THE ROBERT TRESSELL EVENT, 
HASTINGS (Mugsborough), 26^th – 28^th May 2001

This years' event was held in the Sussex Room (Lower Hall) of the White Rock Theatre, on Hastings Seafront opposite the Pier.

Saturday 26th May 2001

Michael Foster MP DL , Hastings & Rye's first Labour MP, opens the event by unfurling the specially-commissioned Robert Tressell Banner


John Nettleton (second left) seen here on Happy Harold, gave a talk on how he discovered Tressell's grave in Liverpool and the difficulties he had in getting permission to erect a tombstone.


Trevor Hopper led a walk round Tressell's Hastings ending up on the West Hill

and those walkers that wanted had a tour of the town on "Happy Harold" before returning to the White Rock for a talk on the ILO by Harold Dunning 


Clive Griggs introduces Harold Dunning (left)


After tea Clifford Heselden (left) was introduced by Neil Bates and gave a talk on Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, England's first Woman Doctor

    Sunday May 27th 2001

Hastings Museum, Sunday orning, Steve Peak (left) introduces Brion Purdey, former Hastings' Head Librarian. Brion's talk "Books for the damned" gave a grahic account of the 78 year struggle to provide a free library in Hastings

After lunch Mike Smith-Rawnsley discussed the evolution of the Ragged Trousered Philantropists and the various forms and editions in which the book had been produced.

Hastings 1928 open top trolleybus took a party led by Steve Peak to see the area of St.Leonards where Tressell Worked

and in the evening there was a spellbinding play reading of the Trevor Hopper / Vincent Mahon's adaptation of the book


finished off with a  musical interlude on Banjo and acoustic guitar 

and the whole evening finished off with fireworks from the newly re-opened pier. Photos of fireworks are difficult to take so here's a picture of Suzannah and Dee watching the fireworks

 Monday 28th May 2001

Started at 11am with a re-enactment of an SDF meeting on the beach (the site where Noonan himself used to attend these meetings) followed by a small parade with banners - including our own brand new Tressell Banner. Finished off with a general discussion about what people would like to see us doing next year and into the future.

Sorry, the photographer had family commitments elsewhere and is now desperately looking for someone else's pictures of today's event

XL(2000) Ltd. are sponsors of 1066.net. Hastings' favourite web site

Photos all (c) Ion Castro 2001

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