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We had decided to stay in Eastbourne before the recent fire damaged the pier. It is a sad sight at present as can be seen above. Local people are determined that all will be put to rights by the beginning of next summer season. One person we met expressed the opinion that it had not been altogether a bad thing, since the penny arcade, which formerly occupied the damaged pavilion, had passed its sell by date. He expressed the view that something more up to date, such as boutiques and cafes might be a better use of the newly available space. I am not sure about this since many people still go to the seaside for its traditional attractions.
The town has followed other seaside places by recently building a new art gallery. The Towner Gallery opened in 2009, and its contemporary aspect is certainly a change from the old mansion that formerly housed the town's collection. Primarily devoted to modern art, it has huge spaces on the ground floor, and a more traditional layout with cafe above.
We were lucky to catch an interesting show, Designing the Everyday, which featured artists from the early years of the 20th Century to the present, whose work had been used as designs for commercial purposes, such as advertisements, fabric and ceramics. Nick was interested to see the original posters, created by various artists including Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, from the 'You can be sure of Shell' campaign which revolutionised advertising. I was particularly taken by the ceramics designed for Wedgewood in the 1930's by Eric Ravilious, which are still popular and available today.
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| Alphabet design mug for Wedgwood by Eric Ravilious (1903 - 1942) first produced 1937 |
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