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Bohemia Village Voice No. 43. Saturday 2nd December 2006.
Your free local newsletter - anything and everything to do with Bohemia
Plans changed at Salisbury Yard Jim’s pop music history quest Amended plans for Salisbury Yard dominantly Victorian area, the need were approved by Hastings Council’s for open spaces, and restriction of Planning Dept on November 8th. privacy to residents. On this last point, one Permission of the conto demolish ditions the existing attached to workshops the May and garages decision at Salisbury was that the Yard and to first floor erect five windows of terraced Salisbury Yard - impression of proposed houses the comhouses and mercial units two commercial must be of units was actually obscured glass, to granted on 25th prevent overlookof May this year. ing of residential The applicant neighbours. was Mrs J Parker of Clarence One resident was Road, and her particularly architect was unhappy about Brian Beeston of the character of Bexhill. The decithe area being sion last month “Our Salisbury Yard - five new houses ruined: was to approve an beautiful, historic and two commercial units amendment: to and characteristic make the two commercial units the Victorian residential neighbourhood same size (99m² each) - to ‘meet the will be utterly ruined by a modern requirements of proposed tenants’. carbuncle of small, new, 21st century In May, permission was granted in red brick homes.” The same resident accordance with Hastings Local Plan also made the point that in Bohemia, 2004 ‘to ensure a satisfactory form of children have few other places to development in the interests of the play but the streets, and said “There character and amenity of the area.’ In are children playing in these areas at April, local residents were asked if all times of day and night. Salisbury they had any objections and letters Yard would make the most wonderwere sent to Salisbury Road, (nos. 30 ful children’s area to keep our chilto 40), Bohemia Road, (nos 103 to dren off the roads, where we can 131), St Paul’s Road, (nos 1 to 8) and safely monitor them.” Cranbrook Road, (nos 9 to 16). Only On the question of parking, one resfour residents objected, on various ident had serious concerns about the grounds: parking problems being adequacy of places: “There are proviexacerbated, the area being already sions for a single car driveway in overcrowded, the proposed red-brick front of each new house - this simply being out of keeping with the pre- will not be enough! Most house buyContinued on page 4
2007 calendar Directory A complimentary 2007 Calendar should accompany this copy of Bohemia Village Voice. The picture of Bohemia was taken in October by St Leonards’ aerial photographer David Bowie. It is hoped to publish further views of Bohemia soon.
Bohemia from the air
Of the 134 businesses, organisations and individuals who were sent questionnaires for the Bohemia Village Directory last month, 64 have so far replied, i.e., about 48%. Based on the replies received, the total estimated number of people employed in Bohemia is an impressive 786. It is hoped to publish this guide to Bohemia’s private and public organisations early next year. If you have a business or organisation you feel should be included, please send details to Bohemia Village Voice at 79, Bohemia Road, Bohemia Village, TN37 6RJ. Or e-mail to john@johnhumphries.f2s.com
Jim wants your help. Jim Proudfoot, Kinks, the Interns, the Alex Harvey 43, of St Paul’s Road, is compiling a Soul Band, the Mojos, and the Honeycombes. In book of Hastings’ June 1964, a rival to pop history over the last half a century and the pier opened, the ‘Witch Doctor Club’, wants people who located at the Dolphin, attended the various gigs to get in touch. Marine Court, St Leonards. This venue Jim, who confesses to attracted arguably an always having an even more amazing interest in popular line-up of musical talmusic, has unearthed some very famous ent including Little Richard, the Animals, names indeed. To Alexis Corner, Zoot take just one year, Money’s Big Roll 1964, for example, the Rolling Stones Jim Proudfood - compiling Band, Steve a history of pop music Marriott’s Moments, appeared on three Georgie Fame, separate occasions on the pier. Others included Freddie & Rhythm & Blues Incorporated, the the Dreamers, Screaming Lord Migil Five, Long John Baldry, Van Sutch, the Hollies, the Chants, Cilla Morrison and the Merseybeats. In Black, the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Continued on page 3
Dee’s 1986 Street Party Newgate Road resident, Dee Jones, has kindly submitted a photograph of a street party she organised in July 1986. “It was taken outside the North Star with all the residents in the area. I wonder if anyone can recognise
himself or herself,” says Dee. If you can spot yourself in this picture (enlarged version on pages 2 and 3), do get in touch and we’ll try to publish as many names as possible.
