Hastings Pirate Day 2014

Pirate Day was my favourite event of the season by some margin in 2012 and last year.  This year, things had changed and I had no idea until shortly before the event took place.

Funding had been substantially cut.  Hastings council had got some bee in their bonnet about 'trouble' during the previous two PDs.  Who would ever guess pirates might drink a lot and get a bit rowdy...

This year, Pirate Day was organised by the old town and run, apparently, on a very small budget.  Not quite sure who paid for the security team - whose presence was unwanted, unnecessary and led to the parade being ruined for many.  Emphasis was supposed to be on the family fun day element - not sure how having the place swarming with cops and meat head bouncers was going to facilitate that...

Biggest loss was the lack of a stage - in previous years there had been several.  Most idiotic of all was the fact that the day before, at the sparsely attended shanty festival, there was a decent sized stage right there on the Stade where it had been for the previous Pirate Day, complete with speakers, amps etc.  So the cost of that clearly wasn't an issue - why on earth they didn't have the stage on the Sunday is beyond me.  I personally know bands who would have been more than happy to perform free of charge.  People constantly mentioned the lack of music on the streets, and a general lack of decent entertainment compared to previous years.

Maybe we'd become spoilt.  Certainly this year was good by the standards of most other events.  But it was poor in comparison to 2012 and 2013.

Fortunately, the pirates themselves were brilliant, as per usual.  Lots and lots of fantastic outfits.  Many had clearly gone to great effort.  People still had fun, for sure.  But Pirate Day requires a lot of planning and I don't think this one was very well thought through at all - though I understand there will have been restrictions and stipulations because of the obstacles put in the way by the clueless council.

There was supposed to be music and entertainment in the new town by the tunnel - but the police had inexplicably prevented anyone from playing because it might cause a 'distraction to the traffic.'  I have rarely heard such preposterous nonsense.  I saw someone singing there much later but most people had drifted away long since by then.

The pirate sword fights at Priory Meadow shopping centre were excellent.  That was the only decent bit of entertainment I saw away from the old town.

In the absence the usual fare we've come to expect from Pirate Day, I had to pretty much content myself with snapping pirates coming and going.  The sheer volume of pictures I took underlines what a high standard there was this time round - these people deserved better.

The big downer was the security team.  This is Pirate Day, not bloody West Ham v Millwall.  You don't need a lot of heavy handed bouncers running about determined to prove that they were 'doing stuff' by needlessly barracking people for no good reason.  But that's exactly what happened, particularly during the parade.  I had two different idiots stand right in front of me and then try to push me back when it was obvious I was photographing the parade and had enough wits about me that I wouldn't stand anywhere I was likely to be in the way.  In fact the only ones who got in the way were the security people, who were clearly useless at this kind of marshaling.  The old town volunteers always do a great job at other events - there was just no need for security and it must have used up a good bit of much needed funds employing them.  If they're going to be at future Pirate Days, I certainly won't be there.

Rant over.  Positives, aside from the vast army of fabulous pirates, were the brilliant drumming bands.  Particular merit must go to the group who did a 45 minute stint near the Blue Dolphin after the parade was over.  For me, that was easily the best part of the day and the number of people up and dancing underlined how much music elsewhere was needed.  Also excellent were the acrobats, jugglers and other entertainers who marched in the parade and would have been happy to carry on had there been anywhere for them to perform.  The rain pretty much held off and it was a very warm day, if mostly grey.  The old town marshals showed the security bods how it should be done and were excellent as ever, providing a low key presence.  The entertainment, pretty much aimed at the youngsters, on the Stade was also good, as were the dancers in the high street.

The fact that I've uploaded more pictures from this year's Pirate Day than from the 2013 event suggests that I probably am better as snapping portrait-type shots than dancing people ;)

Am very much hoping for a return to form in 2015 for this event, which remains my favourite despite the blip this time round.  Am also very much hoping that there will be no security people next time round.  Complete waste of money and they were far more likely to have sparked trouble with their heavy handedness than any of the mostly good natured drunks.

