Books and bindings in Hastings Old Town, and fishing boats beat the weather,

Battleaxe and Philosopher discovered Hare and Hawthorn in West Street by chance, while cutting across to George Street. It is a great little place, but quite tucked away, so I thought I’d give it a bit of publicity.
     It advertises itself as a bookshop and bespoke bindery – they have an attractive stock of wrapping paper, cards, pretty notebooks and fancy stationery as well as a small but highly select stock of books. Presumably, this is also the place to have an oh so exclusive little book of my verses beautifully bound.  I didn’t catch the name of the bloke who runs it, but he seemed very pleasant.

Hare and Hawthorn, in West Street

Hare and Hawthorn

     Anyway, it is well worth a visit, just for a browse, or for quirky treats or gifts. Little businesses like that deserve to thrive.
     I find myself walking along West Street quite often because my hairdresser, the excellent Mitchell and Millyard, is just up the road.
     Did I ever tell you about the dying seagull? Well, I won’t go into grisly detail, but an adolescent gull got run over just outside the salon door. The young women in the salon shrieked and wouldn’t go near it, but being Battleaxe, fond of animals and hardened to such horrors, I went outside to investigate – in my gown, with colour all over my head. The poor thing was mortally injured, and a quick death was clearly the only remedy.
     I asked the girls for a spade…. no, no spade, would a spoon be any use? Anyone ever tried to despatch a gull with a spoon? I saw some builders were working up the street – on what would be Hare and Hawthorn, as it happened – but by then, blessedly, the bird had died.
     I next asked the girls for a black bin bag and lots of newspaper. No, no newspaper, they said, but we’ve got some old magazines.  Anyone tried to wrap a dead herring gull in a copy of Vogue? Eventually, I scraped it up into an old towel.
    How will people cope when Battleaxes finally become extinct? I asked my stylist what she would have done if that had happened when she was at home.
    ‘I’d get my Mum’, she said…….
    Enough of that. The weather is still terrible, but we have had the odd interlude of sun. When the sun comes out, there are spectacular cloudscapes and the light is amazingly clear and rain-washed.
    Each time, I remember why we moved here, and enjoy the moment – the view of the sea is never the same twice. On this occasion, the wind had dropped for the first time in days, the fishing fleet had been able to go out, and were just returning with their catch. We watched as the boats were slowly winched up the shingle…..