View from the Trees

Post from erikallan at CHUM.LY

2010-11-28T11:47:00.001-08:00

Hi Michael,

I am half Dutch, my mother comes from a large family in Alphen a/d Rijn and our family own the Van Keeken Schoenen Winkel in Alphen. It has been in the family for at least 5 generations now. I rarely visit The Netherlands nowadays but read and write in Dutch on a regular basis. I am a musician and writer/blogger and have recently started working online for an American Inc. http://chum.ly/n/49d81f

Eastbourne: Worth a Visit?

2010-06-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

You might think I work for the Tourist Board, but honestly, I don't. Did you know that Eastbourne has just been designated the second most popular holiday destination in England (or was it the whole of the UK)? I feel priveleged to have lived here for almost 14 years of my life.

Apparently Eastbourne has one of the best sunshine records in the UK, along with the Isle of Wight (although it's raining at the moment). Not only am I an English patriot but I also love my home town, Eastbourne. I don't know whether I'm quite so proud to have been born in Hastings (Ore to be precise), but never mind?

Views of Holywell (Meads area)

Views of Sovereign Harbour

The first feature of Eastbourne I would like to focus on is the wonderful seafront. It varies from the 'posh' Holywell end of the town with its prestigious Meads residential area to the new East end of Sovereign Harbour with its interesting eateries and art shops. It's lovely to park here (free) or cycle through it on the designated cycle route, or to walk around this new development and watch the boats coming in and out of, or just moored in the marina. I personally wouldn't want to actually live here, as the houses are crowded in with very little space around them. We did look at a two-level show apartment a few years ago and it had the most amazing view of the Downs from the Beachy Head end towards Lewes. On the other side you could look out of the window and watch the boats sail past and if I remember rightly, it was even in our price range! Maybe in a few years time we will be ready for living in such a place, but we're not quite there yet.

My personal feeling is that they have now overbuilt in the Sovereign Harbour area, the prices tend to be on the high side and there is always the risk of flooding even though there are active lock controls in place. They were supposed to have put more safeguards against flooding in place when they started building there, but it hasn't been done yet. Also in the Sovereign Harbour area is a retail centre with an Asda, Matalan and lots of other shops. There is also a cinema complex should the weather turn bad and you want something else to do.

Langney Point

As you walk (or cycle) out of the Sovereign Harbour there is a seafront area known as Langney Point which is excellent for walking and exercising dogs, there is even a skate and BMX bike area near a public swimming pool. One can also watch the sailing boats, yachts and cabin cruiser boats coming in and out of the harbour, people working on their small fishing boats and surfers and windsurfers testing their skills at making the most of the winds and waves. There is an adventure playground for those of a more tender age and just over the busy seafront road is Princes Park with its boating lake and pleasant ambience.

Marine Parade

Continuing in an Easterly direction you eventually come to the pier. For a year as a student I lodged on Marine Parade, about 100 yards from the pier and my wife, who I was then courting (what a good old-fashioned word that sounds now) lodged on the 7th. floor of Metropole Court nearby. Just beyond the pier you can appreciate the Carpet Gardens which look glorious most times of the year. You then approach the bandstand where there are still regular top military bands (they contain brass and woodwind, whereas brass bands only feature brass instruments) featured during the Summer season. I don't think many seaside towns use their bandstands for such prestigious concerts any more, it's become too expensive in these days of increasing austerity.

Terminus Road

Terminus Road, which is part of the main shopping centre leads off the seafront and on the corner of the road by the seafront is a Harry Ramsden fish and chip shop. They have forbidden any other shops, apart from some ice-cream establishments to spoil or commercialize our wonderful seafront. There are mainly hotels and guest houses to be seen along the seafront itself.

The town centre itself has all the shops you could wish for, including Debenhams, T.J. Hughes, Marks and Spencer, W.H. Smith, Waterstones, Sussex Stationers and many others. There is also the Arndale Centre where you can window shop or buy (if you are in such a fortunate position) many different things, clothes, electronics, garden accessories and you can even get a cup of coffee at Shades or Starbucks. Bookstack is there with a good range of bargain books and CD's and there is also a Sony shop, Early Learning Centre and HMV. I'm not really a shopaholic so I won't go into any more detail.

