It was only last month I posted a photo I'd taken on the beach here of Hastings Pier. This morning we awoke to what I thought was mist all down the valley. It was in fact the massive plumes of smoke coming from the pier, set alight by arsonists in the early hours of this morning. The smell was reminiscent of Sydney during bush fire season and I had to tell the girls to shut the windows to keep it out of the house. It's a real shame that something that has stood for more than 100 years is gone in a few hours. It didn't really mean much to us newcomers, but listening to the local people I heard talking on the radio this morning, people in Hastings had a genuine affection for it. It was built in 1872 and started out at 910 feet long, perfect for Victorians who loved to promenade. It was well known in the 1960s as a venue for big bands including The Rolling Stones, the Who and Jimi Hendrix. Scarlett's teacher Mrs davidson was almost in tears this morning recalling her youth watching bands play there. The local council closed it in 2006, fearful it had become dangerous and in need of serious repair, and was actively involved in buying it back from its Panamanian owners and applying for lottery funding after a report revealed 3 million quid would be enough to save it. Not now. I took the girls down to the beach after school this afternoon in the rain to see what's left and took these pictures.
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