Dee Jones’ Street Party in July 1986 - were you there?
Gensing crime figures How do Gensing crime figures compare to the rest of Hastings & St Leonards? From the beginning of October, up to November 27th, Bohemia Village Voice has been monitoring the crimes reported by Neighbourhood Watch by e-mail. During this period 215 crimes were reported from the borough’s sixteen wards of which just 13 were from Gensing ward, which includes Bohemia. And of these 13, only one was definitely committed in Bohemia, five were outside Bohemia and for seven, it was impossible to say from the data supplied. The breakdown by ward of the 215 crimes reported Oct 2 - Nov 27 is:
Ashdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. Baird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. Braybrooke . . . . . . . . . . . 14. Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32. Central St Leonards . . . . 38. Conquest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Gensing* . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. Hollington . . . . . . . . . . . 14. Maze Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. Old Hastings . . . . . . . . . 14. Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. Silverhill: . . . . . . . . . . . . 10. St Helens . . . . . . . . . . . . 14. Tressell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. West St Leonards . . . . . . 10. Wishing Tree . . . . . . . . . . 5. *includes Bohemia
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Bohemia Village Voice No. 43. Saturday 2nd December 2006.
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Plans in the pipeline ... ↸ ↸ ↸ The Book Café to open? The following applications affecting properties in Bohemia have been received recently by HBC’s Planning Dept. Full details may be obtained from, and any objections may be lodged with, Hastings Borough Council’s Planning Dept at Century House, 100, Menzies Road, St Leonards, Sussex, TN38 9BB. Tel. 0845 274 1090. www.hastings.gov.uk/planning Bohemia Road, 113. The proposal, registered on 20th November, is for
change of use from retail at ground floor and residential above to a single family dwelling. The application was made by the Magdalen & Lasher Charity, Young, Coles & Langdon of Albert Road, Hastings. Public consultation ends on the 11 December. St Peter’s Road, 3. The proposal, registered on the 10th November, is to replace existing timber windows with pvcu windows. The application was made by Mr & Mrs Redgewell of South Ockenden in Essex. Public consultation ended on Dec 1st.
A hopeful notice bers’ club for a has appeared on living and workthe door of The ing co-operative, Book Café: but open to the “Hello! Sorry for public’, and that the long delay, it would be a but I had to go place ‘to come away. I’d love to for a coffee and open this little to buy books’. A bookshop, but free cup of coffee The Book Cafe in July this year sadly there are was promised for those who would rather I did not. anyone donating a book. Would you like me to try? If so, tell us However, in our Sept 9th issue (no. why. (Answers through box below).” 36), we sadly reported that Mandie,
SALISBURY ROAD - In our last issue it was reported that a resident of Salisbury Road had spoken at the November BAA meeting about dis-
abled parking bays. No suggestion that any other residents had also queried the use of these bays was intended or implied.
It was reported in the July 19th edition (no. 27) of Bohemia Village Voice that Mandie Eyre was opening the café in August as a ‘sort of mem-
Bohemia Remembered hildren attending senior school could in some cases get school dinners but I can’t recall it happening in junior school, though we did have milk. Schooling was sound. I can’t recall any child leaving junior school who couldn’t read or write. Spelling in those days was considered important as was one learning their maths tables. We had two schools: St Paul’s situated where the YMCA now is and of course the old Tower Road, now Christ Church. I went to St Paul’s. From an early age, I remember there were no play groups or nursery schools then. You went straight into being taught the basics, like ‘The cat sat on the mat’, and so on. The very young children had a sleep in the afternoon on a little canvas bed. At St Paul’s you started with a lovely lady, Miss Gildings, then progressed through the classes till reaching Miss Philips, a teacher I and others have to thank for giving us a love of The Wind in the Willows, which she read to us on the last lesson on Friday afternoons. I can still hear her rendering of Toad’s ‘Poop, poop, poop’ to this day. St Paul’s was overseen by a head master, Mr William Gray, an upright, smartly dressed man nearly always wearing a
C
‘homeless and bankrupt’ had handed over the project to ‘two teenage girls’. It would now seem to be a case of ‘watch this space.’
