Kevin Gordon – författare

The Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne was developed as a resort from a collection of villages in the nineteenth century by the Duke of Devonshire. The new town grew rapidly and by the end of the nineteenth century Eastbourne was a large borough, attracting new residents and visitors. Eastbourne’s proximity to occupied France during the Second World War forced many away from the town, which suffered from repeated air raids and heavy loss of life and buildings. Recent decades have seen further significant changes to Eastbourne. It has become a conference centre and built a new marina on a shingle bank at the edge of the town and still continues to attract many, including to its beach, pier, parks and gardens, theatres and Beachy Head nearby. Over the years many notable characters have been associated with the town, including champion swimmers, racing drivers, scientists, air-aces and authors.Illustrated throughout, this fascinating book offers a marvellous and refreshingly positive insight into Eastbourne’s rich heritage, its special events and important moments. Celebrating Eastbourne will be a valuable contribution to the history of the town and provide a source of many memories to those who have known it well over the years.

For much of Eastbourne’s history it was a collection of small settlements on the Sussex coast. In the eighteenth century select visitors came to enjoy the sea air and the coast became fortified against the threat of invasion by Napoleon. The arrival of the railways in the Victorian era brought large numbers of people to the area and the town of Eastbourne grew rapidly. Despite its reputation as a sedate and somewhat classy seaside resort, Eastbourne has had its fair share of murders and other criminal activity. A strict Victorian schoolteacher beat one of his pupils to death, a bigamist tried to murder his two families and in 1912 Police Inspector Arthur Walls was shot dead as he tried to arrest a burglar. In the 1920s there were two shocking crimes committed on the Crumbles, a lonely stretch of beach. The subsequent sensational trial of Patrick Mahon made headlines around the world and was described by Alfred Hitchcock as ‘his favourite crime’. In the 1950s the trial of local doctor Bodkin Adams shocked the country when he was accused of murdering his rich elderly patients. Perhaps the strangest story is why the local constabulary was established. This was a result of a series of riots in the town caused by the Salvation Army!This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Eastbourne in the past. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Eastbourne.

Eastbourne’s long history from a medieval farming community to a fishing village and then a respected Victorian seaside resort is reflected in many buildings that still stand today. Until the nineteenth century the town was a collection of small settlements, at the heart of which was the town’s ancient parish church, and also a site of coastal fortifications. It begun to attract famous visitors as a resort in the Georgian era and then wealthy landowners developed the town following the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era, including building the grandest of Grand Hotels. The many prominent buildings in Eastbourne today are reminders of its history, from the pier, Martello tower and the iconic Beachy Head lighthouse to other lesser known but equally important buildings such as chapels, cinemas, schools, working-men’s clubs and even public toilets!Eastbourne in 50 Buildings explores the history of this town in East Sussex through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Eastbourne or who have an interest in the area.