Top 5 most haunted places in Eastbourne!

This week we have a fantastic guest blogger who's written a brilliant in sight into Eastboune's haunted past and the ghost's that are said to roam the land - oooooooh spooky!

With Halloween fast approaching why not take a visit to one of Eastbourne's top 5 spookiest places.

Beachy Head:

By day the stunning south down cliffs make for a beautiful scenic walk, by night the strange happenings are enough to scare anyone off. Do you dare take a moonlit walk, with some unexpected company?

It has been reported on many occasions that harmless walkers have been greeted by some spooky guests. The most commonly reported is the Grey Lady who has been seen walking along the cliffs, she has been said to approach walkers, and most people mistake her for a harmless passer by, until she suddenly vanishes into thin air. One dog walker was taking an evening stroll when the lady approached him, lent over to stroke his petrified dog that ran off howling, and then disappeared in front of his eyes.

There is also the Monk in black who is said to beckon people to their death, although no known monastery has ever been discovered on the downs. He is said to appear from no where and calmly point to the edge of the cliffs.

Would you take the risk of meeting one of these two on a misty evening on the cliffs?

Royal Hippodrome Theatre:

The Victorian theatre, built in 1883, has so much history and being the oldest theatre in town there are bound to be some creepy spirits. The building has been host to many play, musicals and variety shows, who knows who is left walking the creaky boards.

There are said to be a few ghosts who haunt the historic walls, a lady has been spotted sitting in the grand circle harmlessly watching rehearsals and she will occasionally visit the stage when it's quieter, no one knows her identity or why she still visits the building.

Some people have reported being pushed and grabbed by unexplained forces, and then feeling the atmosphere around them gets remarkably colder.

Pevensey Castle:

Having been host to many battles, at Pevensey Castle you are definitely going to feel the presence of something. Many people have said to have seen the ghost of Lady Pelham who has been seen walking the crumbling walls at dust, elegantly gliding and then suddenly disappearing. In 1976, 4 young boys were left petrified after they reported seeing her, could you handle being that close to a ghost?

The dungeons of the castle are very claustrophobic and no one knows what went on in them, dogs refuse to stand anywhere near the stairs let alone venture into the dungeons. Let your imagination take over!

Gildredge Manor (Gildredge Road):

This manor, a former art gallery, belonged to a local reverend until he died and it was taken over by the local council. Medieval marks were found on the cellar walls and local architects had no clues as to where they came from or who had done them. To this day they are still unexplained. Maybe they come from the people whose voices you can still hear around the building. Staff at the former art gallery have said they have often heard muffled conversations when the gallery was closed, and clear footsteps, after searches no one has ever been found.

There are many hidden rooms in the manor house, which got blocked off when the gallery was converted. Who knows what lurks behind those walls.

Redoubt Fortress:

The fortress was built in the 19^th century as a defence against the threat of invasion from Napoleon. It was also used in the first and second world war as a base for troops and also possibly a prison/interrogation centre. With all the history and unused casemates there must be some unexplained events. Ghost walks are now being hosted at this historical location, who knows what you might discover.

Other sightings at the fortress reportedly include a strange crouching man on the gun platform, the mysterious woman in a white gown and also an eerie figure walking through the cell walls. However one of the most common reports is of cold and uneasy feelings in the cells and in particular casemate 11!

That's it for now folks, so keep those eye's peeled and let us know if you have any stories of your own or spot anything extra ordinary! 

Curators Talk For The Lyons Teashops Lithographs at Towner

Join the exhibition curator for a walk and talk through The Lyons Teashops Lithographs: Art In A Time Of Austerity on Thursday 12 September at 12.30pm.

Visitors will be able to hear the fascinating story of how 29 of the 40 lithographs were discovered in a corner of the old Towner Art Gallery’s collection store, and through careful conservation restored to their former glory. The talk will then go on to show how the team acquired the rest of the set to make it complete.

Guests will also learn about the history of the lithograph project and the artists involved, including John Lake who was Curator of the Towner Art Gallery at the time of his commission in 1947.