Views of Beachy Head

Views of Arlington and Reservoir

For those who want to explore the area around Eastbourne, there is Beachy Head, (don't pretend you can fly!), Arlington Reservoir, Drusillas and the nearby city of Brighton and County town of Lewes.

Congress Theatre & LPO connection

Oh, I mustn't forget the culture. There are three theatres with good shows on, I've been to London Philharmonic Orchestra concerts there, they are there 4 or 5 times during the Winter season. They like to promote young up and coming artists, particularly violinists and pianists. As a student I saw the touring version of Godspell, Ivan Stepanov and his dancers, complete with balalaikas, Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and Mozart's 'Magic Flute' performed by Kent opera.

Swan Lake Godspell Ballet

Out of all the seaside resorts I have visited in the UK I think Eastbourne is the best looked after and tidiest of all I have seen. No expense seems to be spared to keep it that way and the tourists keep on coming, no wonder it is the most popular holiday destination in England. A friend of mine, now no longer in this world, lived in Pevensey Bay and he used to go on holiday to one of the Eastbourne hotels in his 90's, saying that he was off to the finest seaside resort in the world. He was of Czechoslovakian origin and had seen quite a slice of the world in his time, so I think he had a wide experience of different seaside holiday hot-spots.

I don't think I'll get my passport renewed, it ran out a while ago. Is it really £72.00 to renew it at the moment? I didn't need an ID card, I know who I am anyway! Also, they're a rip-off, especially if you don't want to leave England. Give me England any day, especially Eastbourne.

Some thoughts on social media

2010-04-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered the usefulness of Twitlonger,http://www.twitlonger.com/ for expanding tweets and facebook and friendfeed entries. I find it difficult to keep my comments to 140 characters, do other people have the same problem?

Are social media addictive or is it just that their use becomes a substitute for face to face conversation and live social interaction?

I would be interested to hear other friends' comments and thoughts on this subject. In my situation I don't see social media as a way of touting for business and I hope this doesn't become their main purpose. I think it's fine for them to be used for networking and advertising business, (it doesn't work for everyone, certainly not yours truly) but to me they are a great way to let off steam, let people know what I think (they are personal opinions)and draw attention to news items and situations developing in the world at large. I think social media could help to solve the human problem of isolation (I think this is what Karl Marx called 'alienation')which many people experience in their modern day to day lifestyles, maybe not to the extent that I do.

Anyway, enough of my rambling for now, tomorrow (or rather today) I'm off to see the nurse about my illness. Although it is serious it explains a lot of what has been going on in my emotional and physical state over quite a while. I know now that I have something which is tangible and can be dealt with, which is a great relief. Goodnight (early morning) to you all, who I feel are a tremendous support to me.

This could be an interesting election

2010-04-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

I think this forthcoming election is going to be very interesting, especially after Nick Clegg's comments made yesterday.

What's going on in Europe? Greece and Iceland are in big economic trouble (so are we, really) the Dutch Prime Minister has resigned and now the Belgian Prime Minister has resigned.

I have already cast my vote (postal) and am looking forward to seeing how the election campaign progresses. The next leaders' debate and the polls which follow will probably still not tell us what the outcome will be, the only poll which really counts is the one on election day.

Please get out and vote even if you are as cynical as I have become over the last few years.

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T12:02:00.001-08:00

"In our times of discouragement, let us remember that God loves us and desires to lead us to a place of a renewed vision of Himself!" ~Marvi.. http://chum.ly/n/83c2d .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T11:57:00.001-08:00

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow." John Lennon.. http://chum.ly/n/83c2b .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T07:24:00.001-08:00

An Article by my father
Posted by Erik Retallick on February 21, 2010 at 15:25pm

My father was a Bible teacher who used to preach and write quite extensively. He was particularly knowledgeable about the Old Testament books, especially the minor Prophets. He died in 2002 and left quite a legacy of books, articles and hymns, to which he wrote both the words and music.

