The AA 3-star hotel closed down after the New Year celebrations and will re-open on Tuesday, 16th February.

During this period, the hotel’s owners have completely refurbished the guests’ TV lounge and made a number of improvements to some of the guest bedrooms and bathrooms.

The hotel’s General Manager, Sue Harris, commented: “We had a good year in 2009, despite the recession, and I believe the work we have done over the Winter will help ensure we have another successful year in 2010.

I hope that our many regular guests are pleased with the improvements we have made around the hotel and that we are maintaining the standards they expect from us.”

The hotel boasts many features and functions to make your stay as comfortable as possible, including:

• 40 en-suite bedrooms
• 80-seat restaurant
• Private lounge & bar
• Internet access & free ‘Wi-Fi’
• Organised entertainment
• Lift level and ground floor rooms
• On-street parking & secure garages
• Level access & stair lifts
• Safe bike & scooter storage
• Wheelchair and scooter hire
• Meeting & business facilities
• Private event hire

The New Wilmington Hotel is situated just off the seafront, close to local shops with two nearby pubs, a fish and chip restaurant, Thai restaurant and grocery stores.  The hotel is also conveniently situated for the town’s three main theatres, the Congress, Devonshire Park and Winter Garden, providing year-round entertainment.  Opposite the hotel, The Eastbourne International Tennis tournament which will take place at Devonshire Park this year from 12-15 August.  Eastbourne Town Centre with its two shopping centres and mainline railway station is a little further away.  The annual 999 Display in July and the “Only Free Annual International Airshow”, Airbourne, is also located a short walk away on the Western Lawns, which will take place this year from 12-15 August 2010.

The New Wilmington Hotel run various events and offers year-round.

The New Wilmington Hotel is a family-run, 40-bedroom property on Compton Street in Eastbourne. The hotel welcomes private guests, coach parties and provides meeting facilities for corporate customers.

The New Wilmington Hotel has been awarded 3 stars and a Merit Score of 74% by the AA and is ranked as the No.1* hotel in Eastbourne on independent travel website, TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.co.uk).

Parts of Eastbourne have come to a stand still today as the funeral of an Eastbourne soldier takes place in the town.

The funeral cortege made its way past Eastbourne College at lunchtime where colleagues and school children bowed their heads in respect. Lance Corporal Michael David Pritchard of the 4th Regiment, Royal Military Police, died whilst serving in Afghanistan. He was killed as a result of small arms fire in the Sangin area, in central Helmand Province on the evening of December 20, 2009.

Lance Corporal Michael David Pritchard, 22, was born in Maidstone, Kent on January 11, 1987, but lived in Eastbourne from the age of one and went to school there. After leaving school and college, he enlisted into the Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police) in July 2007 and on completion of Phase 1 and 2 Training was posted to 160 Provost Company, 4th Regiment Royal Military Police, in Aldershot as a General Police Duties Junior Non-Commissioned Officer.

Shortly after this, he deployed to Kenya as part of the training for Op HERRICK 11. He arrived in Afghanistan in October.

School children mark their respect as the coffin passes

His comrades said Mike “Pritch” Pritchard loved to laugh and joke and this is how he should always be remembered. LCpl Pritchard’s family paid the following tribute; “With great sadness we say goodbye to our beloved son, a lover of life who has lived life to the full and has brought great joy to all those who are lucky enough to know him. A light that shines brightly, our precious son, brother, grandson, boyfriend and special friend to all, we are very proud of you in all that you have done and achieved and you will always be in our hearts now and evermore. God bless our darling boy from all of your family and friends.”

Lieutenant Colonel Debbie Poneskis, Commanding Officer, 4th Regiment, Royal Military Police said; “Lance Corporal Pritchard had only been in the Royal Military Police since July 2007 but he very quickly made a huge impact on all of us. It is tragic that we have been robbed of such a promising Junior Non-Commissioned Officer and one who was everything you would want in a Military Policeman. He was a professional and robust soldier and one who was both physically and morally courageous. He was absolutely committed to providing policing advice where it mattered most, alongside his Infantry colleagues on patrol and as part of the team.”

