The Season of Sussex Bonfire Processions

Sussex is steeped in bonfire history, dating back to the burning of protestant martyrs in Lewes during Tudor times.

Local traditions go back even further with face painted workers in disguise, annually visiting households door to door for food and alcohol.

Sussex is renowned for bonfire celebrations and the procession season is well underway so we have put together a list of all the exciting processions throughout Sussex.

This Saturday, 5 October, the Eastbourne bonfire procession takes place. Starting at the Crown and Anchor pub on Marine Parade at 7.30pm, the procession will walk east to Fisherman’s Green before reversing and heading towards the Wish Tower slopes to arrive around 8.30pm where the bonfire will be lit on the beaches opposite and the fireworks display will be fired shortly after.

Led by Cllr Mike Thompson, Mayor of Eastbourne the procession will include the fantastic local Pentacle Drummers along with 17 other bonfire societies, a number of bands, Morris dancers and more!

In addition, Rotherfield will also have their Bonfire night celebrations on 5 October.

To follow, Hailsham, Hastings, Neville and Seaford Bonfire celebrations take place on 19 October, with Hastings celebrating both the gunpowder plot and the Battle of Hastings. The evening is a spectacular torchlit procession from The Stade with bonfire and fireworks from the beach.

Next up is the Fletching, Staplecross and Littlehampton bonfire nights on 26 October. Littlehampton is a day long celebration and torchlit celebration with colourful floats and steam engines, ending in a mammoth bonfire and fireworks display.

To start November, Battle will celebrate on 2 November. Guy Fawkes is said to have sourced his gunpowder from the Battle powder mills, and one of the world’s oldest membership societies, the Battel Bonfire Boyes celebrate this occasion every year with traditional torchlit processions, bands, fireworks and brilliant tabs and set pieces. Also on the 2 November is Newick and Winchelsea Bonfire processions.

Which leads to the biggest bonfire celebration in the world; Lewes Bonfire 5 November. Featuring six different torchlit processions throughout the town, plus tar barrel rolling, marching bands, drummers, traditional fancy dress and floats with topical bonfire effigies. Each procession ends in a bonfire and fireworks display.

Also taking place on 5 November is Lindfield Bonfire night. Chailey, South Heighton, East Hoathly, Shoreham by Sea and Rye will follow on 9 November, Robertsbrigde on 16 November and Hawkhurst and Northiam finishing the season on 23 November.

East Hoathly is a popular bonfire event with a cowboys and Indians theme. It features a Grand procession through the village which is followed by a remembrance procession.

 

Shoreham will celebrate with a family beach bonfire with fireworks, fire performers and face painters.

 

Expect eerie torchlit processions with marching bands, drummers, Morris Men, traditional and themed fancy dress, pirates, pip

ers and floats featuring bonfire effigies.

Many events are family orientated with a carnival atmosphere, however larger events may not suitable for children.

You can find all the details for each of the processions on www.lovesussex.com

Food Festivals Galore this Autumn

Sussex has some very exciting upcoming food and drink festivals. Whether you are a food lover, wine connoisseur or just wanting to try something new there is something for everyone at these festivals. With some lovely family events at scenic locations and some festivals just for the adults, everyone will be sure to find something they like. 

Eastbourne Beer Festival – Winter Garden

10 - 12 October

Tickets are on sale now for the biggest beer festival in East Sussex with over 160 real cask ales, and a large number of ciders, wines, and bottled international beers. With live music and classic pub games it’s a fantastic festival to come to. The three day festival still has tickets available for Thursday evening and the Saturday day session.

Apple festival – Middle Farm

19 - 20 October 

The Apple Festival is an event that is designed to be fun for all the family, attended by thousands of people each year as it’s one of the most popular events in Sussex. Live bands on two stages, apple pressing demonstrations and a cider bar, something for all the family to enjoy. Also puppet shows, hot and cold food stalls, apple stalls, funfair and a market. Pre book your tickets or buy them on the door, under 12’s go free!

Arundel Food Festival

19 - 20 October

The event kicks off with a monthly farmers market, with over 40 stalls, said to be the best food market to attend in Sussex. The Sunday of the event is a free family day with lots of activities such as apple pressing, street crockery demonstrations and allotment visits. A brilliant community event with a chance to get a taste of local food producers, and discover new food and drink.

Hastings’s Herring Fair – Stade

9 - 10 November

A two day event showcasing the Herring fish and the history of herring fishing in the Hastings, with a chance to see live cooking and discover new ways to cook or serve the fish. There will also be talks, films and exhibitions and the Fishermans museum will be open to tell the history of herring fishing, also live local entertainment throughout both days. Taking place in Stade open spaces.

For more information go to www.lovesussex.com

Staff at the AEGON International in Eastbourne Celebrate the Start of the London 2012 Festival with new Love Sussex campaign.

Destinations across Sussex (East and West) held their Love Sussex launch this week – a campaign to maximise the impact of Olympic based tourism for the county.

