Sussex weekly round-up: 13 July 19 July 2024

A former newspaper publishing house in East Sussex is marking its 100th birthday after a five-year restoration project.

The Observer Building, in Hastings, had been derelict since 1985. But on Valentine’s Day in 2019, community group Hastings Commons got the keys and began lovingly restoring it.

“It’s certainly been a long process,” said Dr Jess Steele, chief executive of Hasting Commons. “The building was pretty terrible when we got it.”

Built in 1924, the building was home to the Hastings & St Leonards Observer. Now, it is a creative working space, with 12 affordable flats also set to open on the fourth floor.

Read more here.