Discovering Hello Kitty World at Drusillas

Visiting Drusillas 12 July 2014

I've taken my nephews to Drusillas a few times before so they were extremely excited when I said we were going again. There are so many areas in the park which they love and with one aged 3 and one aged 5, there are so many things for both to enjoy!

We are big fans of Drusillas and were intrigued and excited to see the new Hello Kitty Secret Garden!

Being boys, I knew there would be the odd comment on Hello Kitty being ‘for girls’ but they were still very excited to see the new rides and even more so when they saw ‘Dear Daniel’ was part of it, meaning they could sit in a blue teacup!

In fact, their particular favourites were the teacups and the cars which were perfect for both ages (along with us adults who certainly enjoyed it too!).

I was also surprised at how quickly we were able to get on the rides, especially on such a sunny, busy day. A real bonus! 

We didn’t manage to fit in facepaints and temporary tattoos this time but I know the kids will like it. We thought it was a great idea and saw quite a few children there who were very pleased with their designs!

Hello Kitty Secret Garden certainly gave an added touch to the park after visiting the wonderful zoo, outdoor and indoor play area, riding on Thomas The Tank Engine and so much more!

The zoo is one of our favourite parts of Drusillas and we were lucky enough to see one of the beautiful Red Panda’s this time! We hear that the duo, Mulan and Tibao have since welcomed their offspring!

Thanks for having us Drusillas, we’ll look forward to coming again soon.

Guest Blogger

Find out more at www.drusillas.co.uk

We’ll Leave Slalom To The Experts - Eastbourne Extreme 2014

Yesterday, 8 July 2014, a few of us at Visit Eastbourne had the pleasure of attending My Skate World for a lesson and practice in Slalom skating in preparation for Eastbourne Extreme this weekend.

To say there is some talent there is an understatement! We were so impressed with the children and marshals there, with some children just 3 years old and skating far better than us!

We were taught the basics before trying to glide in and out of cones, going backwards, limbo-ing and racing and had an absolutely great time!

We had the pleasure of meeting one of Eastbourne’s young skaters who will be competing this weekend at the Extreme World Slalom Series, with hopes of representing GB in Paris later in the year! We stood in awe of how talented she was as she sped in and out of cones on one foot kneeling down and practically dancing around the arena, performing fantastic tricks.

Others that attended the session were also skating sideways, backwards and anyway their feet would go at great speed, performing freestyle Slalom and all with great ease. As we spoke to the marshals after our session, it was clear that many of the skaters go on a weekly basis and improve their skills with others. The marshals are there to help and were great teachers to us! We hope to see many of them on Fisherman's Green this weekend for the World Series Slalom competition!

My Skate World is located at 16A unit 5 Maple Road, Eastbourne, and runs after school sessions and roller discos! We would like to thank the team for having us and hope the weekend goes well! Maybe with a bit more practice we might be able to come again and show off some tricks!

Check out the film we took while we were there, using our Go Pro’s! 

Watch Film!

Eastbourne Extreme takes place this weekend 12-13 July on the Eastern end of the seafront with the World Series Slalom competition, Roller Derby, BMX skates and scooter competitions, demo’s, windsurfing, paddle boarding, VW display, taster sessions at Spray Water Sports, Zorb arena, funfair and so much more!

Music fans will enjoy a whole weekend of entertainment near Princes Park entrance with music starting at 11.15 both days. Saturday kicks off with Grasshopper, Emperor The Stag, DUB N TUFF, Saint Apache and Master Kush’s circus. Then Sunday will see Fallow Deer, Strange Cages, The Piercings and Knocksville.

The Beatroots, formerly known as Beve & The Beatroots, will play on the music stage from 5.30pm to 7pm on Sunday, taking fans straight into the World Cup final which will be shown live on the Big Screen in Princes Park with the match starting at 8pm. Screen on the Green will also show the third place playoff match from 9pm on Saturday evening.


We can’t wait and we’ll see you all there from 11am both days! For more information go to www.eastbourneextreme.co.uk 

The Big Sea Swim – Interview with Jenny Horridge

The Big Sea Swim takes place this Saturday 12 July in Eastbourne from the lifeguard beach for the third time. The swim is categorised into two distances; 1k and 3k and fundraising supports the MCS to continue their work protecting the fabulous seas, shores and wildlife around the UK and beyond. Registration closes at 5pm on Wednesday 9 July so there is still time to participate! It costs £25 for the 1km and £30 for the 3km swim and the organisers hope that swimmers will fundraise as much as possible to help our beach and coast. Top fundraisers will receive prizes too!

We spoke to a member of our team who is taking part in the race; Jenny Horridge about the event and here’s what she said…

What attracted you to take part in the Big Sea Swim?

I have been swimming seriously for the last two years and realised I had never entered a race before. This event came up and I thought the 1k would be a great distance for my first sea swim. So I thought I’d give it a go and raise some money at the same time.

How have you trained for this?

I train once a week at David Lloyd leisure centre with the Masters swimming club as well as swimming an extra two sessions a week on my own. As this is a sea event I have also been swimming in the sea once a week for the last month. Coincidently I swim the same route as the Big Sea Swim so hopefully I will be prepared.

How cold has the water been?

The water has been bearable and it is definitely warmer than a month ago. It’s still quite cold when you get in but it’s lovely after a few minutes and we are very lucky to have such a lovely coast.

With the proceeds going towards keeping the beach and water clean, is there anything you would like to see improved on our seafront?

We’ve got a lovely seafront so this is a great way to keep it that way. I often hear visitors talking about how clean our beaches are so this is a fantastic way to keep doing so. I am very confident swimming off Eastbourne beaches and it is always great to see so many others taking the plunge every year.

Providing it goes well, do you think you will take part in next year’s event?

Yes I definitely hope I will take part again. It’s a great event and as it’s local for me I will make sure it is an annual thing. Who knows, I might do the 3k next year if all goes well!

With the sea on our doorstep, do you enjoy swimming in the sea regularly?

I have always gone in the sea but I only started proper sea swimming about a year ago when I was persuaded by friends at the Masters club. Although it is harder than swimming in a pool, I really enjoyed it and it is gone from there really. I absolutely love it now and hope to keep it up!

What are your feelings about the event this Saturday?

I’m very excited to take part but also slightly nervous as it is my first one. I think the hardest bit will be entering the water and going round the buoys. Once I’ve got going I think I’ll be fine and thrilled to finish.

Thanks Jenny for telling us about the event and how you are preparing for it, we wish you the best of luck and of course good luck to all the other swimmers keeping our coast clean and safe!!!

For more information on the Big Sea Swim please go to www.visiteastbourne.com