Hastings Pirate Day 2014 (545 pics)

Hastings Jack in the Green 2014 - Monday

I decided to head off to Hastings for the Jack in the Green procession for the first time.  Last year I did the much quieter Sunday.  Was taken aback by the sheer volume of people thronging the streets during the parade. 

I wasn't able to get down to Hastings as early as I'd have like and arrived with the procession in full flow.  Fortunately it stopped regularly for various performers to do their thing.

This is a great fun event and I loved it.  Will certainly be back next year.



Hastings Jack in the Green 2014 (475 pics)

RNLI Hastings Beach Concert 2013, Saturday

Normally I'd have been at Brighton Pride but that event has completely sold its soul now & is all about ripping off the punters, with very little of the original intent now remaining.  Not that I'd need much persuading to go to Hastings and listen to music on the beach, in the sunshine ;)

It was a lot cooler after the recent heatwave but still sunny pretty much all day.  The tug o' war comp went on for longer this time, so there was hardly any gap between it finishing and the music starting, which I liked.

Was another good line up this year.  The crowd was definitely not as up for it as last year's lot.  I suspect most of them hadn't drunk enough (lol).  Though a few had clearly over done it. Security once again did a good job of stopping things getting out of hand whilst maintaining a low profile.  Maybe the crowd just danced when my back was to them - that's possible ;)

As per 2012, only could make it on the Saturday, and also missed the final band on as it was freezing on the beach by then and the light was starting to go, so I called it a day.

Also as per 2012, Ujenix were my favourite band.  Though everyone performing put on a good show.

Good to see this event reach its 25th anniversary, after the 2013 concert was in doubt due to lack of funding.  Hopefully it'll carry on for a good while yet.  This is a fantastic event and props go to everyone involved in making it happen.



Hastings Beach Concert 2013 (197 pics)

Hastings Pirate Day 2013

We had glorious weather and a huge turnout for the now annual Hastings Pirate Day.  No world record attempt this time as the previous year's total still stands.

The sheer volume of people made snapping quite a challenge, especially if you take pretty much only candid stuff.  All posed pics here are spontaneous.  You really don't know where to start and the task is actually pretty daunting, not helped by the fact that you're taking pictures of bloodthirsty cutthroats who won't hesitate to run you through if the fancy takes them ;)

It quickly became apparent that the Stade stage was the place to be from a people snapping point of view.  The folks there just let themselves go and partied.  Absolutely fantastic to be in amongst it.  Brilliant costumes abounded.

I ventured down to the new town a couple of times and caught the excellent Panash Steel Orchestra there.  I didn't see much of the Skyfall, or any of the theatrical stuff, as I decided to stick to what I know.

Atmosphere was fantastic.  Pirate Day is the most fun you can have in public without being arrested, for sure ;)  Snapped most of the time with my bodged 18-200, a lens with no longer functioning image stabilizer, which is held together with black tape - my close proximity to people made my favoured 70-200 2.8 out of the question in most instances. 



Hastings Pirate Day 2013 (435 pics)

Hastings Jack in the Green Festival 2013, Sunday

Decided to chase the sun after a day of gloom and chilly winds in Rochester at the Sweeps.  Hastings didn't disappoint and was sunny and very warm most of the day.  Things were fairly low key, with mostly just morris dancing and a bit of drumming.  The big procession takes place on the Monday but I knew it would be packed solid for that, with the added presence in Hastings of thousands of bikes for the May Day Run.



Hastings Jack in the Green (175 pics)

Randomonium 2012

Odds and ends from the (ahem) glorious summer just gone.

Randomonium 2012 (103 pics)

Hastings carnival 2012

I think the sun shone every time I went to Hastings this year.  Certainly this carnival was the best of the half dozen or so I attended during 2012.  The effort that went into many of the floats and costumes was amazing.

Hastings carnival pt 1 (100 pics)
Hastings carnival pt 2 (114 pics)