No. 48 Jun 2007
Aldborough Road – Chevron Parking?
By Sally Hick (Jun 2007) Dear Sir, Even though there is a shortage of parking spaces in the Bohemia area, which affects both businesses and residents, the Council is still giving permission for pavements to be lowered for private off-road… Read more
Editorial
Voice one year old Congratulations to us on our first birthday! Bohemia Village Voice was first published in May 2006, carried only one story and was received by just seven e-mail subscribers. One year and 45 editions later, 362 stories have been… Read more

Vie De Boheme
HowThe Bohemian Club Was Formed – part 23 (of 24). The story so far … homeless Parisian artist and musician Alexandre Schaunard has been looking for a change of fortune. He meets a philosopher, Gustave Colline, and later two gentlemen, M…. Read more

Falaise Fitness Centre to help Laura lose weight
The Voice was called last month by Karen Burrell at Freedom Leisure. The group runs four fitness/leisure centres in Hastings and St Leonards, including both Summer-fields and Falaise Fitness Centre on Bohemia Road. Karen had read our article… Read more

Shop gets new (old) front
One of Bohemia Road’s prime retail premises has had a major refurbishment in the past month. Sandwiched between S.H. Tackle and Newman’s Cleaners, the empty ground-floor property at 60A Bohemia Road has had its Victorian shopfront… Read more

Saucy postcard 1925 style
Here’s what probably passed for a saucy postcard – franked ‘Hastings 28 July 1925’. It was sent to ‘Miss G. Humphries, 218 Grove Road, Bow, E.3.’ It reads, ‘Dear Grace, Having a fine time. Hope you are… Read more

Picture Puzzle 47 – answer
North Road artwork. Last month’s question drew a blank with our readers. As such the wooden door including the characters we pictured, which are only two out of six portraits painted on it, must be regarded as one of Bohemia’s secret… Read more

Amherst Road houses
The Voice has been surprised at how quickly the new houses being built on the Amherst Road plot beside St Paul’s School have gone up. Laurence Hulkes of Park Lane Homes told us that the whole development should be completed by November,… Read more

Bohemia’s Magic Shop – remembered by Chris Jeffrey
Bohemia Magic Shop with (presumably) owners Mr and Mrs Spray. By Chris Jeffrey (Jun 2007) I’m not sure what year I discovered The Magic Shop at 110 Bohemia Road. It must have been around 1960. The shop was owned by Mr and Mrs Spray. Roland… Read more

Edward Preston – a man for all reasons
Edward Preston – as minister at the Independent Church. By Bill Third (Jun 2007) If the recent Bohemia Bygones exhibition has awakened your interest in the rich local history of Hastings and St Leonards as a whole, then you are in luck…. Read more
Hotel Paradiso by Julian Graff
This story won the second prize in our ultra-short story competition earlier this year The pigeons came home to roost. So too the vandals of the home-grown, not the corporate breed. Still, there was no satisfaction: where once townsfolk bemoaned… Read more

I was married in a Bohemian Castle
Part 5 (of 8) The Wedding St Peter’s Road resident and technical author Richard Slater recounts his days in Bohemia. In this fifth part, Richard describes the wedding to his wife Eva. My parents, sister and brother drove across… Read more

Property man George rocks with Midnight Shift
Most people have more than one string to their bow, but local businessman George Okines has four on his double bass. George, who owns Arko Property Management on Bohemia Road, has been playing in bands for 30 years. He started out on vocals and… Read more

Karinas Wool Shop is one of last two in Hastings
The life of the average trader in Bohemia is sometimes not an easy one, so it always gives us great pleasure to report a thriving local business. Karina’s Wool Shop has been part of the landscape of Bohemia Road for almost thirty years, but… Read more

London Road valley flats
Planning permission is being sought to develop part of the vacant site adjacent to 185 London Road. The site is a large wild valley area descending from London Road toward Woodland Vale Road. Planning permission was granted as long ago as 1988 to… Read more

