Hastings

[huncamunca]

The new Whitstable it seems.Chock full of Guardina readers at the weekends nowadays.

Is this the end for the delightful Whitstable as the chattering classes preferred slice of seashore life ?

[StraferJack]

Only one man can tell us

Only one man cares

[huncamunca]

these are pressing questions that need to be asked

[maxxi]

It was Whitstable in the 80s and early 90s, Hastings late 90s to early noughties, it is now - (X-factor style pause) - Deal. Yes it is.

[KalamityKel]

obviously not seen the nightlife then... Croydon, Kingston and the likes are no comparison! ;-)

[Jeremy]

Isn't Hastings a bit of a crap hole?

[mockney piers]

I've always wanted to go to Beer. I've no idea if it's nice, but great name!!

[StraferJack]

Beer is very nice indeed - that whole section of coast is great. Obviously overrun in the summer but if you get a chance do go

Branscombe is also good but beware of THAT road down to it. Not for the faint hearted driver

[Atticus]

Yep it's the ironic choice!

[jollybaby]

Hastings ... Still a shit hole but slowly improving. The old town is quite pleasant to walk around now and the fishing shed area is being revamped. They keep promising it will be the next Brighton but that's unlikely to be so unless the rail link is massively improved.

[????]

So only Dover and Pompey left......

[Ted Max]

Name the cinque ports without looking it up.

[????]

Rye, Sandwich, Folkestone, The one near Rye that's silted up.....bugger, nah must be Dover too?

[????]

Winchelsea?

[*Bob*]

My God.. I've just had a Kingmaker flashback

[Ted Max]

2 out of 5 = Sandwich and Dover.

[????]

Rye, surely

[????]

...of course, Hasting is one

[Ted Max]

With a donnish chuckle, I'd say Rye and Winchelsea are Antient Towns, strictly speaking.

[Ted Max]

Original Cinque Ports: Hastings, Dover, Sandwich, New Romney, Hythe

Near misses: Winchelsea, Rye

[????]

I give in. Tell or I'll google. Just us on this anyway

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I love Hastings. I learned to ride there. It used to be full of wonderful old second hand book shops; the pier had old penny slot machines and I won a towel at the Bingo. Winkles were second to none. Cliffs were great for scrambling over, and until it went nudist, Fairlight Cove was worth the struggle to get there.

If it's gone Guardian, I shall mourn it.

[MrBen]

I went for a dip in Deal recently. The water was a bit murky and in April not the warmest. You'll get an ex fisherman's cottage there for 180K one block back from the sea and its a lot nicer than Hastings. Live the dream.

[Frankito]

We went to Hastings once and never again, shit hole. Go to Rye, it's beautiful and nearby Camber Sands has a great beach

[dondini]

I'm from Bexhill about 5 miles along the cost from Hastings. Although haven't lived there for about 10 years, I visit family frequently. It depends what you're looking for, but Hsstings is very mixed & has a good local art scene & local musicians frequently play in the pubs there. It's got some nice tea shops & galleries but of course it has a tack-tastic side to, but that's half the shabby charm.