Tennis Tuesdays - Anne Keothavong Coaches Women Getting Back Into Tennis!

As the action on the courts at Devonshire Park heats up at Aegon International this week, retired tennis star and former British number 1, Anne Keothavong took part in Tennis Tuesdays on Tuesday 23 June;  bringing her skill and expert knowledge to help coach a group of women on a beautiful sunny evening in Eastbourne.

Tennis Tuesdays is an initiative set up by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), in association with Nike, to encourage more women to get back into or to begin playing tennis! Launched this summer, Tennis Tuesday sessions are taking place in towns and cities across the country including Eastbourne at Gildredge Park tennis courts and Fisherman's Green tennis courts.

On Tuesday 23 June, when Anne Keothavong coached 12 women, some who regularly play tennis and others who haven't played in years - but all wanting to improve their game and have fun - VisitEastbourne was invited along to watch!

Anne may have been retired from professional tennis for two years now, but she definitely hasn't lost her trophy-winning skill on the court. It was great to watch the women enjoying tennis, whilst practicing their backhands, deep shots and drop shots and being guided by Anne and the other tennis coaches on the courts.

The women taking part all had a lot of fun and it didn't take long for the competitive streak to come out in some of them. Anne Keothavong was extremely friendly and relaxed, apart from her tremendous skill on the court, no one would have know she was a tennis star, she just seemed like one of the other 12 women having fun and playing tennis on a sunny Tuesday evening. After the session was over, Anne happily answered a few questions for us.

VE: What are your top tennis training tips for women starting out or getting back into tennis?

AK: Just to be open-minded and enjoy the challenge of training, nothing is ever easy but you just have to keep going with it and it will get easier. Be patient when improving your skills, enjoy the training and the more you play the better you'll get. It's also a really nice way to meet and interact with new people.

VE: Have you been enjoying the Aegon International Eastbourne this year?

AK: Yeah it's great, as a retired player I now work for BT Sport as a pundit and commentator so obviously I'm here in a different capacity than I have been in the past. I got to see Johanna Konta win today which was great, and it's amazing to watch some of the junior girls playing excellent tennis; watching the stars of the future is great!

VE: What is your favourite thing about Eastbourne?

AK: As a player I always enjoyed coming here as it's a relaxed atmosphere with superb courts and excellent support.

VE: What is life like for you now that you've retired from tennis?

AK: Well it's been two years since I retired and life has changed quite a bit in those two years. I got married and we're expecting our first child, so very different from the years of professional tennis. Tennis is still very much a big part of my life in my current work, which is really nice. I don't have to spend so much time in airports now which is also great!

With Aegon International Eastbourne being a women's tournament, it's the perfect time to inspire women all over the country to take up tennis. Whether it's to have some fun with friends or to enjoy a bit of competition, Tennis Tuesdays offer an opportunity for women to show their tennis talent, in a sociable environment, helping to remove some of the barriers to sport that women often face.

Anne was lovely to talk to and it was extra special to see her sharing her tennis talent and skill with so many enthusiastic women on Eastbourne's gorgeous grass courts! It definitely inspired us to get the racket out and start hitting them balls on a Tuesday evening this summer!

Learn more about Tennis Tuesdays and Tennis in the Park with the LTA! 

Sussex Day Celebrations in Eastbourne

This 16 June (Tuesday) the whole county will mark Sussex Day to celebrate what a beautiful place Sussex is! With stunning landscapes, a wealth of fascinating history and culture in all corners of the town, Eastbourne offers so much to the county of Sussex, for visitors, international tourists and residents - we certainly have a lot to celebrate.

To mark the special day, Eastbourne’s cultural and heritage hubs, the Redoubt Fortressand the Pavilion, will welcome visitors for a day of free festivities and fun! 

The Napoleonic Redoubt Fortress has free entry all day on Sussex Day and you'll be able to handle objects from displays around the military museum, guided by the helpful museum volunteers. 

