Hastings is in the County of East Sussex on the South Coast of England. It is over to the east alongside places such as Bexhill-on-Sea, home town of Eddie Izard, Brighton, Eastbourne and Rye.

Situated on the coast Hastings has a shingle beach that is also a working one. The fishermen still bring their boats onto to the beach. Near the old part of town there are distinctive tall fishing net huts that are very much part of the place.

My brother, having lived in London for a fair few years, moved to Hastings some time ago. Here he is able to combine the rat race with some peace. He works mainly from home due to the wonders of the Internet. When necessary he takes the train to commute into London. On the whole he has found the happy compromise without damaging his wallet. In fact as it is cheaper to live in Hastings, than in London, he is quids in, as they say.

As children we were all taught about the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Whether British schoolchildren still study such distant times I am not sure. However I know that for me the study worked as I, along with most people my age group, know exactly when this battle took place. It was in 1066. However one thing I did not realise until I visited Hastings was that it took place a little outside of Hastings at a place which, these days, is called Battle.

I think that one of the reasons 1066 and all that sticks in my mind is that Harold, the King at the time, received what was to be a fatal injury, an arrow into his eye. Yuk. As a child this made as much an impression on me as anything else.

However with such a past Hastings has plenty to explore. Of course it is rightly proud of its heritage and 1066 and Harold are mentioned here, there and everywhere.

MODERN TIMES

These days the local council has tried to up date Hastings in order to keep its tourist trade. Much of its visitors tend to be day trippers from nearby Brighton or Londoners wanting a day by the sea.

There are some modern children's rides near to the sea front. Hasting sea front has two halves. One incorporates these rides, shops and a traditional sea-side beach, although it is not sand. This part of Hastings leads along to nearby St Leonard's which is within easy walking distance. The sea front area of Hastings is nice and flat and so makes for easy walking.

The other side of Hastings sea front takes in the old town. Here you will see some fine examples of period architecture. The shops here tend to be more quaint and quirky. There is a fishing museum near to those distinctive fishing net huts.

Hastings itself is quite hilly. Where my brother lives is up a hill and there are many paths with steps to aid access around and about. The town has some poorer areas, especially on the outskirts of town, and Hastings does suffer from some unemployment.

I guess its days as a holiday destination waned when we Brits fell in love with overseas holidays. However, with the recent economic downturn many Brits are looking at holidaying in the UK. Hastings will fit the bill for many. For me, it is not as pretty or lush as Cornwall, but it does have a lot to offer.

Hastings still has its pier and it is a very old one. It has had some disasters over the years but these days houses craft and art shops.

Hastings has quite a community of local artists and this evident everywhere you go in the old town. Trendy cafes and bars have opened up which serve great food in lovely surroundings.

One a hill looking down over Hastings there are the ruins of a castle. It was built by William The Conqueror once he had put paid to Harold.

Apart from the Fishing museum there is another museum come gallery.

There are quirky antique and bric a brac shops all over the place.

There is a funicular train which will take you up the cliff, to the beginning of the South Downs where you can explore some lovely countryside at your leisure.

Hastings has good train links and it is easy to get around. The trains are a better and cheaper option overall than the buses. The train services are regular and trains still visit small places. Our local trains saw their services cut many years ago, which sounded the death knell for our small resorts. However, on the South Coast of England small resorts not only survive but many thrive.

We visited Brighton, Bexhill-on-sea and Rye by train.

Our journey to Hastings was not quite so simple. We had to change our train at Doncaster. We then had to change again in London. This meant getting from Kings Cross to Victoria station. Thankfully the first time my brother met us at Kings Cross, where we took a tube on the London underground. On the way back we took a London taxi cab and found this much easier although a little more expensive.

Part of the problem is that since de-regulation of our trains different companies own different lines and train services. Our journey used high speed modern trains, slower older ones and one that looked as if it ad just arrived out of the ark.

OVERALL

Hastings is a nice place to visit. It probably would be perfect for a family holiday. However for adults it is better as a base. Exploring Brighton and the like from here can be better value and Hastings is less busy than such towns.

Hastings does have events throughout the year such as The Green Man on May Bank Holiday and a Town Parade in August. Check out the local tourist board for details.

So many times when I speak with my brother on the phone Hastings is having lovely weather, and no he is not lying to me. The forecasters show that Hastings is in a sheltered spot where it so often seems to have better weather than the rest of the UK.

I like Hastings but I have to admit that if my brother did not live there I would probably never have made it there. However I have to say I am glad that I did.