'Best Dressed Christmas Windows'

One of the loveliest places to visit if ever you are in Hastings is The Old Town. With its ancient, characterful buildings, the smell of the sea and its good old fashioned tight-knit community I think its an example to the rest of us at Christmas of just how a sense of togetherness can spread happiness. 

In fact, a lot of the things that take place in Hastings & St Leonards throughout the year only happen because of the old towners. The Carnival, The Beach Festival, The Bonfire Society all are indelibly connected to the Old Town and thrive from the sense of community spirit that lives there. 

Bearing this in mind, it is no surprise then to find that along the Old Town the sense of Christmas as it used to be still hangs heavy in the air. There are some fantastic window displays and so much that goes a long way to make outsiders like me feel the warmth of a Dickens like Christmas. I took the pictures you see here today to give you a few examples of the kind of thing I'm talking about...

... yes, along The Old Town its not just about fairy lights or anything to do with corporate commercialism its about celebrating the fun that is Christmas, spreading a little happiness and making the festive season seem like something special, which, it no longer seems to be in the hearts and minds of many today.

So, go on, take a good look at and into this festive window and imagine what a wonderful country we could all enjoy if we all made as much effort to express the joy of the season to others as this householder has.

Merry Christmas and a big THANK YOU to all in The Old Town of Hastings and especially those who live at 'Pub View'. You made a real 'Christmas person' very happy today!

'Battle, East Sussex At Christmas'

Regular viewers of my Maybrick44 Youtube channel will already know that I am a little in love with the town of Battle in East Sussex. Not only is a place steeped in history with Battle Abbey and some very old quintessentially English buildings it is a place where both tradition and fun go hand in hand. 
The annual Battle Scarecrow Festival is always a must visit for me and the sight of Battle Abbey lit up at night by the reflection of the Christmas lights from an ENORMOUS Christmas tree in the middle of the market square is just so Christmassy it hurts!

As with a lot of things of late, the finances have been more difficult to come by for Battle and its traders to pay for the town's spectacular display of festive fun but they are are a determined lot in Battle and there is going to be plenty of Christmassy things going on there again this year.

November the 30th will see Santa pop in on his annual visit en-route to The North Pole. He is expected at about 1.50pm and his sleigh will be pulled by the Langton Loons, accompanied by the Kingfisher Band, the 1st and 2nd Battle Rainbows, the Beavers and a variety of cartoon characters. Outside on the Abbey Green there will be Candy Floss, photo opportunities, singing from local soprano, Lucy Ashton, and other attractions so it will be a fantastic afternoon!

Then at about 5pm, Santa will leave the Memorial Hall come onto the Abbey Green and switch on Battle's Christmas lights for this year! There will be fancy dress, best decorated shop window and best dressed business competitions as well. 

Various choirs, Lucy Ashton & her friends will also sing by the big Christmas tree on the Abbey Green and visitors will  encouraged to sing-a-long at 8pm as well.

It is sure to be a fabulously festive day of fun  and one I hope not to miss so why not come along and join me? If you see a middle aged bloke wearing a black cowboy hat (or brown if its wet!) with a camera in his hand that will be me. I love meeting new people so come over and say Hi!

Above is a little video I took of Battle myself a year or two ago. It doesn't quite capture the magic of the place but it will give you some idea of the layout of the place and with a bit of imagination I'm sure you will be able to envisage how the place looks full of Christmas shoppers with happy faces!