Source: Sussex Now

Camilla’s Bookshop is like no other.  It’s a labyrinth of literature, a tease of textbooks, a nub of (k)nowledge … you get the picture!  But don’t just take my word for it – if you haven’t visited yet, you haven’t lived!

If you’re a bit of a bookworm, then this shop will be right up your alley.

“Eastbourne’s Saving Grace”, as  described by The Spectator, specialise in Armed Services – Transport – Travel Literature – History – Music – Art – Religion – Sport – Modern First Editions – Poetry & Literature, as well as stocking all the favourites, from novels, children’s books, maps, signed copies, encyclopedias … the list goes on.

Even if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find something that will interest you.   The gem is finding one of the many out of print books.

The single most remarkable thing about the bookshop has to be the way in which it’s presented.  Although one may be put off by the initial impression, curiosity will soon kick in.  The wonderment of how many books can be stored in such a small space and how one can ever find anything will also cross your mind.  But once you’re in the midst of it, you’ll become completely transfixed on the range titles and some great old and thought long-forgotten books.

Camilla's Bookshop | Internal picture of bookshelves and stairs

Books are shelved in categories, but each shelf is in no particular order.
Shelves are stuffed to the max.
Books are piled up next to stuffed shelves.
Books are stuffed full from floor to ceiling.
Books are shelved on the stairs.
Three floors of this wonderous disorder.

For first time visitors, Camilla’s Bookshop, with its cavernous three floors stuffed to bursting with quality, cheap second-hand classics in every area, will leave you totally amazed, baffled and totally inspired and stimulated. Even if you’re not too into books, I defy you to not be in awe!

The Bookshop’s History:  Camilla Francombe and Stuart Broad opened their first secondhand bookshop in 1976 at the Seven Dials in Brighton.

The shop was small & shaped like a piece of cheese but with shelves 20 ft high.

It was, however, a start and from there with one of those strokes of luck that appear once in a lifetime, they purchased the freehold of 88 St James’s St for £7000!

This shop, now long gone, was 5 stories high, but only 12 ft wide! Built in 1830 & in poor physical repair the shop was named ‘Picture Books’ as illustrated books were the preferred stock.

This shop later became ‘Tall Stories’, when a new owner took over.

In 1984 the partners took on a shop in Worthing called ‘The Steyne Bookshop’ near the Chatsworth Hotel. This too was multi-storied, but suffered from a very secondary site.

The next year came a much better position in Eastbourne, where they opened Camilla’s Bookshop still trading from its position next to the Police Station in Grove Rd.

Running 3 shops was something of a nightmare and so reluctantly they sold the Brighton & Worthing sites to concentrate on Eastbourne. This most successful and popular shop is open daily except Sundays.

Source:  Camilla’s Bookshop | Blogspot – Well worth visiting for some more photos of the extraordinary internal photos of the bookshop.

Uniquely, Camilla firmly believes that customers should be able to shop even when they’re closed. Under the arches to the side of the shop, books adorn the entire wall. Select your book and simply pay through the letterbox!

Camilla's Bookshop, 57 Grove Road, Eastbourne

Perhaps a word of warning: You will lose track of all time in this bookshop, losing perhaps hours of your life, completely captivated by studying countless spines and pages.

Some books, especially the older ones will come with a high price tag, and higher than that originally purchased for.

Camilla’s Bookshop also buys books, so if you have a loft full of old books and want others to enjoy, feel free to totter down to the bookshop and see if Camilla is interested.

Located conveniently in the town, it’s a doddle to get to.

Join Camilla’s Bookshop group on Facebook

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Karen Hampson says:

“This amazing secondhand bookshop greets you with books piled all over the floor, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It is a wonderful labyrinthine cavern to lose yourself in for hours on its three floors (don’t miss the basement). Books on all topics imaginable and staff who seem to know where every one is. When I’m having a bad day I like to go in there for a browse, knowing I won’t be able to leave without buying some gem or other. I have been known to compete with friends over who will come out with a famous pink carrier bag. Not usually a problem to fill one!”

