Over the three days of 14, 15 and 16 October 2022 we commemorated the Anniversary of the Battle at the statue and manned a stall at the Battle Abbey Re-enactment Weekend.

On Tuesday 11 October 2022 we held our first Edith Festival, at the White Rock Hotel with many speakers and performers, film and displays (see our Events page for details).

During late June and early July 2022 the north-east and south east entrance walls were painted to match the statue’s plinth. In additional a new notice and storyboard were installed in the visitor information space.

Between 16 and 18 May 2022 we renovated and painted the statue’s plinth.

At the beginning of April 2022 a long-time lover of the statue, Tony Connerty, died aged 84 and we subsequently received several generous donations at his request. On 9 April 2022 we planted two new flower beds in his name to honour his legacy. Brass plaques were later installed in June 2022.

During March and April 2022 we  planted 10 Old English Wild Rose bushes in the grass garden, dug and seeded flower beds around the two benches on the northern border, planted shrubs and some herb plants in the southern border and re-rendered the wall near to the park entrance ready for painting.

We were profoundly grateful on 5 March 2022 to Perryhill Nurseries in Hartfield for donating to us a large number of plant seeds and 3-litre potted shrubs, which will help kick off the new season well.

On 3 March 2022 we held a Drop-By at the statue in solidarity with the nation and peoples of Ukraine, raising the flags of that nation and of St Edmund (both of which use the same colours) and spoke about the close ties between Edith and Kyiv, where her grandchildren grew up.

We had a great time at the Marina Fountain Xmas Fayre on 11 December 2021, in a most convivial environment and with plenty of happy visitors.

On 20 November, 2021 we gathered at the statue to mark the Feast Day of St Edmund and his death of Edmund the Martyr, the  last Wuffing King of East Anglia, who died at the hands of the Danes of the Great Heathen Army in 869, and raised a flag in his honour.

On 11 November 2021 for the  Millenial Anniversary of Edith’s father, Thorkell the Tall’s, Banishment to Denmark by Cnut on Martin’s Mass (11/11) 1021, with a talk on Thorkell’s story at the statue.

At the end of October 2021 we were pleased to announce that Councillor James Bacon, Mayor of Hastings, became our new Patron.

On 14 October 2021 we commemorated the 955th anniversary of the battle at the statue with a brief talk on the the fate of Harold’s body and Edith’s subsequent journey in to the unknown and a reading of Heine’s poem. This event was filmed and we hope to include this in our new YouTube channel which we are working on. A transcript of the handout can be found on our Events page (under ‘Past Events’).

During the weekend of 9 and 10 October 2021 we had a display stall at the Battle of Hastings Re-enactment Weekend at Battle Abbey, courtesy of English Heritage. Over 8,000 people came to the event and we had a great time talking to as many as we could. We made some great new friends who were interested in Edith and supportive of her cause.

On 24 September 2021 we held a short celebration of Our Lady of Walsingham’s Feast Day as a mark of Edith’s potential founding of this National Shrine of England in 1061. An extract of The Pynson Ballad of c.1490 was read out (see Events for transcript).

In mid-September 2021 we cutback the wildflower garden to encourage re-growth and strengthened flowering next season, as well as harvesting many of the seeds for future use. We also planted a small section of herb plants in the southern border as a start of what we hope to be a vibrant herb, medicinal and dye plant feature in coming years.

B&Q Bexhill very generously donated a number of potted herbs on 27th August 2021, which will help the initial formation of Edith’s Herb Garden.

On 4th August 2021 we had our Licence for looking after the statue and surrounding gardens extended, so that it now runs for 3 years from that date. The terms also included those for a compost area  and the new floral display, as well as now encompassing the mowing, weeding and pruning of the garden borders.

In the latter part of July 2021 we repaired small areas of the statue’s plinth, base and paving with a high-cement hard-wearing render.

On 8th July 2021 we installed Edith’s Floral Bed thanks to a donation of flowers for the purpose.

During late April and early March 2021 we prepared the ground on the eastern side of the garden for the wildflower meadow. And on the 17th May 2021 we sowed the seeds into the ground…and waited for the seedlings to emerge. They came out in their full glory in early July 2021.

As from 28th October 2020 Friends of Edith were officially approved to ‘protect and look after‘ Edith’s statue. 

Hastings Borough Council awarded us a three-year Licence for this, which also includes:

‘erecting signage, information boards, screening, protection and carrying out fundraising events’ and ‘to create and maintain flower beds’ around the statue’s green.

So ‘Edith’s Garden‘ (see Projects) can be implemented.