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.

I appreciate that it wasn’t exactly comparable to the £61k goody bags picked up by recent Oscar nominees, but the scone I received courtesy of the cafe at Tennis in the Park in Eastbourne tasted all the more divine given it was a freebie – all in recognition of our recent placement as Number 1 in the Independent’s Top 50 bed and breakfasts.

I was even offered congratulations by a complete stranger on the street. Blimey.

Our local paper, the Eastbourne Herald, has picked up on it to help spread the word and I also had to give an interview to Sovereign Radio. So if you need cheering up I suggest you have a laugh at my expense by putting on the headphones and click here tomorrow morning when it’s due on air during the regular bulletins.

Great guest-list here over the last few days, surely confirming our position as Eastbourne’s most accommodating bed and breakfast -  including a farmer, his dog and several sheep. All in the same room.

My toddler son is often very fond of our guests, particularly when they love dancing as much as him. Thankfully, the cast of Shaun’s Big Show, running recently at the nearby Devonshire Park Theatre were both generous and enthusiastic, offering us tickets for a performance and impromptu dance lessons in our kitchen.

The childless amongst you might not have stumbled upon Shaun the Sheep, but few parents will be unaware of the slapstick animation, straight from the Nick Parke/Ardman flock and, more importantly, his ability to capture kids’ attention whilst offering an irreverent angle to keep the oldies entertained.

Happily the TV show and its characters have translated well to the stage – sufficiently well to engage my little man for an hour and a half with a plot based around dancing sheep, which is frankly astonishing. Thank you very much indeed.

The theatrical roll-call has been gathering momentum – several of the Hairspray crowd were here over recent weeks and whilst Mickey Dolenz, returning as one of the leads, wasn’t staying here he was out on the town with the cast. Davy Jones, fellow Monkee, was also around apparently for one particularly heavy session in Eastbourne which ended with karaokee in a local pub. How much would you have paid to have seen it – Davy Jones, up with a mic, singing Daydream Believer. Nice touch!

We’re a boutique guesthouse in Eastbourne. Bang on location, lovely rooms, separate kitchens. You might know that already and, hopefully, appreciate it enough to have stayed here in the last year we’ve been at the helm.

Many of you have also made the effort to review us on TripAdvisor. Thank very much indeed if you have.

What you probably don’t realise is that if you recommend us to family, friends, the bloke at the bus stop you really shouldn’t be talking to, whoever, and they stay with us you get a £10 M&S voucher. Which for me equates to a decent  bottle of red and a bag of cookies. For you maybe a nice bunch of flowers or the right arm of a Per Una cashmere sweater. Just get them to tell me when they book that you were the reason they came and, hey presto, the voucher arrives on your doormat. Brilliant, eh?

If you have stayed here already you might well have forgotton that you get a 10% discount on future bookings. Nice. So banish thoughts of Autumn and see the sunny shores of Eastbourne again!

Just give me a call on 01323 722774 or take another look at our website to see what all the fuss is about.

Apparently UK tourism is set to be one of the few sectors to benefit from the recession, with 70% of people ready to book a holiday in the UK this year.

We’ve all been there – fractious children and frustrated parents stranded in airport lounges, disillusioned with the ‘glamour’ of air travel and, when coupled with a weak pound, it perhaps shouldn’t be surprising to hear that 39% are now considering to spend their main 2010 holiday here in the UK, up 10% on last year.  

The Guesthouse East, the boutique but family friendly hotel in Eastbourne, should be well placed since it is families who are likely to be at the heart of the ‘staycation’ boom. It is those with children who are more likely to target self catering accommodation and coastal resorts. Just as well, then, that The Guesthouse East is just 50m from the sea front in Eastbourne and that each suite has a separate kitchen with self-catering facilities and large bedroom, often with an extra futon or sofa bed for children. And when mum doesn’t fancy spending any more time in the kitchen bed and breakfast is always available.

Check availability and book or give us a ring 01323 722774 to find out more.

Morris dancing, brass bands and dancing in the streets and on the beach. All in Eastbourne and all quite surreal. But the way my toddler was jigging about on my shoulders and the crowds I’d say it’s a huge success – we’re only taking a breather, waiting for friends and then we’ll be back out there for more shenanigans.

It might be icy, dicey and apparently a white Christmas around the UK but no one had told Eastbourne to conform. Tropical might be pushing it, but it’s definitely mild with a hint of freshness in the wind. Perfect for walking off too many Thorntons chocolates.

When we bought The Guesthouse East back in August I have to say I had no idea so much happened in Eastbourne and what a great position our B&B enjoys. A bit flukey but it helps explain why we’re always busy. Take a look to see if we have any rooms free and join in the antics!

I’m constantly being amazed at the beauty and opportunities within a stone’s throw of here at The Guesthouse East in Eastbourne.

We took advantage of a rare spare afternoon this weekend to head to the Seven Sisters National Park, just ten minutes down the road. There are 280 hectares of chalk cliffs, a meandering river to potter along (complete with a concrete path for buggies and easy-access), enough walking trails for even the most determined, Berghaus-clad enthusiast and birdlife to keep the twitchers happy for eternity. And that’s without mentioning the canoeing on offer – for hire and with instruction if you fancy it.

 I must be so transparent. Within 3.5 minutes the wife has seen through this apparently genuine quest for family-friendly fun in the great outdoors. Sure, this area truly is beautiful, invigorating and life-enhancing. It also plays home to Friston Forest which, as well as gentle trails for cycling, also plays host to death-defying , fear-inducing single-track mountain biking. Joyous!

Some of the country’s finest professional riders live in the area which says everything about the potential here. And even the fella in the cycle hire shop there hasn’t worked his way around all the trails. Ahh, heaven….

So, bring your bikes (they accept them on Southern Trains) and your kit, and get ready for some action. Your bikes are more than safe here as well - with secure storage and even a drying room.  

River plain

A multi-million pound budget now needs to stretch that bit further – to cover the production delays caused by a couple of hoodlums out fishing on canoes yesterday afternoon, edging into shot and shattering the 1950′s illusion of Brighton Rock filming.

There is now a van positioned on Marine Parade containing a personal bodyguard with a canoe on the roof, ready to chase any water-bourne interferences out of the background. I just don’t have the heart (or should I say guts?) to admit that it was Tim, a guest here at The Guesthouse East in Eastbourne, and I…..