Source: guardian.co.uk | Bookshops in the south-east

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As you enter the centre, the feeling is one of a Dickensian nature, with its bustling ambience.  The shops, a large selection of independent specialist businesses, under a Victorian glass roof, is bright and attractive.  The brick-paved flooring gives the added unique feel, that it’s not just another shopping centre.

The traders, from butchers to estate agents, from florists to jewellers, offer a wide variety of wares within their premises.

Enterprise Shopping Centre | Entrance

50 specialist shops have been trading in the Enterprise Centre for almost 20 years:

Food| Places to Eat | Clothes / Shoes | Dress Hire | Haberdashery | Clothes Repair | Jewellery | Flowers | Clairvoyant | Health & Beauty | Charity Shop | Maternity & Baby | Toys | New & Used Cars | Dolls’ Houses & Collectable Dolls | Tattoo & Body Piercing | Tudor History Tours | Mobile Phones | Household | Promotional Merchandise | Pet Food & Care | Music & Photography | Estate Agents | Nursing Agents | Party Shop | Cards | Gifts | Crafts | Photographer | Stained Glass | Jokes & Fancy Dress | Antiques Market

10 Good Reasons to Come to the Enterprise Centre

Enterprise Centre

• Eastbourne is an attractive, prosperous, expanding shopping centre
• We are well established having traded successfully for over 20 years
• There are fifty businesses here creating a strong customer flow
• Our terms are fully inclusive, there are no Business Rates to pay, with shops available on 1 year licences
• We spend £60,000 a year on promoting and advertising the centre
• We are next to the railway and bus stations and main taxi ranks
• We are in a very attractive building that is unique in concept
• We have a large surface car park
• There is a full time Collectors’ Market
• There is an experienced, on-site management team.

Enterprise Centre | Car Parking

About the Centre

The Enterprise Shopping Centre opened nearly 20 years ago in the heart of Eastbourne – one of the most prosperous towns on the south coast – with the idea of bringing together a large selection of independent specialist businesses under one roof. The benefits of such an arrangement are that costs such as business rates, insurance, security, maintenance, cleaning and advertising are all shared. We currently spend over £60,000 a year advertising and promoting The Centre. Likewise customers are shared with everyone benefiting from each others’ customer flow.

Today the Enterprise Shopping Centre is the very successful home to over 50 different businesses including a wide variety of shops, places to eat, a Food Hall, specialist services and a collectors market. There is an established clientele of between 10,000 and 15,000 customers visiting the Centre each week which means that any business opening here enjoys an immediate captive customer base. The Enterprise Shopping Centre is by the Railway Station on Eastbourne’s main thoroughfare, Terminus Road. It is surrounded by car parking for up to 500 cars.

Some Salient Facts about Eastbourne

Enterprise Centre | Front

• A catchment area of over 180,000 residents within a 30 minute drive
• Shopping attracts 1.8 million tourists and 30,000 foreign students every summer
• Strong retail mix of major department stores and supermarkets
• 70,000 conference delegates per year
• Growing population of 60,000 people between the ages of 15 and 45

Collector's Market

At the front of the Enterprise Centre is a Collector’s Market with a range of collectables and antiquities.

Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne, E. Sussex, BN21 1BD
T: 01323 639504 | F: 01323 640944

Directions: The Enterprise Centre is situated next to the main railway station in Eastbourne, and directly off the main A22 road into Eastbourne.

Source: Enterprise Specialist Shopping | The Enterprise Centre

Nowadays, with the superstores selling everything under one roof and internet shopping and delivery, it’s so much easier to get your shopping stress free and fuss free with our fast pace of living.

However, with the demands we make on these services, it makes the stores need to feed our buying habits.  With these demands, the stores have had to change the way in which they provide these to us.

We’re talking about meat.  The stuff that makes our chicken curries, steak and kidney puddings, toad in the holes and all the sumptious British foods we’ve come to expect and enjoy.

It’s true that more cattle and fowl have to be reared to meet our demands.  But not only that, changes have been made to plump up the meat, to make it look fresher, last longer and seem more plump and juicy.

So what have they done to make this happen?

Eastbourne Rocks! was horrified whilst watching a programme a few weeks ago which showed how meat was prepared to make it look more appetising to the customer.

