Ross Drury has never backed away from a challenge and his new challenge, along with business partner Dan Hutton, is to turn the Stade Hall in to the coolest village hall of all time, to create what he describes as a significant cultural building in the centre of town, hosting everything from pilates to opera and theatre via craft fairs and anything…

In 2018 structural problems spelled the end for St Leonards Parish Church which now stands abandoned on the St Leonards seafront. In this episode we take a look at its history. To see phtotgraphs of the interior of the church visit https://www.hastingsinfocus.co.uk/2021/10/26/the-sad-history-of-st-leonards-parish-church/ Or to find out more about t…

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Just three years ago there were no Greens on Hastings Borough Council, now there are 12, they've become the biggest group and have taken on the task of running a minority administration. Julia Hilton was the first Green councillor on HBC, elected in Old Hastings in a landslide in 2021, she's also a County Councillor and now she is leader of the bor…

A dark-hearted farce of cracked morality Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every Brilliant Thing is about resilience and hope and addresses aspects of mental health. When mum’s in the hospital and dad says she finds it hard to be happy, there’s not much a seven year old can do… 1. Ice cream 2. Water fights 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV These are the first three items on a list of every bril…

Did Aleister Crowley really curse Hastings? If you live here is it really impossible to move away and stay away? The story of Crowley and is curse is a fscinating one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.By Hastings In Focus

Last time we spoke to Lotti Conway we asked: "How would you cope if all your memories were erased overnight?" Lotti had a massive seizure in April 2020 that left her in hospital, scared and alone as she couldn't remember where she was or why she was there. Doctors diagnosed Autoimmune encephalitis and when we met her journey along the road to recov…

Hugh Whitemore tells Turing’s story in this mesmerising play, combining humour with compassion, and skilfully interweaving different timescales to build up a complete picture of Turing and those around him.During the war we see the code breaking genius at work; given personal authority by Churchill himself for all the resources he needs. After the …

The Stables Theatre celebrated its 60th anniversary back in 2019. The history of the theatre and how it came in to existence in the first place is a fascinating one. Here, Stuart Baillie looks at those early years and some of the ‘big characters’ who helped make it all happen in the first place. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor…

After scoring a hit with Dig, the first in a trilogy of plays, Chris New is preparing to launch Dog Song at The Stables in early May. Here he talks about the pleasing reaction he got to Dig and how the process of writing Dog Song has been an altogether different experience.To hear more from Chris click this link Stables-theatre-hastings – The-life-…

For people of a certain age 'the old bathing pool site' is where memories were made. Here we take a look at the history of the site... we'll leave the council's plans and ideas for its future until another time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.By Hastings In Focus

Love it or hate it Marine Court defines St Leonards seafront. Designed to resemble the Queen Mary ocean going liner it cost £500,000 to build back in the late 1930s. In this podcast we talk about its design, what went in to building it and what's happened to it since. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

In this podcast we discuss the black comedy First Bus to Ballinabeg with its leading actors Aisling Tigwell and Liam Banks. It's coming to The Stables between Friday February 3rd until Saturday February 11th.Hear writer Sean J Hume and director Jenny Lloyd-Lyons discuss the play...Stables-theatre-hastings – First-bus-to-ballinabegFirst Bus to Balli…

Chris New sees himself as just a jobbing actor but once you've listened to this interview we're sure you'll agree he is much more than that. His first love is theatre because he relishes the link that gives him to his audience, he became an actor because one of his teachers told him he couldn't, his career has been "an act of contrary revenge" he s…

2022 was not just a year for celebration at The Stables Theatre and Arts Centre as it sparked back in to life after the enforced closures brought on by the pandemic, it was a year that set the scene for what is to come. In this episode Stuart Baillie talks to Stables Chair Neil Sellman, writer Ben Randall, performer and director Hugo Trebells, Bobb…

Combining the colour of Disney with the vivacity of Hollywood is one of the descriptions of Honk! It's a show that has been seen by an estimated six million people who have packed the seats of theatres across the world where around 8,000 productions of the show have been staged.Honk was the winner of the Best Musical in the 2000 Olivier Awards!With…

