Thursday 26 June 2014

Eastbourne Is the Setting for New Sherlock Holmes Novel

Eastbourne and the South Downs village of East Dean, have become the setting for the latest instalment of Sherlock Holmes, as the fictional detective uncovers a mystery near Beachy Head in a brand new book, on sale this week!

Written by the New York Times bestselling author James Lovegrove, his second Sherlock Holmes novel ‘Gods of War’ is released on 27 June, after his highly acclaimed first instalment was released to rave reviews last year.


Set in 1913, with the threat of World War One hanging over England, the story begins with Dr Watson visiting his friend Holmes at his cottage in East Dean.  As the body of a young man is discovered by the cliffs of nearby Beachy Head, the duo begin to investigate, uncovering a sinister conspiracy of shocking ramifications.

We asked James a few questions about the book.........

After your highly acclaimed and New York Times best selling Pantheon series of science fiction books, what took you in the direction of writing the next Sherlock Holmes series?

"I started reading the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was about 11, and since then I’ve always had a hankering to write some myself.  It only took 35 years to realise that ambition!  I’d become aware that Titan Books were reprinting Holmes pastiches dating from the early 1980s, when the character first fell out of copyright, and then learned that they were publishing brand-new pastiches as well, most of them with an SF or fantasy angle.  This seemed like an ideal opportunity, so I pitched a couple of ideas for novels to the commissioning editor.  Both were accepted, and here I am."

·         How do you prepare to take on such a huge literary character and adapt it from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series?

"I do my best not to think too hard about the huge legacy Sir Arthur Conan Doyle left or the long shadow that Sherlock Holmes casts over crime fiction and the entire literary landscape.  All I try to do is provide good, solid Holmes stories that are true to the character and his world and that fit tidily into the continuity of the four novels and fifty-six stories Doyle wrote about him.  I’ve chosen to write them in a style which mimics the great author’s own but not too slavishly, allowing it to merge slightly with my own style.  The main thing, I’ve found, is getting the relationship between Holmes and Watson just right.  It’s a little combative, at times tetchy, like that between two brothers, but there is no mistaking the deep undercurrent of friendship and trust that they share."

·         Your previous Holmes novel was set in the hustle and bustle of London, what appealed to you about focussing Gods of War in Eastbourne and Sussex?

"It always appealed to me that Doyle had Holmes retire to the Sussex coast near Eastbourne.  I was born and raised in Lewes, and I know this area very well.  I liked the idea that the Great Detective chose our neck of the woods to spend his twilight years in.  It seemed a natural idea to write a tale about him during this period, when he had supposedly left his life as a sleuth behind him and was seeing out his days keeping bees on a small farm.  I always imagined he would get bored from time to time and feel the need to recapture some of the old excitement.  Even if he didn’t go looking for them, mysteries would find him, demanding to be solved.  I reckoned I would use my deep personal knowledge of the local area to add a unique flavour to the novel, making Edwardian Eastbourne and its surroundings as essential to it as Victorian London is to the majority of Doyle’s stories."

·         What do you think appealed to Holmes when he chose to retire to East Dean in the Conan Doyle books?

"I think he was looking for the quiet life, an antidote to the years of danger and struggle he had experienced before then.  This part of Sussex was still relatively remote at the turn of the last century, not the wild country but certainly not a place you would just pop down to from London on a whim.  Maybe there’s also the allure of the sea, which is terribly attractive to retirees – those long, contemplative vistas.  There are some who reckon Holmes didn’t actually live in East Dean, despite the blue plaque on a certain cottage on the village green.  There’s a reasonable argument for saying, based on the scant evidence Doyle provides, that Holmes’s retirement house was in fact Hodcombe Farm on Beachy Head Road.  For the purposes of my novel I needed him to live somewhere a little less remote, so East Dean was it."

·         What local landmarks or Sussex stories can we expect to see in the book? And will we see them in a different light?

"I’ve used as much local lore and tradition in the book as I could fit in.  For instance, Holmes and Watson encounter members of the fisher-folk community that once lived in shacks just below the cliffs at Beachy Head, and Watson is seen walking along the Eastbourne promenade and taking a turn around the pier.  The Long Man of Wilmington features, and I delve into regional dialect and myths.  At one point a thick sea mist serves much the same function as a London pea-souper, helping to create a sinister atmosphere.  This is an Eastbourne that has both light and shade, a tourist town where dark dealings are afoot."

·         We would love to see Gods of War made into a film – which actor would make a good Sherlock do you think?

"A good fit for a retired Sherlock Holmes would be someone like Hugh Laurie, with Stephen Fry as Watson – or perhaps the other way round.  It’d be nice to see those two sharing the screen together again.  Holmes was only in his early fifties when he left London, after all, so they’d both be about the right age.  I think Gary Oldman might do a good job, too."

