New book reminds us why we should celebrate Eastbourne

The town's history is brought right up to date with some wonderful illustrations and, by including the stories of lesser-known characters as well as the Dukes who made the town in the Victorian era, the story is told in a very accessible and revealing way.

Many people know how Eastbourne developed as a seaside resort in a way that was rather different from other resorts, thanks to the influence of the Dukes of Devonshire who owned most of the land along the seafront.

Kevin Gordon’s new book, ‘Celebrating Eastbourne’ reminds us of how the town grew rapidly in the second half of the nineteenth century but adds some fascinating detail about many other aspects of Eastbourne’s story. He does this with some wonderful examples of characters at the other end of the social spectrum from the Dukes, but who also contributed to the Eastbourne story.

Here we celebrate the air aces, the actors, sportsmen, scientists and writers, plus the Bath Chair Men, the Edwardian lady parachutist and the man who thatched the telephone box on the seafront (who happened to be one of Kevin’s relatives).

Kevin Gordon has a passion for local history and has written several books about Eastbourne, including the recent ‘Bessie’s Eastbourne’ telling the story of his grandmother’s experiences living in the town.

His new book melds together the stories of the residents and the visitors, the upper and the lower classes and the known and lesser-known names, including the first man in Eastbourne to own a car, the visit of ‘General’ Tom Thumb in 1865 and a sell-out speech by Winston Churchill in 1900.

The book, with 96 pages and more than 100 illustrations, will be of interest to people who already know something of the town’s history as well as to those who are new to the subject.

Eastbourne is a town to be celebrated and this story of Eastbourne’s development is a valuable addition to the Eastbourne story, showing how the town has maintained its position in the forefront of English seaside resorts into the 21st century. And if you’ve never heard of ‘stink pipes’ and don’t know how the Saddled Donkeys were licenced then find out here!

The book is published by Amberley at £15.99 and can be purchased from their website, www.amberley-books.com or from Waterstones in Eastbourne.

More information about the author and his other books about Eastbourne can be found on the website, www.sussexhistory.net