I think we could be happy here

This sweet Rob Ryan print, based on his regular trips to Rye, sits above the kingsize bed in Beach Haven. Here is his website http://robryanstudio.com

Mapp and Lucia

Friends would drop the names of Mapp and Lucia when discussing the antics of some of our more competitive associates so I thought I’d better find out more about these affectionate rivals, especially as many of their tales are set in Rye, where the author E.F Benson lived for many years.

A couple of upper middle class British women vying to be top dog in a small town and displaying extreme cultural snobbery might sound uneventful but Benson paints the lives of Mapp and Lucia with much warmth and vulnerability. The books are especially joyful if they remind you of people that you know! Any game players out there?

"Mallards", the home of Miss Mapp—and subsequently Lucia—was based on Lamb House in Rye. The house had previously been lived in by Henry James.

The E.F Benson Society organizes regular guided walks around Rye so if you are staying nearby at BeachHaven, why not enjoy a cultural trip ending at Lamb House.

Having fallen for these fabulous characters, we have recently discovered, to our excitement, that Miranda Richardson and Anna Chancellor are teaming up to play the social rivals Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline 'Lucia' Lucas in a new BBC adaptation which will be filming in Rye this Summer.

http://bit.ly/1uX8vKG

Lobster à la Riseholme anyone?

She goes…with Eddie Izzard!

To continue the story of Bexhill’s role as the birthplace of British motor racing we travel closer to Beach Haven. 
Hastings and Rye became a hotbed of engineering genius and innovation during the 1950’s. Much of it spun around the creation of the Elva racing car.

                                                                 Frank shows off the prototype Courier

Frank G. Nichols, whose goal was to build a low cost sports/ racing car, founded Elva in 1955. The name, which derived from the French for ‘she goes’, perfectly suited the pretty little fast car. Initially the car was bought by enthusiasts in the US but a new factory had to be built at Hastings to satisfy demand for the ‘sports racer’ the Elva Courier, first built in 1958.

By the 60’s the Hastings factory was producing about 3 cars a week and had a staff of over sixty people. More than 400 Elva’s were made in Hastings until the early 60’s.

Unfortunately, the US distributor’s financial problems resulted in the voluntary liquidation of the company with cars in transit to and already on the dockside in New York.

A much smaller factory in Rye continued to produce sports cars with Frank Nichols at the helm but once production moved to Trojan in Croydon, he severed links with the car whose name was dropped once links with Formula 1’s McLaren were established.

                         Harry Westlake with Dan Gurney who won the 1967 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch

Harry Westlake, another engineering innovator was also based in Rye. He was a cylinder head specialist and was instrumental in the Formula 1 V12 Eagle racing car which won in 1967 with American driver Dan Gurney, the first driver to spray champagne on the winners podium. Weslake and Nichols worked together on the Elva.

Bexhill Museum commissioned a reconstruction of the Elva MKIII, which was aided by Alan Jenner who worked on the original in 1958.  This beautiful looking car is now on display at the Museum to celebrate a bit of local motoring genius.

                                                Eddie Izzard climbs inside the Elva at the opening ceremony.

For more information on the wonderful story of Elva go to www.elva.com

For details on Bexhill Museum, just over half an hour from Beach Haven,visit www.bexhillmuseum.co.uk

Bexhill on speed

The first automobile race on British soil happened in 1902 in Bexhill-on-Sea on De La Warr Parade. Thousands lined the streets to watch the distinguished names of the day race to speeds of 50 miles an hour at a time when the speed limit was 12 mph!

The huge success of the event encouraged Earl de La Warr to make Bexhill the motor racing capital of the country and to make plans to build a racing circuit which stretched beyond Eastbourne though this never came to fruition. 

Through this story I've uncovered more speedy engineering heroes even closer to Beach Haven, Camber. They certainly deserve their own post.

A trip to Bexhill Museum is a must in the meantime.

http://www.bexhillmuseum.co.uk

Bombs over Kent

Armed with the Time Out guide to Kent & Sussex, we decided to be a bit more adventurous than usual and headed off to Dover Castle. However we got sidetracked, and on a gorgeous sunny day we stopped off at the Battle of Britain memorial and spared a thought for all those incredibly young pilots who lost their lives during the summer of 1940 out at sea and over the Kent countryside right where we stood.

