Eastbourne Project (work in progress) - 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.

Murmuration of starlings over Claremont hotel Eastbourne

Murmuration of starlings over the Claremont Hotel in 2002

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’, I call it Eastbourne. For a long time I tried to get out of it, as far away as possible… but due to serious illness I was forced to come back here for treatment ten years ago. I have had a complicated relationship with this town at times, but since my illness I view it in a different way and I have come to love it. This project is about many aspects of the town, first and foremost what it means to me, but also its interesting and wonderful people.

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.

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

Archie and Camilla in Camilla&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

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'.

Sheikh Gulzar's hands

The pier owner has a well-known love of gold and contentiously painted the domes of the pier gold.

Eastbourne Pier

This was taken on the Sunday of Airbourne 2022.

The Red Arrows

On the Saturday of Airbourne 2022.

Ladies on the pier

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

Portrait of Steve Chelsea Antiques Emporium in Eastbourne

Steve

Steve has owned the Chelsea Antiques Emporium for ten years which is located in the Little Chelsea area of the town centre in Eastbourne.

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.

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

Portrait of a couple in Arndale Centre in Eastbourne

I met this couple in the Arndale Centre they had come from Hailsham to Eastbourne to celebrate their anniversary.

Salvationist

The Salvation Army band often play in Eastbourne on weekends and holidays, some of them coming from as far away as Elephant and Castle in south London. I have photographed them as a group before but on this particular occasion, this beautifully turned out gentleman turned to face me as if I had asked to take his portrait.

Portrait of the Mayor of Eastbourne Pat Rodohan

The Mayor of Eastbourne

Pat Rodohan is the Mayor of Eastbourne. I photographed him a few weeks before this at the Eastbourne Carnival smartly dressed and wearing his mayoral chain. In contrast, during Airbourne, the annual airshow he was unrecognisable in casual clothes, holding a bucket, raising money to keep the airshow going.

Jack

Jack works in waste management and comes from Hastings to Eastbourne every day for work. I liked the way his high-vis shirt acted as a reflector to highlight the intricate details of his tattoos.

Vic Young

I saw Vic from the road reading his book about Miles Davis on his balcony. He told me how much he loves Eastbourne, especially during the colder months. He retired and moved there from Luton. He said he used to be a sax player and a blues harmonica player.

Marc

Marc has owned a shop on the beach for 28 years. This particular shop Beach & Gift Shop for 12 years. He was extremely busy during summer 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he said 'because everyone had been furloughed, nobody had anything to do'. It was one of the busiest summers he'd ever had.