Eastbourne (ongoing) - Carly Clarke photographer

Susan Fitzpatrick
The first time I photographed Susan she was sitting on the seafront with her husband Derek during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Susan
The first time I photographed Susan she was sitting on the seafront with her husband Derek during the Covid-19 pandemic. They were a very interesting couple who had traveled the world extensively. Susan was once a commentator for the Eastbourne Eagles speedway team. In this portrait she is alone, as Derek died recently. I spent some time talking to her. She told me it made her day as she felt very lonely. This is a common issue with older people living in the seaside resort that I grew up in. This portrait is part of an ongoing documentary project about Eastbourne on the South coast of England.

I grew up in a town on the South East Coast of England, often referred to as ‘God’s Waiting Room’, many young people call it ‘The Bourne’ or ‘Ebo’, it's called Eastbourne.

The project started one morning on 22nd November 2019, when I smelt smoke in my studio apartment near the seafront, I looked out of the window and I saw that ash was falling out of the sky and my road had been cordoned off by police, my building had to be evacuated. I took only my Pentax 6x7 with me. I had been contemplating photographing the Claremont Hotel for some time and only a few weeks prior to this had seen the joyous scene of elderly ladies bopping their heads up and down on the dance floor during the regular evening’s entertainment. To find out that it was burning down was a bit of a shock. Nobody was hurt in the fire but everybody in the town was affected by it and it made the national and international news. This disastrous event spurred me to start making a record of the town.

The bingo hall in the town centre. It used to be a cinema.

Archie and Camilla in Camilla&amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s bookshop Eastbourne

Archie and Camilla

Camilla has run the marvellous but slightly chaotic ‘Camilla’s Bookshop’ in Eastbourne since 1985. Archie the parrot says ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ if he knows someone and ‘goodbye’ if he doesn’t like them.

Archie and Camilla

Murmuration of starlings over Claremont hotel Eastbourne

Murmuration of starlings over the Claremont Hotel in 2002

Murmuration of starlings over Eastbourne Pier in 2002

People watching the Claremont hotel fire in Eastbourne

The Claremont Hotel fire 2019

People watch the Claremont Hotel burn down from the beach.

Firemen at Claremont hotel fire Eastbourne

Firemen

Fire crews tackle the Claremont Hotel fire, 2019

Juno, outside the boarded up TJ Hughes department store

Juno who identifies as non-binary is originally from Croydon in South London. She moved to Eastbourne because she fell in love with someone here but unfortunately it hadn't worked out. She stayed and is now studying at college. She is standing outside the boarded up TJ Hughes department store, a local landmark soon to be demolished.

Cheryl and Johnny on Eastbourne seafront

Cheryl and Johnny

Also known as ‘Dixie the Pixie’ and ‘Johnny the Legend’, they had a bubble machine going and were singing through a loudspeaker and playing instruments on the seafront on the hottest day of the year, when the temperature reached 39˚C. They were homeless and were trying to raise some money to pay for shelter and food by selling shots of vodka, fags, jewellery, garden tools, and many other items.

Cheryl (Dixie the Pixie)

Cheryl told me her ancestors were from Eastbourne and were gypsies. She had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer which had metastasized and had decided against having any treatment.

Portrait of Peter in Queens Hotel in Eastbourne from Bromley

Peter

Peter was one of a group of holidaymakers from Bromley in south London, enjoying the evening’s entertainment at the Queen’s Hotel Eastbourne.

Sheikh Abid Gulzar under the pier

The pier owner under his pier which is known as 'Sheikh's Pier'.

Eastbourne Pier

This was taken on the Sunday of Airbourne 2022.

Photo of Lynns Travel nativity in Eastbourne

Lynns Travel nativity

Lynns Travel on Seaside Road is well known for its excellent Christmas display. This was taken as the decorations came down in January 2022.

Bobby and Co Mural in Debenhams