The Royal Mint is going to issue 50p pieces commemorating the Battle of Hastings

Numismatica.com writes:

On October 14, 2016 Britain will remember the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings – a landmark moment in British history. Following King Edward’s death on the January 5, 1066, the lack of an acknowledged heir led to a disputed succession in which several contenders laid claim to the throne of England. Harold II was crowned King after his brother’s death, but immediately faced challenges for his crown from Tostig Godwinson, King Harold’s own brother, as well as William, Duke of Normandy, and the Norwegian King, Harald Hardrada.

The outcome of the battle between these belligerents would change the British Isles forever, ushering in a new chapter with Britain’s first Norman King, William I, known thereafter as William the Conqueror. The 50 pence coin depicts the famous fate of King Harold on the reverse and is designed by sculptor John Bergdahl.

The base metal versions of these coins will be available during the early part of 2016, with the precious versions available later in the year.

more from Jack in the Green. At Hastings Castle

Jack in the Green

Once more, the people of Hastings dressed up in the ugliest clothes they could find, hung leaves over the clothes and set out for a day of Morris Dancing and fun on the streets and green spaces. Only the English know how to enjoy themselves in this way. Every single other nationality dresses attractively on festival days, even when they're being dragons etc. Only in England do we choose the ugliest clothes and make-up. Who says the English are reserved? They are not. Would a reserved person approach you, a total stranger, and paint your nose green?
Here's a photo of how the day began:
Dancing at Dawn on Jack in the Green day, 

Hastings Pier opening delayed

This Daily Mail article tells the story of what's going on with our pier

(Sea)gulls

There used to be several kinds of (sea)gulls in Hastings, but these days I only see (and hear) herring gulls. I reckon they've chased away the beautiful little black-headed gulls and the striking-looking black-backed gulls.
I give a safety and orientation talk to new students on their first day at English for You. You know, advice like: keep your valuables in a safe place; don't gather in a group that blocks the pavement; use plenty of the free suntan cream on the Lifeguard Beach; think of interesting topics to discuss with your hosts; cross roads carefully, remembering that English people drive on the wrong side of the road, and so on. But now I add something new to the talk:
DON'T FEED THE (SEA)GULLS.
If you break off a piece of your sandwich and throw it on the ground for the gulls, you will immediately see gulls swooping down around you from all directions. And the mother gulls will squawk and scream at you if you go near their beloved enormous babies (the gulls with the brown and white feathers).
Don't even walk along eating a hamburger or an apple. If you do, a gull will swoop down and lift it from your hands.
Yes, these birds should be out fishing. But instead of paddling along in the sea and grabbing tasty fresh fish, they join the human queues at the local fish and chip shops.
The other horrible thing they do is to nest on roofs of Hastings buildings. Their nests block the gutters and cause the rain to travel down the inside walls, causing the walls to be damp.
And guess what: gulls are protected. 
Anyway, never throw a stone at a gull. Not only is it illegal, but also they can scream for their friends and family to take revenge on you.  

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and Robert Tressell

It's now just over 100 years since  'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists', written by Hastings resident, Robert Tressell was published.

Tressell, whose father's name was Croker and whose mother's surname was Noonan, was from Dublin. He was illegitimate, and his Protestant father, who was sixty years older than his young Catholic mother, and who already had a family, provided for him. But when Robert Croker was 16, he changed his surname to Noonan and left his family because he refused to live on money gained by charging starving Irish Catholic tenants rents they couldn't afford after their families had been driven out of their homes.

He moved to Cape Town, where he worked as a decorator and married. But after the birth of his beloved daughter, Kathleen, Robert Noonan's wife had many affairs. So Robert divorced her and  after the Boer War, he travelled with Kathleen to England and ended up in Hastings.

He was shoced at the low wages and poor working conditions in Hastings. He had to do several jobs in order to survive. The suffering of the decorators he worked with led him to write The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

The book (originally called The Ragged Arsed Philanthropists) was rejected by three publishers, so Tressell, feeling depressed, wanted to burn it, but Kathleen put the manuscript under a bed. After his death, a publisher paid Kathleen £25 for it. He died of tuberculosis when he was only 40 years old.

The University of Hastings has recently been given the Tressell family papers and is the first dedicated Robert Tressell research centre in the world.

Here's a list from Wikipedia of Hastings places and events connected with Robert Tressell:

• The Robert Tressell Workshop — a publishing concern based in Hastings.
• Robert Tressell Close — a small residential street in Hastings named after the writer.
• Tressell Ward — a political ward in Hastings.
• The Robert Tressell Lectures — a series of annual lectures concerning not only The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, but also other aspects of left-wing politics and sociology.
• Tressell Publications — a small politically based publishing house.
• Robert Tressell Halls of Residence — accommodation for students studying at University of Brighton, Hastings Campus.
• Noonan's Steps - name of a stepped passageway running alongside the author's former home at 115 Milward Road.
• Tressell Ward - a Medical ward in the Conquest Hospital, St. Leonard's-on-Sea