To start with they inject saline into the flesh of meats.  This only makes the meat look plumper, it serves no other purpose.  Have you ever wondered why, when cooking your chicken breasts or bacon rashers, there has been so much water?  That’s because during the cooking process this water is expelled, leaving what was the original piece of meat.  It’s only cosmetic.

And here’s the outcry that nobody has noticed just yet:

That water (saline) that’s injected into the meat to make it look more appealing and plumper (along with preservatives that make it last longer on the shelves and in our fridges) also adds weight to the meat at the checkout.  You pick up two chicken breasts.  Normally they will weigh, say, 300g and cost about £2.00.  They have been already been injected with saline (and preservatives) and now weigh 315g.  This extra weight will be added to the price as well, making you pay more for nothing.  You think you’ve got a bigger piece of chicken and so you pay for a bigger piece of chicken.  It’s only until you get home and see the water that’s expelled from this piece of chicken and realise (or not, as the case may’ve been – until now) that you’ve paid more money for absolutely nothing.

So, even if you weren’t supporting your butcher because it’s too far out or your local one has closed down due to poor sales, please start now.  Butchers are proud to offer you local cuts of meat, they’ll cut them to your desired specification and you will get none of the unwanted additives, the only unwanted bits are what you’ll find naturaaly in the meat – fat and bones, which we all know, make fantastic stock.  And above all, you’ll get that personalised service that we have become so used to living without, a bit of conversation and – well, we may actually learn something in the meantime!

So please, get supporting your local produce, local farms and local shops now, before it’s too late.  One day they might be gone for good – just because it was a little too easy to go to the supermarket.

The nearest market to Eastbourne is in Hailsham. This is held on the 2nd Saturday every month throughout the year between the hours of 9am and 12.30pm.

The farmers market at Community Wise in Ocklynge Road, 10am to 2pm, occurs on the last Saturday each month, starting 25 April.

Local produce and crafts on offer include meat, vegetables, milk, cakes, jams and locally made crafts. Delicious home made soup on sale plus fair-trade teas and coffees available.

The one reason we love to support real products is that you know what you’re getting.

“But it’s more expensive …”,  is one comment we hear over and over again.

We say,  “Yes, it may appear more expensive on the label, but it doesn’t contain any of the additives or preservatives we’ve come to expect from our local supermarkets which make them more appealing to look at by their seductive, but bulky packaging, ensuring they keep for longer.”

If you spend a little extra to buy your local goods at your superstore, such as local eggs, why not go just that little bit further and buy from a farm shop?  Make it a day out and take the children – make it an educational day and help them learn where the produce comes from.  Many farm shops have open days, workshops, demontrations, as well as picnic areas, restaurants and cafes.

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Court Lodge Farm is a mixed organic farm in East Sussex owned by David and Marian Harding. Part of the farm is on the Pevensey Levels, an area renowned for its wildlife, and the remainder is on the adjacent hill. We have a dairy herd of about 140 cows; mostly black and white holstein friesian cows, together with a few ‘red’ and white Ayrshire cows. The ayrshires were bought as young animals when a neighbour retired, but otherwise we are a ‘closed herd’, breeding all the replacements for the herd.

We also grow some organic crops, mostly for feeding to the cows. The cropping varies from year to year but usually includes wheat, barley and peas., which are rotated round the drier part of the farm together with grass and red clover for fixing nitrogen. The dairy herd is managed with animal welfare as a priority and during the grazing season the cows are out on organic pastures, and most spend their 8 week ‘dry’ period having a summer holiday on the Pevensey Levels nature reserve owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. In winter when the ground is waterlogged and the grass stops growing, they are housed in large airy strawed barns and fed on silage and hay.

NEWS: Dec 2009 – Our farm has won the RSPB’s 2009 Nature of Farming Award for the South East region. We’re thrilled with this recognition of our passion for integrating wildlife conservation with producing healthy food.

