Londoners flock to Hastings

Hastings and St Leonards was praised in a two-page article in the Sunday Times, which claimed Londoners were flocking to our section of the coast.
Hastings file photo: Hastings Old Town. SUS-170124-125920001Hastings file photo: Hastings Old Town. SUS-170124-125920001
Hastings file photo: Hastings Old Town. SUS-170124-125920001

The piece, by Angela Wintle, claimed ‘For arty seaside charm Hastings is catch of the day’.

It praised the town for overcoming its ‘down-at-heel’ reputation and said it had drawn favourable comparisons with London’s trendy Shoreditch.

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The article went on to praise the pier, dubbing it ‘the coolest looking pier in the world’ and described the Jerwood Gallery as housing ‘an impressive permanent collection of 20th and 21st century British art.

It said: “The Old Town overlooks a shingle beach, has great period housing and seafood galore.”

It listed places to be seen as Alastair Hendy’s ‘tiny’ restaurant, in the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore Kitchen, while praising the Albion pub, on the seafront, as being ‘great for live music’.

On the downside, the article describes the town as ‘still the most deprived district in the southeast, with unemployment rate almost double the average for the region’.

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It also questions the own’s limited transport infrastructure, mentioning congested roads and unreliable trains and buses.

The article quotes publicist Antonia Deeson, who moved to Hastings, from London, with Husband Martin in 1951.

She said: “It is much more relaxed here and a joy to wake to big skies and sweeping landscapes.

“Hastings, particularly the Old Town, attracts a lot of down-from-Londoners, or DFL’s as they are known her.”

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St Leonards is described as ‘a coveted area’ saying it has been dubbed Portobello-on-Sea since the arrrival of antique shops and vintage galleries.

The article, published on March 5, concludes by noting ‘Hastings is a popular seaside town full of period charm and promise’.

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