In this fourth extract from his book, Vic Chalcraft looks at schools and school life
grey suit and bow technical school tie - a stern but and lowest grades fair man, who to such schools as administered the Silverhill. cane only when From this system really deserved. one can say the At this stage of social structure our education we was developed. sat the eleven plus Grammar school exam, the outThe National School in St Paul’s Rd produced the acacome of which demics and mandecided our future: high marks, the agement, secondary schools the artigrammar school or high school, mid- sans and technicians and the lower dle marks to the secondary modern or
Tower Road School - viewed from Tower Road West. Photo: 1985-86
schools the base of the working system. chool medical care - this was again basic. I cannot recall being examined by a school doctor though I suppose I must have been. We had a school dentist, a Mr Penfold who had a surgery on the corner of Upper Clarence and Upper Park Road. Not a popular man, though whether this was through fear or rough treatment, I can’t say. We did have regular visits from the nit nurse, examining everyone’s head. If it was discovered you had nits, it was a short back and sides haircut. Though strangely nits seem far more prevalent today. The photo shows the original National School building in St Paul’s Road. It cost £2,200 to build on land given by the ‘Charity Trustees’. It was to provide education for 150 boys and girls and 100 infants. The Infants School included a soup kitchen and blanket store. In the postwar period the school was moved to Horntye Road, and later the original building was demolished and the site finally used for the provision of a new building for the YMCA.
S
[Reference: Hastings Childhoods by Hastings Modern History Workshop, 1987]
(From page 1)
Were you here? Can you identify yourself in this 1986 photograph? We’d really like to know if you can.
Dee Jones’ street party in July 1986. Were you one of the 78 people in the photograph taken outside the North Star pub? Let us know
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Bohemia Village Voice No. 43. Saturday 2nd December 2006.
I was married in a Bohemian Castle St Peter’s Road resident and technical author Richard Slater recounts his days in Bohemia. [For readers who may not know, is the Richard Slater Bohemia southern province of the Czech Republic; the northern one is Moravia]. In this first part, he describes the world political situation he encountered on leaving university in 1963. hen I graduated from Nottingham University in the summer of 1963, I certainly never thought that within three years I would be getting married in a castle in Bohemia! You may not think that getting married in Czechoslovakia is a big deal, in these days when the Czech Republic is a member of both the EU and NATO and Prague is a popular destination for stag and hen parties. But in the 1960s the Cold War was at its height, and we in the West seemed to be losing. 1961 saw Cuba go communist and the CIA respond by organising the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion. The Russians exploded the biggest hydrogen bomb ever - 58 megatons and known as the Doomsday Device - and put the first man into space. And the Berlin Wall went up. 1962 was the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the one and only time that the
(Part 1 of 8)
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Karlstejn Castle in Bohemia, where Richard Slater married Eva Fránková in 1966
RAF's V-bomber force was actually armed with nuclear weapons and put on the highest alert status. I was in my second year at university, and we all really expected World War III to start any minute. The main event of 1963 was the assassination of President John F Kennedy in Dallas, and at the time many people thought the KGB was responsible. Here, it was revealed that Kim Philby, a very senior MI6 officer, had been a Soviet double agent for 30 years - the latest in a long line of spy scandals. In 1964, China exploded its first A-bomb; in 1965 US troops arrived in force in Vietnam and the bombing began.
1966 heralded Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution in China, which tested its first H-bomb in 1967. In 1968 there was serious student unrest, with rioting in many countries, especially France, and Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated. And then came the Prague Spring, followed quickly by the Soviet Bloc invasion. These were very scary times. In those days, to visit any country in the Soviet Bloc you had to be granted a visa. And citizens of those countries were almost never allowed out! Next issue: Richard decides to become a computer engineer - which leads him behind the iron curtain.
Page 3 Jim Proudfoot - from page 1
November, a young David Bowie made his debut [whatever happened to him?] The working title of Jim’s book is A Short History of Popular Music in Hastings 1956-2006. “I wasn’t there in the 50’s and 60’s, and I want to talk to people who were - I want to know what the music scene was like - please tell me how it was,” “I’ve been researching back copies of the Hastings Observer from 1957 on, at the public library, and it’s an arduous task. I’d love to have some informal chats over a cup of tea with the people who attended the gigs on the pier and other venues.” Jim hopes to publish his book by next Christmas. He lives with his partner of 20 years in St Paul’s Rd, and has a son, Dylan, 15, and a daughter, Sidney (after Sid Viscous), 17. If you have any memories of the 50s, 60s or 70s music scene, and would like to reminisce with Jim, please contact Bohemia Village Voice and we’ll pass on your details. Or phone Jim at home on 446404. Or e-mail him: jimproudfoot2@aol.com
Surviving Christmas Can you spare time or money to help make sure the lonely and less well off have a good Christmas? ‘Surviving Christmas’ held at the YMCA on Dec 25, 26 and 27still needs volunteers - and/or funds. Contact Judith on 429677.
