The Seven Sisters, another local attraction

It has been another week of mixed weather here in the Willingdon Trees and I have not been out very much this week, it's been a time for catching up with news and doing some odd jobs like looking at my accounts and emails, rather boring really. So, by way of a change I thought I would draw your attention to another local attraction which is within a very short distance of where I live, the 'Seven Sisters'. The road which leads off the road where I live is named after this local beauty spot, Seven Sisters Road, so I am often reminded of this remarkable feature even though I may not visit it very frequently.

The 'Seven Sisters' are a famous series of chalk cliffs which face onto the English Channel to the West of Eastbourne, between Eastbourne and Seaford. They form part of the South Downs and are situated within the Seven Sisters Country Park. The Seven Sisters are remnants of dry valleys in the chalk South Downs which are gradually being eroded by the sea.

As you are probably aware by now, a large part of the South Downs between Eastbourne and Winchester have now been designated as a national park. Defra has announced that a hearing will be held on 18th. August at the Chatsworth Hotel in Steyne to consider any objections and representations relating to the six additional areas proposed as part of the National Park at the end of March 2009. Final decisions have yet to be made about the boundaries and extent of the park.

The Seven Sisters Country Park covers 280 hectares of chalk cliffs, meandering river valley and open chalk grassland. It is very popular with people living in the area and visiting from further afield and is used to indulge in a number of different outdoor activities including walking, bird watching, cycling and canoeing. My children (who are 28 and 26) enjoy going there especially for the cycling and canoeing. When I visit it is usually for the purpose of walking and bird watching. Again, like Eastbourne pier, it is one of those local delights which I should visit again in the near future.

Meanwhile, back here in the Trees I'm going to continue with my blogging, accounts and mountains of reading. I hope the Summer weather hasn't come to an end yet, it's too early to think about the arrival of Autumn!

Eastbourne Pier

I know that it's not exactly situated in Willingdon Trees, but I came across a short feature about one of our local attractions, Eastbourne Pier, in which it is described as a 'Victorian Pleasure Symbol'. The article reads as follows.

Victorian Pleasure Symbols

'At the height of their popularity during Victorian times, more than 100 piers lined the British coast. The coming of the age of the train (I know, I had to wait ages for a train the other day, [inserted by me!]) brought the coast closer to the travelling population, while the passing of the Bank Holiday Act of 1871 provided the working classes with the opportunity to make day trips to the beach. With its promise of fun and provision, the pleasure pier quickly became the focal point of the nation's coastal resorts.

After the Second World War, during which time Britain's piers were sectioned (the removal of a large span to prevent their use as a landing point for a German invasion), many piers weren't repaired and remained closed. Their popularity declined further during the 1960s and '70s as Briton's developed a taste for overseas package holidays. Dwindling audiences saw the closure of end-of-pier theatres, while other piers were destroyed by fire and storms. Despite these setbacks, 55 piers remain along the British coast.'

There is an 'obscura', i.e. a bowl shaped object which works like a telescope inside the dome you can see on the above photo. When it was re-opened a number of years ago, a pick-pocket was spotted using the obscura and his progress was followed to enable the police to catch him. Was this the first CCTV camera to be seen in Eastbourne?

I don't know about you, but it is a long time since I last took a walk along the pier. It's only about 3 miles from where I live but it is very rarely that I actually go on the pier. When I do, it reminds me of our courting days c.1975 when we used to go to socialize in whatever establishment had replaced the original dance or music hall venue. There was some modern kind of drinking and dancing going on which would no doubt have been a culture shock to the Victorians if they had travelled forward in time to their much loved and frequented pleasure symbol. Now it is nice to take a leisurely stroll, breathe in the salt sea air and watch the seagulls and starlings wheeling around. I hope that the pier has a long future and is well maintained as an important historical Victorian treasure and Eastbourne landmark.

Meanwhile, I really do hope to get down there again soon.

'I must go down to the seas again,

The lonely sea and the sky,

I've left my vest and socks there,

I wonder if they're dry?'

John Masefied (adapted, I think by Spike Milligan).