Bexhill-on-Sea

A half-hour bus ride takes me west to Bexhill, a genteel version Hastings. Its most famous landmark is the De La Warr Pavilion (named after the 9th Earl), all Art Deco sweeps and curves, with seating for 1,500 concert goers. On a grey November morning the only activities are a man admiring the sea view and a woman admiring her phone, with nothing to show that this was the scene of Bob Marley's first performance on British soil.

A generation before Art Deco, the 8th Earl founded Britain's first motor races, along the sea front. A metal sculpture of one of the 1902 cars celebrates this, and the spirit lives on with the annual London to Brighton race of veteran cars. The blue Renault 4 in the this picture is more like 1980s but its owner probably has this in mind. Nearby this is an exquisite little pavilion from the late 1890s, in the red and green of the town flag.

It's that time of the year and Remembrance Day is being observed by local dignitaries. For the cafe society on the sea front, it's just another November day.En savoir plus