Here is a link to an article he wrote about Hosea which I thought might be of some interest.

www.biblecentre.org/truthtestimony/1996_Vol_3/8/re.... http://chum.ly/n/835ec . Are you one of those people who have always wanted to learn to play the piano? ~ Click Here! 11:31,Comment ,Respect

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T07:19:00.001-08:00

Apparently the Netherlands gave twice as us much money to the Haiti emergency than Britain, they have a population a quarter of our size and are not always a byword for generosity... http://chum.ly/n/8359f .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T07:00:00.001-08:00

A people's bank bonus: building a savings society
-www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2010/02/A_..
vings_society.aspx.. http://chum.ly/n/8354f .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T06:57:00.001-08:00

We have had a good weekend so far although the weather has been a little damp in Eastbourne today, to say the least... http://chum.ly/n/8354e .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-21T06:55:00.001-08:00

O Great Spirit, Hear Us

O Great Spirit, whose voice we hear in the winds
and whose breath gives life
to all the world,
hear us.

We are small and weak.
We come to you to find strength and wisdom.
Let us walk in beauty
and make our eyes
ever behold the sunset.

Make our hands respect
the things you have made
and our ears sharp
to hear your voice.

Make us wise
so that we may understand
the things you have taught our relatives.
Let us learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

We seek strength,
not to be greater than our brothers and sisters,
but to fight our greatest enemy-ourselves.

Make us always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset our spirit may come to you
without shame... http://chum.ly/n/8354d .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-10T14:24:00.001-08:00

"Love the moment, and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries." ~ Corita Kent.. http://chum.ly/n/4fe65 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-10T05:04:00.001-08:00

/mhoogkamer We're lucky, it's only -2 or -3 at the moment. It was much colder a few weeks ago... http://chum.ly/n/4d019 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-10T03:02:00.001-08:00

We've had a bit of snow but nothing very dramatic as yet. If the forecasters are correct we could be in for some interesting weather events... http://chum.ly/n/4cb84 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-09T06:53:00.001-08:00

Grandson George has just had his innoculations, poor fellow. I expect he'll soon forget it and be smiling again... http://chum.ly/n/440c8 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-09T06:10:00.001-08:00

/marc Thank you for the warm welcome. It feels great to have come in on this project in its infancy. It looks as though it's going to grow fast and be very exciting... http://chum.ly/n/43f34 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-09T02:19:00.001-08:00

Another cold day, but no snow-as yet. I hope to catch up with some paperwork before doing some teaching later on... http://chum.ly/n/438b5 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-08T16:29:00.001-08:00

What makes a great TV theme tune? - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8.... http://chum.ly/n/40168 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-08T15:07:00.001-08:00

I've enjoyed helping someone choose piano pieces for their LCM Diploma today, there was a good range of choice... http://chum.ly/n/3ed62 .

Post from Erikretallick at CHUM.LY

2010-02-08T15:03:00.001-08:00

"Give God All The Glory For Your Pain ,For Without Your Trials You Will Not Appreciate The Triumphs." ~ T.D. Jakes.. http://chum.ly/n/3ed10 .

A View away from the Trees: Littlehampton Revisited

2009-09-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

It is not often we go away on a real holiday, it must be about 4 or 5 years since we last did so. We therefore decided that now was about the right time to spend a little time away and so we plumped for somewhere not too distant as my passport has expired. It costs a small fortune to get a new passport these days and the exchange rate for the pound has been pretty poor in most other countries lately.

We eventually decided to go to a place which we have often frequented in the past, especially when the children were young, as it was then our nearest seaside resort, Costa Del Littlehampton. We discovered it only takes between an hour and an hour and a half to get there as it it is only about 50 miles from home, so it seemed an ideal destination.

