SPOTLIGHT: How people power saved Fisherman’s Green
The controversy over plans to earmark the seafront site for housebuilding involved thousands of residents’ objections and the intervention of a Cabinet minister. It has now been taken off the list. We unpick what happened and talk to the women who successfully campaigned against the proposals Fiona Mullen and her neighbours had prepared for a […]
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SPOTLIGHT: How safe is our sea water?
We plunge into the murky waters of storm overflow – or sewage dumping, depending on your point of view, for a long read on what is happening to our coast. We talk to those on both sides of the argument about how Southern Water operates the sewerage system as we examine the controversy. The quality […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Who goes sea swimming in January?
AS THE cold snap persists and daytime temperatures barely edge above zero, most of us wrap up in thermal layers to take a few lungfuls of cold air before scuttling back to central heating. But there are people, who can be glimpsed on the beach, who take a very different view. The members of Eastbourne […]
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SPOTLIGHT: ‘I am human. I want to study and I want to work’, says asylum seeker in Eastbourne
AS controversy continues about the placement of asylum seekers in hotels around the country – including at six hotels in Eastbourne – I spoke to one young Iraqi who has arrived on the East Sussex coast after a tortuous two-year journey across Europe. ALI is 22 years old. He tells me his story of endurance, […]
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SPOTLIGHT: What inspires the artists who welcome us into their homes?
WHEN socks or yet another scented candle just doesn’t cut it at Christmas, an original piece of art or craft from an independent artist might fit that gift-shaped hole. And when those independent artists invite you into their own homes and studios to see the work, it’s a great way to avoid over-heated over-busy shops […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Small change, big difference
The challenges facing the planet can seem overwhelming as we sit and watch David Attenborough’s latest BBC documentary on a Sunday night talk about melting glaciers and struggling penguins. What on earth can we, as a single individual, do? Will it make a difference in the global scheme of climate change if we don’t […]
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SPOTLIGHT: A new lease of life for landmark
The landmark building which housed former department store T J Hughes sprang back into life this week as the venue for a host of community projects under one roof. Christian charity Living Life Eastbourne has been granted a one-year rolling lease and plans to use it extensively as a charity retail store, a warm space […]
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SPOTLIGHT: St Mary’s bell ringers – the hidden heroes of Royal mourning
WE have witnessed many ancient traditions and protocols in the past week following the death of the Queen. There has been the proclamation of accession to the Privy Council, sombre vigils by the coffin and the hearse inching through streets lined with thousands of people. The tolling of bells in churches around the country is […]
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SPOTLIGHT: How the Queen built her life on a foundation of faith
WHEN the Queen wrote a letter to the nation earlier this year to mark 70 years since her accession to the throne, many people highlighted her wish that Camilla should be known as Queen Consort when Charles became king. What fewer people might have noticed was that it was signed ‘Your Servant Elizabeth’. It is […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Historic proclamation of the new king
A large crowd gathered in the September sunshine today at Eastbourne Town Hall to hear the official proclamation of King Charles III. The road was closed as residents gathered at barriers in front of the town hall steps to hear the mayor read the proclamation. Councillor Pat Rodohan read the formal proclamation before pronouncing ‘God […]
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