·         So what’s next for Holmes and Watson in your next novel?

"In The Thinking Engine, Holmes and Watson travel to Oxford to confront an early computer whose inventor claims is as smart as any man, even as smart as Sherlock Holmes himself.  This embroils them in a chain of crimes which seem unconnected to one another but form part of a competition between man and machine.  It’s set in 1895, when Holmes is at the height of his powers but getting somewhat egotistical and overconfident.  The Thinking Engine takes him down a peg or two, triggering a crisis of self-doubt.  Oxford, where I went to university, seemed like an interesting setting – all those great brains and ancient buildings – and I’ve slotted the novel in around one of the Doyle stories, “The Three Students”."

·         East Dean is a popular spot for day visitors, what do you think Sherlock’s perfect day out would be?

"Since Holmes tended to avoid crowds and fuss, he would probably be at his happiest strolling along the clifftop paths (as he does in “The Lion’s Mane”) or enjoying a ramble along the beach, studying rock pools."

·         Do you have a favourite line from the book you would be happy to share with us?

"I quite like this exchange of dialogue between Holmes and Watson near the beginning, after Watson has just stepped off the train down from London.  Watson is a little peeved that Holmes, who has just got wind of a robbery at a jewellers in town, is too excited about that to observe the basic pleasantries, so he demands, “And how was my journey?”

“Are you wanting me to tell you or entreating me to enquire?”
“The latter, although I've no doubt, you being you, you could manage the former.”
“Then how was it?” 

I thought that nailed their relationship pretty neatly in just a couple of lines."

We really enjoyed speaking to James and hope the book goes well. We at visiteastbourne are giving away a copy of the fantastic book! Find us on Facebook, like us and share the photo for a chance to win!

Tuesday 24 June 2014

Midsummer - Indulgent evening runs and back to watch the sunset

Guest Blogger: Alf Empty: Beachy Head Marathon

While that screen saver featuring the white cliffs and Belle Tout on the horizon may taunt those of us stuck at a desk by day, at least we now have the long evenings to run and relax in.

Time to change some routes as brambles and nettles are now starting to take over the narrower of my woodland paths.  Despite the sunshine and drier weather, parts of low lying paths are still flooded in my area.  Though I love running in woodlands and enjoy the shade from the sun and shelter from wind and rain they provide, there is nothing like the open fells.  It is wonderful to see a switchback before you, and to have a horizon to run towards.


Even those using a 'six month to first marathon' schedule will be running around 12 - 15 miles on their long runs by now.  Far enough to be experimenting with nutrition on the run and thinking about route visualisation and topography.  Exciting and important stuff.  I remember steeling myself for the iconic 'Seven Sisters' the first time I ran Beachy Head Marathon.  I was shattered, but sort of elated as I came into Birling Gap with the sisters' behind me.  It was then that I realised someone had put a large hill in the way of the finish, that would be Beachy Head then.  As I crawled my way up this last hill I cried a little each time a false summit dashed my hopes again.  Visualisation failure.

- Alf Emty
Half full or half empty, it's the same amount of beer.

Friday 20 June 2014

Mike Celebrates 35 Years Behind the Scenes of the Aegon International

Eastbourne Events Manager Mike Marchant has an incredible track record, from launching one of the UK's biggest free airshows to managing the world renown
tennis facilities at Devonshire Park.  
Mike Marchant

As the tournament's longest serving member of staff, this year Mike celebrates his 35th year working behind the scenes on the Aegon International, and tells us all how it started...

"So another tennis week comes to town. The stars from the WTA and ATP tennis tours descend on Eastbourne for the currently titled Aegon International which has been a highlight of Eastbourne’s events calendar since 1975.
Mike meeting with the Safety Officer

The event grew from the demise of the old South of England Championships which staged its 82nd and final tournament in Devonshire Park the previous year. The Lawn Tennis Association and Eastbourne Borough Council decided to take the risk to stage the first WTA tour event in the week before Wimbledon. This was a bold and forward thinking decision as we now look back from the perspective of 40 years.

Many people have been involved over the years but Eastbourne’s Tourism Directors Peter Bedford, who took that decision along with elected members, and Ron Cussons who oversaw the growth of the event from 1986 and the construction of new stadia in 1995, were both major players.
Mike overseas the daily safety briefing


My first tournament was in 1980 which also saw George Hendon take over as Tournament Director a role he filled until 2000. In that first year Tracy Austin won the first of her two BMW Championships – Eastbourne titles and of course we saw Martina Navratilova claim 11 singles titles between 1978-1993.

