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The Glasses
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
The Plastic Beakers
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2022
The Beer Mats
1999
2000
2001
T-Shirt
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This website has come about for two
main reason's, my wife going to all three nights every year of the 'Hastings Beer And Music
Festival' since a very young age, and the lack of information regarding
the glasses that are given to everyone on arrival.
The History
Originally part of the Hastings Carnival, which had
traditionally been organised by Hastings Round Table, the Hastings Beer
and Music Festival started life in 1982 in the Lower Park at Alexandra
Park, Hastings. The event featured a selection of local beers supplied by
the landlord of the Queens Head, Icklesham, served from a 30ft beer tent,
plus local jazz bands who played in the beer marquee. Profit, which was
not achieved until the second event, was used to fund goodwill projects in
the town.
Organised by a committee made up from the Hastings Round Table membership,
the event grew in popularity to the point where, in 1992, it made £13,000
for charity. In 1993, torrential rain flooded the park during the Saturday
night of the event, and profits of only £8,000 were made. The stage, which
at the time was 2 articulated lorry trailers put side on side, was
unusable and again the predominantly jazz bands played in the marquee.
The weather situation alerted the organisers to the potential risk that
the event carried, and in 1994 contracts were re-negotiated, and the
partnership arrangement with the brewery that supplied the beer was
terminated. As a result of frugal housekeeping, in 1994 the event made a
huge £23,000 for charity.1995 was another good year for the event, with
headline band "No Way Sis" and other coverbands taking to the stage.
Profits of £30,000 were made and distributed.
1996 was to be the last beer festival held on the lower lawn of Alexandra
Park. An underground storm water drain is under construction still from
the site, so in 1997 the Beer and Music Festival, as it had now become
known, moved to it's new site. But the organisation of the event was too
much for a committee made up of just Hastings Round Table - so, in return
for a cut of the profit for their own charities - a committee was formed
featuring representatives from Battle and Bexhill Round Tables, as well as
Hastings Ladies Circle.
The 1997 event was one of the biggest - a new arena area, a new catering
franchise, a bigger bar area and more risk for the organisers - but a
brilliant return - £45,000 profit to be spent on good causes in the
community ranging from computers for schools, through to wheelchairs,
table trolleys, youth club Karaoke machines, etc etc etc. But the stakes
were getting higher - and so it was agreed that for 1998 and beyond the
event would be managed by a limited company - Hastings Beer and Music
Festival Ltd, with profits decreed directly to a charitable trust for use
by the local Round Tables to continue their good works.
The 1998 festival saw an excellent line up on the stage - and what a stage
it was. A brand new dome covered stage - yes, gone for the first time ever
were the curtainsider lorries that we had come to love
- and the effect was
brilliant. The 1997 event - Jazz in the Park - proved so popular that it
was done again in 1998
Whilst the 1999 event made profits for Charity in excess of £50,000, the
return made from Jazz event resulted in an early decision not to repeat
the Jazz afternoon in the year 2000. A new record achievement was made in
2000 with profits of £65,000 but weather adversely affected 2001 profits
of £35,000.
2001 - 2004 saw the emphasis on music and beer grow
together with similar profits for charity.
The 2005 festival was to be another turning point in the
history of the festival. The festival managed to sign Keane, an 'A' list
band formed locally. The headlined the festival on the Thursday evening
delivering record breaking profits for the event and £70,000 directly to
St. Michaels Hospice. It has to be said that the boys did do the gig for
free which obviously helped the bottom line. The festival managed to sell
out twice its normal quota of red and white wine and sold out of Corona!
2006 was the 25th anniversary of the Hastings Beer and
Music Festival. The committee took the brave decision to try and emulate
the success of 2005's band by buying in an 'A' list act. Status Quo
stepped up to the challenge as part of their 'the party ain't over
tour...'.
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