Arun Sands Hotel

We booked to stay at Arun Sands Hotel on River Terrace, which is about 5 minutes walk from the River Arun harbour front and about the same distance from the beach and funfair. In fact, it is virtually opposite the boating pool by the funfair. We arrived on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon and found free parking right outside our hotel on River Terrace. Having parked the car we went off to the beach until we were able to gain access to our hotel at 4.00 pm. It was a bit windy but very busy on the beach and we spent a short time getting into holiday mode before booking in at the hotel.

Littlehampton Beach

Once we booked in to Arun Sands we were impressed by its comfort and convenience, being so close to everything we needed, the beach, the harbour, the shops. In the evening we walked into the town via the harbour and looked to see how many shops were closed and how many were still flourishing. Woolworths was empty, of course, as was Gamleys, the toy shop we used to visit with the children at the entrance to the arcade. Otherwise, most of the shops in the town centre still seemed to be functioning as normal. A return to the town centre the following morning confirmed that it is quite a busy town and enjoying a lively trade with the local inhabitants and the tourists alike. We looked round Sussex Stationers bookshop, the Oxfam shop and did some food shopping. Later on we enjoyed sitting on a bench overlooking the River Arun by the hrabour and watching children fishing for crabs over the harbour fence using lines. This seemed to keep the youngsters and parents (in some cases grandparents) preoccupied for hours at a time and was quite good fun to watch. I'm not sure what they do with the tiny crabs they catch once they have swum around the tupperware container or bucket for a while, I expect they release them back into the river?

We enjoyed some real seaside cod and chips from one of the local shops by the harbour side and then went to spend some more time on the beach as the weather was nice and sunny if a bit on the windy side. We stayed there until about 6.00 pm when we returned to our comfortable hotel. After a bite to eat we spent the evening reading and watching news on TV and some other programmes. After so much fresh air we slept very well and awoke in time for a good English breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast and all the trimmings. We then went to meet my mother who had driven down from Elstead, Surrey to meet us at 10.30 and spend the day with us. We took her for a walk into town and showed her the various features which she hadn't seen for many years. She used to live in Littlehampton before I was born and moved away to Hastings in the early 1950s, which is where I was born.

My mother had not visited Littlehampton since about 2000 and noticed quite a few changes, notably the waterfront houses by the marina and the new Harvester restaurant and East Beach Cafe on the seafront. We went to have lunch at the new Harvester retaurant which was very pleasant and the service was good despite it being quite busy and their having trouble with the main card reading machine. After our late lunch we had a walk towards the Norfolk Road end of the seafront and sat on a bench opposite the miniature railway station from where the train sets off to Mewsbury Park. We sat and reminisced about old times and visits to Littlehampton and the things we used to get up to, the huge picnics, the swimming and building of sandcastles on the lovely Littlehampton sand. It never ceases to amaze me how far the tide goes out at Littlehampton, you wonder if it is ever going to find its way back again!

East Beach Cafe

We went for a cup of tea at the relatively new East Beach Cafe. Here is a brief article about it which appeared in the Guardian on 23rd. July, 2007, a few months after it opened.

"Strange. That's the word for it." So says ex-Royal Navy stoker Hardy, now driver of the electric train that plies the Littlehampton seafront, 80p each way. A bingo-winged passenger agrees: "Jolly beautiful, though - and good for the borough."

Thomas Heatherwick is a modern English free-thinking designer in the old-fashioned vein. He has gained renown for designs that cunningly combine the bleeding obvious with the outright inspired. His clients, the Murray family, live in Littlehampton, a pleasant, old-fashioned Sussex town-next-the-sea that was, until now, famous for not all that much. Now the two have come together to bring us the mould-breaking East Beach Cafe that's strange to some, striking to most, and the blueprint of coastal cafes to come, both in terms of cuisine and architecture.

After the showier charms of neigbouring Arundel and Bognor Regis, Littlehampton is a modestly prim, fruit-on-the-sideboard-and-nobody-ill-in-the-house sort of place. The wind carries a bright iodised tang; there are primary-coloured beach huts; the beach is mostly big stones and cracked shells; and - oh yes - there are seaman Hardy's 10-minute sea-front train trips.

