Speaking up for Hastings

Hastings’ Mayor and Speaker of the Cinque Ports, Cllr Becca Horn, will be hosting ‘Speaker’s Day’ in Hastings on Saturday (27 September). There are seven Cinque Ports towns and each year, in rotation, the mayor of one of the five head ports and two ‘ancient towns’ is appointed as Speaker. The Speaker acts as chair and principal representative of the Cinque Ports Confederation and Cllr Horn took up the role at a special meeting in Hastings on 20 May.

The Speaker will lead a procession of Cinque Ports mayors and town clerks as well as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, the High Sheriff and many other VIPs. The procession will begin at Muriel Matters House at 10.30am and end at St Clement’s Church in the Old Town. Section 5 Drummers will also be joining.

Following a church service the dignitaries will parade back to Muriel Matters House before making their way to the Stade Hall aboard Happy Harold for a formal lunch. Local side Hastings RX Morris will be dancing on the Stade open space as guests arrive.

Becca said, “I’m delighted to be welcoming representatives from all the Cinque Ports towns and continuing the historic tradition of hosting the Confederation on Speaker’s Day, an event dating back to 1992.  I will be very proud to show Hastings to our distinguished visitors.”