So, off I went, having packed less 'bikey' clothes to change into on arrival. My route took me down the A22 via East Grinstead and Polegate, a rather dull route due to all the low speed limits and town traffic. Before long I hit the coast at Norman's Bay, just west of Bexhill. Arriving at the coast I was greeted with the cooler, fresher air you'd expect, and the usual sight of Brits turning varying shades of red. Here was a thin strip of beach huts, basking in bright coastal light with tantalising glimpses of the sea beyond.
A little further on I finally arrived in Hastings after an uninspiring, slow ride along the uninspiring sea front, which goes on a long way. My usual approach is to ride the full length and then turn round to return to what looks like the best part, but this tactic doesn't work so well when there IS no discernible best part, and so it was in Hastings. Instead I was greeted with a very long row of tired buildings with fading paint and rusting metalwork, car parks full of seagull-crap-covered cars, and the occasional ice cream van.
I eventually parked at the eastern end of the town, at which point I realised I was slap-bang in the middle of the bucket-and-spade quarter. All around me were the bright colours of visitor 'attractions', the noises massed-groupings of Brits make when at the seaside, and a disarmingly high number of scooter boys.
What is it with scooter boys? What is it about scooters? Can't say I'll ever understand why quite large, ageing men would choose to ride miniature motorbikes more akin to hairdryers, with tiny wheels and tiny horsepowers. Bizarre. A reminder that we live in a very diverse world.
Clearly Hastings is not a wealthy town. Certainly, the east end looks like an abandoned building site with bizarre multi-storey huts, crumbling shacks and scattered rusting boats on the shoreline. And then you stumble on a sign like this...
Sometimes words are simply not enough to explain ones reaction to what one sees!
Some sustenance was called for, and after walking past at least a dozen seafood outlets and tourist eateries, I spotted an interesting looking corner cafe. It turned out to be a Turkish place and I was immediately drawn to their 'hot and cold meze'. A very good choice that was - delicious and with flavours which immediately transported me off to that part of the world.
Duly refuelled, I headed off up the steep hill behind onto what's known locally as the West Hill. I was hoping to get a look at the castle there, but it was mysteriously closed with locked gates and no explanation as to why I couldn't go take a look. Well, it was gone 5pm by this time, so I guess it had closed for the day. Ho hum.
In any case, the climb up the hill was more than worth it for the fabulous views I was rewarded with. It's not hard to see how this place had such significance as a defensive position, with its excellent views out across The Channel towards France. I've no doubt our Gallic neighbours would be clearly visible on a clearer, less hazy day so we could blow our noses in their general direction from the castle parapet. Sitting on the edge of the hill, quietly overlooking the touristy town below was this man and his dog...
If ever I needed a reminder of why I want a dog so much, this was it. They looked so bonded, sitting quietly just watching the world go by. Certainly different to the dogs I grew up with (Irish Setters), who had an innate inability to sit still for more than 3 seconds!
After that it was back down the hill and back to the bike for the ride home. I have to say I wasn't hugely impressed with Hastings. It's clearly a place with a lot of potential for a great day out, but it's sorely let down by dirt, litter, and many of the visitors who really bring the place down. It feels cheap and a bit tacky, which is such a shame given the historical significance of the town. Can't say I'll be in a hurry to return, but I'm glad I went and took a look.
The run back up to London went smoothly and progressively, along the A21 up to Sevenoaks and then around the M25 in the late afternoon showers set off by the heat of the day. The bike's now done well over 10,000 miles and has certainly earned its big service.