Short story competition - entries pour in - well, one at least First entry in our Ultra Short Story competition has arrived, and at just 31 words it is a very short story indeed. But, as author Vic Chalcraft claims, it does contain religion, poverty, love, class, suspense ... and sex. The entire work is printed below: A Short Story by Vic Chalcraft “My God,” said the poor old tramp as he stroked his dog, “the butler is in
bed with the Duchess and his Lordship has his hand on the bedroom door handle.” The end. At the time of writing, this story, being the only one so far received, is the front runner and will scoop all three prizes, unless even better ones are submitted. So, all you budding Bohemian authors, get busy ... you’ve until the end of February to enter. Entries from children are especially welcome. A summary of the rules of the competition is given right:
ULTRA SHORT STORY COMPETITION RULES Definition: an ultra short story is one with a maximum of 250 words; the stories can be on any subject. You can make as many different entries as you like. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories must not have been published previously. As many of the entries will be published in Bohemia Village Voice as possible. Copyright returns to the author one year after publication. Prizes: first prize is £25 cash, second prize is £10 and the third prize is £5 token to be spent at Bookman’s Halt. Entrants: anyone may enter: there is no age restriction; the only condition is that
entrants must live or work in Bohemia. Judges: all entries will be read by a panel of judges including book editor Julian Beecroft, bookshop owner Clive Linklater, writer and translator, Bill Third, magazine editor Shelagh Davy, chair of the Bohemia Area Association Peter Holland, artist Allena Tyrell, residents John E Humphries and Jacky Hayles and ultra short story writer Peter Winder. The judges' verdict is final. How to enter: simply send your story to Bohemia Village Voice, before the closing date of Feb 28 2007. An e-mail version is perfectly acceptable.
w, using the numbered key (printed on right) to identify which person you’re referring to. The results will be published in a future issue of ‘The Voice’.
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Bohemia Village Voice No. 43. Saturday 2nd December 2006.
Puzzle Corner
Letters +++++ War damage Dear Sir, your latest edition has raised quite a question: when or what was the war damage to the shop at Appliance Master [no. 74] in Bohemia. I was away during the war, but could not understand why a shop should get so limited damage and nothing else around marked. I made some enquiries of long-standing residents, most in their eighties, and also to a gentleman who owned the shop opposite during the war and he can recall nothing of such an event. Vic Chalcraft, Aldborough Road. Can anyone else throw any light on this interesting subject?
Bangladesh Dear Sir, first of all, thank you so much, for the front-page coverage of the Boogie For Bangladesh concert recently held at The Famous Lillie Langtry’s. With donations etc, we raised approximately £375 which considering that there was no admission charge, was a pretty good result. All the entertainers gave freely of Salisbury Yard - from page 1
ers are a couple and have two cars, as the mortgage payments cannot be met by a single person. One visitors’ parking space is ridiculous too.” A previous application, to build seven terraced houses and no commercial units, was turned down by the planning committee in 2005 on the grounds that ‘the proposed development would result in the loss of industrial/commercial floor space and premises originally built and previously used for employment purpos-
their time and talent and are anxious, not to say keen, to do it all again! The cost of a Deep-Tube Well is round about £550 and our intention was always to raise enough money to fund another 4 wells at least by the time of our next planned visit to Bangladesh in November 2007. Richard & Jackie Stevens Bayeux Court
The Bohemians Dear Sir, it must have been about 1975, when a new poetry group was established, known as ‘The Bohemians’. Initially, meetings were held at the Oliver Twist Tea Rooms, 63, Bohemia Road, (proprietor, Elizabeth Preston). The founder was Mrs Joan Chaplin of Cornfield Terrace, and the group comprised about two dozen members, meeting on a monthly basis. From time to time, a speaker would attend to talk on some literary or arts-related subject. The purpose of the group was to encourage poets and would-be poets to develop and employ their latent talent; to assess and criticise new work as it appeared (although generes, and would therefore have an adverse effect on the pattern and balance of economic activity in the Borough’. Fears had been expressed concerning the existence of a badger sett below the existing two-storey warehouse. Neither the Borough Ecologist, nor the Badger Protection Society raised any objection as ‘the sett is no longer active’. It would be necessary, in any case, to obtain a licence from English Nature to formally close the sett.
