No. 60 Jun 2008

In which Hastings ward does Bohemia lie? While it’s undoubtedly true that most of Bohemia is in Gensing ward, there are parts of our area which creep into four other wards. For instance, the Indoor Bowls Centre and the Oval in Bohemia… Read more

Books For Sale

Hastings Revisited By Susan E King. Tempus Books, 2005. Fully illustrated. 128 pp. £12.99 Hastings Bygones (vol 6), Hastings Local History Group. Article on Bohemia & Magdalen Charity Lands. £6.50. Hastings Then & Now By Ken… Read more

Andrew Cartwright Advert

Mel: I want your wool

Mel Fisher, often to be seen around Bohemia walking her great dane Harvey, wants your wool. Not for herself, but for knitting baby clothes for children in Tibet, Korea and Kenya. Mel, who started her knitting career when she was 19, has been… Read more

Museum loses treasures

Burglars got away with £50,000 worth of antique exhibits from Bohemia Road’s Hastings Museum in a raid on 28/29th April. The thieves gained access to the museum through a door in the roof between 5.15 pm on Monday 28th and 8 am the… Read more

Womens Day

International Womens Day was celebrated in style in March at The Rooms, Western Road. They had a day and a night of women performers, the theme being ‘the celebration of local women, who have their place in an international celebration… Read more

Picture Puzzle 59 – answer

Park Road foundation stone The 1881 foundation stone, is to be found at the Park Road Methodist Church in Upper Park Road. This month’s winner is Miss Marion Hearnshaw of Rectory Close who has been sent a £10 Empress Art gift voucher. Well… Read more

Henry VIIIs fifth wife?

Who was Henry VIII’s fifth wife? This was a question posed at St Peter’s Church Hall. Stewart Buchan writes: Once again, Saturday May 3rd, proved St Peter’s Church Hall the place to be. The Quiz Night was a huge success, and very… Read more

Gardeners Questions by Dave Kent

Q. Dave, is there a herbal remedy for a brain haemorrhage? – Anita Harris (Mr). Dave writes: Yes – a combination of hemp and yarrow. Weave the hemp into a rope and apply around the neck as a tourniquet to stop the blood flowing to the brain…. Read more

Magdalen Terrace

Magdalen Terrace – now the Shell Garage and Lidl in Bohemia Road. Note St Peters Church far right. Adrian Cirket writes (Jun 2008) Dear Sir, though I no longer live in Bohemia, my first years were spent in North Road, some fifty years ago I… Read more

Sedlescombe House doctors write …

Dear Sir, We refer to your article in the April 08 edition about Silversprings medical practice. We would like to point out that not all local practices wish to join the Polyclinic at the proposed new Asda store site and that other practices, such… Read more

Patients prefer small practices Dr Kaliniecki

The planned polyclinic at the proposed Asda store site at Silverhill has had a mixed reception by doctors and patients alike. While some local practices such as Silver Springs in Beaufort Road, are in favour of the government’s policy for… Read more

Alma, Arnelda, Christine, Jean, Jo & Louise get naked

‘Six Naked Ladies’ is the title of an exhibition of life studies and portraits by a recently formed group of like-minded Hastings women who meet regularly to draw: Jo Biggs, Jean Brown, Louise Elcoate, Alma Hobbs, Arnelda John and… Read more

Very meditative, very Zen Samantha Monaghan

Samantha Monaghan of Bohemia Road has been selling her paintings since the age of sixteen. She says “I’m a born artist. I can’t imagine ever not doing it. My father was an artist. I’ve been drawing ever since I was a… Read more

1/8th Czech Imogen at the Bohemia Village Voice

Imogen Pybus photographed by J J Waller, 2009 London-born Imogen Pybus, 38, (picture by JJ Waller), joined the Voice in May as a part-time researcher and photographer. She has lived in St Peter’s Road for four years. Imogen grew up in… Read more

Book Review

Sarah – Twice Removed by Iris Coussens-White. Reviewed by Bronwyn Pryde. Iris Coussens-White was born in Hastings and was ten years old when World War II was declared. This book is a story based on the true events surrounding her double… Read more

Voice hits the G spot

If you google ‘bohemia village’ you get nearly half a million results, and Bohemia Village Voice occupies positions 1 and 2. Not bad for a website which only went live in April this year. All credit and thanks to web designer Suchart… Read more

Finish it off Grandma

Local resident Iris White of Amherst Road has just had her first book published . Born in Mount Pleasant Road in 1929, Iris has lived in Hastings all her life, apart from when she was evacuated. She qualified as a teacher of English and worked at… Read more

Does every vote count?