You can buy our products at:

Hook and Sons Milk Rounds, Hailsham. Chilley Farm Shop, Rickney. Say Cheese, Riverside, Lewes. Middle Farm Shop, Firle. Sharnfold Farm Shop, Stone Cross, Pevensey, Infinity Foods, Brighton. Boathouse Organic Farm Shop, Ringmer. Park Farm Shop, Falmer. Bon Appetit Delis, Storrington and Steyning, Burwash Stores, Coriander, Hove, Kiplings Corner, Rottingdean, St Pancras Stores,Lewes, Taste Buddies, Slindon, The Weald Smokers, Flimwell, Herstmonceux Post Office, Windmill Hill Post Office, Hen on the Gate, Mayfield,Local Roots and Welly Boots, Eastbourne.

See Map

The Gilbert Estate Office, Upper Street , East Dean, East Sussex, BN20 0BY
01323 423906
info@beachyhead.org.uk
Beachy Head | farm produce
Local foods market in village every Weds morning.

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You can purchase Beachy Head Farm Produce at EAST DEAN MARKET every Wednesday morning between 10am and 12pm on Gilbert’s Drive, Beachy Head, East Dean, East Sussex, BN20 ODR

We produce great tasting lamb and beef from our Organic Farm in a way that helps protect the environment and wildlife. Our efforts have been recognised by Farmers Weekly and we are up for their Diversification Farmer of the Year Award 2008.  This farm produce is also available via our local butcher, Richard Brown in Willingdon.

Organic Beef or Lamb Sausages – £2.99 for 6 sausages
Organic Beef or lamb Mince from 6.65 per/kg
Hand made Organic Burgers 75p each
Kebabs – £1.00 each
Organic Lamb Chops £11.09 per/kg
Fillet Steak £27.75 per/kg,
Braising Steak £8.55 per/kg,
Sirloin Steak £16.89 per/kg,
Rump Steak £12.89 per/kg,
Topside Roasting Joints £10.95 per/Kg
Also Available from the farm – Joints boned and rolled, slow cooked or roasting joints.

The Shop also sells Pork, Poultry, Game, Venison, Free Range Turkey, Rabbits, Grouse, Partridge, Ducks, Geese, Guinea Fowl.

If you would like to make an order please do not hesitate to telephone or visit the shop with your requirements.

Downsview Butchers, Freshwater Square, Willingdon, Eastbourne, BN22 0PR – Telephone: 01323 505 009

See Map

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About the Farm

Nestling at the foot of Firle Beacon on the South Downs in Sussex, Middle Farm is a 625 acre working family farm. We offer a warm country welcome, with something for every member of the family to enjoy.

Six generations of farming have given us a unique insight into British food production. The highest standards of animal welfare and environmental care show in our milk and meat products. We demand those same high standards from everyone whose produce we stock.

We aim to promote the excellence of British farming by presenting to our customers the finest food and drink from the British countryside, maintaining the best of all that is traditional, whilst welcoming innovation wherever we find it.

Farm Shop

We care passionately about the quality of produce in our farm shop and for the last forty years have selected only the finest meat, cheese, dressings, pickles & preserves, ice-cream, seasonal fruit and vegetables from like-minded small-scale producers. We source locally where possible, and offer a comprehensive range of organic produce.

Our traditional butcher specialises in additive-free meat and poultry, including our own home-produced beef, pork and lamb. We also make 20 different varieties of sausages. A wide range of cured bacon and hams and a selection of cooked meats is available. Try some venison, pheasant, or wild boar, and other game, available fresh in season. A butcher is always available to make sure that you get exactly the cut you require.

Please place your order with the butcher, by phone or when you visit.

In our bakery we make a fantastic range of cakes, scones, fruit and savoury pies and complete meals for you to cook at home. We have fresh bread daily. We also produce a small range of frozen gluten–free cakes & meals.

We stock 50 different British cheeses, including traditional varieties such as Quickes Farmhouse Cheddar, Cropwell Bishop Stilton and the more unusual Sussex Slipcote, Flower Marie.

