I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Hastings Bonfire on Saturday evening. Thousands of people attended, and it really was quite something to join the parade, walk behind the flaming torches and flares, see the many happy faces and listen to the crowd’s excited chatter and beating of the drums. The fact that the main fireworks display could not happen because of the strong winds was disappointing but did not deter from the vitality or enjoyment of the event.
I thought about the work of the volunteers of Hastings Borough Bonfire Society and how their event fosters a sense of pride, engages the community and strengthens community cohesion.
Events and festivals like Hastings Bonfire are also really important for tourism. They attract not only residents, but also visitors from far afield who boost the local economy by spending their hard-earned cash here. Hastings and Rye is known for its events including Jack in the Green, the Seafood and Wine Festival, Rye Bay Scallop Festival, Rye Arts Festival, Wild Boar Week, the Oktoberfest and Old Town Carnival Week, which are spread throughout the year, bringing in tourists and visitors and extending the traditional tourism season. We all know that Hastings ‘owns history’ due to 1066, and is known for this as its USP –unique selling point - but community events also put the town on the map for different reasons, adding to the pride which local residents feel about their own community. Pride in who we are and where we come from is so important in economic development and regeneration, and people who come from Hastings and Rye have so much to be proud of; our people, communities, churches, and volunteers, our beautiful beaches and glorious countryside, our buildings and gardens, our art galleries and festivals as well as our music scene. We have vineyards, amazing pubs and restaurants, and cultural and tourist attractions such as Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Hastings Contemporary, O.W.E.N.S in the old Debenhams building and the Source skatepark, to name but a few of all the things we have to be proud of.
Events promote a feeling of ‘working togetherness’ where individuals, organisations, local government and community groups come together to achieve a desired outcome. We all have more similarities than we have differences and putting aside our differences to achieve great things is something we are all capable of and should constantly strive towards.