My grandfather Alec Gordon, was a Royal Marine and was seriously injured in the fateful Zeebrugge Raid on St Georges Day, 23rdApril 1918. Alexander Robert Gordon was born in London in 1896, the son of Frederick and Hannah Gordon. In 1910 the Gordon family moved to 1, Romney Road, Eastbourne and his parents worked at…
Month: April 2020
Easter in Sussex
Writing in the 8th century, the Venerable Bede tells us that Eostre was the pagan goddess of dawn (hence the word ’east’). Her annual festival of Spring was held in April and known as Easter but by the time of Bede, Christians had replaced this with their own festival, ‘passover’ which celebrates the resurrection of…
The King of Eastbourne
In 1912 hundreds of Eastbourne children were treated to a party by William Washington King. A telegram was sent to George V at Balmoral Castle which read “Six hundred happy little children in meeting assembled, send your Majesty loyal greetings!” the answer was received and read out “His Majesty thanks the children assembled at the…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 