Farm Shop: 01323 815043
Butchery: 01323 815046

Onsite: The English Farm Cider Centre with largest permanent collection of cider & perries in UK
Farm Shop: Own apples, blackberries, black/redcurrants, cherries, gooseberries, loganberries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, broadbeans, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, courgette, French beans, mange tout, marrow, onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, fresh herbs, salad leaves, squash, sweetcorn, asparagus, beef, pork sausages, cheese, dairy, bread, pies, cakes, prepared food, fresh seafood, preserves. Lamb, poultry, turkey, bacon, eggs, game, frozen vegetables, local wine, honey, dedicated to organic.
Facilities: Ample parking, children’s play area, adventure playground, nearby pub, picnic area, tea room, garden centre, easy access for disabled, toilets, disabled facilities, plants and shrubs, farm animals.

How to find us:  We are situated on the A27, 4 miles east of Lewes and 7 miles west of Eastbourne, between the turnings to Ripe and Selmeston.

The nearest railway station is 2 miles away at Glynde, on the Lewes to Eastbourne line. Bus No. 125 starts at Barcombe and passes us via Lewes, Monday to Friday. Bus No. 25 starts at Lewes and passes Middle Farm, en route to Alfriston, on Saturdays only (details www.traveline.org.uk).

Middle Farm is on a National Cycle Route 2 (details www.sustrans.org.uk)

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Our butchers department is well established, Master Butcher Andy will be pleased to provide you with any cut from our own beef, (traditionally farmed, and matured for extra tenderness) and our own happy pork, and other very local meat including local lamb and chicken.

Quality Produce is found in the Farm Shop, the Farm policy is firstly our own, then local, and only if not available do we go further afield for produce.

In the shop are fresh fruit and vegetables, cakes, preserves, dairy items, also cards, there are good quality frozen ready meals from Cook, a Kent Company which uses local ingredients, and there is meat, all either home produced or from within 5 miles of Sharnfold. We have Chickens, organic lamb, and our own Happy Pork from our own (usually) outdoor Pigs

Beef is currently from a very local Angus (beautifuly marbled and tasty!) or Sussex cross, all additive free, traditional and fully matured. (Hung 21 – 28 days)

40 acres PYO crops providing activity for customers from early May to end Sept. Coarse fishing lake for anglers (Tench, Roach, Perch)
Pick Your Own: Blackberries, black & redcurrants, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, Tayberries, beetroot, broad beans, courgettes, carrots, French beans, mange-tout, onions, marrows, peas, spinach, sweetcorn
Farm Shop: Asparagus. Orchard & soft fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, cream, free range eggs, preserves, fruit juices, honey. Also Christmas trees.

See Map

Now, the news today tells us that “we are now out of the recession”.

So is this simply the Christmas shopping and post Christmas sales that have seen the rise, or are we simply wishful thinking?

To be more precise, the rate of growth was a tiny 0.1%, which is a miniscule amount, hardly enough to make a difference.

Whilst we have a long wait to see any recovery to note, and even if you’ve evaded redundancy, you’d be a fool to have not been affected by the recession in any way.

Just like everywhere else in the world, it will be a great for the local stores, shops and businesses, but it will take a long while to catch up and see the recession is no longer in our purses and wallets …

Watch this space!

A Facebook campaign is underway to put Embrace Life, the newest campaign from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP), on TV after it secures the top three search results on Google.com.

Released on Wednesday 20 January, Embrace Life has swept around the internet, pulling hits to www.embracethis.co.uk in from across 55 countries around the world.  Facebook in particular is driving traffic to the SSRP’s seat belt campaign and a group has been created by one impressed viewer to have it screened on national TV.

Neil Hopkins, Communications Manager for the SSRP, commented; “I am delighted by the way that Embrace Life has been welcomed by the public.  We developed the concept to provide a talking point around the issue of individuals not wearing their seat belts.

“It appears that we’ve touched a nerve with the campaign, and I’ve received many positive comments concentrating on the way that Embrace Life delivers an emotional impact, but without the use of blood or gore.”

The advert is also being picked up by motoring blogs and public discussion forums, driving further traffic to www.embracethis.co.uk – and many viewers are calling for the advert to be shown more widely on TV.

“We are keen to open the dialogue with the team at the Department for Transport (DfT) responsible for putting out the national road safety TV campaigns,” Neil continues.

