Jet Set in Hastings: annual meet up

Extensive bike locking facility at Tonbridge Station

For this year's annual Jet Set reunion we have chosen to come back to Hastings – St Leonards. The Jet Set refers to a group of friends who met at Manchester University in the second half of the 1960s. 'Jet Set' was always a rather ironic title and now 50 years later it is even more ironic – the chance of any hell raising is now probably officially zero. Indeed there was some confusion as it whether we had been to Hastings before even though this was in May 2015 and we are staying in the same hotel (Royal Victoria) ....... and drinking in the same pub – the recommended Horse & Groom.

Today was a brilliant sunny day with the sea flat calm. The forecast for tomorrow is cooler.....   

Love St. Leonards mural

The renovated Hastings Pier

Hastings Pier has now been attractively renovated. It is now a delight to visit where before it was a sad burnt out wreck.  

St Clement's Restaurant in St Leonards – highly recommended

 St Clement's Restaurant

2013 Soave Classico, Pieropan

Last night our peerless group (The Jet Set) from Manchester University enjoyed a stand out meal at the St Clement's Restaurant in St Leonards on Sea, Hastings. There were 12 of us and we were very well looked after. 

The restaurant is right next to the Horse & Groom, the oldest pub in St Leonards. Unusually there is a connecting passageway between the pub and the restaurant.  

As soon as I opened the wine list – a relatively short list of well chosen wines – my eye alighted on the Pieropan Soave, which suggested that we were in good hands and in for an enjoyable evening.  

 

 2013 La Brouette Rosé, IGP Comté Tolosan, Producteurs Plaimont

The Pieropan Soave proved to be a very popular choice with most of the group who opted for this as their apéro and with their first course. We do have one Rosé aficionado in our group and they were very happy with La Brouette from the excellent Producteurs Plaimont. 2010 I Muri Puglia Negroamaro was our red choice – soft, rich and spicy – winning admirers amongst our peerless group.

   

    

2010 I Muri Puglia Negroamaro

Starters:

Brilliantly cooked Rye Bay Scallops

Spaghetti with clams

Fish soup

Chicory, pear & walnut salad with blue cheese dressing - See more at: http://www.stclementsrestaurant.co.uk/menu/a-la-carte-16-23.html#sthash.MAfBngi5.dpuf

Chicory, pear & walnut salad with blue cheese dressing - See more at: http://www.stclementsrestaurant.co.uk/menu/a-la-carte-16-23.html#sthash.MAfBngi5.dpuf

Chicory, pear and walnut salad with blue cheese dressing

Chicory, pear & walnut salad with blue cheese dressing - See more at: http://www.stclementsrestaurant.co.uk/menu/a-la-carte-16-23.html#sthash.MAfBngi5.dpuf

Main courses:

Perfectly cooked turbot

Crispy confit of duck

Desserts:

Crispy duck confit, red cabbage, bubble 'n' squeak & smoked bacon, lentil & balsamic sauce - See more at: http://www.stclementsrestaurant.co.uk/menu/a-la-carte-16-23.html#sthash.MAfBngi5.dpuf

Peanut butter and chocolate tart

Pannettone and butter pudding with chocolate sauce

3 Mercatoria St. Leonards-on-Sea,  East Sussex TN38 0EB, United Kingdom

+44 1424 200355

A peerless group from Manchester

 The Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonards 

Every year for the past 24 years a group of us (The Jet Set) that were at Manchester University together in the latter part of the 1960s meets up for a couple of days by the seaside. This year it is Hastings, although we are staying in St. Leonards as Hastings doesn't appear to have any hotels.  The one criteria is that the seaside resort must have a pier. Fortunately we don't specify whether the pier is open and functioning as Hastings Pier is still being repaired after a fire in 2010. Even though Hastings Pier is not open it is way more impressive than the stub of concete at Skegness that passes as their pier. It is no wonder that Joe Wadsack fled Skeggie to seek his fortune in London. 

There was a time when we stayed in rather dubious, if characterful, bed and breakfast places in Brighton etc. However with the advancing years our group has moved remorselessly upmarket until this year we are lodged in a Best Western Hotel –  The Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonards. In places this is a little faded from its glory days. However, much less faded than many of the other buildings along the seafront in the direction of Hastings.       

 The rather grand interior of the first and ground floor of the hotel

The sea looking towards Bexhill