On a wild and windy day, a walk along the prom may not sound like a good idea but Hastings seafront has a nifty double-decker promenade which helps to shelter you from the rain and the worst of the wind. The lower deck was created by "concrete king" Sidney Little (who I was always convinced was half of comedy duo Little and Large when I was a kid !) in the early 1930's and decorated with recycled broken glass, so it was soon dubbed Bottle Alley.
You get serious tunnel vision when standing at one end !
I used to ride my bike through here when I was a little girl so it was funny to see Pierre riding his brand new remote controlled quad bike (that he got for Christmas) through here.
The supporting pillars have all been decorated with different pieces of artwork.
They are all on flimsy poster paper so between the rain, the sea spray and people ripping bits off, they're all starting to look tatty but that is actually the whole concept of the Point of Decay exhibition which was launched in the summer or 2015 as part of the Coastal Currents Arts Festival.
It's actually the perfect setting and looks much better than plain concrete pillars.
The best views are outside though.
This one made everyone laugh because they said it looked like me - it does a bit, when I'm looking less windswept !
Back outside, we discovered My Heart Belongs To Hastings.
It's a piece of interactive artwork that was created in 2012 from reclaimed groyne timbers (very inkeeping with the recycling ethos of nearby Bottle Alley) and the idea is that people leave a padlock as a lasting souvenir of their attachment to and time in Hastings.
This is what we were looking for though - a Banksy painting that appeared on the seawall a few years ago and caused a great deal of speculation about whether or not it was a genuine Banksy until he confirmed it.
Another graffiti artist has added another picture around the corner that seamlessly joins the original Banksy.
Whether or not this is a good thing is down to personal opinion. I thought it was quite clever but I suppose it could be seen as defacing the original.
If you want to find the Hastings Banksy, just drive or walk along the seafront towards St Leonards until you get to Marine Court and it's just opposite St Leonards Parish Church.
I love the pictures on the pillars, they really work well
ReplyDeleteIt's a great way of getting local artists noticed :)
DeleteWhat a great winter walk for you, it's great that the prom is kind of "double decker-ed" I bet it's great to have the feeling of being outside whilst being protected. It's great how much local art is being promoted here too. Thanks for linking up with me on Country Kids.
ReplyDeleteHere's to many more #countrykids adventures in 2016 ! xx
DeleteI think the artwork's great. The pillars and the addition to the Banksy. Nice to have some plain pillars made a bit more attractive when looking out to sea.
ReplyDelete#countrykids
It's definitely an improvement - I hope they'll replace them with new ones when they get too tatty
DeleteWhat an amazing winter walk, we love getting out in the fresh air at anytime of year. Some great photos here #countrykids
ReplyDeleteThe art project on the pillars is an interesting concept. I'm not the biggest fan of Banksy, I think he is repeating himself a lot these days. but then it's often the case with conceptual art.
ReplyDeleteThe Banksy has been there for a few years now and it's the first time we've gone to have a look - the one around the corner was just as good and it wasn't even one of his !
DeleteYou've brought a few memories back there, not been to
ReplyDeleteHastings in a fair few years now #Out&About
I always love going back - we always find new things to discover, even though it's my home town ! xx
DeleteOh wow. I love this. I think it's so creative what they did with the alley. Both with the bottles and the art. I do love bansky too and I must say, I love the addition to it. I love that someone has got creative but stayed in keeping with the original. I think it really adds to it. What a fab place for a walk and such beautiful views. Thank you so much for linking your adventures to #whatevertheweather xx
ReplyDeleteIt used to be quite run down so it's great to see it get a new lease of life :)
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