Modern ticket sales are all online now but back in 1980 we sold paper tickets and filled in the allocated seat on a paper plan colouring blue for daily, green for weekly. The BBC commentator was Dan Maskell, the stands were wooden, the “West Open” seats were blue canvas director’s chairs from the seafront, the 1,300 seater East Terrace consisted of a very uncomfortable green iron chair and an event risk assessment was unheard of.
Mike (pictured centre) and his team in 1990's


After 40 years the grounds team under the guidance of Andy Bacon and Roy Charman still produce what are considered by many players to be the “best grass courts in the world” and as I near the end of my 35th tournament this week we have welcomed back to Eastbourne visitors, players, officials and many old friends for this year’s tournament .

On behalf of Eastbourne Borough Council and the town we say thank you to the Lawn Tennis Association and the players and all who have contributed over the last 40 years and we look forward to the future."
Mike 

Congratulations Mike from all at VisitEastbourne!

Thursday 19 June 2014

Redoubt Fortress Opens New Exhibition: Edmund Blunden – A Harmless Young Shepherd in a Soldiers Coat

The Redoubt opened a new exhibition on 14 June celebrating the life and work of Edmund Blunden 1896-1974. Blunden was a poet, teacher, writer of prose and soldier in the Royal Sussex Regiment during the First World War. 

Though not the best known of the war poets, Blunden actually served on the Frontline longer than any others from this group and recorded his life during this time in many stunning pieces of work.

Throughout his working career Blunden was haunted by his experiences during the war, with his final ‘War Poems’ being written towards the end of his career in the 1960’s. 
In 1971, just before his death Blunden said “My experiences in the First World War have haunted me all my life and for many days I have, it seemed, lived in that world rather than in this.”

From his life in the trenches he also produced one of the best known pieces of war prose, in the book ‘Undertones of War’ that has remained in print ever since being published in 1928.

This exhibition also explores Edmund Blunden’s interests, for example his love of the British Countryside, pastoral values and above all cricket. These things influenced his writing and are illustrated in the exhibition.

However insular these influences sound, Blunden was anything but in his outlook on life, spending many years in Japan and the Far East as well as in the more conventionally traditional yet scholarly colleges of Oxford.
Blunden wrote many books including works on other poets including Keats and Wilfred Owen but is probably most fondly remembered for his reflections on his most beloved sport in ‘Cricket Country’.

The exhibition will tell his story primarily in his own words and in those of the people that knew him best using sound and moving images as well as his texts that need little enhancing. 

The exhibition runs from 14 June – 16 November 2014 and normal entry fees apply. For more information please go to www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Top Cycling Spots in Eastbourne

With cycling becoming more and more popular, racing on the increase and Eastbourne having fantastic scenic routes, it seems the perfect place for a cycling break!

The Tour of Sussex race is also just around the corner from 4 - 6 July. Split into stages, the race covers Sussex, starting in Ninfield and finishing in Eastbourne.

Cycle racing and cycling in general is still on the increase after huge British success in the Tour de France over the last two seasons, with Chris Froome winning the Tour de France 2013 and Sir Bradley Wiggins amazing bumper year winning the Tour de France and Olympic Gold in 2012. The sport has had amazing coverage and continues to grow in the public eye.

This year will see the second Tour of Sussex Cycle race with an extended program. On Friday 4 July at 7pm, time trials will take place at Ninfield, which will be a spectacle to watch as teams of riders work together to achieve the fastest time.

The following day, cyclists will start in Lewes at 9.30am and race through Laughton via Ringmer and The Broyle.

When arriving in Eastbourne, cyclists will take individual time trials on upper Dukes Drive onto Beachy Head at 5.30pm.

To finish the event on Sunday the route will commence from Eastbourne and finish in Beachy Head. The final stage is renowned for being tough and is sure to sort the men from the boys!

2014 is a great year for cycling in Eastbourne with the Tour of Britain passing through on 13 September and great opportunities for cyclists to take on. Many hotels offer sports areas, wet clothing area and provide the perfect healthy breakfast before heading out for a day of cycling.

Top cycling spots:

  • South Downs Way - 100 mile scenic route through national park to Winchester begins in Eastbourne
  • Cuckoo Trail - a former railway line, this flat tarmac route meanders through pretty Sussex countryside, from Eastbourne to Heathfield.
  • Abbots Wood - set in 360 hectares of mixed woodland with picnic area, lake and cycling permitted on all surface paths. Great for bluebells in Spring!
  • Castles Circular - discover Pevensey Castle, a site of the Norman 1066 invasion, the 15th Century moated Herstmonceux Castle and historic telescopes at The Observatory on the circular route through the Pevensey levels.
  • Cuckmere Valley - hire a bike from Seven Sisters Cycle Co. and cycle the meandering River Cuckmere right down to the beach - the picture postcard setting at the end of the film Atonement.


For more information go to Visiteastbourne.com

Wednesday 11 June 2014

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.