Your letters - August 27, 2010

Is Jerwood plea just a headline-grabber?

I READ with interest your report in the Observer on Councillor Stevens' campaign to obtain free admission to the new Jerwood Gallery for locals.

Cllr Stevens is both wise and experienced and therefore aware that there is no such thing as free admission. So how does he plan to finance this proposal?

Does he think that Hastings Borough Council (HBC) should pick up the tab by paying the Jerwood Foundation for locals visiting the gallery? If so, how? Should HBC and Jerwood fix an annual estimated figure for 'local' visits, which sum HBC will then pay to Jerwood? Or does he visualize a scheme where the Jerwood reception desk staff will log every local visitor with 100 per cent accuracy and bill HBC accordingly, allowing of course for variable admission prices for children, students, seniors, the unwaged, and essential carers.

The Jerwood gallery staff will also need proof that locals really are just that. How will Hastings' residents prove their status? By presenting council tax account statements or public utility receipts? Or will Jerwood be supplied with a copy of the electoral roll, (which is incomplete as many are not registered)?

Before we all write to HBC in support of Cllr Stevens' scheme as he asks us to do, we need answers to these questions because we know that HBC has no money of its own, only that raised from national and local taxpayers. Therefore any subsidy to Jerwood will ultimately come from our pockets, if not immediately when we enter the gallery.

Does this mean that to finance 'free' local Jerwood admissions another day centre or cherished local service may have to close?

The Jerwood Foundation is a legally registered charity, bound by its articles to collect art and to maintain its collections. Like all charities it cannot present a deficit budget and presumably needs the admission monies raised by the gallery to fund its legally-approved activities. All other considerations aside, the expense to the foundation of setting up and administering a separate admission scheme for residents of Hastings will be beyond its charitable funding remit.

Before HBC's cabinet members discuss this issue on September 13 Cllr Stevens needs urgently to review his idea; otherwise the electorate will merely regard it as another expensive headline-grabber, without substance or practicality.

ERICA BARRETT,

The Ridge.

Most of us want the link road

ONCE more we have a letter from Nick Bingham protesting at the possibility that the link road will be built (at last).

The vast majority of people in the two towns recognise the desperate need for this road.

The economic cost of the delays on the A259 here are notorious; the many hours when drivers are held up, the noxious fumes (Bulverhythe Road is the most polluted in the south east, especially with damaging particulates) and the accidents along the stretch all call for the road to be built.

I'm sure some people want us all to travel on foot or bicycle, grow our own food and only buy products from very local sources, but it isn't practicable.

I walk miles each day, have a bicycle and use public transport, e.g. for journeys to London, but I also have a small low carbon emitting car and accept that much of the products we all use come by road.

The new road will open up areas for employment '“ and with 15 jobseeker allowance claimants for every job vacancy who on earth can object to more jobs?

We also need to remove as much through traffic from the seafront.

We are the only substantial seaside resort where the main road actually runs along the seafront, which is detrimental to the tourist experience too.

Finally, I suggest that the Alliance looks at all new roads '“ they are well planted, rapidly attract wonderful wildlife and enhance the open space through which they travel.

ARTHUR KITSON,

Old London Road.

Dog mess will never go away

THIS morning while walking through Manhattan Gardens to purchase my daily paper, there was three or four lots of dog faeces on the pavement.

There are two dog bins - one at the beginning and one at the end of the pathway.

There were several flies around one pile of mess which I had to avoid as they flew away when I passed.

When our dog was alive, my husband and I always took bags with us and cleared up after him.

To be honest, I do not think this problem will ever be solved. If the wrongdoer was approached, there would probably be some verbal confrontation or maybe physical.

I just don't know what the solution is.

JENNY MOLLOY,

Middle Road.

I AM very disappointed and appalled at the way the new Labour council has tried to crack down and tackle the dog poo in Hastings.

Most people know that there is a big issue with dog mess in public places in Hastings. But the previous council managed to cut down on the revolting sewage that flooded the streets.

When the council changed I thought it would make a good difference. I can't see that putting hundreds of signs up in Hastings, with a rude word in big letters will do so. This will just encourage the young children of Hastings to use the word.

People visiting Hastings will not like it '“ a sign in your face and making you feel uncomfortable.

What is even more unbelievable, the Labour council wants you to show the swear word on a big poster so everyone can see it.

This is a foolish and Homer Simpson-like manner of doing things. These are horrific, unchristian and unnecessary posters.

I want Labour to rethink its posters and signs to make our town have a friendly and upbeat future.

SHANE ATKINS,

The Ridge.

Responsibility starts with parents

Re: Heroic teenagers saved friends life after fall on to railway line:

In your article the mother of these teenage boys says that St Leonards Station 'should be manned '“ there's a lot going on around there '“ at least there would have been an adult there to help them."

The adult who should be helping them is you and your partner, and before asking rail companies to man stations around the clock perhaps she should tell us why her children (one 14 years old) are running around central St Leonards at 2.40am on a Saturday night?

Perhaps if the parents of all involved were more responsible one of them wouldn't have ended up on the live rail and in hospital.

These children shouldn't be lauded as heroes and the parents should be ashamed of themselves.

KEITH VALE,

London Road, St Leonards.

Why were young boys out and drinking?

