Photographs by Josephine Pollard Words by Billie Jenkins
Hastings is a unique place. One of the most deprived constituencies in the country, a third of children live in poverty, the highest level in the South East. A seaside resort that never had a heyday, its coastline has all the archetypal eighties gaiety, maintained for the tourists but not too much touched in recent years. There’s the Swan Lake where the birds paint is peeling, the tiny railway train that runs the length of the beach, and fish and chip shops where tea is served is traditional blue china. The Hastings Josie Pollard captures is one that does not shy away from the poverty of the place but, like a Dylan Thomas story, tells the tale of an inhabitants and their towns day to day.