This put us in the mood for the Kent Battle of Britain Museum, http://www.kbobm.org, in Hawkinge. No photos are allowed at the musuem which is a shame but I can tell you that it is stuffed to the gills with memorabilia, broken bits of engine and such overwhelming stories of bravery it made us very choked up. The museum has gathered together display boxes for each airman (donated by family and friends) with photos and any remnants from their crash in the Kent countryside. It sounds morbid but is actually very moving as you start to feel as though you know a tiny bit more about these couragous men and they surely desrve to have their stories told. The whole museum is put together by enthusiasts and volunteers and displayed in aircraft hangers actually used in the Battle. Emotional stuff.

Hastings Habit

Photograph by Eric de Maré, 1956

 March 2012

The imposing black fishermen’s huts at the Stade, in Hastings, have always been worth a visit. See this gorgeous photograph by Eric de Maré. The controversial new Jerwood Gallery creates another reason. Some local opposition revolves around its location but the ‘No to Jerwood’ posters won’t be bad for business. A large window on the first floor of the gallery looks out onto one such poster stuck on the side of a van. I love the bright orange sculpture by Benedict Carpenter in the courtyard as you walk in; a homage to all those fishermen still working from the beaches behind.

http://www.benedictcarpenter.co.uk/

The opening show is by Rose Wylie who is an inspiring 77 year old who paints like a 9 year old (hard to achieve) stuffed full of opinions about modern culture. I love the naivety of her work which contrasts with the sophisticated paintings of the recent past upstairs. The blue jug by William Scott is pure bliss. Read about her recent rise and worldwide acclaim and ponder that it may not be too late for us all.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/feb/13/rose-wylie-painter

On to George Street, in Hastings Old Town, where the fabulous Butlers Emporium is a must visit. Rose, the owner has created an eclectic store, which is hard to leave without buying something. I came out with a small clutch bag by Salt. You’ll find chunky candles in solid green glass, jewellery and hand made tableware. My friend Gina stocks her Folk@home range here. Her tea towels and chopping boards are top of my list. The shop was once the old post office and was saved from becoming another bland conversion by Rose. The back of the shop has the exposed rock face of the hill behind. Wonderful!

71 George Street

The next stop is Hendy’s Home Store. Alastair Hendy is a chef, photographer, stylist and writer of many stylish cookbooks. Unusually, he was in the shop when I visited mid-week (his main base is still London) and he showed me pictures of his reverse renovation. He’s spent a long time stripping this shop back to create a step back in time feel. He is a perfectionist and it shows in the way everything is displayed. These aren’t precious objects; we’re talking brooms, scissors, glass bottles, jugs and cutlery. He’s soon to open his small restaurant at the back of the shop where he has a black beach hut, accessed by an alleyway at the side. At the weekends he’ll be creating tasty dishes from local Hastings fare. Try and get in early while the master is at the helm, there’s sure to be a waiting list.

36 High Street

If you don’t know Hastings, you may pass the institution that is Judges bakery. The owner, Jo Fairley, is a phenomenon. She started Green and Blacks chocolate, with husband Craig Sams, is a successful beauty journalist, has co-written the Beauty Bible books (featured in our magazine Expert Beauty) and is the most passionate promoter of all things organic. Stocked up with delicious bread, cakes and jars of Whole Earth peanut butter, I waddled off out of Hastings, happy in the knowledge that I'll be back very soon. 

51 High Street

Formation kite fling

Made a fantastic discovery on Camber beach on a cold sunny day recently……formation kite flying. We watched in amazement as a group of 4 men engaged in fancy footwork whilst manoevering their kites in perfect unison. Quite amazing and very skilled. We then found that there is a large worldwide scene of these people! How do they get their formation started? Imagine those tangled strings as they practise.
We're hoping for something on a huge scale, as seen on this you tube clip, on Camber beach (when the tide is out). Though these guys seem pretty static. Must all be in the wrist action! Watch in awe 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llszxa46myA&feature=youtube_gdata_player