As Eastbourne An Alphabet – A Journey In Print hits the book shelves, Sussex based author Clare Dales, shares her top five favourite prints.
R is for Royal Sovereign
R IS FOR ROYAL SOVEREIGN LIGHTHOUSE
The English Channel is one of the busiest and most hazardous shipping lanes in the world. The Royal Sovereign was built in 1971. Constructed in two sections and floated out from Newhaven Harbour, the Lighthouse is six miles out to sea and served the worlds shipping until 1994. Shipping, containers and our connection with the sea is a recurring theme in the book, and the inspiration for my next project.
X is for X-Ray
X IS FOR X-RAY
As you walk along the seafront, I often wonder what is behind the doors of the beach huts. A place to store, to shelter from the wind and rain, or nap away from the sun. A peek inside often reveals an individuality of surprise and delight. They are a uniquely English feature of the promenade.
K is for kidney
K IS FOR KIDNEY VETCH
The Downland pasture has been continually grazed, and this short grassland allows the kidney vetch to grow. This vetch is the only food for the caterpillar of the Small Blue butterfly, measuring no more than 2cm across, it is the smallest British butterfly.
A is for axe
A IS FOR ARROWS AND AXES
I really enjoy the strong graphic nature of a black and white image. Eastbourne is the easterly end of the South Downs Way, which runs from Winchester through the South Downs National Park. It is an ancient trading route for flint tools as far back as the Neolithic about 6,000 years ago. The flints themselves are things of beauty and reminds me of the thousands of years of farming that have taken place on the Downs, and that have shaped them to the distinctive profile we treasure today.
L is for lolly
L IS FOR ICE LOLLY
Because a lolly is an essential element of a day out by the seaside!
Eastbourne An Alphabet – A lino print book, costs £15 and is available at Waterstones Eastbourne, local independent bookshops, galleries and on Amazon
