Latest News

6th February 2012

Yoga at Yacht club today cancelled.

Due to a family emergency, Sandy Amstrong will be unable to teach her Yoga classes at the Yacht Club today. She sends her apologies.

6th February 2012

Following their very successful running of the 2011 Festival of Transport at Hellingly over the last August Bank Holiday weekend, Eastbourne Historic Vehicle Club have donated £750 towards Eastbourne RNLI’s new lifeboat appeal  

The annual rally is used as a platform to help raise funds for many local charities and this year Eastbourne RNLI was delighted to once again be one of the beneficiaries.

At a recent club meeting held at the Red Lion in Stone Cross, Lifeboat Coxswain Mark Sawyer received a cheque from club Director David Bone. In accepting the cheque Mark thanked the club for their continued support which, he said, will help continue the life saving work of Eastbourne RNLI in the seas around Eastbourne.

4th February 2012

For the past year a group of South Harbour residents have been engaging with developers Persimmon Homes and EBC about the condition of the water feature and its proposed hand-over to residents.

They now understand that Persimmon are ignoring the concerns of residents and are steam-rolling a hand-over to the residents’ management company (which around 370 South Harbour property owners belong to by virtue of their property deeds), via Fell Reynolds, the Folkestone-based property management company.

Fell Reynolds would manage the water feature and charge the residents’ management company accordingly.

Click here for more details.

4th February 2012

Late change to coffee morning at the Under Ground Theatre (below the library in Grove Road).

Background guitar music in the coffee-bar will now be from JOHN BALL (NB: this is a change from previously advertised programme).

Entry free. Coffee, tea and home-made cakes for sale.

1st February 2012

Your Personal Best is a national awareness campaign developed and funded by GSK, official laboratory services provider for London 2012, in association with NHS London. It aims to inspire the 7.78 million people over 55 with long term health conditions in the UK to lead a more active lifestyle.

Keeping active can be a challenge if you have a long term health condition, but it can make a significant difference to your health and well-being and may also ease your symptoms.

If you feel like your condition is holding you back from leading a more active lifestyle and you are over 55 years old, then the Your Personal Best campaign, inspired by the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, is here to help you with simple advice on how to become more active.

TV personality and dance coach Len Goodman and TV presenter Arlene Phillips are the celebrity faces of Your Personal Best.

Click here for more information

31st January 2012

Discounts for residents are being offered by local companies.

• Listening to You - Half price counselling during February
• Cooks - 15% off frozen meals delivered to your home
• Richard Allen, Golf Professional - Two, one hour golf lessons for £29
• Great Hairdressing - Free VIP card giving 10% off hairdressing and associated treatments

Click here for more information.

27th January 2012

Police are warning residents in Sussex to be aware of bogus bank callers after three elderly residents in Crawley received phone calls from people claiming to be from the victim’s bank.

The callers convinced the victims that their bank cards had been compromised and said they would send a courier to collect them. A short time later a man arrived and collected the cards. Money was then taken from the accounts at local ATMs.

Detective Constable Matt Wilson of West Sussex CID said: "The caller knew personal information about each victim and they were able to obtain further information during the phone call. If your bank cards are ever compromised your bank does not need them back. They will never collect them but will cancel them and arrange for replacements to be sent. If you receive a call from anyone claiming to be from your bank then you should never give any personal information or your PIN. If you are in any doubt about who the caller is then hang up and call your bank, or if someone arranges to collect your cards call police immediately on 999."

If you would like further advice, you can call Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 0637 of 21/01, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.

24th January 2012

Over the past week the Harbour has seen an increase in bicycle thefts from car ports and undercroft parking areas. Bicycles that have been stolen are generally above £500 each in value. Many of the bicycles had been well secured with heavy duty bicycle locks. Unfortunately, this was not enough to deter those people who were intent on taking the bicycles.

Officers who were out on patrol at 4am one morning last week spotted three people acting suspiciously in an undercroft to a block of flats in the North Harbour. They were arrested and have been bailed pending further enquiries.

