Historic Experiences
About
Historic Experiences offer bespoke guided historical tours of Hastings in East Sussex. Ideal for couples enjoying a break in this seaside town who want to find out more about the history and what makes the town what it is!
All tours are led by the tour creator, and local historical author, Tina Brown, who has been a local tour guide for over 25 years. Tina has also worked with TV shows and written numerous publications, and is passionate about the past, creating unique ways to engage guests in the wonderful, rich heritage of the area.
Tours can be personalised to suit your group size, needs and specific interests. Tours can accommodate couples and family groups through to foreign language student groups, and all are available on a number of themes if there is a specific era or historical subject that interests you!
Historic Experiences can also come to your event, making the past more accessible for all - this is ideal for groups and club events with a difference.
Guided Walking Tours
Explore the hidden 'twitterns' of Hastings Old Town and learn about it's diverse history, seeing some unique historical buildings.
You'll walk in the footsteps of Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle from the TV series 'Foyles War', find out about the birth of television, the smuggling adventures and maybe the odd haunted story as well!
With extensive local knowledge, Historic Experiences are able to offer a guided tour to your needs and requirements. If you have a particular interest, we can amend the tour accordingly. Contact us directly via email by clicking on the button below with your requirements and we'll get back to you with details of the cost and availability.
Contact
Please contact us prior to making any booking to discuss your requirements. The meeting place for tours is at 'Butlers Gap' in George Street, Hastings located next to Butlers Emporium. There is a large chessboard painted on the floor and an information board at the front.
Tour Guide and producer: Tina Brown
Email: tina@historicexperiences.com
Mobile/SMS: +44 (0) 7876 010835
Books
Secret Hastings & St Leonards - Tina Brown
Today Hastings and its neighbouring St Leonards On Sea are a busy seaside town, popular with holiday makers and day trippers wanting to soak up its coastal heritage and historical charm. Known to many for the famous battle of 1066, which was not actually fought at Hastings, the town has so much more to offer and in this book author Tina Brown reveals many little known stories about Hastings, from the fact that Hastings was the birthplace of television invented by John Logie Baird to the unique Piece of Cheese House in the old quarter built as a bet in 1871, as well as exploring its secret places, The Mortuary House with its cold chamber and coffin hatches, the tunnels still lying under much of the town today connected with the smuggling past, and the Stag Inn which was frequented by the smugglers.
Secret Hastings explores the less well-known episodes and characters in the history of the town through the centuries. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked away historical buildings, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this East Sussex town.
Gin: An Illustrated History - Tina Brown
The gin craze seems to have taken over the world in recent times, but how many gin lovers have ever stopped to really wonder about the origins of their favourite tipple? How many know about its European connections or its medicinal values? And what were the gin palaces that everyone raves about really like?
This fascinating little book will take you behind the scenes on a journey spanning hundreds of years, bringing the story of this fascinating drink up to date. Tina Brown invites you to join her to discover the new and old tastes, the distillers, the effect gin has had on people s lives and just about everything else to do with gin!
Secret Crawley & Gatwick - Tina Brown
"The Crawley and Gatwick area is fascinating and both have seen a great many changes. Gatwick Airport is central to this area, but has anyone stopped to think about its ancient Roman ironworks and how Crawley developed as a market town from the thirteenth century onwards? Crawley has always been known as a trade route with good connections both to the city of London and the coast at Brighton, so its location has always been important. The coming of the railways brought prosperity to Crawley and saw its first major expansion, as well as the development of Gatwick Racecourse and the original Gatwick airfield, which has now been swallowed by today’s airport. After the Second World War, the town was designated a ‘new town’ and saw a vast increase in population and building, becoming one of the most important business and employment centres in south-east England. Crawley also has many buildings of historical importance dating back to the fifteenth century, and many Grade I and II listed buildings. Settlements close by on the Weald that are served by Crawley also have many secrets and stories connected to them, including numerous historical churches and manor houses.
Secret Crawley & Gatwick brings the history of this area to life, highlighting that there is a whole lot more to it than just the airport."
Tattoos: An Illustrated History - Tina Brown
The art of tattoos goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years and today they are more popular than ever, but how many people really know the story behind tattoos? With a fascination for the Victorian tattoo craze, and the way the story behind these manmade marks have evolved over the years, Tina Brown is the perfect author to guide you through the fascinating, sometimes surprising, story that led to their current popularity.
A global adventure spanning hundreds of years, this lavishly illustrated with a wealth of beautiful illustrations, this guide is sure to delight anyone with an interest in the history behind the art.
Middlesbrough in 50 Buildings - Tina Brown
Middlesbrough is largest town in northeast England, growing rapidly in the 19th century from a small village to a large industrial settlement on the River Tees, built to ship coal from the newly arrived railways. New industries such as iron and steel production and shipbuilding followed and the wealth generated in Middlesbrough can be seen today in its buildings and although many industries have disappeared today they too have left a legacy of remarkable structures in the area, alongside new buildings that represent modern Middlesbrough.
From the ancient parish churches and manor houses, through the Victorian industrial age to the modern galleries, this exciting and vibrant town has much offer. Among the remarkable buildings and structures in this book are the imposing Victorian town hall, Binns Department Store, the iconic Transporter Bridge and the Newport Bridge, the Riverside Stadium, the 21st century, MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) gallery, as well as buildings with stories to tell of everyday life in Middlesbrough such as the pub, library, hospital, dockyard, and many more.
Middlesbrough in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating town through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, from its early pre-industrial days, its massive development as an industrial settlement and the changes that have taken place in Middlesbrough in recent years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Middlesbrough or who have an interest in the town.