OPINION by Sally Brockway – she has been writing in the Daily Mail about places in Sussex.
This is her view of Eastbourne:
They call it ‘God’s waiting room’, and my London friends were horrified when I announced I was moving to Eastbourne.
They said there’d be nothing to do, and I wouldn’t find my tribe. The truth is, there’s loads to do and 95 per cent of my new friends are DFLs – it feels like Surrey-on-Sea.
What I love about Eastbourne is that parts of it are so clean, it looks as if Mrs Hinch has swept through with a pot of bicarb and a feather duster.
Meads Village, situated at the foot of the Downs, feels like a slice of Twickenham or Teddington and teems with well-heeled pensioners, while the Sovereign Harbour on the other side of town offers the most affordable homes with sea views I’ve ever encountered.
The bit in the middle could do with a bit of TLC, and as with most seaside towns, there is a homelessness problem, which seems to have improved since local MP Josh Babarinde pledged to tackle it.
Even in the winter, there’s something romantic about Eastbourne’s stunning seafront, leading to the rolling South Downs.
And when it’s raining, there are three main theatres and the Towner Art Gallery, where you can see a Turner exhibition for less than a tenner. In fact, everything is cheaper here – haircuts (ex Vidal Sassoon superstar), tradesmen, theatre tickets, etc. DFLs feel like they’ve won the lottery.
It’s not all bridge and bowling either – there’s a growing alternative scene with ecstatic dance classes, drumming workshops and sound baths to be found, plus every form of dance you can imagine. The place is full of pensioners who love to foxtrot!
Eastbourne is as remote as I’m prepared to go. It has all the high street shops, the beach, and the South Downs, plus you can get to London in an hour and a half – if the trains are running. I work from home as a PR and writer, so that’s not a problem for me.
Gentrification is happening, albeit slowly. Port Hotel is like something you might see in Soho. The Glasshouse restaurant on the seafront also has a London vibe, and the Devonshire Park area, aka the town’s cultural centre, has had a £54million facelift, and it shows.
If you ignore the fact that it has two Wetherspoons, no cycle paths along the seafront and roads pitted with potholes, it’s a great place to live. I don’t know why I didn’t move here sooner – but don’t tell everyone or it’ll end up like Brighton.