“We’ve had individuals from all walks of life – including the creative sector – praising the film and urging us to promote it via TV.  As a local partnership, we haven’t got the financial capability to create a national TV campaign, which is why we’re looking to work with the DfT who already use the medium to get their messages out.”

Anyone wishing to lend their support to the campaign can join the dedicated Facebook group – either search for ‘Embrace Life TV’ in Facebook, or type http://tinyurl.com/EmbraceTV into your browser.

The campaign is also gaining attention through some of its more unorthodox promotional techniques.  Working with a prominent graffiti artist has seen sites in Brighton previously littered with unsightly tags turning into large scale public place artworks to support the campaign.

Furthermore, the SSRP team contacted members of the media and creative industries throughout Sussex prior to the launch with thermoreactive postcards, bearing a cryptic message directing the recipients to www.embracethis.co.uk.

These unusual tactics helped the site to smash through 1,100 page views the day after the advert went live, and the total is still climbing – currently sitting at over 4,500 visitors who have viewed www.embracethis.co.uk a total of over 6,000 times.

For all of the positive comments and promotion of Embrace Life, it is important not to overlook the reason that it was created.

“Not wearing a seat belt can make what should be a minor accident into a major one,” concludes Neil Hopkins.

“On the morning of the launch, we heard from a Clinical Fellow in A&E who had been treating a driver thrown through his windscreen because he was not wearing his seat belt.

“It’s likely that he’ll never walk again, nor be able to provide for his family and all because he didn’t spend a moment clipping his seat belt in.  We hope that Embrace Life reminds everyone how important it is to be properly belted in, whether you’re the driver or a passenger.”

Source: Sussex Now – News, Sport and Features for the communities of East Sussex

]]> http://www.eastbournerocks.co.uk/2010/01/26/people-power-backs-sussex-born-embrace-life-campaign/feed/ 0 http://www.eastbournerocks.co.uk/2010/01/26/operation-copeland-police-appeal-for-witnesses-after-family-hit-by-car/ http://www.eastbournerocks.co.uk/2010/01/26/operation-copeland-police-appeal-for-witnesses-after-family-hit-by-car/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:06:54 +0000 Viktoria Cowley http://www.eastbournerocks.co.uk/?p=661 Police are investigating after a family of three were hit by a car in Eastbourne on Monday.

A family of a man, woman and a baby were reported to have collided with a sports car whilst walking on the pavement in Ashford Road in the town. The father suffered serious head and leg injuries and was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital along with the mother and one-year-old baby girl who suffered minor injuries.

The 20-year-old male driver of the car who was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving has been released on bail until March 22 pending further enquiries.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident to call 0845 60 70 999 quoting Operation Copeland.

Source: Motoring Today – News and Views from the Roads of Sussex

While we were enjoying weather in excess of 30 degrees celsius, back in Britian it couldn’t be more different.

Eastbourne, like most of the country, was under a blanket of thick snow; schoolchildren had failed to show up at school to enjoy tobogganning and people couldn’t get into work as public transport had come to a standstill.

Of course, I don’t need to tell you all this as you’d experienced it yourself first-hand, but like the hurricane of ’87, I had missed this extraordinary event as well.

From reading the local papers and hearing people’s opinions, it’s clear many people were upset with the events that took place leading up to, during, and since the snowfall.  Those who had trawled across town and, indeed, from out of town to get to work, were upset that children hadn’t been able to get to school despite many parents owning 4×4 cars.  Others were dismayed public transport hadn’t been better prepared since their own vehicles weren’t up to driving through the conditions.

One thing that is very apparent though, is the amount of people who have selflessly helped others swith shopping and hospital visits.  Paper boys, milkmen and other service providers have been congratulated in their droves for their continuous efforts, whilst the rest of the country’s services had gone to pot.

When I arrived back in the country, it was as though the snow had never been here and all was back to normal, however, the countless stories I have heard with all the hard tasks that were encountered as a result of it was proof enough.

And now, the only after effects that remain as a reminder of the bleak conditions that made our roads so treacherous are the roads themselves.  Having been churned up with the constant thawing and freezing, massive potholes have appeared, like popped blisters through the streets, taking out car tyres without descrimination.