We love to Boogie!

Who likes to boogie? We like to boogie!


Enter our brand new Theatre Thursday competition for this week ending on Wednesday 23 Jan to be in with a chance of winning an incredible pair of tickets to see Boogie Nights rock Eastbourne's Congress Theatre!
Staring huge names from the world of music & entertainment....Gareth Gates....Chico....Louisa Lytton (Ruby in Eastenders)..The Osmonds..the list goes on so need we say anymore! All you need to do is enter for free and answer a simple multiple choice question.

(L-R Andy Abraham, Gareth Gates, Louisa Lytton, Chico & Shane Richie Junior)

With a cast of 15 musicians, singers and dancers Boogie Nights – the 70’s Musical in Concert features all your favourites from the original show including Y.M.C.A. and Happy Days, We Are Family and Boogie Wonderland and promises a party atmosphere you won’t want to miss!

Boogie nights is at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne on Thursday 21 February at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office on 01323 412000 or online at www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk.

And with the opportunity of winning tickets to see this with your grooviest dancing buddy, what more of an excuse do you need! So dust off your flares, polish up your disco balls and hop in the Gran Torino and rock on down to the Congress Theatre!

Check out Eastbourne!

Just a quick update! I've just got back from an amazing evening organised by David Ruddle from thebestof!
It was an extremely useful evening and I learnt plenty of stuff that fingers crossed I can put into practise to make Eastbourne even better!
One of the top tips was to blog more and update regularly, so as they say start as you mean to go on - here's the latest blog post!
Happy blogging

BBC Antiques Roadshow to Visit Eastbourne Bandstand

Eastbourne Bandstand has been chosen to host filming of BBC One’s ever popular Sunday evening programme Antiques Roadshow this year, as production begins on the 36^th series.

With filming taking place on Thursday 23 May, the iconic 1930’s Bandstand will feature a whole episode of the programme as some of Britain’s leading antiques and fine arts specialists will be on hand to offer free advice and valuations.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “This is fantastic news for Eastbourne, and what a great opportunity to showcase our stunning seafront on prime-time TV.  The Bandstand has a fascinating history and I am sure will make a great venue for the programme.”

Residents and visitors are invited to raid their attics and bring along family heirlooms, household treasures and car boot bargains for inspection by the experts.

Series Editor Simon Shaw says “The team are all looking forward to visiting Eastbourne. It’s always exciting to see what will come to light on the day. We regularly see between 1500 and 2000 visitors on the day. Despite the high turnout everyone will get to see an expert.”

The series will once again be presented by Fiona Bruce in her sixth year with the programme, she says “Presenting the Antiques Roadshow is, for me, one of those rare and very lucky coincidences in television when you get to work on a show that you already love to watch. Exploring the human story behind every object is what makes Antiques Roadshow so fascinating. And everyone loves the agony and ecstasy of the 'what's it worth?’ moment. The AR isn't just about antiques - it's history, beauty and drama all wrapped up in one.”

Filming takes place on Thursday 23 May, doors open at 9.30am and close at 4.30pm.  Entry to the show is free.

People with large pieces of furniture or other big items can send details and photographs of their objects to: ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, BBC, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR or e-mail them to: antiques.roadshow@bbc.co.uk.  It may be possible to arrange to look at the item in advance and organise transportation to the venue.

Find Tiara’s and Treasures at Devonshire Park

Antiques and car boot fair collectors can look forward to a new indoor venue this winter, as Devonshire Park launches a new Sunday shopping experience from 20 January for collectables and treasure hunting.

Tiara’s and Treasures will run on selected Sundays from 20 January featuring three floors of indoor sales space in the International Lawn Tennis Centre building.

Partnered with Eastbourne Auction Rooms, owners of heirlooms and collectables will be able to receive a free evaluation and find out if their special item is a hidden treasure or budget booty.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “This is a great opportunity to get a free evaluation of some of your own hidden treasures, sell some unwanted items or pick up a bargain at this great venue.  The International Lawn Tennis Centre is getting busier every year, from tennis events, conferences and meeting room hire to shopping and special events, why not come along and get a rare opportunity to browse around this internationally acclaimed sporting venue.”

Pitches are available in a variety of sizes with pre-installed tables in some rooms.  Visitors can celebrate or commiserate their valuations over a Winter Pimms in the Hardwick Suite bar or enjoy a coffee or hot snack at Devonshire’s, the Tennis Centre’s refreshment kiosk.

Devonshire Park has two pay and display car parks and The International Lawn Tennis Centre is fully accessible.

Treasures and Tiara’s will run on selected Sundays from 20^th January from 9am to 2pm.  Selected dates include 27^th January, 10^th, 17^th, 24^th February and 10^th, 24^th March.

For further information, pitch sizes and to pre-book please call Jayne Howard on 01323 415313 or email events@eastbourne.gov.uk.

Bandstand Kicks Off Festive Holidays with Christmas Day Spectacular

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

A long standing tradition, the concerts date back to 1935 and have grown in popularity ever since, along with a customary Boxing Day dip in the sea for the brave bunch of hardy swimmers!

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “These concerts have such a great atmosphere and are very popular as a pre-dinner delight for both residents and visitors alike.  With many hotels packed out with festive guests, these concerts are an important part of the Christmas package in Eastbourne and it is a delight to see so many join us in our beautiful resort for their festive break.”

Christmas Day sees the return of the Eastbourne Silver Band with traditional carols and classic Christmas songs in a pre-Christmas dinner treat.

