Autumn events in 1066 Country
Just when you think it’s all over, Hastings & 1066 Country revs up the engine for festival fun, fabulous food, fine art and fizzing fireworks to brighten up the ever-shortening days of Autumn.
September
Coastal Currents Contemporary Arts Festival, Hastings
coastalcurrents.org.uk
A trail of exhibitions and events that link the communities of Hastings and Rother.
4 – 5 Savour the Season Food & Drink Fair, 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield
english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/battle-abbey-food-fair-1066bh
A mix of fine food and horrible history is sure to satisfy visitors of almost any age to the first local food and drink fair at Battle Abbey.
11- 26 Rye Arts Festival, Rye
ryefestival.co.uk
The programme of this eagerly awaited annual event includes literary offerings from TV historian Dan Cruickshank, Dame Ellen McArthur and Max Hastings and music from, among others, John Peel’s favourite Glastonbury act, Kanda Bongo Man.
18 – 19 Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival
visit1066country.com/hastings/events/seafoodfestival
Indulge in a mouth-watering weekend of delicious seafood and luscious local wines at this spectacular festival. Don’t miss the demonstrations of traditional fishing skills, fish cookery events with celebrity chef Tom Kime, wine tasting and live musical entertainment.
18 – 26 Battle Contemporary Fine Art Fair
battlefineartfair.co.uk
The first ever Battle Contemporary Fine Art Fair will take place in the historic town of Battle, East Sussex. This prestigious new event will present 300 works by 100 leading artists from London and the South East including pieces by Guy Portelli, Brigitte Evill, Billy Childish and Bob Farquhar.
‘The Fringe’ will be dedicated to promoting young talent and stars of the future, showcasing a selection of work by up to 15 students.
October
Oct – 16 Nov The Third Man / A Retrospective of the work of Brian Duffy at the
Lucy Bell Fine Art Photographic Gallery.
lucy-bell.com
Brian Duffy, together with David Bailey and Terence Donovan was one of the innovators of “documentary” fashion photography, a style which revolutionised fashion imagery and the fashion industry of the late 50’s and 60’s. Duffy’s cutting edge photography documents the vibrancy of “the Swinging 60’s” London scene and places him in the photographic history books as one of the UK’s most respected photographers.
2 Oct – Nov 14 Brighton Photo Fringe Festival comes to Hastings & St Leonards for the first time in October 2010.
9 – 10 1066 Battle of Hastings Re-enactment, Battle
english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/battle-hastings-1066bh/
The popular annual fisticuffs between the Saxons and Normans – you know who wins in the end!
16 Hastings Torchlight Procession and Bonfire Celebrations
The bonfire celebrations, grown from Sussex’s rich and often dark history, light up towns across 1066 Country throughout October and November. Many of the county’s towns and villages have their own bonfire societies, which tour around the county taking part in the torchlight processions in each town and village.
16 Annual National Town Criers Competition visit1066country.com/hastings/events/hastingsweek/towncriers
The first criers in Britain can be found in 1066 when news of William of Normandy’s invasion was passed from town to town by men employed to remind everybody of Harold’s authority. Watch the UK’s top town criers shout it out in this quirky, colourful contest.
16 – 24 Taste of Rye food event
tasteofrye.org.uk
The picturesque medieval town of Rye holds its popular annual celebration of local food and drink products, offering a packed programme of culinary experiences. Gourmet dinners and local produce menus, starring local ingredients such as Romney Marsh lamb or Rye Bay plaice, feature throughout the week.
30 – 31 World Crazy Golf Championships
visit1066country.com
Head on down to Hastings for the seventh annual World Crazy Golf Championships on 30 & 31 October 2010.
A bumper year for entries to the competition, the list is now closed. Reigning champion Keith Kellard will compete to hold his title and he’ll take some beating, having completed the course in 2009 with an average of 1.96 shots per hole.
November
The Sussex Bonfire season continues throughout November. Discover Battle’s fascinating connections with Guy Fawkes when you visit the town’s Bonfire Procession and Firework Display on November 6th, organised by the ‘Battel Bonfire Boyes’, one of the oldest continuously running societies in the world (over 400 yrs). The Rye Bonfire is on the 13th with the Robertsbridge Bonfire ending the series on the 20th.