Some places opted for the popular Sussex Day on Saturday 16 June, whilst other chose days to coincide with the Olympics – Eastbourne held their launch on Thursday 21 June which is not only Midsummer’s Day but also the beginning of the London 2012 Festival.

The Love Sussex mobile site went live last week allowing visitors to the area to access information to Sussex on the move in a fast and easy way.

As of May 1 the official website http://www.lovesussex.com/ went live, promoting Sussex as a location just one hour from London – the perfect place to escape and discover the beauty of the South.



AEGON International staff creating the Love Sussex heart



Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Neil Stanley said “Using the AEGON International as a way to promote why we Love Sussex is a great idea for Eastbourne. It’s a fantastic event to highlight why we’re delighted to be joining forces with other Sussex destinations for the Love Sussex campaign. 2012 is definitely the year to promote our region, since there is so much going on in London and if people are looking for things to do out the city our county is so diverse that there’s something for everyone.”

This is the first joint Sussex campaign of its kind and is being led by Eastbourne Borough Council Tourism team. The campaign is a fantastic opportunity to put Sussex on the map by using iconic locations within the county to raise awareness and highlight Sussex as a great destination to visit.

Counties are working together to raise the profile of Sussex as a key destination to visitors to the Olympics, visitors in London during the Olympic period, visitors looking to escape London during the Olympics and to create a lasting legacy for Sussex for visitors after the Olympic Games.

Millions of visitors from across the UK and overseas will enjoy the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games from 27 July – 9 September 2012 so it is a great chance to invite people to come and see what Sussex has to offer.



Jayne Torvill at the Love Sussex launch!

From the iconic Brighton Pavilion to culture vulture favourite Eastbourne’s Towner contemporary art museum, and from the famous white cliffs of the Seven Sisters to Sussex Piers and stunning coastal locations; Sussex has it all – coast, countryside, culture and heritage.

The website encourages visitors to choose from the above four themes: coast, countryside, culture and heritage, with enticing itineraries, special offers and information about each destination within Sussex.

The Love Sussex website is being built and managed by the VisitEastbourne team using the same content management system, which is used to update VisitEastbourne.com.

The campaign highlights Sussex’ proximity to London – ideal for Games visitors looking to see more of Britain, as well as those who simply want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city!

The Love Sussex website will also be supported by LoveSussexToo profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Blogger. These social media accounts will allow the campaign to informally interact with the public to promote the Love Sussex campaign further. They will also include the latest news and things to do in the region.

For more information about Love Sussex visit the website at http://www.lovesussex.com/, Facebook at www.facebook.com/lovesussextoo, Twitter at www.twitter.com/lovesussextoo, Flickr at www.flickr.com/groups/lovesussextoo/ and the LoveSussex blog at www.lovesussex.blogspot.co.uk/.

New Guide to Caravan and Camping Sites in Sussex

Wealden District Council and the Love Sussex Partnership have launched a new Guide to Caravan and Camping Sites in Sussex. The guide provides up-to-date National Quality Scheme ratings for each site, along with details of how to get here and where to find tourist information in Sussex.

“Sussex is a fantastic destination for Caravan and Camping holidays,” said Cllr Roy Galley, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, including tourism. “Wealden District Council and our partners are pleased to be promoting the range of excellent quality Caravan and Camping Sites in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and local celebratory events. Through the guide we aim to boost the local tourism economy, and enhance the legacy this special summer will leave for the future.”

The guide can be downloaded from http://www.enjoysussex.info/ and http://www.wealden.gov.uk/, and from our Love Sussex partner websites.

The new publication replaces our 2011 guide to caravan and camping sites, introducing an improved, location-based ordering of the sites listing, updated ratings and amendments to contact details for sites and tourist information.

Love Sussex is a partnership of local authorities promoting tourism across Sussex.

For further information:

Cllr Roy Galley,
Cabinet Member for Planning & Development
Wealden District Council.
Tel: 01825 713018
Email: cllr.roy.galley@wealden.gov.uk

Jim van den Bos,
Communications Officer,
Wealden District Council.
Tel: 01892 602745
Email: jim.vandenbos@wealden.gov.uk

Sarah King,
Economic Development Manager
Wealden District Council.
Tel: 01892 602884
Email: sarah.king@wealden.gov.uk

Arundel harvest fields

Another lovely image of Arundel, this time the skyline from harvest fields.



Bluebell Railway

The famous Bluebell Railway is a heritage line that is mainly run by volunteers. It re-opened in 1960 and has since been a major tourist attraction that holds a number of special events throughout the year. There are over 30 steam trains at Bluebell Railway and nearly 150 carriages and wagons - many of these dates back to before the war.

The Bluebell Railway has made many appearances in films, television and music videos - for instance, this year's horror film The Woman in Black, Downton railway station in Downtwon Abbey is in fact Horsted Keynes station and other films such as 102 Dalmations, The Wind in the Willows and The Railway Children.

Devil's Dyke

Devil's Dyke on the South Downs Way, near Brighton and Hove is a huge 100m valley and iconic beauty spot.

It is also a very popular paragliding and hangliding spot, and in this photograph, parascenders.