Eastbourne - History, Reputation, People, Districts, Transport, Sports, Leisure and Recreation, Parks, Events, Education, Culture, Politics, Trivia

50º46N 0º17E, pop (2001e) 89 700. Coastal town in East Sussex, SE England, UK; on the English Channel, 30 km/19 mi E of Brighton; fashionable 18th-c resort; birthplace of Angela Carter, Sir Frederick Hopkins, and Frederick Soddy; railway; Lamb Inn (13th-c), Pilgrims Inn (14th-c); Saxon parish church of St Mary; art gallery; tourism; international tennis tournament (Jun).

Borough of Eastbourne
	Shown within East Sussex
Geography		-	Status:	Borough
Region:	South East England
Historic County:	Sussex
Admin. County:	East Sussex
Area: - Total	Ranked 309th 44.16 km²
Admin. HQ:	Eastbourne
ONS code:	21UC
Demographics
Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density	Ranked 242nd 92,900 2,104 / km²
Ethnicity:	96.6% White
Politics
Eastbourne Borough Council http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MP:	Nigel Waterson

Eastbourne is a medium-sized town in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, with a population, according to the 2001 Census, of around 90,000.

Trains leave from London Victoria to Eastbourne with a journey time of around 1hr 30mins.

History

The area around Eastbourne is known to have been settled throughout history - artefacts dating to the Stone Age have been found in the surrounding countryside, and there are both Roman and Anglo-Saxon sites within the modern boundaries of the town;

By the mid-19th Century most of the area had fallen into the hands of two landowners: John Davies Gilbert (the Davies-Gilbert family still own much of the land in Eastbourne and East Dean) and William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington.

This period of growth and elegant development continued for several decades, but World War II saw a change in fortunes: initially, children were evacuated to Eastbourne on the assumption that they would be safe from German bombs, but soon they had to be evacuated again.

After the war, development continued, including the growth of Old Town up the hillside and the housing estates of Hampden Park (above the park itself, named after Viscount Hampden, whose grandson sold the land to the council), Willingdon Trees and Langney.

In the 1990s, however, both growth and controversy accelerated rapidly as a new plan was launched to develop the area known as the "Crumbles", a shingle bank on the coast to the east of the town centre. Together with continued growth in other parts of the town, and the taming of the central marshland known as the "levels" into farmland and nature reserves, this has turned Eastbourne into the centre of a conurbation, with the appearance from above of a hollow ring.

Reputation

The town promotes itself as "The Sunshine Coast", and often claims the highest recorded hours of sunlight, producing a rivalry with the larger coastal resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth.

The seafront at Eastbourne is distinctive in having few shop fronts opening onto it, the road being almost entirely populated by Victorian hotels.

One feature that has always been heavily promoted is Eastbourne's floral displays, most notably the "Carpet Gardens" along the coastal road near the pier.

Beachy Head cliff, to the west of the town, is an infamous suicide spot.

People

The population of Eastbourne at the 2001 census was 92,100, and the town is growing fast.

Chinese form the largest minority group, and have been in the town for the last 4 decades.

Districts

Within Eastbourne's limits are:

Langney District: Langney Rise, Shinewater, Kingsmere, Langney Village, The Marina, Langney Point.

Eastbourne's greater area comprises the town of Polegate, and the civil parishes of Willingdon and Jevington, Stone Cross, Pevensey, Westham, and Pevensey Bay village.

Transport

The most common form of transport throughout the town is the car, and consequently Eastbourne has more cars than the average town, made even higher by the number of tourists and commuters traveling in and out.

Many of the town's major roads and dual carriageways are jammed at all hours of the day, while the buses and trains are usually half empty.

Taxis are the second favourite form of transport, many of the town's taxis are luxury cars;

Buses are of good standard and offer journeys to all parts of the town and surounding areas.

Eastbourne buses was the first modern bus sevice to operate in the world starting in 1903, and this long history is a source of pride for the company, which is part-owned by the Borough Council.

A regular National Express coach service operates daily from London Victoria.

Train Eastbourne's original station was opened in 1849, when the railways first reached Sussex, but the present building dates from 1866.

Tours the city sightseeing runs regular trips around Eastbourne and Beachy Head in open top buses.

Sports

Eastbourne is home to three senior football clubs all bearing the town's name - Eastbourne Town F.C., Eastbourne Borough F.C. but renamed themselves in 2001 to better reflect the town of Eastbourne.

Eastbourne Town F.C. Eastbourne Town F.C play at the 'Saffrons' in central Eastbourne at one of the most pleasant county grounds. The Saffrons also hosts Eastbourne Cricket Club and Eastbourne Hockey Club. Eastbourne Town F.C.

