HASTINGS - B/W - NO SOUND

(31 Dec 1951)
Crowds on promenade, family groups, pier, trolley buses, Ford Saloon cars, queue for country bus to Maidstone. Taxi along deserted promenade. Classic travelling shot of Wolsey police car to camera along country road.
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[@MrTantrums007]

This film is when Hastings was civilised!

[@johnnyb8028]

My grandparents had a guest house in White Rock, I lived in Hastings for a while. I just loved the pier with the slot machines, bandstand and speedboat ride. The trolley buses, the East Kent buses, the memorial clock tower, the model village in White Rock Gardens and the flower clock and bottle alley. My grandmother would buy fish from a man with a barrow, by the cricket ground. I wouldn't visit Hastings now, would find it too depressing.

[@PlanetaryCitizen]

It's still a great place to live despite the slow creep of gentrification. I believe it was said a few years ago to be one of the best places to bring up a family

[@pamelamckenzie2685]

I love the old cars and buses, the place looked like a real sea side i still love Hastings very much been here 17 years.

[@eh44returns97]

These are unedited rushes from the 1950 film "The Dark Man".

[@MM0SDK]

Just looked into this and you're right.

[@JimBreeds]

Yes, I realised that when I was watching it. I recognised the scene where the girl gets on the East Kent bus and the man hops on as the bus pulls away from the bus stop.

[@kevinpotts9583]

lovely not many cars

[@rosscityofliverpool.983]

My home town. Looks great on film.

[@historyhuntersuk420]

This is amazing

[@denisalexander996]

Notice the slow, leisurely speed of the traffic. None of this racing everywhere like there is today...got to be first away at the lights, etc. If only it could still be like that today. It would be a much more pleasant environment for everybody.

[@stujenner]

No cars parked on the seafront, but as windy as I remember it.

[@tomsmith9208]

At 3:53, would the camera man be positioned opposite the Pelham place car park on the roof of the shops there, with the old church to his left ? Or does the harbour arm look closer than it really is ?? either way, there appears to be next to nothing along the sea front where there is now lots of entertainment for the family... fascinating

[@alanbarden9778]

Must be late 1940's or very early 1950's going by the traffic on the roads

[@tomsmith9208]

Actually further to the bellow comment of mine and on studying the footage further I'd say that the cameraman was at 3:53 standing on the single storey roof of the low building on the corner or Harold place which is a restaurant now.

[@daveman7575]

I wonder where the car is driving. Maybe Pett level area?

[@peterprice309]

I couldn't work out where this was captured.