In pictures: When Mods and Rockers battled in a Sussex seaside town

​Local historian and researcher Andre Palfrey-Martin gives a talk on the infamous event at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery on Tuesday October 10 at 2pm for a 2.30pm start.

Over 500 Mods and a similar number of Rockers were reported as coming to Hastings - many of whom were turned away from the main roads into town. A number of fights were reported with nine arrests in Hastings and police flying in re-inforcements from elsewhere.

There was a scuffle between two rockers and a group of mods near the Pier, and a cafe owner was slashed with a broken glass.

The event hit the headlines of national newspapers at the time, who described it as ‘an outrage’.

Andre aims to explore how much was true and how much speculation, in an event that has gone down in Hastings folk history.

He said: “Were you in Hastings at this time and would you have described yourself as a mod or a rocker?

"The official Home Office title for that multi-agency involvement that weekend was ‘Operation Garrison’ and it started several weeks beforehand. The talk will give more information about the preparation and what happened over the weekend.”

Andre has looked at all the official record and information surrounding the event and coupled it with his own knowledge as he was in Hastings at that time. Admission to the illustrated talk is free but with a collection toward Hastings Week.

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