A fascinating Carry on Curator talk takes place at 2pm which is also free of charge for this special occasion. “Carry on Curator: Pour la canaille: Faut la mitraille” coincides with the run up to the 200 year anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Come along and meet with museum curator, Damian Etherington for a thrilling interactive discussion about museum artefacts from the Napoleonic era. You'll also have the chance to handle Napoleonic era items and get a new perspective on them. From a Napoleonic General’s jacket and original Times newspapers reporting the Battle of Trafalgar and Waterloo, to a collection of original weapons and more, this is fantastic event not to be missed.

What's more, there will also be two free guided tours (11am and 2.30pm), of the Fortress grounds and the museum. The Napoleonic Fortress was built in the early 1800’s, and it has 24 rooms known as Casemates, at one time it was used to house up to 200 men during times of battle. You can learn lots more interesting facts like this on the guided tours on Sussex Day.

Once you've worked up an appetite from wondering around the fortress grounds making lots of discoveries, then head to the Outpost Cafe where you'll find a special Sussex Day offer of buy one get one free on all hot drinks. You can also tuck into a Sergeants Scone, a Bombardier's Brownie or a Trench Toastie, whilst enjoying the wonderfully vintage themed decor of the Outpost.

For a double whammy of intriguing Eastbourne history and heritage, head to the Pavilion just minutes from the Redoubt and be taken on a guided tour of the extremely interesting Summerdown Camp exhibition. 

During both the tours (11am and 2pm), visitors will learn some of the stories that have been discovered since the exhibition opened in March, as well as hearing more of the personal stories of men and women who recovered and worked at Summerdown convalescent camp in Eastbourne during World War One. 

Sussex Day will be a fantastic day of celebrations for both Eastbourne and the entire county, so please do join us in marking the occasion!

Music and Festivities on Eastbourne's Western Seafront this June

Western View Cafe, if you didn't already know, is the sun trap cafe at Eastbourne's Wish Tower and is the perfect place for catching some rays by the sea.

Making it even more ideal for a relaxing late afternoon drink this Summer, are the Live Music on the Decking nights, which will feature local artists providing great summer sounds in an alfresco setting.

On Sunday 7 June, head to Western View to sit out on the decking, taking in the gorgeous views of Beachy Head and the South Downs whilst sipping on a glass of wine (or bottled beer, whatever your preferred tipple), and listen to the chilled sounds of Owen Donnovan as he performs cover music made for relaxing Summer evenings.

The bar on the decking will be serving a variety of wines, bottled beers, Pimm's and some spirits with mixers. Make the most of Summer in Eastbourne and soak up every last second of your weekend. Look out on VisitEastbourne for further Live Music dates (in the incidence of wet/bad weather the Live Music nights will be cancelled).

At the end of the month, when Summer will be in full swing, the Wish Tower Slopes will be bringing the festival vibes of Glastonbury, to Eastbourne on big Screen on the Green, from 26-28 June.

If you missed out on Glastonbury tickets, Eastbourne will help to cheer you up. Located on the beautiful seafront, the Screen on the Green will bring the atmosphere of the UK's most talked about festival, to Eastbourne.

Bring a blanket or deckchair and relax in front of the big screen, watching the epic Glastonbury line-up of The Foo Fighters, Lionel Ritchie, Kanye West, Florence and the Machine, George Ezra, Rudimental, Mark Ronson and Pharrell Williams, across the weekend. 

On Saturday afternoon, live BBC coverage of the climatic AEGON International ladies' singles final, being played just minutes down the road, will be broadcast on the big screen, making it a fantastic weekend of music and sport on the Wish Tower Slopes.

To complete the festival feel, there will be a fully licensed bar, serving alcoholic beverages and barbecue food so you can stay and watch uninterrupted all afternoon and evening. There will also be a limited number of chairs available, but to make sure you're comfy enough to enjoy the screening, bringing something of you own to sit on is advised. 

The big screen will be in operation from 5.30pm-10.30pm on Friday 26 June, 1pm-10.30pm on Saturday 27 June and 2pm-10pm on Sunday 28 June. The ladies' singles final begins at 1.30pm on Saturday, with Glastonbury footage commencing at the end of the final.