Around Sussex..

[Sir Limpsalot]

Not so much a "Where you're going" as a "Where I come back to/start from".
Although familiar and routine to me, of course, It strikes me that it's still "foreign" enough to interest you guys.
Eastbourne is a typical south coast resort town of a type that was popular with British families untill better incomes and cheaper travel allowed places like the Spanish "Costa's" to become more accesible to the masses.
There's a pier, seafront gardens, a bandstand and a museum or two.http://R1150R.smugmug.com/photos/79013115-L.jpg
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At the Eastern edge of town is Beachy Head. A 600 ft cliff with a well known lighthouse landmark. Sadly the view is the last thing some visitors choose to see as it remains one of the more popular suicide spots in the UK. There are also the inevitable accidents too. One young guy was hooning around up there on his trail bike. Made an error of judgement regarding the precise location of the cliff edge and found himself trying to hang glide a 400 Suzuki.
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At the other end (East) of town there is a new harbour/marina village. Million pound homes come with mooring for yachts. It's only a mile from my far more modest little family home.
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Heading East, the next town along is Hastings, which can boast not one, but two funicular railways. These transport passengers fron the hills above the town to sea level. When built in Victorian times they represented the pinacle of engineering achievement. Times move on quickly though eh?
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The famous "Battle of Hastings" in 1066 was not actually fought here but a few miles inland at Senlac hill. The victorious Normans built an Abbey on the spot. A town grew up around it called, not entirely surprisingly, Battle. The gate house to the Abbey is at the southern end of the high street.
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A few miles further on will get you to Winchelsea where a narrow archway (part of the centuries old fortifications) has to be negotiated as you enter or leave the village.
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If time permits a game of cricket can still be enjoyed on the village pitch.
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A little inland is one of my favourites, Bodiam Castle. You need hardly any imagination at all to picture the castle in it's prime, with Knights jousting to keep sharp for the inevitable conflicts.
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All these photo's were taken within 20 miles of my own front door, these last two only a few hudred yards from my house. A nicely restored old windmill.
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Sussex is an attractive enough place and, as you've seen, positively alive with history.
Of course, if I ever hope to properly "DJ" a day out I will need to include at least one self portrait and a pic of lunch!
Next time perhaps.
Si

Edit:
Si...hope you don't mind me fixing the links.

[DJ Down Under]

Thanks Simon...but...is only me that can't see the pics...:icon_cry: ..anyone else see them?

DJ

[DarthRider]

Nopers...no piccies.

[Sir Limpsalot]

Sorted out my balls up on the photo front, so you should see 'em now.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/79013116-M.jpg
If this has worked you should now be looking at a shot of the Sussex countryside looking over towards Winchelsea. Sixty six years ago about now these skies would have been very different. Filled with the roar of Aero engines and the clatter of machine gun fire. Hitler had massed his invasion forces on the north French coast and only two things stood between us and invasion. The English Channel and the RAF. The first was beatable, thankfully the second wasn't. Between June and September 1940 the Battle of Britain raged above this south east corner of Kent and Sussex. Vastly outnumbered the Fighter Squadrons of the RAF did the impossible and kept control of the air space forcing Hitler to pospone his invasion plans.
Twice recently I've heard the unmistakable sound of "Merlin" engines and rushed outside to see a pair of Hurricanes, wing tip to wing tip, fly low over my house and head off towards Kent. Lord knows what Air Show or Pageant they are heading to or rehearsing for and what quirk of route planning brings them across my house is also a mystery, but I've enjoyed the show!
Si

[DarthRider]

Thanks for the outstanding travelogue Si! Really good stuff and very interesting, I must get to England someday.
I was reading a bit of the Battle of Britain yesterday and how many military historians consider it the signgle most important battle in history as it not only stopped Hitler from taking over England but it provided the only viable place to marshall and launch the Allied invasion of Nazi Europe.
The most interesting thing about it to me, and prideful too as I have a British heritage, is that it showed Hitler, the world and history just what the Brits are made of. It was not that they *couldn't* be beaten, so much as they simply *wouldn't* be beaten.
Beautiful area Si.

[arkline]

Simon,

Grand stuff, really. I look at those pictures and think I must have been there sometime, if only in a different life. I hope to be there sometime in this life and soon. There are few places here where the weight of history can be felt. Mostly east of the Mississippi River. Thanks for taking the time to post these great pictures.

[GPM]

Magnificant pictures Si. What a terrific place to live, you are indeed a lucky fellow.

[geechie]

Si,

Thanks so much for the post. I am simply agog over history.... and geography... and geology... etc, etc.

Hurricanes and Spitfires... what brave and beautiful airplanes.

I would love to see that part of the world someday. Our history here in Charleston (since Europeans settled, that is) only dates back to 1670. And we're right proud of that. I can't imagine being able to see stuff dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Way cool.

Thanks again.

George

[DJ Down Under]

Waa-Hoo..I now see pics...all postcard quallity...great job Simon..:eusa_clap: ..thanks for posting them for us.

DJ

[1MPH]

Outstanding...well worth the short wait to see pictures. Never have so many........Thanks a bunch Si...really fantastic

[Deans BMW]

Those pics and history leave me speachless.....wow.

[TorqueMonsterMT-01]

Excellent Simon. Keep it up, I can't get enough of the English sights.

BTW, why are those guys playing baseball in their pajamas? (Kidding :) )

[DarthRider]

"...BTW, why are those guys playing baseball in their pajamas? (Kidding )..."

Yeah...and with flat bats?!

[Ed K]

Thanks Simon for the taking the time to take the pics, and provide the terrific tour.

What a great place to live and ride in!

[BobFV1]

Simon - beautiful pictures of a beatiful part of your country - thank you so much for sharing what must be mundane to you - it certainly isn't to us over here in the USA!

Enjoy the warm weather!

[jamming]

Simon, great pics! Its so green, so many trees. Not like the desert here at home.

Roger

[Pacific]

Just beautiful, Simon. Thanks.

Jay

[Sir Limpsalot]

Chaps, your enthusiasm and appreciation is most heartening. On Thursday I'm off to Germany. To the Harz Mountains in fact (although strictly speaking I don't think they're real Mountains, more wooded hills really). Actually, come to that the Black Forest isn't really a Forest either. Odd lot, the Erics.
Whatever, I'll get pics' and post 'em here.
Cheers for now.
Si