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.

Nymans, Handcross, Haywards Heath

This photograph shows the romantic ruins of Nymans House through an arch. This typically English garden was developed from the late 19th century and became a National Trust property in 1953.

The house burnt down shortly after the 1920s, when it had just been turned into a Gothic mansion. Nymans House is surrounded by beautiful country gardens, filled with flowers, woods including a lake, cascades and avenues.

Worthing Pier

Worthing Pier was designed by Sir Robert Rawlinson and opened on 12 April 1862.

In November 2009 two kitesurfers famously became the first people to jump over the pier, after waiting three years for perfect weather conditions.

Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Or Brighton Pavilion - which it is often referred to as, was built in three stages from 1787 to 1823. This fantastic landmark was built for King George IV, Prince of Wales.

John Nash famously designed the former residence during the Regency period, in a style based on Indian buildings on the outside, and Chinese interiors.

Birling Gap, Eastbourne

Here's a photo of Birling Gap in Eastbourne. If you head down there today, there will be no clouds in the sky - just sunshine!

Surrounded by the chalky Seven Sisters cliffs and the rolling Sussex Downs, the areas surrounding this pebble beach show off the fantastic landscapes that Sussex has to offer.

Balcombe Viaduct, Ouse Valley

Balcombe Viaduct was built in the Ouse Valley in 1841 by architect John Urpeth Rastrick.

This great photo shows the incredible design that stretches for nearly 500 metres - making it unique and still in use today.

Welcome to Love Sussex!

Welcome to Love Sussex, an exciting campaign for summer 2012 leading a brand new partnership formed of local authorities across Sussex.

To introduce everyone to the blog we will be posting daily photos of some of our favourite locations. Ranging from the iconic Brighton Pavilion to cultural Bexhill’s De La Warr, 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, and plenty more besides!

To start with we have a lovely view of Arundel Castle from the Downs.