ALTHOUGH heartening to read of the selfless actions of the friends of the boy who fell onto the live rail at St Leonards Warrior Square Station recently, one still has to ask what on earth a group of 14 and 15-year-old boys were doing drinking and wandering around the town at 2.40am in the morning?

A sad indictment of the boys, their parents and whoever supplied them with the alcohol...

REBECCA HAYWOOD,

De Cham Road, St Leonards.

End of the pier snaps

I AM a local photographer working on a project in connection with the history of Hastings Pier.

I am looking for people who have performed on the pier whom I'd like to interview and photograph. This is not so much for big names but for local people who may have performed as, say, an Elvis impersonator, ballroom dancers or in drag.

The emphasis would be on flamboyance as I'd like to have images of you in costume if possible. I will also want some details of what you did and when.

If anyone can help I would be most grateful. Please contact me at the following e-mail address to discuss the details: [email protected].

BARRY REID

Marina,

St Leonards

White Rock matinees?

I HAVE just received a programme for the autumn/winter season at the White Rock Theatre.

There are two or three shows I would like to see there but unfortunately if I go, as I occasionally do, it makes for an expensive night out so sadly, I probably won't be able to afford to attend all three.

All these take place in the evening at 7.30pm. As I haven't got a car I have to get the bus to the theatre, and the last bus which stops there leaves at 6.40pm from our nearest bus stop.

There are no return buses to where we live in the evening. So although I can get to the theatre by public transport for a 7.30pm performance (albeit having to get there early) it means having to take a taxi home at a cost of approximately 5 because I don't intend to walk home to St Leonards at 10.30pm at night.

Therefore, as a keen theatre-goer, it is far cheaper for me to go to the theatre in Eastbourne (and I know somebody else who regularly does this).

I can get a bus there and back, and also a local bus home when I get back to Hastings, using my free bus pass on all the buses.

I can do this because the Eastbourne theatres have matinee performances, so one can go there and back in an afternoon.

Why doesn't the White Rock put on afternoon performances of its shows as they do in Eastbourne? I'm sure they would be well attended by elderly people like myself who don't like going out in the evenings (especially in winter).

As far as I'm aware, local bus services in the evenings are infrequent or non-existent in most parts of Hastings. However, if there were afternoon performances of these shows, people without cars could get to the theatre and back without having to fork out for taxis.

I am patronising Eastbourne theatres when I could also be patronising our local one.

D A GREEN

West Hill Road

St Leonards

I HAD the great pleasure of a guided tour of the White Rock Theatre.

This was extremely interesting and while I was there we saw the young people who would be appearing in Our House.

I attended the show and was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the performance and the enthusiasm of the cast.

If all the shows are as good as this the future looks very promising for the theatre.

On the tour I was reminded of the happy days I spent at the theatre in the 50s and 60s when there was a big band concert on Sunday evenings and of course the ITT dances.

The one thing that disappointed me was that there does not appear to be an archive in existence. This is a pity when one thinks of the good actors who have appeared here.

I was elected deputy mayor of Hailsham in May, but am still very fond of Hastings.

BRYAN BURCHMORE,

Park Close, Hailsham.

'Our House' was tops

IN THE past, I have attended many splendid and varied productions at our White Rock Theatre. However, last Thursday's performance of Our House must rank as one of the best I've ever seen.

This was better than any West End production and the highly-talented cast of young people, mainly home-grown, worked extremely hard to bring amazing entertainment to the Hastings stage.

Some 134 young people participated: 40 from Hastings, 49 from St Leonards, eight from Battle, eight from Bexhill, four from Catsfield, three from Rye, four from Sedlescombe, five from Eastbourne, four from Lydd, one from Netherfield, three from Westfield, two from Winchelsea, one from Uckfield and two from further afield, with 20 being fully sponsored and a further six part-sponsored.

Very many congratulations to you all for such an enjoyable and memorable evening and also to your director, producer and all involved in this superb production by the White Rock Youth Theatre.

CLLR ALAN ROBERTS

Deputy Mayor

Tubman is now much better building than its neighbours

OVER the last few weeks I have driven past The Tubman at least once a day.

While I am unlikely to use the pub and the decor is not necessarily to my taste, I am struck by the expertise with which the mural has been executed.

Attention to detail, vibrant use of colour and a pleasing balance of shape and pattern surely commend the artwork as an asset to the town, rather than an eyesore.

If it was painted on another building there would be a valid case for removing it on the grounds of advertising, but surely it is merely identifying the building on which it is painted.

The Tubman now stands out as it is better maintained than most of the buildings nearby and I think that this artist should be allowed the freedom to express him or herself in this way.

I hope that he or she was paid well for doing such an excellent job.

SUE DE VINE,

Elphinstone Road.

Oh beer, what litterbugs!

MY PARTNER David and I regularly pick up bottles and beer cans in the churchyard opposite us.

The problem of such litter was really bad during Old Town week.

Why are people such litterbugs?

What surprises us is the amount of liquid often left inside. I have resisted the temptation to finish any of it off but I myself make sure any cans I buy are quite empty before I dispose of them.

Sometimes there is a (happy) snail in a tin. Perhaps it should be prosecuted for illegal drinking in public.

Our task has its occasional rewards. David once found a few coins, dropped by a drunk.

Then I really scored by finding two unopened tins of beer.

MICHAEL PLUMBE

Swan Terrace