Its hard to live in Hastings and miss the Jack in the Green celebrations which go on all over the Mayday weekend. From Morris Dancing to Drumming with a lot of dressing up in the middle, its a fantastic weekend of events suitable for the whole family.
Our dog isn't great in crowds, so we left him at home and drove over to the 'new town' where we parked for the day before walking along the seafront to the old town. My top tip for watching the procession is to go up the steps and stand along the left hand side of the road for a fabulous 'looking down' view...
The procession rests for a moment before it winds up the West Hill - they get a chance for a quick drink and you get a chance to march up the hill and grab a space at the park! Lots of stalls selling refreshments, clothes and leafy - flowery decorations plus a live band to entertain you.
Down by the beach is the motorbike gathering which stretches the length of Hastings, from the centre of town all the way down to Rock a Nore. The bikes are part of a traditional run from South London down to Hastings and there are lots of stands selling everything a motorcyclist could ever want! It feels like there are millions of bikes parked up, some polished within an inch of their chrome lives... (more info at www.bike1066.com)
My other tip for the day, aside from parking far away, is to be patient when queuing up for food - its the only time I go to the beach and forgo my chips!