If you have any information regarding these recent thefts or if you would like to receive crime prevention advice then please contact your local officers. Alternatively, please report suspicious activity by dialling 101 (Sussex Police contact number), or contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111.

24th January 2012

Sovereign Harbour is awarded Five Gold Anchors in The Yacht Harbour Association’s prestigious Gold Anchor Award Scheme

This is an outstanding achievement for Premier Marinas with Sovereign Harbour’s score ranking amongst the highest in the Scheme. THYA’s Gold Anchor Award Scheme offers a trustworthy measure of excellence for boat owners looking to berth a boat on a permanent basis or to visit a marina with the Scheme scoring 1 to 5 Gold Anchors.

Sovereign Harbour’s Marina Manager Janet Taylor commented, “We are delighted and honoured to have been awarded the highest accreditation achievable in the Gold Anchor Scheme. We are very proud of the marina’s services and facilities. The marina team work extremely hard and it’s pleasing to see that this has been recognised by a leading industry award scheme.”

Gareth Turnbull, THYA General Manager said, “Our detailed assessment and review of the berth holders' satisfaction at Sovereign Harbour proves that Premier Marinas is helping to set the standard for UK marinas.”

The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) provides support for marinas and related businesses throughout the UK and internationally. The Gold Anchor Award Scheme is a voluntary assessment programme which is focused on customer service and providing quality moorings for the boat owner. The ratings range from 1 to 5 Gold Anchors and provide assurance of the credibility and quality of the marina when assessed against the technical criteria based on the Code of Practice for the Construction and Operation of Marinas and Yacht Harbours.

23rd January 2012

Eastbourne RNLI’s new Tamar class lifeboat Diamond Jubilee is on schedule to be launched as planned on  6th February to commemorate the date on which Queen Elizabeth 11 ascended to the throne in 1952.

Coxswain Mark Sawyer, Mechanic Dan Guy, and Operations Manager Paul Metcalfe have recently visited the Babcock boatyard at Plymouth where the new boat is being built and were delighted to see how quickly the work has progressed. There is still a lot to do but the builders are confident that all targets will be met.

Crew training to operate this state of the art vessel will commence in earnest in May. Five station mechanics will attend a weeks’ intensive training at the RNLI lifeboat college at Poole followed by another group of core crew who will also undergo a weeks’ full time training. At the end of May Diamond Jubilee will arrive in Eastbourne and the remaining crew will undergo up to a month of further training before being passed out by an RNLI inspector. It is hoped the new boat and her crew will be ready for active service by the end of June. 

18th January 2012

Eastbourne Carnival is less than 20 weeks away so it’s time to get focused and busy if our Sovereign Harbour community float is going to make a big splash in the parade.

The harbour carnival team has a design, and has raised enough funds to get started, and there is also a small band of willing and enthusiastic volunteers. It’s a great first step but a lot more are need to help build and paint the float and get everyone dressed to take part.

It’s fantastic to see the various harbour organisations and individual residents coming together in what promises to be an exciting project so, if you want to be part of the action, SHECAT wants to hear from you. It’s going to be a lot of fun and a great way to make new friends.

Please come along to the next carnival meeting on Wednesday 8th February starting at 7.30pm upstairs in the yacht club. Everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit www.shecat.info.

If you would like to make contact before then, please do. Phone Alison on 479429 or e-mail Alison. She will be delighted to hear from you.

16th January 2012

Consumers are being misled into paying for iPads online that arrive either broken, un-usable or in some cases don’t arrive at all.

Consumers who have expressed an interest in the dirt-cheap ipads have been asked to meet in the street or in a pub to buy them for as little as £300. They subsequently discover they have been given boxes containing broken equipment or nothing at all.

The iPad is completely wrapped up, and is either a second hand one that doesn’t work, or some of them have got water gel inside the packet so they feel heavy. If you have bought something brand new off somebody in the street, the chances are something is not right.”

Police are warning consumers to buy items like these from a reputable dealer whilst the Trading Standards Message remains; “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is”.

16th January 2012

Volunteers wanted for under-age sales campaigns. Lee Ede, Lead Officer for Under Age Sales at Trading Standards, would like to offer young people the unpaid opportunity to assist officers with its Under Age Test Purchasing Operations across the County.

