an end to the war. This was the address that was presented by the Mayor, F. Ticehurst, Esq., mentioned on page 72
Another Description of the Local Peace Festivities
"From ___ ___ ___ at Hastings, to ________, in London"
"On a fine June day,
In a sensible way,
At Hastings, we kept the Peace,
Rejoicing well
As all can tell for
'He maketh wars to cease'
"St. Leonards-on-sea
Took part in the glee,
And marched its children down,
Who joined our ranks
On the sunny banks
Of the hill above the town
"There all our schools,
Let loose from rules,
Were feasted with good fare,
Of nice beef pies,
And large in size,
Plum puddings too were there.
"They all ate well,
And then they fell
To every kind of game;
'Twould you have done good
If you had but stood
Where you could have seen the same.
"Still more to make glad,
A bonfire we had,
And fireworks so splendid at night,
So well did they go,
And so brilliant the show,
That al the surroundings were bright.
"And as our good Mayor,
From his old civic chair,
Had moved as a happy conclusion
That some might assume
And be free to illume
It came to a quick resolution.
"And therefore V. R. s,
And beautiful stars
Blazed forth in arrangements of gas;
While as poor or elite,
In the road or the street,
The people assembled en masse.
"Thus into the town
From the hill they came down,
Some steady, and some in a race;
The old ones in quiet,
The young ones in riot,
But all with the happiest grace.
"And the loveliest sea,
Seemed to join in the glee,
As it played with the pebbles on shore;
As though it would say
'I'm rejoicing today,
For 'twas England's proud navy I bore.
"I forgot the big bun
Which, after the fun
Each one of the children there had;
For no one had heart
But to take a good part
In making the whole of them glad.
"Thus hear now from me
How St. Leonards-on-sea,
With Hastings old town kept the peace,
With hearts true and good,
Together we stood;
May never their unity cease!"
