MY seaside town has been overlooked by holidaymakers for years – but finally it’s set to be huge in 2024.
I’m one of many who turned a mad lockdown idea into reality by quitting London for the big blue.
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Since we moved into our house three years ago, house prices have soared, fancy new hotels and restaurants have opened up, and its thriving art and music scene is bigger than ever.
So what exactly makes Hastings so great?
In my mind the town is made of three parts; the old town, the new town and St Leonard’s On Sea.
The old town is full of cobbled streets, vintage shops, a Tudor-looking pub, five star chippies and restaurants, including my favourite Thai Bookshop (yes it is a restaurant in a bookshop).
It’s also home to an exceptional live music scene, with places like The Jenny Lind a memorable visit both for the music and the flamboyant local characters.
Hastings Contemporary gallery is round the corner – a nod to the town’s burgeoning art scene, with many tipping it to be the next Margate.
There are pagan vibes in these parts too, with Jack on the Green festival ushering in the summer with incredible costumes, dancing and music paraded through the streets before a huge puppet is set alight on the West Hill.
It’s a town to experience all of nature’s elements and celebrate them too.
If partying isn’t what you need then escape the crowds by climbing up the East Hill and getting spectacular, peaceful views. It’s one of my favourite spots, ideal for dog walking or a spot of yoga and meditation.
Then there’s the new town which has all your usual high street shops as well as The Hastings Bookshop, where I’ve seen a string of top authors including Saba Sams and James Young, who set up the excellent Hastings Writers Workshop.
Hastings Pier sits nicely between the new town and St Leonard’s On Sea, where I’ve basked in the sun singing Lady Gaga songs with drag queens during Queer On The Pier and cheered my head off for the women’s Champion’s League football final last summer.
Saving the best till last is St Leonards On Sea, which is home to some incredible and unique restaurants, The Royal, Farmyard, Bayte, Heist, to name a few.
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Bottle Alley has a cool light installation all year round while cafes Starsky & Hatch and Goat Ledge put on music shows throughout the summer.
With their laid back vibes and vibrant colours, there’ve been days when the heat is thick and the sea is still enough to make you believe you’re on a tropical island.
St Leonard’s stays alive all summer when the tourists have gone thanks to the local community.
Norman Road is lined with art galleries including the Lucy Bell – currently exhibiting rock and roll photographer Jill Furmanovsky.
Then there’s Stella Dore whose owner Steph Warren used to work with Banksy and has all manner of neon, psychedelic art on display.
Last week there was late night shopping on the Kings Road and then Norman Road opened up its galleries with free mince pies and wine.
It’s hard to imagine that this was once an unloved town and is still one of the poorest in the country.
But artists, writers and creatives have flocked to it, turning it into one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming holiday destinations.
Of course the star attraction is obviously the sea – that’s where all the magic happens.
Where old ladies go swimming every day even during winter and twice a year mackerel make patterns in the water, filling up our buckets for the perfect home made dinner.
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Sometimes a seal pops up his head during summer and will even hang about for a swim.
There’s lots going on in Hastings but it’s the sea and cobbled beaches that hold the hearts of the people here and why any new tourists will want to keep coming back for more.
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