Eastbourne boasts plenty of under-18s football clubs such as Eastbourne Town F.C. (Youth Under 18's) and Eastbourne Town Old Boys (6-16 years of age). Eastbourne United and Eastbourne Borough also have youth teams.

There are also many other Adult teams in Eastbourne, including Willingdon Athletic, Eastbourne WMC and Eastbourne Dynamos F.C..

The Eastbourne Eagles are the proud speedway club located at Arlington Stadium, just outside the town.

Eastbourne is a golf friendly place to live, with 3 golf clubs, a golfing park and 2 adventure golf courses.

Eastbourne Archers, several tennis clubs, hockey, rugby and lacrosse teams.

Leisure and Recreation

The most common place of leisure is the 4 miles of fine beaches, from the harbour in the east to Holywell in the west. Eastbourne's Pier is located half way, just 5 mins from the town.

The Downs: The famous Downs dominate Eastbourne and can be seen from most of the town.

In addition there are two swimming pools, three large fitness centres as well as the smaller sports clubs, one of which has both 10-pin-bowling and 'LaserQuest', a yacht club, children's adventure parks, crazy golf, bowls, go-karting, watersports of all kinds and for the more adventurous kite-karting on the Downs.

Parks

Eastbourne officially has 10 parks and gardens, although there are several smaller open spaces including Upperton Gardens, the famous Carpet Gardens and the Western Lawns.

The first public park in Eastbourne was Hampden Park, originally owned by Lord Willingdon and opened on 12 August 1902.

The largest and newest park is Shinewater Park, located on the west side of Langney and opened in 2002.

Gildredge Park and Manor Gardens: A large open park located between the town centre and Old Town, Gildredge Park is very popular with families and has a children's playground, cafe, tennis courts and bowls lawns.

Princes park: Princes Park obtained it's name during a visit by the Duke of Windsor as Prince of Wales in 1931.

Devonshire Park, home to the pre-Wimbledon ladies tennis championships, is located just of the seafront in the towns cultural district.

Other parks include: Helen Gardens and the Italian Gardens at the Western end of the seafront, Sovereign Park between the main seafront and the marina and Motcombe Gardens in Old Town.

Events

Eastbourne is home to the Women's tennis tournament which is traditionally seen as the warm-up to Wimbledon, and attracts many of the same players.

A major event in the tourist calendar of Eastbourne is the annually held 4 Day, International Air Show, 'Airbourne'.

Annually there is also a raft competition where competitors, usually local businesses, circumnavigate the pier in a raft made by themselves, while being attacked by a watercannon.

The famous Chinese State Circus performs once a year in Princes Park.

Education

Eastbourne has in the past been home to numerous small schools, and still boasts several world-famous private schools, such as St Bedes and Moira House For Girls. For a town of its size, however, Eastbourne now has a surprisingly small number of schools.

Several language colleges and schools are based in the town, some of which are nationally and internationally famous.

Meanwhile, many of Eastbourne's schools have "twinning" arrangements with schools in Germany and France, allowing students to exchange with those from abroad.

Parts of the University of Brighton are based in the Meads area of the town.

Culture

Eastbourne has, over the years, been home, inspiration or backdrop to many artists, writers, musicians, film and TV productions. These include:

People: The writers George Orwell - who is said to have taken inspiration for Animal Farm from Chalk Farm in Willingdon - and Lewis Carroll;

Eastbourne's most significant artist is probably Eric Ravilious.

Films: Notes on a Scandal (2006), The Best Man (2006), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Redemption Road (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), James Bond: Licence to Kill, Robin Hood: Price of Thieves, Half a Sixpence

TV: Little Britain, Agatha Christie's Marple, French and Saunders, Foyles War, Westbeach

In 2007, Eastbourne will gain a new cultural centre, replacing the Manor House (which has now been sold) as home of the Towner Art Gallery;

Politics

Politically, Eastbourne is a local government district.

It was made a municipal borough in 1883, and gained county borough status in 1911.

Trivia

Up and Coming Singer/Songwriter David Ford also comes from Eastbourne.

Frederick Soddy, The English radiochemist was born in Eastbourne.

Actors Prunella Scales and Eddie Izzard both went to school in Eastbourne.

Eastbourne Buses, founded in 1903 is the oldest motorbus company in the world.

Eastbourne is home to the busiest railway level-crossing in Europe, located in Hampden Park, it has a peak of 1-3 trains every 3 mins.

Eastbourne houses the largest man-made marina in Europe.

Eastbourne was the most heavily bombed town in the south outside London during WW2;

Eastbourne is also home to the BBD Ninjutsu Admin center.

Eastbourne was home to the notorious John Bodkin Adams, better know as Doctor Death, who was charged with killing 21 patients and suspected of 40 more.

Eastbourne is the birthplace and early home town of British Yacht Designer Phil Morrison