I am on annual leave these last two weeks of January 2021. Like a lot of other people during this pandemic, I should have been elsewhere in the world. So we had to re-think. Plan B was a road trip to take in a few of these:
Then a third lockdown has meant staying in our home town. So plan C came into force and we took a walk and did these:
Eastbourne Borough, Eastbourne Town and Eastbourne United.
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”
– Paul Theroux
Every colour of the rainbow visible.
‘Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.’
Look to the Rainbow. Finian’s Rainbow (Musical fantasy , 1968)
Somewhere over there might be a better 2021 for us all.
This was at the Martello Tower (small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards) at Seaford, East Sussex. Interesting!
As a post script to this post an old naval friend contacted me with a bit more information:
“It was flown first in the West Indies when the place was full of yellow fever by the Royal Navy but now it’s flown for other contagious disease.”
Today was a trip down the coast to Hastings. The town lies between two hills- East and West. It was attacked by the French during the Hundred Years War. The architecture is a fascinating mish-mash of styles ranging from Medieval to Victorian times.
The old town high street (George Street) is a diverse mix of antiquity and modern cosmopolitan. There are cute narrow twittens running off the Main Street up into the cliffs.
Enjoy a game of open air chess in the Old Town square.
Hastings has a thriving fishing community. It’s fleet is the largest in Europe that is launched from a beach as opposed to a quay or harbour.
A local character?
Lastly Hastings was the birthplace of Grey Owl, a pioneer Of Canada conservation- said to have saved the Canadian beaver from extinction.
…Oh Sussex, Sussex by the Sea!
Good old Sussex by the Sea!
You may tell them all we stand or fall,
For Sussex by the Sea.
(Refrain) SUSSEX BY THE SEA William Ward-Higgs 1907.
Sussex born and bred I adore my county.
Bonfire Prayers
Remember, remember the Fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot,
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament,
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match,
Holler boys, holler boys, ring bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God Save the King!
A penny loaf to feed the Pope
A farthing o’cheese to choke him,
A pint of beer to rinse it down
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar
Burn him like a blazing star,
Burn his body from his head
Then we’ll say old Pope is dead.
Hip Hip Hoorah!
Hip Hip Hoorah!
Hip Hip Hoorah!
(Unknown).
Lewes Bonfire celebrations, held in the county town of Lewes in East Sussex are probably the largest and most famous Bonfire Night festivities in the UK. Not only do they mark Guy Fawkes Night – the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 – but also the memory of the seventeen Protestant Martyrs from the town burned at the stake for their faith in the sixteenth century, as part of the Marian persecutions of Protestants during the reign of Mary I .
The main procession is made up of seven separate societies putting on six separate processions and firework displays throughout Lewes on 5 November. As well as this, 25–30 societies from all around Sussex come to Lewes on the night to march the streets, which potentially can mean up to 5,000 people taking part in the celebrations, and up to 80,000 spectators attending in a county market town with a significantly smaller population.
Sadly this year celebrations will not be taking place due to Covid-19 restrictions and the new Lockdown measures in England- fingers crossed for next year.
Meanwhile take a look at the link below, taken from YouTube for a taste of the evening.
‘…if you love what you’re doing, you can’t stop. It’s obsessive.’
Labrinth.
Sunday 25th October saw Funky Blue back on their first gig since Lockdown in March. Held at the Grove Theatre in Eastbourne, East Sussex in front of an invited audience this intimate gig showed that nothing had been lost in Lockdown.
Many of us have missed live music in 2020 and this felt like a small step in a positive direction. The venue felt safe to be in with all Covid measures in place. Thank you Grove Theatre Eastbourne.
Have a look at the night here…
‘Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore’
Andre Gide
Even the humble shores of Newhaven in East Sussex. Newhaven ferry port overlooks the English Channel, one of the busiest shipping channels in the world. It is located on the south coast of England in the county of Sussex at the mouth of the river Ouse. It is the closest port to London with Ferry links to France, and is ideally placed between the seaside resorts of Brighton and Eastbourne with quick and easy access to the rest of the UK.
http://www.newhavenferryport.co.uk/
On my way to work I pass this ferry. The pull to hop on and cross the channel is always there!
By Christina Rossetti
Stumbled across this guy on a walk at the weekend. So had to do another Goblin Market post…!
‘…
So without further parleying,
If you will not sell me any
Of your fruits though much and many,
Give me back my silver penny
I toss’d you for a fee.”—
They began to scratch their pates,
No longer wagging, purring,
But visibly demurring,
Grunting and snarling.
One call’d her proud,
Cross-grain’d, uncivil;
Their tones wax’d loud,
Their looks were evil.
Lashing their tails
They trod and hustled her,
Elbow’d and jostled her,
Claw’d with their nails,
Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking,
Tore her gown and soil’d her stocking,
Twitch’d her hair out by the roots,
Stamp’d upon her tender feet,
Held her hands and squeez’d their fruits
Against her mouth to make her eat…’
(Extract)
The Long Man of Wilmington situated on the South Downs in Sussex.
Formerly thought to originate in the Iron Age or even the neolithic period, a 2003 archaeological investigation has shown that the figure may have been cut in the Early Modern era – the 16th or 17th century AD. The Long Man is one of two extant human hill figures in East Sussex; the other is the Litlington White Horse, also in East Sussex.
Another autumn walk for us on a bright Sunday on the Sunshine Coast.
Charcoal burning is one of the world’s oldest crafts dating back to pre-Roman times. It has a long history in the High Weald, being used in the production of iron from the time of the Roman occupation. Low value, coppiced or ‘waste’ wood is normally used for charcoal production.
http://www.highweald.org › local-products
An wet autumn walk in the High Weald and a bit of history about ancient woodland.
Ents are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Old English word for giant.
en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ent
I like to think that Sheffield Park Gardens in East Sussex has its own Ents.
Autumn walk and trees and toadstools. Magical season.
A few weeks ago we walked to Rottingdean.
Rottingdean is a village in the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England. In the background of the picture is Beacon Mill, a smock Mill built in 1802 for the purpose of grinding corn. It is a Three-storey smock with a single-storey base, eight sides, four patent sails, a cast iron wind shaft and fantail winding.
Dean’ in a place name means valley. ‘Rottingdean’ means ‘valley of Rota’s people’ . Rota was probably the name of a Saxon invader, driving out the existing Romano- British settlers.
So from Saxon origins to a quintessentially English seaside village, Rottingdean is well worth a passing visit.
We spent Bank Holiday Monday at Bodiam Castle on the Kent/ Sussex border. It was built by Sir Edward Dallingridge c. 1385.
Sir Edward was born into the minor gentry c. 1346. Lady Elizabeth, sir Edwards wife, was a key figure in the castle’s history. She was heiress to the land of Bodiam and considerably wealthy to boot! Upon marriage Sir Edward was entitled to her land and money, which helped him to build the castle. A castle the size of Bodiam was large enough to house up to eighty servants.
On a natural note the castle plays host to bats, particularly the largest Daubenton maternity roost in England as well as well as a maternity roost of Natterer’s bats.
The castle stands alongside the River Rother and there is a beautiful walk following the river. The Tenterden to Bodiam railway also runs alongside the Castle stretch. There is nothing nicer than walking alongside the river with the castle on one side and the steam train passing by on the other. East Sussex is diverse and beautiful.
