great place to live. Given that the City is a prime destination for Hastings line commuters we need to improve the prospects for rail travel - fewer, slower, busier Cannon Street trains could actually drive some people away from the Hastings line, possibly to mid or east Kent, which will benefit from much shorter journey times."
"I've also made the point that the recently announced inflation-busting fare increases for Southeastern services raised a very wry smile indeed here. The justification given for these was the better journey times customers can expect when the high speed route opens for domestic services. Our commuting residents could be paying more for a service that is actually worsened by these trains!"
"The very long timetable planning process in the rail industry means that the final decision on these changes will be made over the next few months, so it is essential that we lobby effectively now. I would urge anyone who commutes to the City, or, indeed, has an interest in the long-term future of Hastings, to join me in calling for these peak-hour train service cuts to be reversed."
A brand new scheme to clean up the streets of Hastings & St Leonards has been launched.
The Environmental Enforcement Service team got underway in Warrior Square Gardens on Monday (14) to show the public plans to rid the streets of litter, dog fouling and fly tipping. They also demonstrated how hidden cameras would help catch offenders.
Eight Community Officers (COs) will soon be patrolling their patches in Hastings & St Leonards, sometimes in uniforms, sometimes in plain clothes ready to tackle the sorts of issues that make residents' lives a misery.
Councillor Robert Cooke, lead member for Environmental Health and Community Services, said:
"The covert cameras will be used in areas where there are real problems, particularly with dog fouling. We know that so many people hate to see our streets left dirty by a minority of selfish dog owners and if we see people allowing their dogs to foul the pavements, they will be given a fine."
"As well as this we're also encouraging people not to drop cigarette-related litter such as cigarette ends and packets. In fact, we've been handing out portable ashtrays to encourage people not to drop them on the ground. We are also able to hand out a Fixed Penalty Notice, which means that anyone not picking up after their dog or dropping litter could find themselves facing a £75 fine."
"Our eight COs will be working closely with their team leaders or Environmental Community Officers (ECOs), who will be in charge of the four areas of Hastings & St Leonards - South St Leonards, Central, North St Leonards and East Hastings."
There's still time left to get your team involved in a day of sporting competition, but hurry.
The Active Hastings Street Games event takes place at William Parker School on Sunday, 27 July.
Battle it out at a variety of sports including netball, football, handball and basketball.
Other activities taking place are ultimate frisbee, fishing, mountain bike time trials and tag rugby.
Hastings' very own cheerleading team, the South East Stars will cheering the teams on and the Council's Play Development workers will be on hand to provide activities for younger children.
There are two age groups for teams: 10 to13 and 14 to 16, so if you want to take part in any of the sports register by email with Ken Dullaway: kdullaway@hastings.gov.uk by Friday, July 25 at the latest.
Street Games takes place between 10am and 4pm.
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This page last updated: 16/07/2008