A Town Explores A Book - A Town Explores A Book

Meet Professor Susannah Maidment

The Natural History Museum collection includes some of the teeth that Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell found that led Gideon to name the dinosaur Iguanodon in his paper presented at the Royal Society in 1825.

We’re delighted that NHM Principal Researcher, Prof Susannah Maidment, is confirmed as a festival partner for 2025. Prof Maidment will write the foreword in the festival book explaining the importance of Iguanodon, the second dinosaur ever to be named, and encouraging the next generation of palaeontologists.

The festival connection with Natural History Museum is an exciting opportunity to inspire ‘explore more’ visits, beyond the A Town Explores A Book festival, to the extensive collection with information on the Mantells and the Iguanodon species. The ‘explore more’ festival map will link to the huge diversity of Iguanodon related heritage and join up #Iguanodon 200 events around the country.

Meet Phil Hadland

Phil Hadland is a palaeobiologist and local expert on geology and palaeontology heritage in the Hastings area. He is the festival’s co-planner, working with the ATEAB Funds team.

 Phil is a part time Collections and Engagement Curator in natural sciences at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.

In his capacity as an expert working with the ATEAB Funds team, Phil is helping to design the ‘8 Ways to Connect’ festival schools programme that will introduce children to scientific papers, illustrations of fossils and the story of how the Iguanodon was named in 1825.

Phil is connecting the festival up to other exciting #Iguanodon200 events around the country that will take place throughout 2025.

The special festival book will contain the 1825 paper in which the second dinosaur ever to be named was identified by palaeontologist Gideon Mantell. The book will include Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell’s fossil illustrations, pages for young explorers to make their mark and information on dinosaur fossils found in St Leonards-on-Sea towards the end of the C19 including Iguanodon hollingtoniensis

Who chooses the books?

The small unincorporated community team behind the A Town Explores A Book festival are a lively and imaginative team of dedicated volunteers who make the book choice.

The team aim to choose very different heritage books every year that highlight anniversaries. Thus in 2023, Mary Seacole’s Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole In Many Lands marked Mary Seacole’s first solo journey to England from Jamaica as a young woman. The centenary of author E. Nesbit’s death was behind the 2024 book choice, The Railway Children.

Book Choice for A Town Explores A Book 2025

Marking the bicentenary of the naming of the Iguanodon, the Royal Society grants permission for an A Town Explores A Book 2025 edition of palaeontologist Gideon Mantell’s paper in which he names the fossil reptile found in Sussex. He presented this paper at the Royal Society in January 1825, 17 years before the name dinosaur came into use, an umbrella name coined by Sir Richard Owen.

Creative Writing Competition Prize Winners

All young writers who entered the A Town Explores A Book 2024 Creative Writing Competition are commended for their lively, imaginative writing themed on trains. Our sparkling award event on 7th May 2024 was a chance to congratulate highly commended entries and runners up and to thank teachers and parents who have supported children to take part.

Platform Panel Project – Station

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership CIC’s Platform Panel Project at St Leonards Warrior Square Station raises awareness of local railway history.

Platform Panel Project – Tunnels

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership CIC’s Platform Panel Project at St Leonards Warrior Square Station raises awareness of local railway history.

Platform Panel Project – Rail Network

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership CIC’s Platform Panel Project at St Leonards Warrior Square Station raises awareness of local railway history.

Growing Up

Find Seaview Project’s creative response to the book in two bench shelters on the promenade. The artists explore personal reflections of growing up responding to the experiences of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis in E Nesbit’s The Railway Children.

Window Displays – Kings Road

Traders in Kings Road explore E. Nesbit’s book in window displays and there’s two more on London Road.

Platform Panel Project

St Leonards Warrior Square Station.

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership With ExploreTheArch’s early career team explore working class stories In the local railway heritage.

“shining metals”

Zoom Arts Gallery.
St Leonards Warrior Square Station.

St Leonards Warrior Square Station.
The Zoom Arts collective explores various aspects of the local rail history and The Railway Children.

“picks and spades”

Station Path
off Station approach.

Artist ARRAN
honours the workers who
built St Leonards on Sea’s
rail infrastructure.

“I thought engineering was making engines.”

Archer Lodge, Charles Road. Automata exhibition by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre working with 200 young artists.

“with a shriek and a snort”

Hastings and Bexhill Mencap’s Active Arts are inspired by E Nesbit’s The Railway Children to make a model of St Leonards Warrior Square Station as it was.

“the rush of its passing”

Activity Hub.
Archer Lodge, Charles Road.

Free family activities accompanying
“I thought engineering was making engines” exhibition and “with a shriek and a snort” exhibition.

Window Displays – Bohemia Creative Quarter

Bohemia Creative Quarter Traders explore E. Nesbit’s book in window displays.

“metals of the up-line”

Bus stops in London Road.

Photographer Jules Earl explores aspects of St Leonards on Sea’s
rail infrastructure.

“a great dragon tearing by”

Asda supermarket path and Thealken Drive.

ExploreTheArch early career artists
curate 3000 children’s sketches inspired by the book bringing trains to this part of town.

Wisdoms Installation

Four Courts Wellbeing Hub.

ExploreTheArch’s
installation featuring
wisdoms shared by the
Four Courts community
prompted by wisdoms in
The Railway Children.
Filmmaker: Rod Morris.

Emotional Landscapes Exhibition

Four Courts Wellbeing Hub.

Mixed media exhibition
by members of the
Four Courts Community
responding to the characters’
explorations in the landscape.

Perks the Porter Activity Hub

Four Courts Wellbeing Hub.

Outdoor art on the
fence of this venue
with free family activities
Inside accompanying
mixed media exhibition
‘Emotional Landscapes’
and installation
‘Wisdoms’.

Scratch Orchestra Rehearsal

Sunday 14 April, 2pm
Christ Church, Silchester Road
Scratch orchestra rehearses for the closing event.

2024 Closing Event

Sunday 14 April, 4pm
Christ Church, Silchester Road.
Explore composer Johnny Douglas’
score for the 1970 film
The Railway Children.
A talk by the composer’s granddaughter.
Live music from the people of
St Leonards-on-Sea.

Bohemia Creative Quarter Day

Sunday 7 April, 11am-4pm

Music in the shops as you
explore E. Nesbit’s life
in a stamp activity.

Kings Road Street Party

Saturday 30 March, 11am-3pm

On the Saturday of Easter weekend Kings Road becomes one big train-themed party.

2024 Writing Competition

5 – 14 year olds are invited to enter the 2024 festival creative writing competition themed on trains.

What do you love about train journeys, stations, tunnels, ticket offices?

A Town Explores A Book 2024 Trail

The 2024 festival has now closed. Creative responses to E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children were originated by Bohemia Creative Quarter, Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, Four Courts Connect, Hastings and Bexhill Mencap’s Active Arts, Kings Road Traders, Seaview Project, Stitch tlc, Zoom Arts and with the larger station project a collaboration between ExploreTheArch and Southeast Communities Rail Partnership with Network Rail and Southeastern Railway. The downloadable trail map guided festival goers round the outdoor art, indoor exhibitions and activities and street events.

Free Holiday Fun

The festival opens Saturday 30th March 2024 in St Leonards-on-Sea with the Kings Road street party, the opening of the Platform Panel project at St Leonards Warrior Square station and a festival trail across town.

2024 Festival Flyer

The A Town Explores A Book 2024 book choice is E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children.

Explore the book from 30 March – 14 April in two festival street events, the festival art trail with two activity hubs offering week day exhibitions and free family activities and an exhibition at Zoom Arts Gallery accompanying the Station Platform Panel Project.

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