The road into town swings you past perfectly nice homes of no single architectural style: arts and crafts, Tudorbethan, Edwardian masquerading as Victorian, 1980s bland brick. Where better than here to build a stretched, rippled, sharp-and-smooth, oxidised steel structure? Seen from the car park behind, East Beach Cafe seems initially to have been shorn from the walls of a New Mexico canyon. Adobe-brown, sculptural and arresting, it is, in the Great British tradition, carefully ignored by the caravanners and day-trippers paying and displaying.

Climb the few steps to one side, and there's a Teas For The Beach servery tacked on to one end and a spare, decked terrace, sheltered by an L-shaped perspex windbreak. There is a queue for the cafe. From the minute you walk in, you know that East Beach is not just right-on and right now, but smells right, looks right and feels right. The punters are determinedly non-trendy — last Tuesday lunchtime the place was packed with a crowd of all ages, incomes and styles. There was also none of the smug metro attitude that often accompanies smart new openings as everyone was too busy enjoying the food, drink and view.

East Beach Cafe's menu achieves the smart trick of keeping everyone happy. There are bacon butties with good local bacon and good local bread. Buttered field mushrooms on toast for those mornings when you need comforting. Fish and chips, of the impeccably fresh and crisply executed kind. Bowls of mussels and big juicy burgers. Dover sole with caramelised endives if you're feeling posh. Muesli for brunch, Pinot Grigio for lunch, Pimms for sunsets. Dark and Stormy - demerera rum and ginger beer cocktails - for when it's, you know, dark and stormy.

The place opened less than a month ago, the kitchen's already on song, and the room, which feels like sitting inside a light-filled seashell, is delightful. The only thing that's strange is that there aren't already hundreds of East Beach Cafes to brighten our coastline and breathe fresh life into our Ryanair-depleted resorts.

We sat out on some decking in some metal chairs provided and enjoyed our tea before returning to the West end of the seafront and then to the harbour front where we sat and did some more reminiscing and putting the world to rights. My mother eventually left about 6.30 for her hour long drive back to Elstead and we went back to our hotel for another evening of relaxing reading and watching some news on TV.

The Wednesday turned out to be the hottest day of the week, with temperatures soaring to 29C inland and probably about 26C where we were on the South coast. We went on to the beach for most of the day where I think there were probably about 3 times as many people as the previous day. We got quite sunburnt during the course of the day and made sure that we drank quite regularly to avoid dehydration. We had a lot of people all round us and many seemed to have come just for a day trip rather than a holiday. In fact, in our hotel, nobody was booked in for more than four nights, we were the longest staying, having booked in for 7 nights! Were we brave or stupid? I don't care, we really enjoyed it as a break!

On Thursday we decided it was time to explore some other places within easy striking distance of Littlehampton. We set off in the direction of Arundel and went round the bypass then headed off right towards Amberley. We drove through Amberley and headed onwards through Storrington and then set off back in the Littlehampton direction. Instead of going back to Littlehampton we carried on along the A27 which became busier as we got towards Chichester, we then headed off in the direction of Selsey.

A Selsey Beach House

Selsey Lifeboat Station

At Selsey there was a large free car park right by the beach where we left the car and went for a walk along the seafront. After a picnic lunch in the car (the weather was cloudy, windy and cool) we drove back to Littlehampton via Bognor, where we drove past the new Ocean Hotel.

Ocean Hotel, Bognor

Here is a short article they published in The Sun about this new hotel on 24th. January, 2009

As the credit crunch forces many of us to forego foreign breaks, this new resort could not have come at a better time. It has 200 stylish rooms, a modern restaurant and bar, plus an ultra-luxe spa.

It follows the success of the Shoreline Hotel, which opened at Bognor in 2007 and has been a huge hit. The Ocean takes the chic-on-the-cheap concept even further, with accommodation that is perfect for families.

All rooms have funky colour-change lighting in a floor-to-ceiling headboard behind the double bed, plus flat-screen TVs, squishy modern chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows.

