See Eastbourne and Die by Anthea Gerrie
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Eastbourne Council could not be more pleased than if they had written these lines from the movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging themselves. For years they have been trying to change the view of the resort as the exclusive province of retirees and ageing holidaymakers.
That’s an image hard to dispel in a town where old folk in motorised vehicles are so numerous they even featured in the location shots for a teen flick, and many of the big hotels rely on coach parties.
But there’s also truth in the advertising Eastbourne has been putting out on the London Underground - the glittering palm-lined prom, yacht-lined marina and trendy alfresco restaurants are all there, and credit-crunched Brits have been pouring in to discover the charm of a resort officially named the sunniest place in Britain.
Actor John Malkovich has done his own bit to drag into the 21st-century the grande dame Eastbourne has remained ever since its Victorian heyday. The Big Sleep, whose original property made the Conde Nast Traveller Cool List, has chosen the resort for its third hotel, which opened on the seafront last summer.
This cheery budget hostelry is chic in a funky, pared-down way which will appeal to those who appreciate the wit of blue furry bedroom curtains and retro bar furniture, and is bound to bring in the aspirational young. They will have to fight for strutting room on the prom with the affluent who pack out the five-star Grand Hotel next door, not to mention the rollerblading youngsters growing up in a town whose presence is breathing fresh life into the resident population.
Although entering Eastbourne from the north can be a dispirting experience - endless roundabouts and industrial estates pepper the approach from the A22 - the seafront itself is improbably glamorous. Stretching from the Grand at one end to the marina at the other, the visitor encounters miles of pristine, pastel-painted grand Victorian buildings on one side and a beautifully-kept promenade punctuated with lawns and flower-beds on the other.
The beach is shingle, but it’s wide and the holder of a Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety, and there’s no shortage of smart navy and white deckchairs, as well as a row of beach huts. Eastbourne’s greatest attribute may be its zero tolerance for the seediness which dogs some of its south coast neighbours.
While the pier, which is lit up like a tasteful Las Vegas by night, offers only traditional attractions - a camera oscura, amusement arcades, tea rooms and the like - there are other pursuits to attract the younger and fitter, uncluding sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and body-boarding under the aegis of the Spray Water Centre, three 18-hole golf courses, plenty of tennis courts in the home of the Open, and for nostalgia fans a pukka bandstand which offers live music every night of the week in summer from brass bands to rock’n’roll tributes to the full 1812 fireworks number every Wednesday.
Although Eastbourne may be unique in fielding four or five theatres offering musical and/or comedy entertainment, shopping is a bit of a disappointment. The main shopping area centres around the station, where it is worth checking out Bruford’s, Eastbourne’s original jeweller, which proffers a level of old-fashioned service to equal the Grand and has some very nice pieces.
Oddly, the best nightlife is also tucked away in a couple of alleys opposite the station in what is known as the Mark Lane triangle. It started with a printworks, converted to a cocktail bar (the pleasant Loft Lounge, which also serves coffee and snacks) and locals like Okto, an ambitious but keenly-priced modern restaurant. Hudsons is another cocktail lounge which gets the local vote.
It would be a shame to drive down to Eastbourne and not stop in the beautiful hinterland to the north-west, where some of the best shopping and dining opportunities are located. The picturesque hamlet of East Dean has a deli started by an alumnus of Le Gavroche facing the village green, while pretty medieval Alfriston has an award-winning bookshop(Much Ado), a couple of nice boutiques and the cosy Badger Tea Rooms.
Over in the village of Jevington, the Hungry Monk, which has been pleasing locals with its famous banoffi pie for decades, has just been named South-East Restaurant of the Year by the Good Food Guide.