Snuggle up and get cosy in Eastbourne this Autumn

As the trees turn from green to brown and the temperatures fall, Eastbourne has it covered for things to do this Autumn to keep you warm and cheery.

Runners enjoying the Beachy Head Marathon

Eastbourne's incredible action packed events season has wound to an end for another year culminating in one of the best ever Beachy Head Marathon with the most perfect of weather; though this is not a reason to hibernate for the winter until it all starts off again in 2015. Instead get out and about and explore some of Eastbourne's gems.

Alfriston Village

Now is the perfect time of year to sling on a scarf, get your finest tea cosy out to keep your head warm and take a lovely stroll across the South Downs. Take full advantage of Eastbourne's great location nestled in the downlands and head over to one of the many quaint Sussex village including Jevington, East Dean, Litlington or Alfriston. Each village naturally has the 'essential' local pub where guests can relax with a warming scotch and put your feet up next to open roaring fires. The Plough & Harrow at Litlington even has a dedicated room, 'The Snug' in which the tables are cosy with an original fireplace to warm up before the walk back.

Beauty & the Beast
c Peter Gurr

For the rainy days, Eastbourne's Theatre-land comes alive in November with a crammed calendar of shows including the Russian State Ballet and Saturday Night Fever, but not forgetting of course the essential part to any festive period, 'He's behind you'....it's the Beauty and the Beast.
Eastbourne Panto returning with what is set to be another Jordan productions epic with the audience in hysterics.

If you're looking for something a bit different then be sure to head to the Ancestors Exhibition at the Pavilion where the home of the mysterious Beachy Head Lady and many other fascinating archaeological finds are housed, will be staying open for an extra month due to popular demand. 

The free exhibition which discovers Eastbourne’s Roman and Saxon roots, using ground-breaking scientific bone analysis and cranio-facial reconstructions, will now remain open until 19 December.

The Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park

As I write, I'm compiling a list of everything Christmasy happening in Eastbourne. The list currently stands at a total of 57 events! There really is so much happening in this festive period in Eastbourne ranging from street Markets in Meads, Seaside, Little Chelsea and Alfriston to dazzling Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park and Santa Fun Run's along the seafront!

Not forgetting of course Eastbourne’s iconic seafront Bandstand will provide a Christmas Day highlight for residents and visitors, as the traditional free concert returns for a triple bill over the festive period.

With packed seafront hotels and more than 4,000 festive fans expected, the seafront venue will provide yuletide entertainment on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – all completely free of charge.

For all the latest info and events updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

Join a Free Walking Tour or Discover Your Saxon Roots this Sussex Day

Eastbourne will be celebrating Sussex Day this year with free entry to key attractions, along with historical talks and a free walking tour along the seafront.

The annual county-wide celebration on Monday 16 June, will see residents and visitors learning to speak Saxon at the Eastbourne Ancestors exhibition, along with the chance to discover more about life in the Royal Sussex Regiment, with free entry and a talk at the Redoubt Fortress. 

Also celebrating 40 years of the Aegon International tennis, a free historical walking tour will uncover more about the tournament’s history, along with many more historical highlights along Eastbourne seafront.  Run by Eastbourne Walking Tours the 90 minute free guided walk will kick off at 10.30am from the front of the Aegon International and Towner entrance, with donations collected for the Beachy Head Chaplaincy charity.

The annual celebration, which takes place on St Richard’s Day, marks the anniversary of the patron saint of Sussex every 16th June.  However it is from the ‘South Saxons’ that the county took its name, after they landed in AD477, later making Sussex a kingdom in its own right. 

To celebrate this the Eastbourne Ancestors exhibition will be revealing more dark secrets in a talk at 2pm at The Pavilion, with the chance to try on traditional Saxon costumes and try speaking the Saxon language. 

Heritage fans can look forward to free entry at the Redoubt Fortress throughout the day, including a talk at 11am on the county’s very own Royal Sussex Regiment.  With famous war poet Edmund Blunden serving in the regiment, an exhibition opens this Saturday exploring his life and work, particularly during World War One.

Art lovers can enjoy a free 30 minute guided tour at Towner at 11.30am and explore the exhibitions including Sussex based artists such as Eric Ravilious and the Bloomsbury group at ‘Designing the Everyday’ which runs until 31 August.

After a busy day of tours, The Pavilion will be offering Sussex Cream Teas at the bargain offer of just £5 for two people.

Visitors can also discover more offers for Sussex Day at VisitEastbourne.com including free entry to the Ashdown Forest Llama Park, 50% off at Treasure Island’s adventure golf and a special discounted £5 entry price for all at The Observatory.

For more information on all events and offers visit VisitEastbourne.com or LoveSussex.com. 

Fight The Post Christmas Blues in Eastbourne

Happy New Year from all at visiteastbourne! Don’t worry, there’s plenty to do over the next couple of months to fight those post Christmas blues.

If you’re still feeling festive, there is still time to catch the Panto; Aladdin at the Devonshire Park Theatre until 12 January! Tickets start from £12 with two performances a day!

If you are looking for something a little more tranquil, why not join the Eastbourne Astronomical Society at the Redoubt Fortress for some stargazing! The free event takes place Saturday 11 January, 8 March and 5 April. It provides an opportunity for beginners to become familiar with the night sky, learn the constellation patterns, locate hard to find star clusters, nebulae and galaxies and to explore the surface of the Moon and planets under the guidance of experiences observers – as well as for informal discussion and the exchange of ideas.

For those who want to indulge in some culture, award winning art museum Towner opens its new exhibition on 25 January, running until 6 April. The exhibition; John Skoog: Redoubt is free and incorporates works with film and video. Until then, visit Towner to see the Wonderland exhibition.

For history buffs, the Eastbourne Ancestors exhibition comes to the Pavilion on 1 February. This groundbreaking project has scientifically studied the human bones from the collection, made some amazing discoveries about your ancestors and is now ready to tell you their stories.

To bring history to life, experts have even recreated some of these people so that you can gaze into the faces of the past.

The free exhibition will put the flesh on the bones of people from Eastbourne’s distant past and will give back a little life story to those long passed.

What about a night of laughter with the Screaming Blue Murder comedy club on 7 February at the Winter Garden. Enjoy some fantastic entertainment from Rob Heeney who has been dubbed as a ‘deluded genius’ by Johnny Vegas, Jessica Fostekew who performed on Stephen K Amos’ Radio 4 show, BBC Breakfast and supported Micky Flanagan, and Elis James a bilingual stand up performer! Food and drinks are available to make an enjoyable night out.

The days will soon be getting longer and Eastbourne has another exciting year ahead. Plan your visit with these dates for your diary:

• Eastbourne Half Marathon - 2 March
• Magnificent Motors – 3 & 4 May
• Beer and Cider by the Sea – 23 – 25 May
• Eastbourne Carnival – 31 May
• Eastbourne Cycling Festival 1 June
• AEGON International Tennis – 14-21 June
• 999 Emergency Services Display – 5 & 6 July
• Eastbourne Extreme – 12 & 13 July
• Eastbourne Lammas Festival – 26 & 27 July
• Airbourne International Airshow 14 – 17 August
• Eastbourne Beer Festival – 9 – 11 October
• Beachy Head Marathon – 25 October

Find out more about all up coming events and things to do in Eastbourne on www.visiteastbourne.com