More than 75 per cent of them have private balconies overlooking the award-winning beach or rolling South Downs.

In family rooms, a separate kids' den has another flat-screen TV and two full-size single beds with blue glowlighting. Many family rooms also have a sofabed.

Other treats at the hotel include room service and a family-friendly restaurant and coffee bar. It's pricier than Butlins' traditional self-catering apartments - but great value.

A room for two adults, and two kids aged two to 14, with South Downs views, for seven nights this summer, is from £1,120. That's based on Butlins' Schools Out summer deal, from August 21.

Camp revamp ... Butlins' stylish new Ocean Hotel

The same room for three nights at October half-term is just £408. And the full-on facilities of Butlins are a few minutes' walk from the hotel.

New for 2009 are live shows from Looney Tunes characters, from May half-term onward. At the Urban Academy teenagers can learn breakdancing, street-dancing, beat-boxing or Cheerleading, the latest keep-fit craze from New York.

And the High Ropes Aerial Trekking Course was such a hit at Butlins' Minehead resort last year that it is being introduced at Bognor in 2009.

Butlins boss Richard Bates told me this week: "The modern-era Butlins is a unique mix of quality accommodation and entertainment that guests love.

"And 97 per cent say we offer brilliant value for money. With the amount of choice on offer this is going to be the year to be here."

The next day, which was Friday, we spent another nice day exploring Littlehampton town centre and harbour and spent some time on the beach. We had another nice fish and chip lunch outdoors by the harbour and the cod was up to its usual wonderful standard.

Arundel

On the Saturday we went for a day trip to Arundel which is only about a ten minute drive from Littlehampton. Here we enjoyed browsing round a large antique and second-hand shop, a wonderful bookshop on four floors and a shop selling artistic prints and copperplate etchings. We bought 2 fine copperplate etchings of ships for which we got a good discount. We then had chocolate fudge cake and coffee in a medium sized coffee shop which was absolutely delicious. There was an open air festival going on for the day in Arundel so we also enjoyed some live rock music and watching jugglers in action in the High Street. Arundel is a beautiful West Sussex town which is well worth a visit. For those who haven't been there before there is a large castle and a cathedral which are interesting to visit.

Arundel Castle viewed from the River Arun

Arundel Cathedral

Sadly, on the Sunday we had to return home from Littlehampton. However, we made the most of our holiday by travelling inland via the beautiful Bury Hill through Petworth to visit some relatives in Woking. We stopped for a short while in Petworth and then continued on our leisurely journey along the A283, admiring the beauty of the West Sussex and Surrey countryside and small towns and villages en route.

Bury Hill, West Sussex

Petworth

Although I said it was sad to leave Littlehampton, it is always pleasant to return home after a time away, even if it was a relatively short holiday. I hope to write my next posting 'from the trees' as usual.

The Seven Sisters, another local attraction

2009-08-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

It has been another week of mixed weather here in the Willingdon Trees and I have not been out very much this week, it's been a time for catching up with news and doing some odd jobs like looking at my accounts and emails, rather boring really. So, by way of a change I thought I would draw your attention to another local attraction which is within a very short distance of where I live, the 'Seven Sisters'. The road which leads off the road where I live is named after this local beauty spot, Seven Sisters Road, so I am often reminded of this remarkable feature even though I may not visit it very frequently.

The 'Seven Sisters' are a famous series of chalk cliffs which face onto the English Channel to the West of Eastbourne, between Eastbourne and Seaford. They form part of the South Downs and are situated within the Seven Sisters Country Park. The Seven Sisters are remnants of dry valleys in the chalk South Downs which are gradually being eroded by the sea.

As you are probably aware by now, a large part of the South Downs between Eastbourne and Winchester have now been designated as a national park. Defra has announced that a hearing will be held on 18th. August at the Chatsworth Hotel in Steyne to consider any objections and representations relating to the six additional areas proposed as part of the National Park at the end of March 2009. Final decisions have yet to be made about the boundaries and extent of the park.

