Eastbourne - Not Just For Summer
Most years in my life include at least one summer visit to Eastbourne.
This place was always our home from (Kent) home. My parents brought us for family holidays and we continued the summer experience with our own children.
It is only since we moved from countryside to the coast, four years’ ago, that I realised how much more there was to enjoy here in all seasons. Like many new arrivals I made a promise to myself that I would walk across the pebbles and smell the sea every day. In this season of resolutions I’m prepared to forgive myself for lapsing on this lifetime goal. There is so much more to do here.
We’re lucky to live only a ten minute walk from the beach. The bus services along Seaside are very frequent, so trips to the town are often impromptu. Most surprising to me is that it is possible to live so close to beach, or shopping and theatres, but where we still can quickly reach countryside. Sheep graze just ten minutes away, by car, and the green open landscapes of Normans Bay so energising. The cliffs and Downs, and the rockpools of Holywell beaches are a part of the sea-front we never got around to visiting on day trips to Eastbourne, or Pevensey holidays. This chalky landscape is so dramatic, and most fascinating to explore at low tide.
The record hours of sunshine here are well documented, but since moving here, I’ve learned that sunshine is just part of the story. I’ve seen autumn leaves falling on thick snow, snowmen on the beach, twisters out to sea, and so many amazing sky views in all seasons. The Park life, in Eastbourne, is so varied. My home is surrounded by open green spaces and the play areas are always alive with people, of all ages, enjoying the fresh air.
Eastbourne, for me, is a town for all seasons and not always about the beach.
Wendy Ogden
http://wendusworld.blogspot.com