Eastbourne memories
Here are memories of Eastbourne and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Eastbourne or a Eastbourne photo.
Glyndley Manor Hankham
We had many a happy holiday in Eastbourne, staying at Glyndley Manor, an old Elizabethan Manor house, between the years of 1961 and 1970. It had a mounting block in front of the entrance that me and my three sisters used to love climbing on. In the hallway there was a lovely old cabinet with mother-of-pearl inlay. We used to love playing in the grounds. The gong used to be banged when it was time for breakfast or dinner. There was a herony and a dove cote. Our Mum & Dad didn't have a car in the earlier years and we used to walk into Eastbourne along the country lanes with hardly a car passing us.
Proposal
This is where Alan asked me to marry him on a beautiful moonlit evening in January. The weather was mild and the moonlight was shining on the sea making it all silvery. There weren't many people around, just the odd jogger and dog walker as it was a Monday night.
I guessed what was happening as he was so nervous, but due to some advice from my friend Simone I kept quiet for once. He took my hands in his and gave a lovely speech about the year we have spent together and then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.. and of course I said yes. The mischievous side of me was dying to mess around though and pretend otherwise, but I decided that would be too naughty.
Afterwards we walked home, which is close to the seafront and shared a bottle of champagne whilst we called and texted our family and friends with our news. Everyone was very happy... Read more
Our First Home Together.
In September 2007 my partner Alan and I moved into a first floor flat on Tideswell Road directly opposite the church. The fact that the lounge windows overlook the church was the clincher for me when I was viewing the flat for rental. I love the fact that we are not overlooked by other properties which is very unusual for a town centre property. The church itself is a very attractive building and a great piece of architecture. The gardens are smart and well maintained, although small boys sometimes get told off for playing football on the grass. There are now some trees on the pavement around the church which were really pretty when we moved in, dark green and covered in berries (a bit bare at the mo though as its March).
As I am typing this I can see the church out of my window and it hardly looks any different to the photo. Although the picture doesn't relay the size of the building, it is huge!... Read more
Bon Dolphis
I remember Bon Dolphis, it was a rather posh place that as children we used to dream of going through the door and sampling the lovely cakes and at Easter they had giant Easter eggs bigger than us.
Bon Dolphi's Tea Shop ?
Late 1940s vague recollection. Does the name Bon Dolphi ring a bell with anyone out there, as possibly a tea/cake shop, possibly down on sea-front ? I believe it was in Eastbourne but I was only a nipper at the time so could easily be mistaken.
Old Eastbourne
This memory is about the 1960s. Eastbourne was always my favourite seaside resort and I never wanted to go home to Croydon at the end of the day. I told my mum that I lived there a long time ago. Of course I got told "Don't be silly". It was only when I was doing my family history in the 1990s that I found that my ancestors came from the old town in Eastbourne. In fact I had a famous one, the artist John Hamilton Mortimer (my grandad also had this name) through Mr Wtevens (local historian) talking about JHM on Sussex Radio. My mum was also listening to him and suggested that I write to Mr Stevens to see if there was a connection, and wow, did he open up a lot of news about the Mortimers. Through him we traced my Mortimer line back to 1650, and he also put me in touch with my great- grandfather's first marriage descendants in Australia. My Australian relatives visited here in... Read more
Birbeck Engineering Co.
Does anybody remember Birbecks Engineering? and 6" Shell Fuse Bases? If anybody reads this would love to hear from you. Names I recall are :- Nancy, Rose, Rita, Fred Laker, Bert Irvrin, Ted Colley, Ernie Lidyard, Mr Bodkin, Miss Birbeck.
Eastbourne Flower Gardens
My Grandad was foreman of the Carpet Gardens on Eastbourne seafront. He took over from his elder brother who had taken over from their father. They had, as a family, looked after the Carpet Gardens for over a century.
The family name was Cottington. Grampy always told us that when digging over the flower beds they uncovered Roman mosaics. As a tribute to them they copied the design in the flowers.
Just a simple family memory from long ago.
Memories of East Sussex
Bygone Days
Does anybody remember Jean Harradence, Jessie Beard, Peter and John Tyler, and Cherry Gardens before the area was developed arround 1937?
Willingdon Childhood
I was born and raised in Willingdon and lived two doors away from the previous correspondent Ian Friend. I also attended the school referred to as Willingdon Church Hall before a new school was built in Rapsons(?) Road, Lower Willingdon. I have very fond memories of my childhood days there and spent many hours playing and exploring the Downs nearby. The Chalk Pit above Willingdon was a favourite area where I explored for fossils and iron pyrites. One of the unique features of the Downs (I think) was the dew ponds. These were round concave excavations created at appropriate positions at or near the bottom of long slopes. These ponds were created for sheep to drink and accumulated water from dew that condensed when cold air moved down the slopes at night and formed droplets when it drifted over these ponding areas which had retained warmth from the daytime sun. These seemed a very effective idea with no running costs and I used to catch newts and tadpoles in these... Read more
Willingdon Church Hall
Referring to the photograph ref: W446012 I used to attend Sunday School in the pictured church hall from the mid 1950's to 1960 the teacher being Miss Parris. I also went to Cubs at the Memorial hall opposite the church hall (out of picture to the left) at the same time. I remember the A22 being the main road between Eastbourne and London and pre speed limit days there were many fatal accidents on this road, mostly at Lower Willingdon where I lived at 77 Eastbourne Road. I now live in Brisbane, Australia.
Willingdon
My grandparents lived near the British Queen on Eastbourne Road near the tiny grocers store and I have happy memories of spending summer holidays on the downs and Donkeys Hollow picking bluebells. I would love to hear from anyone who can recall the name of the store please. I also used to visit Mr Holter's sweet emporium! What fun.
Mr Holter's Sweet Emporium!
Mr Holter was my grandad! I have great memories of the shop at the triangle but no pictures, can anyone help?
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