From Korea.

[Korea vs. Togo in World cup 2006]

I'm Dong gun. I was always happy and fine in Hastings.

(without a day when Korea was beated by Switchland in World cup 2006)

And there is a sentimental place for me.

I studied in there with good teachers, good friends and my girlfriend.

I'm missing everybody, garden, a lot of house cheastnuts and fire alarm.

[Touring Han river on a ferry with Hasayo and Jieun(Aug.2007)]

[Trying Korean food which is made of chicken's foot with Mana and Jieun (Sep.2007)]

You gave me a lot of friends. We are still keep in touch and some of friends visited Korea. May you remember Hisayo and Mana. Also I will visit other friends. We made strong friendship in Hastings.

[My parents Jean and Reg in Hastings]

You gave me father and mother.

At the first time I met them. They were just host family.

But they became my father and mother.

[Jieun in market place (Nov.2007)]

[In a restaurant (Aug.2007)]

I love everybody and everythings in Hastings. I was very sad when I heard it's closing, I feel I'm losting a piece of memory. I wish what I heard is a dream. But I know end means new start. So I hope all of you have happy life as past. And someday when I visit Hastings again I'd like to meet you again.

Anyway nobody can take my memory. The school is always there in my mind.

Dong gun.

past-past tense

It’s been almost exactly five years since I left Embassy in Hastings and in that time, although my work-life has changed massively, I always look back at my years in Hastings as a period of learning. It’s very sad to hear that it has been decided that the school should close. It’ll be strange to think about the school in the ‘past-past tense’ and disappointing to know that the teachers, staff and most of all the students will no longer be there creating a small and ever changing community.
I wish you all the very best of luck.
Paul Drury

COLOMBIA

Hello, my name is Sonia Triana, EFL teache, and I spent 2 intense and fantastic months in Hastings and took 4 courses at Embassy in the summer of 2005. I will always have wonderful memories about that experience. Gensing Manor was a multicultural place. The lovely photo on the right was taken from the computer room.

All the staff did their best to help us. At the canteen, at lunch time the Babel Tower began: every language of the world was spoken. I shared lessons with teachers from all over the world and we learned a lot. I have forgotten some instructors names(sorry) but I specially remember Ellie in Methodology, Debb(with her warm smile) in Brush up your English and Debb and Anne in Advanced English and Culture. They are excellent teachers and trainers, each one with their unique personalities, they showed me how the real british people and culture are.

I also had the best host family: Lee and Toni Miles in Hopgarden Close. There I shared every day life with them and with lots of teenagers who spent a couple of weeks in Hastings. Everything was perfect with Toni and Lee who made me feel also relaxed and comfortable in spite of seagulls' "melodies" woke me up every morning :-)

I'm very sorry to know about the news, and I really share your feelings about the end of the Hastings Era.

Those Hastings windows

I agree with Steve that it should be commemorated somehow. Meanwhile .....

some of you may have read this before - I wrote it for the end of Palace Chambers .....

In Poland, where I am now, and probably elsewhere as well, there are a lot of people who know the word 'Windows' from their computers, but not what windows really are.

I first worked at ih Hastings in summer 1978, with just a few months' teaching experience. There was a list of locations to choose from and Hastings was my second choice. (My first choice was Oxford.) I didn't know, and at the time I probably wouldn't have cared, that Oxford was just a summer operation, whereas Hastings was a year-round school, with a teacher-training department, even, and with enlightened and generous provision for in-service training. Anyway, I was happy to be given my second choice. I'd never really been anywhere in south-east England before. And everything about Hastings, starting with the journey from London on one of the old narrow-bodied diesel-electric trains, which some of you will remember, turned out to be far more interesting than I could have imagined. I came back in 1981, in response to a long handwritten letter of invitation. I think it was for two months, and then three, and then four, and I ended up staying eight years.

