All August my friend Robert and I have been planning a trip to Hastings before the summer is out. But the title says London! I hear you cry. Patience, I'll get there.

We went to London instead. Originally we had hoped to go to the beach with a group of friends, inspired by a prior conversation about a past birthday party of mine. When everyone turned out to be working on the days we were free, the list was whittled down to two. So we settled on Hastings and planned, to among other...