Bonfires, Bands and Beaches in Eastbourne

Our first random location worked out well. We were looking for somewhere easily accessed after our 14 hour bus ride, on the coast and a faded, Victorian seaside resort. Bingo.  A two hour layover in London, enough time for a walk past Buckingham Palace, buy adapters and a coffee.  Short, picturesque train ride and we found ourselves walking down a street lined with charity thrift shops- Rainbow Bridge Equine Rescue, Cat Protection, Hospice, Heart Association- just to name a few (apparently there are 40).

Around a turn, and there it was - the Victorian Beach Holiday Pier, the long pedestrian promenade along the rocky strand, busy with scooter traffic (much easier then Amsterdam's bikes)

Our AirB&B was consistent with the ambience of the seen better days area with timbered walls and glitter zebra print wallpaper, although with a washing machine.

It was actually hard to find available lodging which we thought surprising since October is a little late for coastal holiday and all Eastbourne seemed to have (other then thrift shops) were boarding schools and assisted living homes.  Walking along the boardwalk, we thought we found the answer- Faux Queen, followed by a sold out Faux Abba, and then Bon Giovi (we began to wonder if we really were us)

While these were a huge draw, all at an open Bandstand with tons of people singing and dancing outside the venue on the boardwalk (why would you pay?), they were not the big draw.  The event was the Sussex Bonfire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_Bonfire_Societies.

The Sussex Bonfire societies host huge parades, bonfires and fireworks throughout Sussex from late September until November 5 (Guy Fawkes day).  While the exact origin on these bonfires are not known,  they seem to have begun initially as a pagan ritual, evolving into a All Souls Day related celebration burning effigies of evil (since this happened on the night Kavenaugh was approved, we had some thoughts about this).  Over time these celebrations evolved to commemorate the 17 Protestant Martyrs burned during Queen Mary's reign (1555-1557) and as an annual day of thanksgiving for King James surviving the Gunpowder Plot on his life by Guy Fawkes and friends
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night. Regardless of the reason, the whole town came out to drink and watch the parade, and who doesn't love a massive bonfire. Although, it was a high energy, festive feeling night, given the history of  torch-bearing mobs through the streets of Europe, it was a little creepy.

The parade (and Queen tribute) probably would have been enough but there was a lot more.

BEACHES: Sandless beaches, just tons of  beautiful, smooth rocks on the English Channel.  Tide went low enough to walk through thick seaweed blanketed  rocks. White cliffs, bigger then Dover, towering over the beach.

BUILDINGS: Rocks embedded into walls of houses and churches. And the Arcades along the pier that look just like they did in this old postcard.

MUSEUMS: This little town had some impressive museums. The Towner gallery focused on contemporary art and had an Eric Ravillous show, a British artist and designer that we had never heard of and liked considerably.  Along the beach, in the Pavillion (essentially a coffeehouse/gallery) was a thoughtful and rather unique exhibit on Memories, Keepsakes and Heirlooms which is surprising given the venue.  It used items from Eastbourne a from the Romans,1800's diarists,  a Czechoslovakian holocaust survivor and others to 

 "uncover the memory triggers of nostalgic childhoods, heirlooms and commemoration of loved ones, exploring how we create memories – both true and false, and how we choose to remember, or in some cases, even forget"

Read more at: https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/lifestyle/unlocking-eastbourne-s-lost-memories-at-new-exhibition-1-8413960

BRIGHTON: We took a local bus through fields of sheep and housing developments to the better known beach resort town.   Seems like towns like to meet us with parades. Don't know why, but there was a marching band upon us almost immediately as we touched down. Nick fit right in.

Brighton was bigger but not necessarily brighter then Eastbourne, although it did have a carousel with horses with names, but Gary, David and Aaron ?

The southern Sussex coast was a great welcome to Great Britain. The only challenge we, as West-Coasters, had was coping with the sun setting AND rising over the sea.

This week's photo of topless old man looking out window contemplating his life: everyone loves a parade.