Does every vote count? These three tellers at St Peter’s Church Hall on May 1st clearly think so. They kept a strict tally of who’d voted and, more importantly, who hadn’t. (L-R): Ken Maitland (Lab), Brian Hughes (Lib Dem), Sidney… Read more

10,000 cars off the roads

“I’ve taken 10,000 cars off Hastings roads in six years” the Voice was informed by Hastings Environmental Services’ clamping lady last month. “And that’s why you hardly ever see an untaxed vehicle in Hastings.”… Read more

Your body knows instinctively how to heal itself

Nicky Smith decided to call her business “Body Wisdom” to promote the philosophy that the human body knows instinctively how to heal itself. By simplifying our lives, we re-attune ourselves to that innate wisdom. Using her experience… Read more

Kims shock at own win

Last month’s election for Gensing ward was a surprise win for Labour’s Kim Forward in a closely-contested struggle between the three women candidates. Kim said, “ It’s an honour!” She continued “As the votes… Read more

Did you see them?

One of the men is described as white, early twenties, about five feet nine inches tall, slim build, mousey hair, wearing a navy coloured fleece, blue jeans with the knee ripped and dark trainers. The second man is described as white, large build,… Read more

Paul at St Peters

Respected organist Paul Abnett will be giving a recital later this month* at St Peter’s Church. A buffet with wine and soft drinks will follow the performance. Entry is free, but there a ‘retiring collection’ will be taken for the… Read more

Dorothy told Im going to take your till

Two men attempted to rob Wood’s Newsagents in Bohemia Road on Friday 18th April at about 5.15 pm. Dorothy Wood first saw the men standing at the corner of Bohemia Road and Newgate Road, opposite her shop. She said, “They kept looking… Read more

Clarence Road garden reveals its secrets

Upper Clarence Road seems an unlikely place to attract sightseers, but on 29th April, as part of the St. Michael’s Hospice Open Gardens scheme, visitors were streaming in to view the hillside garden of Chelwood, the home of John and Carolyn… Read more

Bert Northwood

The late Bert Northwood was well known locally. He was a very active supporter of Bohemia, editing and publishing the Bohemia news magazine in the 80s. Vic Watson, who kindly supplied the photo, says Bert spoke fluent French and that… Read more

Bohemias longest established shop? Mundays

Munday’s in Bohemia Road is the longest-established shop in the Bohemia area, and the present owner, Terry Foord, is the longest-serving shopkeeper in Bohemia. The shop was opened by Terry’s grandfather, Harry Munday, in 1911. Harry and… Read more

Bohemia Club looking for members, even ladies!

A reader wrote recently asking if we could tell him anything about the Bohemia Club in Upper South Road. Accordingly a Voice reporter went along to this delightfully old-fashioned venue to find out more about what goes on there. The club was… Read more

Local Shopping

WIG Pink party wig by Smiffy’s of Gainsborough, £11.99 from Masquerade, 77, Bohemia Road. Tel 720733. WALKER A three-wheel walker with aluminium frame. Folds for easy storage and transport. Optional basket and tray…. Read more

In Short

WAVES in Bohemia Road will re-open as a hairdressers in September – if things go according to plan. The new salon manager will be 19-year old Rachel Martin, fresh out of college. She’ll be trying to woo back some of Waves’ old… Read more

Book Review

Around Hastings: Then & Now by Ken Brooks. Reviewed by Bronwyn Pryde. The second in the authors’ ‘then and now’ strand covers St Leonards, Silverhill and Ore Village. It is of the same high standard as the first book, again the most notable… Read more