So we’re not exactly at Tom and Barbara levels of self-sufficiency just yet but the parallels of a mid-life crisis and a quest to avoid the rat-race are pretty clear.
We’ve just polished off my kayak-caught sea bass (pan-fried fillets with a delicious oriental sauce) rounded off with a homemade pie of local apples and blackberries picked on Beachy Head a few hours ago. Hmm, maybe I now need a vineyard to provide a decent glass of red?

Having a bed and breakfast in Eastbourne is pretty relentless (despite what my friends reckon – ‘No, really, what do you do to fill your day?’) but there are certainly perks to be had. Many of them end up in my tum.

The council vetoed my plan for solar-generated electricity – Grade II-listing can be very appealing but not when it comes to negotiating the minefield of council planning committees – and (thankfully) my wife provides the pragmatic balance that Barbara Good would have been proud of when it comes to weeding out the various ‘business ideas’ I hatch.

Still, we’re a long way from our previous life in Teddington and the corporate world so occasionally the odd plan comes to fruition.

We have a regular stream of guests who recognise the quality of life that Eastbourne can provide and are searching for a holiday home or indeed are eyeing up a similar leap towards a simpler life away from London.

We’re always very open to a chat about the realities of life on the Sunshine Coast and can also give some honest feedback on local areas to consider so feel free to call us up or book yourself in for a break to sample the delights on offer. Those blackberries really are very juicy…

Carl

The sun is shining on another delightful morning here on Hartington Place, Eastbourne.

Our guests from the Netherlands have just headed out for a trek towards Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters (true pragmatic Dutch stylee, with sandals, packed lunch and ever-so-slightly wary children) whilst others prepare for the opera at Glyndebourne.

Our London journalists have just left with one last rueful look at the sea before heading back to the station. At least it’s an easy journey for their family – just an hour an half back to Clapham Junction and Victoria.

Whilst the children are at nursery and the wife is out at Zumba (is EVERY woman at it these days?!) it’s a rare opportunity to indulge in a pain au chocolat, mug of builders tea and a little rumination in front of the pc and appreciation of all that is good in life.

Maybe, just maybe, there will be an opportunity for a kayak fishing session this afternoon and the possibility of a bass or a few mackeral for supper, post five-a-side football.

Before I lose myself completely in a fog of smugness I’d best crack on with tidying up the dining room and carry up innumerable bags of laundry just delivered. This bed and breakfast malarkey is non-stop.

There has been a frenzy of sporting activity here at the guesthouse recently. For once, not all lycra has been worn by yours truly and baby buggies have been outnumbered by bikes in the dining room.

With the London to Brighton cycle ride almost amongst us, guests have been hitting the tarmac and hills of the South Downs in preparation for Ditchling Beacon and the other meanderings between the capital and the South coast.

At a slightly different pace, our lovely Norwegian couple have also been testing themselves at nearby golf courses which share the same scenery and also the same (currently wind-blown) challenges, whilst others have enjoyed pre-breakfast jogs along the prom.

Watching everyone else indulge in the activities has left me feeling slightly frumpy, largely sat behind the laptop, with only Wednesday night running club (and a recent but thankfully short spell on a wedding dance floor) to keep my legs moving.

It’s a far cry from the marathon training and morning spent running around Richmond Park. If you fancy reading more about the sights and suffering I suggest you pick up the latest edition of Running Free magazine or perhaps take a look online here – see pages 38-39.

If you have the time for a visit to this rather unique Eastbourne bed and breakfast and fancy a run out why don’t you give me a call on 01323 722774 – and don’t forget your welcome to join us at The Running Inn’s Wednesday night session or indeed circuits on a Friday night at 6pm (for just a fiver). There is always the prospect on my (apparently legendary) porridge to sort you out in the morning.

It’s your holiday in Eastbourne so we try to make sure you get whatever works for you and that extends to breakfast.

Bed and breakfast. Breakfast in bed. Full English through to healthy buffet. Indeed  even breakfast by you (we have self-catering kitchens after all). And now, after extensive research (involving cake-eating, sausage-munching and coffee slurping on an industrial scale) I can happily recommend Central Eating, a cracking cafe based just around the corner from us on Terminus Road, for when you fancy a wander.

Jason, the owner and general front-of-house, must have suffered a similar mid-life crisis to me given that he too jumped ship from corporate life to set up home and a business on our lovely East Sussex coast.