The Ray Campbell Dance Band provide a refreshing alternative to the TV repeats on Boxing Day with a lively round up of festive hits and dancing, along with mulled wine to warm up the revellers.

For the third year running, the Bandstand will see a third concert in its festive calendar with The Ray Campbell Dance Band returning on New Years Day for some celebratory hits and a conga around the Bandstand, to welcome in the new year.

Concerts run from 10.45am to 12.15pm on Christmas Day, and from 11am to 12.30pm on both Boxing Day and New Years Day.  Entry is free.

For more information visit the Bandstand website or telephone 01323 410611.  For information on Christmas events and festive breaks visit the VisitEastbourne website. 

Airbourne Wins Best Free Airshow for Second Year Running

Airscene fans have voted Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow as the best free airshow in the country for the second time running in a recent poll by one of the UK’s leading airshow websites.



Vulcan at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)



Voted by visitors to Airscene.co.uk, the four day free airshow beat rival Bournemouth hands down, achieving nearly double the number of votes to win Best Free Airshow 2012 in the Airscene Awards.

Despite being nominated only as a free airshow, Airbourne still received 57% more votes than Duxford, the winner of the Best Airshow category, making Airbourne the most popular airshow in the UK.





Lynx at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)



Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “2012 was such an amazing year for Airbourne, from the spectacular Vulcan to the once-in-a-lifetime firework finale and Olympic closing ceremony celebration.  Thank you to everyone at Airscene who voted for us, this award is the icing on the cake from a momentous year and we look forward to providing a spectacular show for fans in 2013.”

Airbourne visitors were treated to Eastbourne’s first ever Vulcan display in 2012 attracting the show’s biggest ever audience on Saturday.  Many fans enjoyed a rare close-up glimpse of the jet in a flying hold over Beachy Head, before its display along the seafront to thousands. 

The Blades at Airbourne 2012 (c. Graham Huntley)

Social media forums were inundated with photos, video and comments following the display, with over 5,000 video views and a viral reach of 57,000 for Airbourne’s facebook page.

For fans who missed the show, exclusive photos and cockpit footage are still available to view online, including the Jet Provost display and the Royal Navy Raiders Parachute jump.  Fans can also share their own photos and video on the Airbourne Facebook page.

Airbourne returns in 2013 from Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 August, for more information visit www.eastbourneairshow.com.

For news updates, competitions, exclusive footage and airshow fun visit www.facebook.com/airbourneeastbourne or follow on twitter at www.twitter.com/EB_Airshow.

VisitEastbourne’s trip to the Enchanted Zoo

This weekend just passed saw the grand opening of the Drusillas Park Winter Wonderland Illuminations and VE were invited to take a peek!

Having visited Drusillas many times before I was really excited in anticipation to see what new additions had been added for this festive season this year. There certainly was no denying that on paper the new attractions sounded to be quite something. From hugging a Husky, festive winter warmer treats for the stomach and the pinnacle of the show; the Winter Wonderland Illuminations.

After touring the zoo itself and seeing all the incredible and different animals up close and personal, some extra close such as the Lemurs through the walk around Lemurland it was time to head for what we had come for…the Winter Wonderland arena. Going around the park we had sneak peaks of what was in store however when we set eyes upon the full display, Wow – we were blown away! A giant Santa’s grotto arena with giant reindeer and sleigh, Father & Mrs Christmas greeting little ones with surprises wrapped in paper! Not forgetting the jovial Santa’s little helper, the elf! It really was magical and like we had been transported to Lapland. Whilst waiting for the main display of the lights, we took full opportunity to grab something to eat in Explorers Restaurant. It was simply delightful, the food was delicious and the staff extremely pleasant and always very willing to help and extra friendly with the children.

Father&Mrs Christmas with his helpful elf

After we headed for the illuminations, there was just enough time to grab some delectable delights from Station Buffet including Mince Pies, Cinnamon coated Donuts and what would be required to keep us warm during the show – Mulled Wine!! Mmm



The Incredible Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park



Before we knew it the day had gone so fast and it was time to head over to the illuminations site. What happened next was simply magical. The whole atmosphere changed and it was one of the most festive experiences of my life. Christmas carols played to a packed out crowd of people as the winter lights started twinkling and glistening. Polar Bears and Penguins started glistening in the crystal black sky and the enchanted mystical icy river started to flow through the ice-capped kingdom. It was amazing and from this we could see easily why it’s creator, Paul Toole has been called ‘King of the Lights.’ All these fantastic lights were carefully choreographed to music and the extra special large screen of The Muppets gave the kids something to chuckle along to! Looking around, the looks on the faces of the children was something extra special and filled everyone with warmth. Their amazement at seeing such an experience was just pure wonder and something that I’m sure will have filled not only us, but them too with Christmas spirit. The only thing it left us wanting was a return visit and the moment when Father Christmas comes and squeezes himself down the chimney whilst Prancer, Rudolf & Co munch on the carrots left by the bed!

Twinkling Polar Bears & Penguins



A trip to Drusillas Park this Christmas is a must! Everything is epic and so perfectly thought out from start to finish. It’s Christmassy enough that even the biggest Scrooge would love it! If you would like to win a family ticket to Drusillas this Christmas, simply visit the VisitEastbourne Competition website here.

Located just off the A27, Drusillas Park is open from 10:00am until 5:00pm daily, with the exception of 24th, 25th and 26th December.  For further details please telephone (01323) 874100 or visit the website at www.drusillas.co.uk