locality justly described as the Queen of Watering places, but a locality, albeit, which, for some time past has had the misfortune to suffer from prejudice and misrepresentation. We have long felt that some such a visit was necessary to restore our prestige, and as an earnest of that feeling, many of readers will remember that in an article headed "Invitation to Royalty", a few months back, we stated that "There can be but lit the divergence of opinion as to the benefit likely to accrue to our lodging-house keepers and tradesmen by a large influx of visitors, and as little diversity of sentiment respecting the attractions of Royalty to any place where the latter
can be induced, even for a brief period to take up its abode. Supposing then that the well-known loyalty and salubrity of these towns, and the equally well-known fact of our good and gracious Queen and her beloved mother, the Duchess of Kent, and their royal relatives, the Queen Dowager Adelaide, the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, and of the present King of Hanover, having all resided among us, should be some inducement to the Prince and Princess of Wales to accept an invitation to Hastings or St. Leonards let us see &c. – Well, we have only is to say, in conclusion, that we are heartily glad that the realization of the views and wishes at that time set forth in this journal has been so little remote, and that the prospect of better times is already enabling our towns–people to ejaculate with heart and voice God Bless the prince of Wales."
Noteworthy Incidents.
Assuming that the above indicated benefit arising from the Royal visit would be forthcoming through the newspaper reports, it may be here stated that in addition to the influence of other local journals, the output of the St. Leonards Gazette for two weeks was more than tripled, the extra demand being probably for sending copies to friends at a distance. One gentleman - who, perhaps, was in some way connected with the distinguished visitors, but who merely said he was staying at the hotel during the occupancy of the best apartments by the royal party purchased nearly or quite one hundred copies, which he addressed and stamped for post in the shop adjoining the printing office of the said paper. The distribution of this number alone to different towns and districts must have done good by the advertisement which the borough thus obtained.
Another incidental feature was the weather forecasts of the Gazette, which proved to be so nearly accurate day by day as to evoke remarks from correspondents mostly of a complimentary tone. One somewhat amusing circumstance was this: On the second Saturday, when taking an additional supply of his paper to the Eversfield Library, the proprietor of the Gazette ran against Miss Capel who emerged from the shop, laughing, The explanation was voluntarily tendered by Mr. Beagley to the effect that the said lady, just before seeing the journalist, who was his own messenger, said - "I would not have cared a jot about those weather predictions if they had not, unfortunately, come true."