Eight years of continually expanding horizons and new perceptions. The windows at the front of Palace Chambers - which it used to be called, as some of you will remember - took on a symbolic significance, and I used to spend a lot of time looking out of them, a fact which was occasionally commented on by students and people observing my lessons.

problems posting

Ive heard that people are having problems posting. If there's an expert blogger out there please contact me. My suggestion is you email me with your post at allanbramall@gmail.com and I'll publish it. Allan

unforgettable memories and experience

My name is Bora Karatas and was a student in Hastings between 2005 and 2006 .. and before that i was also in Hastings in 2004 summer as a student. I m from Turkey .. Hastings was the first outside experience for me. to be honest at first i didn t take to Hastings but in the end i was just stunned by the very friendly and warm atmosphere that the people around me allowed me to feel, because the teachers, the friends and the people I met were incredibly great and friendly..
I have marvelous memories of Hastings which i can never ever forget them..
The teachers had great efforts to teach us English and enable us to speak as they desired moreover they just didnt teach us English but also helped us with our problems whenever we needed them .. Basicially they were much beyond just having been teacher.. they were very good and close friend for me ... I am personally grateful to all the teachers for their efforts and helps.. Specially i can never forget the great contributions of Ellie , Allan and Romana to me and also every time i was in their class...I feel very lucky to say thank u (all of u) via End of a Hastings era.
All the stuff .. you have got a very special place in my heart and in my mind.. Gene your helps for me were unforgettable...
İ feel very sad and tearful now as the day i left Hastings but i know for sure i never can forget the time i have been to Hastings in all its aspects...
It was perfectly worth to be in Hastings and to meet such teachers and friends who are very special and valuable for me..
Thank you....

Argentina ll

Whenever I'm down or just lost in the hundred and one things I have to do, these are the things I remember:
I remember the day Allan, Amalia, Francisco and I were in the computer room singing from the top of our lungs.
I remember the day we went to have dinner to the Indian restaurant with all our classmates and Allan telling us which things we couldn't miss.
I remember having cream teas near Bodiam castle.
I remember playing darts.
I remember going pub crawling.
I remember saying hi to Gene every single morning.
I remember Mr.Fun, making us have fun.
I remember the smell, the warmth and the unforgettable, absolutely happy times I had at Embassy, Hastings.
Daiana

A major centre of excellence

For the past 26 years, since the heady days of IH Hastings to the more recent days of Embassy CES, I have had the privilege to work alongside some of the very finest teachers and teacher trainers in the country. I am proud to have belonged to this group of very special teachers whose interest in language is infectious and whose acute awareness of classroom principles and practice goes way beyond the average. I personally owe a depth of gratitude to these friends and colleagues for their generosity, support and affection throughout these rich and rewarding years together.

The dissolution of such a major centre of excellence is more than regretable.

Eleanor Spicer-Lundholm
Teacher / Teacher Trainer
Embassy CES Hastings

Gensing Manor

A simple letter of support for Allan and the blog he has created. I started working in efl in Hastings more years ago than I care to remember and have come into contact with 1000's of teachers and students over the years. Feb 8th will truly be a sad day for Hastings and the efl world in general and should perhaps be recognised somehow

Steve Barratt
current Academic Director
Embassy hastings

Argentina

My name is Amalia Diaz I'm a Language teacher and I studied at Embassy in 2006 (I took courses on New Trends and Teaching Young learners) I’m from Argentina and that was the first time I was outside my country. I have nothing but good memories of the incredible group of people I met there. Teachers who not only opened my mind and helped me looking at the bright side of teaching but touched my heart and I’ll treasure them for ever. I will never forget Bodiam Castle. The Coopers who were so warm to me, giving me a place where to stay, to speak my mind and to share my culture; the best host family Embassy could have ever chosen for my stay. All the staff at CES who was always ready to rescue one from despair. Gene would be always there to help you book whatever you needed, or just help you calling home… So this is very sad news. You’ll be always on my mind…

what's it all about?

My name's Allan Bramall and I started work in Hastings 31 years ago at International House in Palace Chambers. Then the school became ILC Hastings and then was taken over by Studygroup and became Embassy CES.

My working life, as a teacher and teacher trainer, has been mostly in Hastings and has been rich and satisfying.

Today, at Embassy CES Hastings we received notice of redundancy and it looks like the school will close in February next year as a full time centre and operate only as a summer centre.

So...End of a Hastings era.

This blog is a place for all associated with the schools above to remember, to celebrate, to get back in touch. It's for students, teachers, trainers, all those who worked in the canteen, those who were social activities organisers, who worked in accommodation or who were host families or anyone who wants to make contact with this enormous group of people from all over the world.

Please write and send photos. Allan