Here Comes The Deep Sun
Here Comes The Deep Sun
Latest music release Deep Sun now available to stream, the worrying signs of coastal erosion in the UK and life in Eastbourne.
As Deep Sun becomes available on Spotify, the neighbours have embarked on a two month cruise around South America. By the time they return to the outer reaches of Eastbourne (near Pevensey Bay), they will be shocked by how much more of our local coastline has disappeared. I’ve rented an apartment here for five years, the Marina and housing estate were developed back in the 1990s on a stretch of shingled wasteland aptly nicknamed The Crumbles. Which shortsighted developer would ever have considered building on a crumbling shoreline that, by the end of this century, will be consumed by the sea? Coastal erosion is visible on a daily basis, however much the bulldozers try to bank up more shingle.
Many coastal towns in the UK will be lost to erosion within the next 20 or 30 years. Environmental agencies claim they are working on solutions, building sea defences and protecting properties. However, I don’t share their optimism, which might be largely a political exercise to appease property owners and developers. Private contractors make profits from these temporary defence systems and walkaway. Residents are saddled with worthless property, as local council investment to protect the coast is washed away by the waves. Coastal life is healthy, it feels like an adventure that began when I moved from London to Brighton in 2014. Now in the outskirts of Eastbourne, I’ve never lived this close to the sea. But extreme storms have become unwelcoming.
Violent storms are exciting, with rugged rain swept ocean waves crashing into a depleting coastline. There is inspiration in storms, but the severe winds are now relentless all year around. Getting a nights sleep is not guaranteed.
The coastline where I live has a few historic landmarks, including two local Martello Towers built during the Napoleonic Wars, also used in WW2. Just down the road is Pevensey Castle, originally Roman, then modified in both Medieval and WW2 eras. Birdwatching is excellent and we have Seals holidaying in the harbour. It takes about an hour to walk from my home to Eastbourne Pier, following a coastal footpath. Beachy Head on the Western side of the Pier was a filming location for 1979 Mod movie Quadrophenia, with actor Phil Daniels riding a scooter along the clifftop. I’ve hike the rolling hills of the South Downs, just beyond Birling Gap. The tourist centre of Eastbourne is a pleasant town, it never gets hugely busy.
There is less light pollution on my patch, so on a clear night you can just about trace the outline of the Milky Way band of stars looming overhead. The most breathtaking site I have witnessed was during the Eastbourne Airshow, as a Lancaster Bomber, flanked by two Spitfires, glided over Hastings across our bit of the coastline. I got lucky moving here just before the pandemic hit the UK. There was greater risk of catching the virus had I remained in urban Brighton. So the spectacular coastal walks, birdwatching and stargazing kept me sane. Now I want to relocate, the storms are becoming intolerable, especially at night. It’s time for a fresh start in a new place.