Bohemia Village Voice

John Malkin writes (Sep 2006)

Dear Sir, my mother is keen on history and has been looking at why the area is known as Bohemia. We always hear the expression a “Bohemian lifestyle” and I wonder if the current inhabitants of Bohemia (in the Czech Republic) are like this! One thing fascinates me – about 150 years ago, the older part of the Bohemia area would have been isolated, as all around it, there is newer housing, albeit to varying degrees. What was there which encouraged this building far (for those days)  from Hastings? Was there a factory which needed workers locally? In the 19th century, obviously with no transport, most people lived near their place of work. I am intrigued as to why Bohemia was built, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. John Malkin, Barnfield Close.