Sussex Community Blog

pier hits jackpot

This is quite a long video which sometime I intend to replace with a 'Take 2' version.
In brief I am saying: Who is to judge whether the pier fire was 'a bad thing' for Hastings?; look what it led to?. Who is to judge that getting lottery seed funding is 'a good thing'?; it may lead somewhere that is not seen as so good, as the struggle for enough money to complete the job continues and many want other things attended to as higher priority in Hastings.

Paul Crosland reflects on whether 'Pier Hits Jackpot' is good news or not. Maybe so, or maybe this is like the man who was sure what news was good and what news was bad and ended up learning that things don't turn out as you expect. When the pier burned down this was seen as 'a bad thing' but now the pot of gold has arrived and this is being seen as a good thing. It may yet lead to a broken leg, as in the story told.... And remember, you always have the option of getting involved in finding the truth in relation to the fire: www.peoplesjustice.org.uk and/or the Hastings Justice facebook page.

Links referred to in the clip:
http://actionforhastingshappiness.blogspot.com

Home page of the Sussex Community Blogspot:
http://sussexcommunity.blogspot.com

"No charges for pier arson" -re-victimisation and "the truth will out"

More news will be found on the three other main other channels I use, so subscribe (or just read) 1-3 of these:

YouTube Channel: Toothpaste007
Twitter Stream: www.twitter.com/paulcrosland #HastingsJustice
"Hastings Justice" Facebook Group
Hastings Justice blog

(Transcript of this interview on this Restorative Justice home page)

Who decides what justice is?

Other pages on this blog:
Home
Mediation Support at Southwater Community Centre
Action for Happiness -A Good Week
Paul C -AKA Lend-It-All Man
Why Move to Hastings?

HPWRT-Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust-communcation

This morning I sent the following to the -Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust:

"Just wanted to let you know about the latest blog for Justice in Hastings:

http://hastingsjustice.blogspot.com

I'm keeping the Hastings Justice blog much simpler than http://sussexcommunity.blogspot.com;

I hope you'll promote it and the Facebook group "Hastings Justice";

both of which will enhance the letters being sent to the Attorney General.

Kind Regards
Paul
0780 70 66 202
http://sussexcommunity.blogspot.com/p/mediation-support-ltd-at-southwater.html

http://additionalinfo.blogspot.com/2011/04/sometimes-free-iphone-from-freelender.html

Press release about not pressing charges in relation to the fire

"The Crown Prosecution Service has decided that no charges can be brought against either of the two men arrested on suspicion of their involvement in a fire at Hastings Pier in October 2010.
Tim Thompson, head of the CPS Brighton Trials Unit said: "Sussex Police arrested two suspects in connection with this fire. The focus of the police investigation has been to establish what happened and who was responsible. The case has been carefully reviewed by the CPS, in consultation with the investigating officers.
"The nature of the structure and the extent of the fire combined to make this a particularly difficult crime scene. There is evidence to place both suspects, as trespassers, on the pier at the material time. There is evidence that a fire started through some human act at the time they were on the pier. We are left in the position where we cannot show how the fire was started and cannot show that the human act must have been a criminal act.
"We cannot show that there was or must have been any kind of joint plan. We have no admissible evidence to show which of the two suspects might have been responsible. We cannot prosecute on the basis that one or other of the two suspects might have been responsible; we can only prosecute where there is enough evidence against an individual.
"All reasonable lines of enquiry have been pursued and I have concluded that the two suspects should be told that they will not be charged. The decision has been taken on the evidence and information available to us. If new information comes to light the case will be reconsidered.
"I appreciate there will be concern that no one is being prosecuted. It is disappointing that we are not able to mount a prosecution in a case that is of considerable local interest but it is our responsibility to only bring prosecutions where there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction."

********
Here's a sideways response from the top of a hill:

The above response is by the incorrigible Imperfect Idealist,who has experienced a thing or two in relation to growing by facing up to what he's done.

How this has been reported in the national media:

Local Press:

The Argus (Brighton)

More news will be found on the three other main other channels I use, so subscribe (or just read) 1-3 of these:

YouTube Channel: Toothpaste007
Twitter Stream: www.twitter.com/paulcrosland #HastingsJustice
"Hastings Justice" Facebook Group
Hastings Justice blog

What I did that led to Hastings Pier Fire

I offered earlier (here) to share my theory about how I let Hastings & St Leonards down in 2010 in the run up to the 5th October fire. Many of us probably did something that impacted on which building caught fire that night; it's just that the links between our actions and those of some identified (yet anonymous) youths from St Leonards are not so easy to see.
I was nervous about posting this video, and the reactions I've got have justified those nerves. Am I too far out on a limb here in what I'm communicating with the community I've chosen to move into as a result of the 5th October fire?
Some would say that when I say something that doesn't go down well, I should stop digging a hole for myself:

I suggest that the best I can do is carry on in my imperfect way (my AKA is 'The Imperfect Idealist') doing all I can to share.
(My other alias is 'Lend-It-All Man':

Having worked part-time on sharing initiatives since summer 2007, when I co-founded a 'transition group' in my local area, my work has been recognised by environmental and business innovation think tanks i.e.on the importance of sharing, and the innovations that will make it happen.
Now my recommendation is that people use www.streetbank.com and that Hastings/St Leonards (where resources are scarcer than many other places) becomes a model of sharing for the rest of the UK.

Anyhow, here's the video I offered in December; I'm keen to hear what events you connect together as the deeper story of this sea-side town getting to this place of pier destruction:

Other pages on this blog:
Home
Mediation Support at Southwater Community Centre
Action for Happiness -A Good Week
Paul C -AKA Lend-It-All Man
Why Move to Hastings?

Are you sure you don't want to speak to the fire-starters?

Are you sure you don't want to speak to the fire-starters?

When I approached people after the fire and asked if they wanted to say anything to those who started it, most were camera shy. Not surprising really, as we live in a society that isn't used to communicating with the strangers who have impacted on our quality of life.
Once you consider the greater safety for our community that can be gained by having the difficult conversations with strangers, it makes sense, and then the question is how to have the communication.

There are at least three community views about the pier that could be put to those who burned the pier down:
1) the negative impact of the fire on many people...
2) the positive impact of the fire for some....
3) the suspicious
If you hold a different view from some combination of these three, please comment below. And if you hold any of the above views, please contact me so that your view can be included in the dialogue.

Without all views being included in the dialogue, the Hastings community will carry on divided, with little healing of the underlying issues. A community that doesn't work with difference doesn't work.
Other pages on this blog:
Home
Mediation Support at Southwater Community Centre
Action for Happiness -A Good Week
Paul C -AKA Lend-It-All Man
Why Move to Hastings?