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  • Hastings Sinfonia at a previous Christmas concert (photo: Jeff Penfold).

    Hastings Sinfonia presents its Christmas Spectacular at De La Warr Pavilion

    Hastings Sinfonia takes to the De La Warr Pavilion on Saturday 29 November to present its Christmas Spectacular – music, song and dance also featuring the singers of St Richard’s Catholic College choir and dancers of East Sussex School of Performing Arts. Alexandra Hudson sets the scene. Continue reading…


    Krapp’s Last Tape

    Academy Award nominee Stockard Channing brings her production of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape to the Kino Theatre in St Leonards on Thursday 13 November. It is a play about a journey through an old man’s life, filled with hilarious memories and hopes for the future, coupled with the mourning of lost love and unfulfilled ambition, writes John Cole.

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    Iconic Beethoven work starts Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra’s 10th season

    Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra have chosen one of the most popular pieces by Beethoven and a specially commissioned work by Philip O’Meara to celebrate the start of their 10th season. Press officer Gareth Simpson explains what lies in store.

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    Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group wins gold in prestigious RHS Community Awards

    The Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group in Hastings has been honoured with a Gold Award for Community Engagement in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Community Awards 2025, and recognized as ‘Outstanding’ in the It’s Your Neighbourhood category of the South and South East in Bloom competition. Secretary Veronica Pedrosa reports.

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    Party time with Fabulous Red Diesel

    You’re invited to a 1920s celebration party with the Fabulous Red Diesel at The Beacon on New Year’s Eve. HOT’s Zelly Restorick asked Kat Lee Ryan about the event and about the band’s history. 

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    Bayeux Tapestry guides new account of the Battle of Hastings

    Trying to work out where the Battle of Hastings was really fought is evidently a fascinating pastime. Among those fascinated enough to undertake their own research is retired civil servant Kevin Casey, who claims the distinction of detecting that the battle was fought in two stages, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, at two different locations. He explained his version of events to Nick Terdre.

    2 comments

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    HOT needs help!

    We are unsure what our future will be when our long-standing editor Nick Terdre retires from active duty at the end of November, writes the HOT collective.

    1 comment

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    Pier could return to community hands following owner’s decision to sell

    News that Hastings pier is up for sale has revived hopes that it can be brought back into community ownership. As the pier is registered as an asset of community value, the Friends of Hastings Pier and other local community groups have a period of six months to mount a bid for it. Nick Terdre reports.

    1 comment

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    Queensway Gateway Road opened but the arguing goes on

    The Queensway Gateway Road is at last finished (almost), but the saga goes on. Sea Change Sussex, previously a partner in the project, has launched a campaign of criticism at East Sussex County Council’s handling of the final works. Meanwhile Hastings Borough Council has appointed a new representative to the Sea Change board, after the previous one resigned in 2022. Nick Terdre reports.

    3 comments

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    Legendary drummer Bill Bruford on the Jazz Hastings stage

    A musician hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as the 16th greatest drummer of all time will be featuring in the Jazz Hastings session on 4 November. The great Bill Bruford of Yes and King Crimson will be appearing as part of the Pete Roth Trio on Tuesday 4 November 4. Julian Norridge reports.

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    Free Hana! Local day of action for Palestinian political prisoners

    Local campaigners will be holding a 12-hour public exhibition about Palestinian political prisoners on Saturday 1 November, 9am – 9pm, at Butler’s Gap (the chess board area on George Street) in Hastings Old Town. Gabriel Carlyle explains what’s happening and why.

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    ‘We have no bills’: installing a heat pump in an 1850s cottage

    Can heat pumps be used effectively to heat old houses? Energise Sussex Coast’s Gabriel Carlyle interviews someone who’s done it.

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    Spooky family fun at Alexandra Park Greenhouse

    Following last year’s sold-out storytelling session, the Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group is once again inviting families to gather for a magical afternoon of stories, songs and Halloween mischief at the Alexandra Park Greenhouse on Friday 31 October 2025 at 2pm. Media contact Veronica Pedrosa explains what lies in store.

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    Ferret Noise Japanese rock/arts artist at the Jenny Lind

    Jude Montague talks to Ferret Noise aka Yayoi Tsushima about her work in advance of her performance on Tuesday 4 November at the Jenny Lind Music Pub

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    Women against the Far Right

    On Sunday 26 October local women are invited to gather at the Quaker Meeting House to address the issue of misogyny within the Far Right. Jenny Sutton from Hastings Stand Up To Racism campaign group explains why the group have raised this call to action.

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    Hastings Jews for Justice host a free film and discussion evening

    Richard Wistreich from Hastings Jews for Justice previews a film night at Stade Hall on Saturday 8 November.

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