Where are we going?
Hastings, on the East Sussex coast — specifically the old town, the easternmost and prettiest bit. Tudor timbering and Victorian facades line narrow streets, and fishermen’s tarred and weatherboarded net huts stand proud on the beach. The beach here is known, incidentally, as the Stade, a Saxon word meaning “landing place”, from which the fishing fleet continues its highly skilled launches.
Why?
There’s a new arrival on that beach. Art-lovers are preparing to hotfoot it down to the Jerwood Gallery, which opened yesterday, right next to the old net huts (£7; 01424 425809, jerwoodgallery.org). The museum is the latest cultural jewel in a south-coast necklace that includes the De La Warr Pavilion, in Bexhill, and the Turner Contemporary, in Margate. The £4m low-rise building is clad in 8,000 black hand-glazed tiles that shimmer in the light like sun on water. It houses the Jerwood Foundation’s collection of 20th- and 21st-century British art, and includes previously unseen paintings by Stanley Spencer, Walter Sickert, LS Lowry and Augustus John.
Where are we staying?
At Swan House (01424 430014, swanhousehastings.co.uk; doubles from £115, B&B), one of my all-time favourites, a bijou 15th-century bolt hole with the prettiest of rooms — a peaceful coexistence of trompe l’oeil, pattern and pale good taste. It has an honesty bar, a fireplace to flop by and a proper breakfast menu featuring Sussex smoked haddock and kippers. All this is now echoed in its more spacious sister B&B, the Old Rectory (01424 422410, theoldrectoryhastings.co.uk; doubles from £100, B&B), which has the added advantage of a walled garden for summer G&Ts. From either, you can walk to everything the old town has to offer.
What about shopping and exploring?
The old town is almost devoid of chain stores. Instead, pop into Shimizu Flowers, a Japanese florist (01424 425971, shimizuflowers.com), and Butler’s Emporium (01424 430678), a hardware store turned haberdashery and clothing shop. Sending the DFL community (second-homers “down from London”) atwitter right now is the AG Hendy & Co Home Store (01424 447171). The photographer and food writer Alastair Hendy has re-created a rough-luxe prewar interior in which he sells the fruits of his collecting — enamelware, furniture, lighting and china. When you reach Bells Bicycles (01424 716541, bellsbicycles.co.uk), you won’t be able to resist the bright sit-up-and-beg beauties, for hire at £20 a day. Hit the open promenade and a new two-mile cycle route all the way west to Bexhill.
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Last thing: take home pepper-encrusted hot-smoked salmon (£12 for 450g) and chilli jelly (£3.50) from Sonny Elliott’s Rock-a-Nore fishmonger’s (rockanore.co.uk).
Where are we eating?
For lunch, try Maggie’s for fish and chips (01424 430205; from £6, booking essential). You’ll findit above the fish market. Paddy Piggott’s Dragon Bar (01424 423688) is the sort of place that has record decks on the bar: Paddy’s brother runs the original Dragon Bar, in Shoreditch. Have the pan-seared scallops with curry sauce and chorizo bubble and squeak (about £15.50) — and a cold beer. A drive away is Ticehurst, where everyone’s talking about the food at the newly reopened Bell (01580 200234, thebellinticehurst.com; mains from £11.50).
And for more information?
Go to visit1066country.com