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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
SPOTLIGHT: Appeal hearing over homes plan
In-depth report on three-day Mornings Mill Farm inquiry FEELINGS ran high at the Mornings Mill Farm appeal hearing into a planned development of 700 homes on farmland in Willingdon, near the South Downs, which ended this week. Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell made an impassioned plea that the proposal at Mornings Mill Farm should be rejected […]
SPOTLIGHT: A fun-filled summer to remember
The long, hot school summer holidays end this week in a rush of sorting pencil cases, squeezing sun-kissed feet into new shoes and the shock of trying to leave the house before 8.30am. Early September can come as a mixture of regret and relief as the normal routine reasserts. For children who love the long […]
SPOTLIGHT: The ancient farmland which may disappear under 700 homes
John Pritchett pauses beneath the avenue of centuries-old oaks at Mornings Mill Farm with panoramic views of the South Downs towards Butts Brow. He looks up into the tree canopy and thinks back to when he worked the farm in Lower Willingdon. “I used to walk down this path after work in summer and there […]
SPOTLIGHT: Matthew 25 Mission in Eastbourne – where everybody knows your name
An enormous pan of beans is gently heating on a large stove. Next to it, gravy is coming to simmering point while a giant cauldron of potatoes bubbles away on a third gas ring. It’s Monday morning at the Matthew 25 Mission in Eastbourne and sausage, mash and onion gravy is on the menu for […]
REVIEW: Where the grass is always greener
There is one modest oasis of green among the baked yellow-brown lawns which lie dormant under the relentless sun. The grass at Motcombe Gardens is still the correct English summer green. It is a startling sight to drought-weary visitors as a hosepipe ban comes into force. I only noticed this verdant phenomenon, pictured below, when looking […]
SPOTLIGHT: The life-giving shed at Hampden Park
Janet is wrestling with a skirt – and winning. Claire is positioning an extremely small washing line next to a tiny house. And three women sit chatting in another corner as they meticulously cut, align and realign pieces of glass to their satisfaction. They sit in a former shop unit, surrounded by teetering piles of […]
SPOTLIGHT: Digging for history
Stand high on the South Downs at Butts Brow and you can try to imagine what it was like for our predecessors thousands of years ago. Their gaze would have taken in sparkling sea on two sides and rolling hills, curving down to valleys. Forests would have covered much of the land but the shape […]