The Seven Sisters Country Park covers 280 hectares of chalk cliffs, meandering river valley and open chalk grassland. It is very popular with people living in the area and visiting from further afield and is used to indulge in a number of different outdoor activities including walking, bird watching, cycling and canoeing. My children (who are 28 and 26) enjoy going there especially for the cycling and canoeing. When I visit it is usually for the purpose of walking and bird watching. Again, like Eastbourne pier, it is one of those local delights which I should visit again in the near future.

Meanwhile, back here in the Trees I'm going to continue with my blogging, accounts and mountains of reading. I hope the Summer weather hasn't come to an end yet, it's too early to think about the arrival of Autumn!

Another Summer Saturday and a Wedding

2009-07-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

We have been getting some nice sunshine lately in the Willingdon Trees but the wind seems to have rather got the upper hand, especially today when if felt quite cool walking around in town and even inland.

Views of Eastbourne Town Hall

We had the joyful experience of attending a wedding today, of two of Hazel's colleagues. The actual wedding ceremony was held in Eastbourne Town Hall, where we were treated to some nice George Gershwin piano solos very well played and which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a treat for me not to have to actually be playing on this occasion! The room where the ceremony was held was quite imposing but it wasn't really large enough for the number of people who attended. Nevertheless, it was a lovely occasion and it was really good to see such a large representation of friends and relatives of the bride and groom in attendance, especially these days when people seem to be so busy with their own agendas.

Following the wedding ceremony we proceeded to Alfriston where the reception was due to take place at the War Memorial Hall which is situated by the Cuckmere river right next door to the Parish Church. This brought back to me memories of when I lasted visited Alfriston to play the organ in this church. It was during the time when the Cuckmere had burst its banks and it was only possible to get into Alfriston via one of the back roads which hadn't been immersed in water. It was quite an unusual sight to see car rooves peeping out above water in the main car park. My main concern at the time was as to whether or not I would get out of the church after the service before my car was also submerged in water or the other roads were blocked by water, it was still raining heavily at the time. I discovered that a member of the choir owned a bed and breakfast establishment in the village and they were prepared to take me in if the need should arise. Fortunately I managed to get out of Alfriston all right before the water rose any higher.

Parish Church, Alfriston

What a contrast it was there today, the Cuckmere was reduced to a mere trickle and the cows and calves were grazing peacefully in the field next to the river. There were a lot of serious walkers and hikers out on the path which runs alongside the Cuckmere and a more peaceful rural scene would be hard to envisage. It's hard to believe that this lovely rural treasure is only about 4 or 5 miles from my home in Willingdon Trees! I hardly ever seem to get out and about to enjoy such delights, I really must make more effort.

Alfriston War Memorial Hall

View from War Memorial Hall towards the Cuckmere

The wedding reception went really well and we enjoyed some really nice music sung and played by a young lady soloist accompanied by a talented pianist. They performed mainly jazz standards and songs from musicals, including 'What a Wonderful World', 'Bewitched' and 'Someone to watch over me', the sort of songs I always enjoy hearing. We had a wonderful buffet with lots of different food to choose from and some nice wine and champagne. We departed before the evening entertainment began, which was going to be more like a disco/dance, something that we tend to leave for the youngsters to enjoy. On returning home about 6.15p.m. it was still a pleasant Summer evening and the wind had dropped a little bit.

I hope that now the school Summer holidays have begun we will get some nice hot days minus the strong winds that seem to have been so prevalent lately. If you are going away I hope you enjoy your Summer break, and for those of you who are staying at home why not try to visit some of the local rural villages like Alfriston? This is just one of many local villages that I hope to explore in the near future.

Eastbourne Pier

2009-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

I know that it's not exactly situated in Willingdon Trees, but I came across a short feature about one of our local attractions, Eastbourne Pier, in which it is described as a 'Victorian Pleasure Symbol'. The article reads as follows.