Hugo Trebels directs Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff at The Stables Theatre from October 28th to November 5th and he plans that it will be a very special production of this iconic and Tony award-winner!History professor George and his boozy wife, Martha return late one Saturday night from a cocktail party at the home of the college president. Martha…

Coffin Club's Kate Tym and Kate Dyer are hooking up with St Michael's Hospice to deliver a series of sessions about how you can take control of your end of life celebrations and make sure your nearest and dearest know just how you want your life to be celebrated....https://coffinclub.co.uk/coffin-club-hastings/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac…

Stu Allen's Dominator did just that, he dominated the UK wrestling scene for a quarter of a century. In 2019 he decided to call it a day and retire as a competitor, his body had taken a battering over the years and he tells us he knew when the time had come to stop.We recorded The Dominator's retirement day in a video which you can see on YouTube, …

With weddings on the banned list and funerals scaled right back Hastings based celebrants Kate Dyer and Kate Tym faced an uncertain future when Covid struck last year. But they used the sudden spare time they had wisely and are emerging from the crisis revved up and raring to go!https://www.kateandkatecelebrants.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.co…

How would you cope if all your memories were erased overnight? That's what Lotti Conway had to deal with and is still dealing with. She suffered a massive seizure in April 2020 that left her in hospital, scared and alone as she couldn't remember where she was or why she was there. Doctors diagnosed autoimmune encephalitis and the journey along the …

In this second part of our podcast Richard Fryer tells us about the day he made Odyssey his own and recalls the trials and tribulations of trying to sail his boat from Cuba to the USA. And he tells us of his next adventure – treasure hunting on the high seas.Lost Odyssey is available fromAmazon in paperback and Kindle formats.And in the following l…

Richard Fryer doesn't object to being described as an adventurer in the true tradition of adventuring. In his new book Lost Odyssey he explains his passion for boats, the high seas and for the West Indies. In this first part of a two-part podcast he explains how he came to love boats and the sea and recalls how he survived 36 hours in a tropical st…

Julia Hilton came within 29 votes of winning the Old Hastings ward on Hastings Borough Council in 2018. Three years later she's trying again and hopes if people have the courage of their convictions to vote Green she can become the first Green councillor in Hastings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Kickboxing has been part of Carl Denne's life for three decades and his new gym is the fulfilment of a 30-year dream. Here he talks about the past, the present and his undiminished enthusiasm and ambition for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.By Hastings In Focus

In conversation with Jane Midwinter who is the founder of HotWomenAtMenopause, an associate trainer with Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and is a menopause coach. She writes articles on menopause for women and their employers.Jane’s monthly column, specially written for Hastings in Focus, offers accurate information and support for women and …

Sally-Ann Hart, Hastings and Rye's new MP, gave her first interview to Hastings In Focus. There is a full video version of this interview at https://youtu.be/QQMuoX0fe5o but we were asked to provide an audio only version that people could download and listen to on the move and here it is.www.hastingsinfocus.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv…

Articulate, immaculately dressed, ambitious and with a laser like focus on where he wants to be! Daniel Robinson is a Hastings lad, a former Filsham Valley pupil he had spent his time since leaving education building his career, treading a well worn path. But last year he decided to change direction and gave up his job and took off for four months …

In this the second edition of The Hastings Podcast we bring you a variety of subjects.We meet Daniel Robinson, adventurer and entrepreneur. He took four months out last year to travel on latin America and now he’s home he’s busy setting up a whole new business venture.There was a huge outcry when Ore Library closed its door in 2018, a local communi…

Episode 1... Welcome to the first edition of the monthly Hastings Podcast presented by Stuart Baillie.Guests include Godfrey Daniel - county councillor and proud WelshmanKate Tym - comedian, performer and award-winning celebrantCarl Denne - Hastings boy born and bred and owner of Hastings Kickboxing Academy.We chat about growing up in Hastings, the…