Deputy Mayor Vivienne worries about twin bins
Congratulations to our local councillor Vivienne Bond on being elected Deputy Mayor of Hastings. Lib Dem councillor Vivienne was elected by 20 votes to 12 at the mayor- making ceremony on Wednesday 16th May having been nominated by Paul Smith. She… Read more

Bohemia Lighting reopens after flood
A long-established Bohemia Road business has recently reopened after a flood. Bohemia Lighting and sister business Security First are both run by Maurice and Annette Dunford from the same premises at 71 Bohemia Road. But arriving at the shop… Read more

Jackie & Clive & Silo & The RSPCA
Owl lady Jackie Cullen says she was alarmed but not surprised to read the story about Clive Coleman and his dog Silo (pictured) in the May issue of the Voice. She has had personal experience of being pursued by the RSPCA, also in response to an… Read more

Little Frog makes big splash in kids bedrooms
Parents of young children might be interested in the work of Bohemia Road resident Anna Blackledge. Anna has a master’s degree in book illustration, but since moving to this area last summer she has begun to turn those talents to painting… Read more

Owl lady Jackie flies to the rescue
If you have lived in Hastings and St Leonards for any length of time then you’re bound to recognise Jackie Cullen, otherwise known as the ‘Owl Lady’. Jackie and her owls are often to be seen walking up Bohemia Road, on their way… Read more

Election Result
Triumphant Andrew Cartwright ‘happy to be back’ ‘There’s nothing more political than a lamppost’ – ANDREW CARTWRIGHT The Voice spoke to returning Gensing councillor Andrew Cartwright about his plans…. Read more
Editorial 48
Councillors The Voice offers warm congratulations to our two local councillors – first to Andrew Cartwright for snatching victory in the Gensing by-election, and second to Vivienne Bond, who has been elected Deputy Mayor. Well done the two of… Read more
Advertisement Rates
Advertisement rates Space (height x width in mm) x1 x6 x12 Full page (190 x 134) £160 £144 £128 Half page (94 x 134) £80 £72 £64 Quarter… Read more
Bohemia Village Voice
Bohemia Village Voice Published and edited by John Humphries at 79, Bohemia Road, Bohemia Village, Sussex, TN37 6RJ. Tel: 01424 430460. Email: editor@bohemiavillage.com Assistant editor: Julian Beecroft. Proofreader: John E Humphries. First… Read more

St Pauls head keen to share schools facilities
In recent months the Voice has highlighted what it believed to be a lack of local facilities for youth and other community groups. The response to this appeal has been tremendous, with first the games area at White Rock Gardens and then the YMCA… Read more
Bohemia Village Voice
By Josie Lawson (Jun 2007) Dear Sir, I’d like to congratulate you on the first anniversary of Bohemia Village Voice. I must admit, I didn’t know it existed until I was doing my usual rounds in the Priory Meadow Information Centre today. I… Read more
Dog Mess – St Peter’s Road
By Lorrie Quinnell (Jun 2007) Dear Sir, I live and work in the Bohemia area. It is one of the nicest areas of St Leonards, with a wide variety of shops, bus routes to all of Hastings and surrounding areas and a stone’s throw from Alexandra… Read more
Dog Mess – the Swiss solution?
Pauline Kentli writes (Jun 2007) Dear Sir, On a recent trip to Switzerland I noticed that the dog mess problem has been addressed by having not only dedicated dog-waste bins but a well-signed dispenser of small plastic bags alongside the bins for… Read more
Miss Efrim Niccals
Dear Sir, Though I was delighted to see that I placed third in the Ultra-Short Story contest – and I look forward to seeing other entries in future issues of the Voice – I was less thrilled to see that my name had been published as ‘Mr… Read more

Picture Puzzle 48
Where can this clock be found? Where in Bohemia can this magnificent clock be found? The prize for the winning entry is the usual £10 token generously donated by Empress Art, to be spent in their shop. Answer… Read more