Free Summer Fete and community picnic to mark 150th anniversary of Gensing Gardens in St Leonards

The event, which runs from noon – 3pm, is the last of a series of events hosted by local arts organisation ATownExploresABook and funded by the Heritage Fund to mark the anniversary.

It will also celebrate a new ‘Tree Map’ of Gensing Gardens. Designer Erica Smith has been working with Hastings Borough Council’s Tree Officer, Chris Wilken, on a ‘tree map’ of Gensing Gardens. She said “There are over 150 trees in the park including some oaks that pre-date the park, some Gingko Biloba trees and a mulberry tree planted by the local Baha’i group five years ago which has fruited for the first time this year.

"Gensing Gardens became a haven during lockdown and this summer the trees have provided us all with valuable shade. We wanted to make a map to pay tribute to the trees that we walk past every day but often have no idea what kind they are.”

Local residents and people who regularly use Gensing Gardens are invited to bring a picnic to share with their neighbours and to try out the traditional fete activities constructed by the group’s young mentees.

Solar power wizard Arran will hook up the sun to Karl Horton’s retro arcade games which young and old are welcome to try out. Ceramicist Emma Harding will be running a drop-in clay workshop between 2 and 3pm. Award-winning musician and composer Ruby Colley will launch ‘Shoon Akai’ – romani language for ‘listen here’ – this was a composition commissioned as part of this year’s ATownExploresABook festival in April.

Ruby taught students from Robsack Wood Primary Academy and Hastings Academy to make field recordings as they explored their local natural environments. These have been combined into a soundscape which will be broadcast from speakers within Gensing Gardens.

At 3pm there will be a meeting for the Friends of Gensing Gardens which anyone who lives nearby or uses Gensing Gardens regularly is welcome to attend.

Gensing Gardens were officially opened by the Mayor on the 3rd July 1872. They were laid out by Borough surveyor William Andrews

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