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ally were too polite to cast adverse criticism on fellow members’ efforts). Nonetheless, some good work was produced, and within the ten years or so of the group’s existence, three booklets of poems and short stories were produced: Bohemian Bagatelle, Bohemian Bouquet, and Bohemian Bounty. Edward Preston, Bohemia Road. [Edward kindly enclosed copies of Bohemian Bagatelle - ‘a small collection gathered from the work of some members of the The Bohemians Arts, Poetry & Social Club.’ and Bohemian Bouquet, a similar work]
Bohemia Village Dear Sir, I have spoken to many old inhabitants of this area and we are at a loss over this Bohemia Village and have never come across it. So, I would like to know where Terry Adams’ authority on this subject comes from. All the people I ask, have been here longer than him and it’s definitely not the ‘village’. Vic Chalcraft, Aldborough Road. Our local councillor, Vivienne Bond, is on the planning committee, but was unable to take part in the decision as she not only knows the applicant, Mrs Parker, but had previously objected to the proposal before she became a committee member. Anyone wishing to see the various plans, letters of objection and decisions can visit Hastings Borough Council’s Planning Dept at Century House, 100, Menzies Road, St Leonards, Sussex, TN38 9BB. Tel. 0845 274 1090. www.hastings.gov.uk/planning
This week’s puzzle - £10 prize The task this week is to match six house names with the six roads they’re in. The house names are 1) Captain’s Cottage, 2) Shirley House, 3) Lautrec, 4) Hell’s Corner, 5)Mallards and 6) Dennison. The streets are: a) Upper Park Road, b) Newgate Road, c) Horntye Road, d) Cloudesley Road, e) London Road, and f) Clarence Road. If you don’t know all six, put down as many as you can. Please ensure entries reach Bohemia Village Voice at 79, Bohemia Road by Tuesday 12th December. The first correct solution opened on that day wins a £10 token, kindly donated by Empress Art of Tower Road. Answer to puzzle 41
The question posed in the last issue was ‘Who painted the picture above and what is its connexion with Bohemia?’ The artist was French impressionist Auguste Renoir (18411919), and the connexion is its title, The Bohemian (or Lise the Bohemian), an oil on canvas work, created in 1868, and now residing in the National Gallery, Berlin. No correct solutions were received, so the prize will be carried forward to this week.
Village Directory
HORNTYE PARK SPORTS COMPLEX
Are you interested in forming a club, say, for example, CRIBBAGE, BRIDGE or CHESS, etc, that could meet on a regular basis at Horntye Park Sports Complex, - without any room charges? We can accommodate any numbers between 10 and 100. You could of course, also enjoy a buffet or a drink from the bar at your leisure. If you are interested, please make contact with Kevin Miller on 01424 716666.
HORNTYE PARK SPORTS COMPLEX BOHEMIA ROAD, HASTINGS, SUSSEX, TN34 1EX. 01424 716666
A free listing of all businesses and organisations in Bohemia. If you havent received a form for your business, send in your details a.s.a.p. to Bohemia Village
Bohemia Village Voice Edited and published by John Humphries at 79, Bohemia Road, Bohemia Village, Sussex, TN37 6RJ. Tel. 01424 446759. E-mail john@johnhumphries.f2s.com Proof reader Valentine Torrington. First published May 2006. © John Humphries 2006. Printed by Fastprint of St Leonards. Circulation (Nov 18): print version: 1,659, e-mail: 99, total: 1,758. To receive an all-colour e-mail version of this newsletter, please send
your address to John Humphries. Advertisement rates Sizes in mm, (height by width). Whole page (269 x 189).......... £80.00 Half page (133x189) .............. £40.00 Quarter page (133x93) .......... £20.00 Eighth page (65x93).............. £10.00 Sixteenth page (65x45) ............ £5.00 Lineage (per column cm) .......... £1.00 Next issue: No. 44, Sat 16th Dec 2006. Deadline for advertisements and editorial: 5pm Tues 12th December.