SPOTLIGHT: Helping families stay in the town they love
The average house price in Eastbourne is edging towards £300,000, which makes property owning a distant dream for many families. The most recent government figures show a rise of nearly 15% in house prices in Eastbourne in the 12 months to April 2022. This takes the average price from £258,000 to nearly £296,000 – an […]
SPOTLIGHT: Why is it so hard to find an NHS dentist in Eastbourne?
The number of courses of NHS dental treatment given to Eastbourne patients has halved since before the first lockdown. Many people new to the town are struggling to find dentists who will take NHS patients. The British Dental Association (BDA) says this is partly due to the closure of dentists in lockdown and limits on […]
REVIEW: Old Town Recreation Ground, Eastbourne
‘The Rec’ means, as we all know, a recreation ground. And ‘the Rec’ also often means a rectangle of bare ground, tufts of grass, maybe a climbing frame, possibly some crooked goal posts, often a weed-spattered stretch of tarmac which may be meant for ball games. It frequently connotes an urban spot, populated with imbibers […]
SPOTLIGHT: Transforming lives with free computers
Chris Hunnisett is very clear about what he has achieved: “I have saved lives – I know I have.” The 51-year-old has worked voluntarily for many years refurbishing donated computers to give to people who cannot afford to buy one. But his project – Tubbs Computer Supplies – is at risk if he cannot attract […]
REVIEW: The Sovereign Centre, Eastbourne
A large part of Eastbourne’s charm is that it doesn’t trouble itself with any more of the 21st century that it absolutely has to. So there is an airy new extension to the shopping centre and pale-brick pavement and road combo, but still plenty of very English cafes serving stuff with beans and B&Bs which […]
SPOTLIGHT: Life on the ‘Grow Eastbourne’ allotment
A SMALL group of people sit on logs under the welcome shade of an old apple tree at the end of an allotment. There is banter and plans for a Friday evening get-together (‘bring beer!’) and it seems like a sociable break from a spot of planting, weeding and watering. The plot has flourishing potatoes […]
REVIEW: Top deck of the 12X bus from Eastbourne to Brighton
By Rebecca Maer There are three main reasons to travel by bus to Brighton rather than drive: 1. The ability to gaze lingeringly at rolling downland, a coastal panorama and the skyscape without a head-on collision 2. The voyeuristic frisson from the top deck with a grandstand view of other people’s gardens and, if you’re […]
SPOTLIGHT: Where do we go from here on seafront cycling?
In the final section of our three part series looking at why there is no safe Eastbourne seafront cycling route along the entire beachfront, we talk to the local authorities involved. We ask Eastbourne Borough Council and East Sussex County Council about the way ahead as we face a climate emergency THERE are two parts […]
SPOTLIGHT: “I am not optimistic about anything changing very quickly”
A wide view of Eastbourne promenade looking west to Beachy Head
SPOTLIGHT: Why can’t you cycle along most of Eastbourne seafront?
There is no immediate end in sight to the decades-long battle to overturn a ban on cycling along most of Eastbourne seafront. In part one of this three-part series, we review what has happened (and not happened) so far You can drive to Eastbourne seafront and park by the Wish Tower, within just 20 metres of […]