Victorian Pleasure Symbols

'At the height of their popularity during Victorian times, more than 100 piers lined the British coast. The coming of the age of the train (I know, I had to wait ages for a train the other day, [inserted by me!]) brought the coast closer to the travelling population, while the passing of the Bank Holiday Act of 1871 provided the working classes with the opportunity to make day trips to the beach. With its promise of fun and provision, the pleasure pier quickly became the focal point of the nation's coastal resorts.

After the Second World War, during which time Britain's piers were sectioned (the removal of a large span to prevent their use as a landing point for a German invasion), many piers weren't repaired and remained closed. Their popularity declined further during the 1960s and '70s as Briton's developed a taste for overseas package holidays. Dwindling audiences saw the closure of end-of-pier theatres, while other piers were destroyed by fire and storms. Despite these setbacks, 55 piers remain along the British coast.'

There is an 'obscura', i.e. a bowl shaped object which works like a telescope inside the dome you can see on the above photo. When it was re-opened a number of years ago, a pick-pocket was spotted using the obscura and his progress was followed to enable the police to catch him. Was this the first CCTV camera to be seen in Eastbourne?

I don't know about you, but it is a long time since I last took a walk along the pier. It's only about 3 miles from where I live but it is very rarely that I actually go on the pier. When I do, it reminds me of our courting days c.1975 when we used to go to socialize in whatever establishment had replaced the original dance or music hall venue. There was some modern kind of drinking and dancing going on which would no doubt have been a culture shock to the Victorians if they had travelled forward in time to their much loved and frequented pleasure symbol. Now it is nice to take a leisurely stroll, breathe in the salt sea air and watch the seagulls and starlings wheeling around. I hope that the pier has a long future and is well maintained as an important historical Victorian treasure and Eastbourne landmark.

Meanwhile, I really do hope to get down there again soon.

'I must go down to the seas again,

The lonely sea and the sky,

I've left my vest and socks there,

I wonder if they're dry?'

John Masefied (adapted, I think by Spike Milligan).

A Summer Saturday

2009-07-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

It looks as though our lovely heatwave really has come to an untimely end. I am quite keen on hot weather although I know some of you are not so enamoured with it. I heard recently that it takes our bodies 3 weeks to adjust to hot temperatures, at that rate we very rarely have the opportunity to get used to it.

Anyway, enough about the weather. I was working until about 2.15 today, after which we went to look at bathroom suites available for DIY fitting. My son is training to be a plumber and he is hopefully going to fit it for us with the supervision of someone we know who has more experience. It should be an interesting exercise.

On the news front, it was quite interesting to hear Barack Obama's speeches in Ghana today. He was obviously quite touched by the fact that his ancestors came from Africa and he encouraged the Ghanians to take control of their future and destinies. It was quite stirring stuff, especially during this prolonged recession which is set to have more of a lasting impact on the third world countries rather than the more affluent Western world.

Back to more local issues, Summer is the time of year when roadworks are carried out more widely. We are due to have some roadworks in our road starting on Monday, I haven't checked to see how long they anticipate them lasting. I will have to allow more time if I am travelling in that direction in the course of my work or other appointments. It would be interesting to know how much it costs our local economy in terms of increased costs to businesses due to travelling delays, after all time is money, as they say. I haven't checked to see how many roadworks are taking place in the Eastbourne area at the moment, perhaps you have them in your locality?Don't forget to allow extra time for travelling if you have to negotiate them, it may save road rage and frustration.

I do hope that the warmer and sunnier weather returns for when the schools finish their term in just over a week from now. We are planning to have a short holiday break a little distance away on the South coast. I think many people are having holidays which don't involve travelling abroad this year. If I was to make a list of the places I have never been to in the British Isles it would be a very lengthy one! There are even quite a lot of places even close to home which I have not explored thoroughly. Remember, if we visit places in our own vicinity we are helping local traders and businesses which is helpful to our own national economic recovery. A lot of the local concerns rely quite heavily on the holiday, tourist and leisure custom they receive.

For those of you on holiday, either local residents or visiting from elsewhere, enjoy the break and I hope you benefit greatly from the change and rest.