The talk is free to visitors with an entry ticket to The Lyons Teashop Lithographs exhibition. Entry to the exhibition is £5.50 for adults and £4 for concessions, members free.

The talk takes place at Towner on 12 September at 12.30pm, for more information go to www.townereastbourne.org.uk

The Lyons Teashop Lithographs: Art in a time of Austerity

Post-war British artists including Edward Bawden, John Piper, David Gentleman, John Minton, William Scott, Duncan Grant, John Nash and L .S. Lowry form part of The Lyons Teashops Lithographs: Art in a Time of Austerity. The exhibition celebrates Towner’s collection of the complete set of 40 lithographs commissioned by catering giant J. Lyons & Co. to combat the wartime decline in the interiors of their famous Lyons Teashops, compounded by a post-war lack of decorating materials.

Through the company’s enterprising approach to arts patronage and interior decoration, the cream of modern British art was for the first time accessible to a wider public in 200 Lyons Teashops nationwide.

Towner’s exhibition presents all three series of lithographs – commissioned between 1946-1955 - together with a selection of the original paintings and working drawings.  Whilst some of the artists were able to produce their own lithographs, others created watercolour, oil, gouache, pen and ink, or collaged works that were then turned into the final lithograph. The works were produced on a large enough scale to conceal the faded teashop decors. War artists, Royal College of Art alumni, and well-known and emerging practitioners were chosen to produce tasteful works of art that would appeal to the typical Lyons Teashop The Lyons Teashops Lithographs are a key legacy of these pioneering times, the last Teashop having closed its doors in 1981.

In addition, the Towner café has been transformed to give a special Lyons – inspired experience of “tea and slice of art” where the café will have its very own ‘Nippie’!

Free Entry and Fireworks Brings a Spectacular Close to Proms on the Lawn

Fans of Last Night of the Proms can look forward to FREE entry to the live screening and fireworks in Eastbourne this Saturday 7 September, as Proms on the Lawn provides a stunning musical finale live on the big screen!

With live music on the seafront Western Lawns in the afternoon from classical string quartet Ensemble Reza, the countdown begins to the live BBC screening at 7.30pm featuring traditional flag waving favourites such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. 
A fantastic firework finale will follow the concert to bring a spectacular end to the evening.

The event will kick off with Ensemble Reza at 3.45pm featuring a wealth of talent, with members having performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, to name but a few.  For this concert, Ensemble Reza will also be joined by Jane Haughton – one of Britain’s finest mezzo-sopranos, having sung with the Royal Opera House.

The group will be performing a programme that will have the audience dancing in their seats. From all singing sea shanties and jazzy Gershwin hits to the more sublime classical works, including Vivaldi’ Four Seasons, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op 16 No 1, George Butterworth’s ‘Love Blows as the Wind Blows, as well as pieces by Dvorak, Berlioz and lesser known Greek dances.

The live screening from the Royal Albert Hall follows, beginning at 7.30pm with Nigel Kennedy and Joyce DiDonato the star soloists in the programme which picks up both sea-faring and transatlantic themes.  It will begin with the world premiere of a celebratory new work by Anna Clyne, a rare performance of Britten’s 1967 overture for chorus and orchestra ‘The Building of the House’, a touch of Broadway magic and female conductor Marin Alsop takes charge, becoming the first woman to ever conduct the Last Night!

Gates open at 3pm on Saturday 7 September on the Western Lawns with Ensemble Reza starting the show at 3.45pm followed by live BBC footage on the big screen from 7.30pm. The evening will then finish with a Fireworks Finale at approximately 10.45pm.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their own blankets, chairs, lights and red, white and blue for what is sure to be a rousing afternoon and evening of a great British tradition. A full licensed bar and catering is available at the event.

Entry for this event is now free.  Existing ticket holders can obtain refunds from the Congress Theatre Box Office or by telephoning 01323 412000. 
For more information on all events visit VisitEastbourne.com.