Volunteers, who need to be between 14 and 16½ and will need the permission of their parent or guardian, will make test purchases of age-restricted goods (such as cigarettes, knives and alcohol) from shops. Some of the exercises take place during the evenings, but at all times you will be accompanied by Trading Standards Officers.

Click here for more details.

Or contact Lee Ede, Fair Trading Officer, East Sussex County Council Trading Standards. 01323 463447 or e-mail Lee

15th January 2012

Dick Guy, senior member of Eastbourne lifeboat’s shore based team, has been presented with a bar to add to his existing long service badge to commemorate nearly 40 years continuous voluntary service which spans three generations of lifeboats in the town.

Dick, who works for local firm Alfa Laval, volunteered to join Eastbourne RNLI’s lifeboat crew in 1974 and followed in the footsteps of his father who served in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.

When Dick first joined, both boats were based at Fisherman’s Green and the then all weather lifeboat was the Watson class ‘Beryl Tollemache’.  In those days launching an all weather lifeboat (ALB) was a much more complicated and labour intensive operation than it is today involving up to 15 volunteers.

Over the years Dick progressed to senior launcher until operations were transferred to Sovereign Harbour in 2003. With Dick’s encouragement both his sons (pictured with Operations Manager Paul Metcalfe) also joined the service; Dan is now full time mechanic and a deputy coxswain and Tim a volunteer crewman aboard the ALB

9th January 2012

We have been advised by Police that there have been thefts, and attempted thefts, from undercroft parking areas in apartment blocks. Police have also recovered some tools and would like to hear from anybody who might be the lawful owner.

Residents are asked to keep careful watch when entering and leaving these areas, and advised to ensure that vehicles and cycles are securely locked, and no items of value are left in open view.

If you have any information, please contact PC Ed Faulkner on 07787 685813 (e-mail Ed) or PCSO Martin Hylands on 07909 873787 (e-mail Martin)

9th January 2012

Yoga for beginners classes will be held on the 2nd floor of the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club on Monday 9th January at 11am, and on Monday 16th January at 11am and 6pm. Thereafter, classes will be held every Monday at 11am and 6pm.

Classes cost £5 per session, and participants must bring their own mat. Advanced booking is essential.

For more information, or to book your place, call Sandy on 07984-915916, or e-mail sandy.searches@gmail.com

5th January 2012

If you haven't already disposed of your old Christmas tree, help the environment and support Eastbourne new lifeboat appeal all in one move.

Local tree surgeons PJ Chaffin have donated their tree shredding equipment and trained staff to dispose of all old Christmas trees brought along to the inshore lifeboat station at Fisherman’s Green, on Saturday 7th January between 9am and 4pm.

No charge will be made, but you can make a contribution to the new lifeboat appeal. 

4th January 2012

Sovereign Harbour Debating Society (SHDS) meetings will resume after the holiday break on Wednesday January 11. 

The Debating Society meets every Wednesday in the annexe of Simply Italian on the Sovereign Harbour Waterfront at 3pm.

Membership is free and new members are always welcome; just turn up on the day, or e-mail for more information.

The Crumbles Story - available from SHRA - Where did the rock of the harbour arms come from? What was the Crumbles Railway? What is the wreck visible at low tide?

We have a limited number of copies of the very informative paperback book, The Crumbles Story by local author Ann Botha that answers these questions.

If you are interested in the history of the land on which Sovereign Harbour is built, the industry and events that took place on it, and its unique flora and fauna, this little book is for you, and at just £7.99, it won’t break the bank. The book contains many illustrations in colour and B&W.

To order a copy and pay on-line with your credit or debit card, send an email to crumbles@shra.co.uk simply saying you would like a copy of the book and we'll email you a PayPal payment request link which will take you through the online paying process (you don't need to have a PayPal account).

Or send a cheque for £7.99, payable to SHRA, with your name and address to:

The Crumbles Story
SHRA
PO Box 124
Eastbourne
East Sussex BN24 9AW

The price includes delivery - we will pop your book through your letter box, or post it to you if outside the area.