We even managed a night out for their official grand opening last weekend, attended by the MP for Eastbourne Stephen Lloyd. Fine (and varied) sausages and mash all round, so they offer far more than breakfasts, delicious homemade cakes and a top-of-the range Gaggia they call Gloria.

Mention us (or grab one of their cards off us) and you’ll qualify for a 10% discount. I suggest some Billionnaire Shortbread to get you started (although the wife would argue for the chocolate brownies).

The sun’s feeling particularly warm this morning, the air the sweetest of the year and we’re skipping around the kitchen preparing breakfasts with beaming smiles – we’ve just been voted Number 1 in this morning’s Independent‘s Top 50 B&Bs!

Better dash – the sausages need turning….

New Government and and a new tack on tourism.

How do you choose your hotel, bed and breakfast or indeed any short-break accommodation – Check their website? Look for feedback? Ask a friend?

The Government, it seems, is potentially disbanding the official star-rating system that many (surely most of us?) use as a simple reference point when setting out on a search. We instinctively trust its objectivity, whilst recognising the limitations of categorising  properties into just five bands. At its simplest, we don’t expect a carpeted bathroom if we book a four-star hotel nor march to reception if we have to share a bunk-room in a one-star hostel. It hardly sorts the wheat from the chaff, but at least it narrows the field.

Consumer voice alone is set to become all-powerful, with the like of TripAdvisor and other consumer review websites apparently offering more accurate information than the stars allocated by VisitBritain.

As a businessman I applaud reduced bureaucracy and as a hotelier recognise the value of positive, speedy feedback and openly display the TripAdvisor reviews received for The Guesthouse East on my homepage. I also appreciate the potential flaws; the malicious responses, underhand reviews from competitors and downright subjectivity. I would never base a decision that can fundamentally affect the success of a holiday on a consumer review alone.

Maybe I should sit back and wait for the Tourism Strategy from the Department for Media, Culture and Sports to be announced. Or maybe I should prime my mother for a glowing report on my accommodation…..

Let me know what you think.

Refreshing is one word for it. Let’s just say I needed the wetsuit for the inaugural swim of the year. And a bowl of steaming soup on my return. But the blood is certainly flowing again and we’re back in fine fettle after a hectic few weeks here at The Guesthouse East B&B in Eastbourne.

Swiss, French, Thai. Management consultants, teachers, designers. Young families, romancing couples and businessmen.  You can’t say it’s a bland crowd here. We’re completely taken over this Saturday night by an ecletic mix of walkers after the rigours of the South Downs Way. Better put some porridge on.

We still have some suites available for this Friday – self catering or bed and breakfast – and the chance to take advantage of my ‘Name your price!’ promotion. I’ve just had a lovely lady book on the phone who was obviously a bit embarrssed to  make an offer but delighted with the result. I suggest you give it a go too – on 01323 722774

We’ve just moved to a new school and are now studying a completely new curriculum, so to speak, since we’re fresh to this whole hotelier life in Eastbourne. So to be formally assessed and graded against everything from cleanliness, service and bathroom decoration is enough to set anyone on edge.

And like preparing for that school report you can put yourself on best behaviour, plumping up pillows and paying even more attention to cooking those locally-sourced breakfast sausages, but, boy, is it painful.

 So….a mighty sigh of relief when those gurus from Visit Britain decide we’re worth four-stars and a special silver rating! And a whopping 5-stars for hospitality and breakfast. Blimey.

As it turned out we had no idea it was the assessor until she produced her badge after checking out. Probably just as well. Too much doffing of cap aint pretty.

It seems that celebrity status isn’t reserved purely for guests at this rather chic bed and breakfast in Eastbourne. The Guesthouse East was on the telly (again) recently with filming here as part of Escape Down Under.

It seems we could be on the verge of losing Sally, a pillar of the running club based here, to the NE coast of Oz at some point this year, as tropical temperatures, surf, sand and the prospect of a relaxed lifestyle won her and her family over. Ok, Eastbourne might not have the sand but don’t we tick most of the other boxes??

Chaps, think of it as an opportunity to redeem yourselves after the less than jubilant reaction to your dressing gown Christmas present. And girls, well, you deserve a getaway.

Enjoy romance at this boutique bed and breakfast in Eastbourne for free on Valentine’s Day (Sunday 14th February) after staying here on the Friday and Saturday.

We have super-kingsize beds, decadent suites (each with a kitchen to chill all those bottles of fizz), deep fluffy duvets and DVD players for a mid-afternoon rom-com. Lovely!

A decedent suite at The Guesthouse East in Eastbourne

Click here for all our offers or ring 01323 722774 for more details.