EXCLUSIVE: There’s one factor I did not handle to do within the city, and it makes me wish to return.
I visited Eastbourne on a sunny winter day (Picture: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Getting off at Eastbourne railway station immediately gave me a sense of calm I desperately wanted. Because the a lot quieter neighbour of Brighton, the city has an attractive seashore, quiet streets and a pier that instantly stands out in opposition to the shoreline. Sometimes called ‘God’s Ready Room’, Eastbourne is undeniably beloved by pensioners. Visiting final winter, I noticed and spoke to many older residents having fun with gradual walks down the excessive avenue and alongside the seafront regardless of the chilly climate. In 2022, 24% of the inhabitants in Eastbourne was aged 65 and over, larger than the England common of 19%.
However whereas the nickname could counsel someplace sleepy and uneventful, Eastbourne nonetheless stunned me. Beneath the calm ambiance is a city making an attempt to steadiness its conventional seaside allure with modern-day issues. Many locals instructed me they liked Eastbourne for being quiet and tranquil, although a number of additionally complained about rising homelessness and crime, significantly shoplifting.
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Eastbourne’s pier at dawn (Picture: Getty)
You possibly can stroll to Seven Sisters from Eastbourne (Picture: Getty)
Eastbourne’s excessive avenue was filled with pensioners strolling round (Picture: Jonathan Buckmaster)
View from the pier on Eastbourne’s outdated resorts (Picture: Getty)
Conservative councillor Robert Sensible, a pensioner himself, is nicely conscious of Eastbourne’s issues. Assembly on the seafront Bandstand – a significant out of doors stay music venue dubbed “the busiest Bandstand on planet earth” – he acknowledged that extra must be executed to deal with shoplifting, calling for extra frontline policing and higher CCTV protection.
In entrance of him, the pier stretched into the ocean as he defined why Eastbourne nonetheless deserves its “Sunshine Coast” label. In response to Mr Sensible, the city has a “wealth of services” for older residents and guests, together with the Devonshire Quarter theatres, year-round cultural occasions, choirs, church communities, golf and even a top-tier worldwide tennis match.
“It is a fantastic place to be a pensioner right here,” he mentioned, including that Eastbourne appeals to excess of simply retirees. He additionally highlighted the compact city centre and its walkable nature as main benefits.
Not each resident believes Eastbourne is declining both. Jean Pertlove, 90, instructed me she moved to the city after dropping her husband and eager to be nearer to mates. She recalled being nicely cared for from the second she arrived, even having a cancerous lump eliminated shortly after settling in.
“They’d executed it after I moved right here, it was taken away,” she mentioned.
For Jean, life in Eastbourne is “alright, not too unhealthy”. She mentioned she feels usually secure and enjoys strolling by the seashore and holding in contact with neighbours, though she avoids going out at night time. Concerning the issues about rising crime, she mentioned she personally has not witnessed it herself.
Eastbourne hosts a widely known skilled tennis match (Picture: Getty)
Regardless of its sleepy status, Eastbourne Pier stays one of many city’s greatest points of interest. Named the seventh-best pier in Britain, it’s precisely what you need from a conventional British seaside landmark. Stretching elegantly into the ocean since 1872, the Victorian construction is lined with amusement arcades, meals stalls and uninterrupted sea views, managing to really feel nostalgic with out turning into cheesy.
Eastbourne could by no means have the thrill or nightlife of Brighton, however that’s precisely its attraction. The city feels slower, calmer and extra comfy in its personal identification. And whereas there are clearly challenges beneath the postcard-perfect seafront, the world-renowned Eastbourne Open tennis match, going down in June, makes it someplace I might fortunately return to.
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