The Cinque Ports.

Over the past few days I have had the good fortune to be able to visit with my son and daughter Hastings and Rye. These two towns are part of the ancient collection of ports that run along the south coast-know as Cinque Ports-from Norman French.. Initially founded by Royal Charter in 1155 as a way of providing shipping for coastal protection for the king on an-as need basis. Rye has a beautiful smuggling hostelry-The Mermaid Inn-re-built in1420 so has a long history. Although the food could be better! Nevertheless the town is charming with lots of cobbled winding streets. Henry James lived there as did Paul Nash the artist-so there is also a history of the arts. Later my daughter and I went along the coast to Bexhill-on-Sea to visit the famous Art Deco building-the Del la Warr Pavillion. In 1933 the Earl of De la Warr suggested a competition for the building of a new arts facilities-the competition was won by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chemayeff. The building was eventually finished and opened on 12th December 1935 and was the first Modernist building in Britain. There is currently an exhibition of the work of Anthony Gormley: Critical Mass on the roof-which is quite extraordinary. Sixty life size sculptures in different poses-cast from moulds of the artist's body. As you stand looking at these shapes against the background of the sea and sky it gives a most hypnotic feeling! The pavilion has literally put Bexhill on the map! There will be a 75th birthday celebration on Monday 30 August at 2pm-so as many people as possible should turn up to make a spontaneous "scratch" orchestra and choir to perform on the day. Put it in your diary!