Eastbourne

Took a bus along the coast to the city of Eastbourne which is similar to Brighton but smaller. There were so many things about Eastbourne that reminded me of Atlantic City before casinos — the pier, the bandstand, the fancy hotels, the little museums, and the parks and gardens. Sure enough, I came across Haddon Hall which is the same name as the hotel my grandparents used to stay in every year on the boardwalk each September. As far as I can tell, there’s no connection. The AC hotel was named after the Quaker family that founded Haddonfield and this one in Eastbourne was named for a 12 century Derbyshire manor house. It was just a weird coincidence after spending so much time drawing comparisons between the two seaside resorts and then turning a corner to find it. As beautiful as Eastbourne is, it would pale in comparison to Atlantic City at its height. Unfortunately, so little of it remains. The soul of Atlantic City was lost when its grand hotels were demolished or converted to casinos. It’s a great reminder of how important it is to preserve historic buildings.Read more