The present past

To all the world, bar me, this is an unremarkable piece of laundry marking; a soft blue embroidery thread used to stitch a name with very basic stitches into the edge of a pillowcase. To me, this speaks of a soft faced, elegantly spoken, refined elderly lady with round, pink, powdered cheeks, Mrs Tiggy-winkle eyes and the sweetest smile, eking out a life of genteel poverty during the early1970s in the deep recesses of St Leonards on Sea.

She was Norah Moore and had been one of two ladies who rented rooms in Ganna’s house. They took up the top floor of an Edwardian semi, where they shared the kitchen and bathroom, but retired to their own individual rooms; paying guests. Mum and I took over those rooms when we moved to live with Ganna in 1968 after Daddy died. Later, Mum would take me to visit Norah, in her two room bedsit in yet another St Leonard’s Edwardian: this a stone's throw from Nanya's first abode with her three girls. I'm sure I was given sweets, butterscotch bricks wrapped in gold paper with a crispy crunch to them; Callard and Bowser as I recall.

Mrs Moore had been married, and had a little girl of her own, but some tragedy, possibly wartime, stripped her of husband, child and meaning in her life. I remember the sadness in me, that this kindly soul had gone through such tragedy.

I may be the only person in the world who remembers her

Hastings Pier Deja Vu

Our dear old pier has been struck down, set fire too at around 1am this morning. It has made national news as seen on the BBC News and in the Daily Mail's excellent article, which also details those greats, for example the Rolling Stones and Hendrix, who played there in the past.

The Pier was also badly damaged by fire in 1917

As from today it has once more gone from being the beautiful backdrop to our seafront life

 To this

The seafront was cordoned off and the town, even by lunchtime, was still clothed in a haze of smoke. A great sadness which had a number of townsfolk, even in foul weather, standing by stunned or snapping photographs in the streaming wind and driving rain. It was THE subject of conversation in town center businesses. Everyone who mentioned it to me today had been to some kind of concert or event there, or knew someone who had.

For a bit of historical background, try here and here for a view of it in its glory days.