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!

Museums at Night Festival Brings Jaws Film Screening to the Redoubt Fortress!

Duuuunnn, Duuunn.... Duuunnnnnnn Duuunnn.... Duuunnnnn Duuunnnnn.... Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Duuuuuunnnnnnn!! What is that? Its' the sound of Jaws making it's way to Eastbourne!

Not the actual shark of course, just the classic 1975 film directed by Stephen Speilberg! On Saturday 16 May at 7.30 pm, the Redoubt Fortress is taking part in ‘Museums at Night’, which is a national festival of after-hours culture and heritage. For a third year the Redoubt will host a film screening for ‘Museums at Night’, this year presenting the perfect seaside horror, Jaws.

If you aren't familiar with the film, Jaws tells the story of American tourist town Amity Island, where a series of shark attacks forces police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) and two comrades, Ichthyologist Matt Hopper (Richard Drewfuss) and ship Captain, Quint (Robert Shaw) to engage in an ambitious battle of man vs. shark, after the town's mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) refuses to close the beach. The film recounts their attempt to kill the deadly sea creature and save the residents and tourists from a fatal swim at Amity Island beach. 

‘Museums at Night’ is a celebration of heritage, arts and culture in the UK. The festival is set up to encourage visitors into museums, galleries and heritage sites across the country by hosting special events outside of normal opening hours. Events will be taking place throughout the country between 14 and 16 May 2015. At the Redoubt on 16 May, visitors can also discover a display of shark-related items. Local collector, Robert Knight will share his collection and knowledge of preserved sea-creatures, real shark jaws and Great White Shark teeth!

The Redoubt chose to screen Jaws to celebrate Eastbourne’s position as an iconic seaside tourist town. However, fear not - the bathing waters in Eastbourne are some of the cleanest and safest in Britain, earning this accolade from the Marine Conservation Society’s, Good Beach Guide numerous times. We can assure you that the sea is a lot safer to swim in than the sea surrounding fictional, Amity Island!

The film is rated 12 - so the film screening is open to all above this age! There's no need to bring your own popcorn either. The Redoubt’s vintage themed cafe, ‘The Outpost’ will be open for the evening serving cinema type confectionery, such as popcorn and ice-cream, as well as alcoholic beverages and soft drinks!

Doors will open at 7.30pm on 16 May for an 8.00pm start. Tickets are £6 and booking is essential. For more information and to book tickets for ‘Museums at Night Film Screening – Jaws at Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum’ visit www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk.