As the Redoubt Fortress kicks-off its 2016 Culture and Cake season tomorrow, we talk to Heritage Eastbourne Service Manager, Jo Seaman to discuss all the exciting and interesting subjects to be discovered during the series this year!
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| Jo Seaman in his most natural 'excavation' habitat. |
Q - What is the
objective and purpose behind the Culture and Cake series and what will visitors
get out of the events?
A - The Culture and Cake series offers a
different kind of talk in an informal setting, where visitors can discover the
untold stories of Eastbourne or can find out the story behind some of the
amazing objects in our collections and the Redoubt Fortress itself!
Q - How were
this year’s subjects for Culture and Cake talks decided and for what reasons?
A - The talks
were carefully chosen to reflect some of the other things Heritage Eastbourne
is doing this year and also in response to feedback received after last year’s
series.
Q - How are Culture
and Cakes events conducted?
A - The Culture
and Cake talks take place in one of the Casemates in the atmospheric Redoubt
Fortress, followed by cake and a hot drink in the Outpost and a chance to chat
to the speaker about the talk.
Q - The first
in the series “Learning to Live with Ghosts” takes place this Saturday (16 April), what
will the talk teach people about WW1?
A - This talk
will take an in depth look at how Vera Brittain changed lives after the First World
War and discuss the effect the lost generation had on the nation.
Q - "Health,Wealth and Happiness" in August discusses Eastbourne’s rise to becoming a
flourishing seaside resort town throughout history. How does an Eastbourne
seaside holiday today, differ from seaside holidays in Eastbourne 100 years
ago?
A - Seaside
Holidays have changed massively, in some ways beyond recognition. We are
returning to the sporting holiday idea though! Seaside holidays were
first popular for the so called 'Health Tourists', visiting the coast to reap the
benefits of the sea air and sea bathing. It soon changed to appeal to the
sporting family, enjoying a game of tennis, cycling around the parks and
strolling along the prom. There are so many more things to do on holiday in
Eastbourne now, Eastbourne’s early holiday makers were left to their own
devices and occupied their time with leisurely pursuits. Now, we’ve got lots of theatres, heritage attractions, leisure centres and so much more.
Q - In July, "Culture and Cake: Once Upon a Time" uncovers the
story behind 10 archaeological discoveries in Eastbourne. Can you tell us a
little about some of those amazing discoveries - and which discovery, in
your opinion is the most fascinating?
A - There really have been so
many amazing discoveries made in Eastbourne over the years, but it is only
recently that we have started to put these stories together as a cohesive
narrative. This story is getting bigger and more exciting each time a new
site is investigated or an old one reanalysed and at the same time we are
finding more and more about what this area was like in the past. All
archaeological work reveals something new and unique, even if it is the simple
fact that there was actually nothing going on at a given spot! But the
discoveries we will be looking at range from prehistoric hippos and elephants
found near what is now Terminus Road, to lost Medieval manor houses and much
more besides, in short we will be looking at what has been going on round here
in the past 200 million years or so! All of the discoveries are fascinating, but the one
that still intrigues me most is 'Beachy Head Lady', a skeleton rediscovered after
being in storage for over a century and who has presented us with evidence of
the earliest identified sub-Saharan African in Britain, her story must have
been a remarkable one but you will have to come to the talk to learn more!
Q - Culture and Cake in September, "The Discovery of a Lifetime" delves into the discovery of a Bronze Age site
here in Eastbourne, which is also the basis for the current exhibition at the
Pavilion. What can people learn at the talk, which they couldn’t by visiting the
exhibition?
A - Although the exhibition is a really exciting
way to learn about the incredible Bronze Age site discovered at Shinewater, the
talk will have more of the personal detail of what the excavation was really
like and will also include in-depth analysis of the findings that we just
didn’t have room for in the exhibition. We will also get a chance to
delve more deeply into the murky world of Bronze Age ritual deposition and to
discuss what the purpose of the massive and enigmatic structures may have been
using theories put forward by various experts
Q - We've covered the culture, so now for the cake! What yummy cakes will be served up in The Outpost Cafe during the Culture and Cake season?
A - Well, as the series goes from May - October, I think the cakes on offer will change depending on the month as the Outpost always provides some great seasonal treats. However, you can almost always be sure to be tuck into Lemon Drizzle Cake, an amazing Victoria Sponge and some delicious Bombardier's Brownies (the Redoubt's version of a chocolate Brownie) at the Outpost!
For more information on all Culture and Cake talks at the Redoubt this year, visit www.EastbourneMuseums.co.uk/whats-on. Tickets for all Culture and Cake talks are £6 and include cake and a drink in The Outpost and entry to the Redoubt museum!
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