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BBC News, South East BBC/Hanna Neter
The Red Arrows appeared on all four days of the airshow
A "phenomenal" level of planning made sure there were no serious incidents at Eastbourne Airbourne, despite several people having to be rescued from the water.
The annual international air show attracted about 750,000 people to the East Sussex town between Thursday and Sunday.
The RNLI said it was called to help an adult and child who had got into difficulty on a paddleboard in Seaford Bay, and was called to "multiple casualties" in difficulty at the Wish Tower, both on Sunday.
Jenny Williams, cabinet member for tourism at Eastbourne Borough Council, said the emergency services, including lifeguards, had been "there in an instant".
Co-ordinated planning between the council and emergency services for Eastbourne Airbourne is "world class", said the authority
She told BBC Radio Sussex the council took immediate action when the sea conditions deteriorated on Sunday.
"We put the red flags up, because it got really choppy, almost when the Red Arrows were coming," she said. "I was thinking 'is it going to be too windy?'
"There were a number of people that we had to support, but the planning from our events team is world class. We have RNLI in the water and we have all of our emergency services along the seafront, it's a massive operation.
"The amount of work is phenomenal." BBC/Piers Hopkirk
Jenny Williams said the air show had brought hundreds of thousands of extra visitors to Eastbourne
She also said the event had been a great financial success for the town.
"All the way from Beachy Head to the harbour was filled with people having a great time on the beach.
"One in four of our jobs is about tourism. Our weekend bandstand concerts were sold out, our hotels are full, our restaurants, our shops are full."
HM Coastguard said it received a number of separate reports of people in difficulty in the water off Eastbourne on Sunday.
A spokesman said: "Responses included coastguard rescue teams being sent from Eastbourne and Birling Gap, as well as an RNLI lifeboat from Eastbourne.
"All people made their own way to shore or were recovered safely and accounted for, with South East Coast Ambulance Service providing care where required." Related internet links Eastbourne Borough Council
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Idiotic tourists inches from death on cliff edge as they flout warnings and stray perilously close to 500ft drop
Reckless tourists have been pictured just inches from death on 500ft cliffs as they flouted warnings issued by the coastguard to risk their lives. Eastbourne Coastguard posted advice on Facebook on Sunday alongside snaps of groups near Beachy Head in East Sussex. It said the pictures were taken during the popular Eastbourne International Airshow, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world. One image even shows people - including what appears to be a child - beyond the safety rope, which marks the safest distance from the cliff edge. Visitors to Beachy Head, just east of the iconic Seven Sisters cliffs, near Eastbourne have been warned by the Coastguard to stay away from the edge as they are 'standing on nothing'. The maritime safety agency advised that although the ground at the beauty may appear stable erosion can cause sections to crumble away without any notice. In a post on Facebook HM Coastguard Eastbourne asked if a photo was worth visitors risking their lives. They said: 'Is a photo worth the risk of possibly losing your life? These photos were taking on Sunday during the Eastbourne air show. 'Cliffs are inherently unstable, and erosion from the sea and weather can cause sections to collapse or crumble without warning. 'Coastal erosion can undercut the base of cliffs, making them more susceptible to collapse, even if the top appears stable. 'This is another safety warning to the public that the rope is there for a reason, it is used as a guideline of how far from the cliff you should be, it is used to keep your safety a priority, majority of the time anyone standing on the edge of a cliff is practically standing on nothing, we advise to keep well back and never put your children at danger. 'The crowd was gathered on Sunday for the annual Airbourne show.' Earlier this year a large crack appeared in the side of Beachy Head and coaches were also banned by the National Trust from dropping passengers off at nearby Birling Gap to reduce visitor numbers. In 2017 a Korean student, Hyewon Kim, fell to her death at the Cuckmere Haven chalk cliff after jumping for a photo before stumbling and falling back off the edge. Coroner Alan Craze recorded a death by misadventure. Commenters on the post were quick to share their concern for those photographed. One wrote: 'Locals should know. Visitors shouldn't just roll the dice.' Another added: 'It's one thing being an adult and doing that. Quite another asking your small child - who doesn't know the risk of death - to lean over the edge of a cliff.' It's not the first issue locals have had with tourists this year, after the National Trust previously banned coaches from visiting the nearby Birling Gap beauty spot, just east of Seven Sisters. The organisation introduced a ban on coaches to reduce the 'tsunami of tourists' and limit damage to the natural environment. Up to 600,000 visitors a year flock to the stretch of the legendary Seven Sisters chalk cliffs - with non-stop sightseeing tours wrecking the grassland, paths and verges. The ban is said to be the first of its kind that the Trust has imposed on one of its attractions - and follows an earlier council warning against straying too close to the cliff edge. Images taken in April showed tourists balanced precariously on the very edge of the steep cliffs, including with small children, placing them at risk of tumbling onto the beach below. A National Trust spokesman said: 'At Birling Gap, we welcome over 600,000 visitors every year to this small rural clifftop location that is vulnerable to coastal erosion. 'We've seen a significant increase in coach visits in recent years, which the site is unable to cope with. 'We continue to welcome visitors by car, motorbike, minibus and bus service.' She added the move was not a Trust-wide policy and was made in response to a specific problem in Birling Gap and Seven Sisters. East Sussex County Council has previously issued a warning about straying too close to the cliff edge, as even more tourists flock to area amid warmer weather. A council spokesperson said: 'As the weather improves and visitor numbers to the area increase, the county council is reminding people of the risks the spectacular but unstable cliffs can pose, as well as the dangers to beach walkers who risk getting cut off by the tide.' They added: 'Each year thousands of tonnes of chalk fall from the cliffs and despite the dangers, visitors regularly stand too close to the edge of the cliffs, or walk or sit at the cliff base when on the beach.'


The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
The UK's first wine trail is as good as any in Napa Valley – here's how to visit
Watching the morning mist rise over the vine while enjoying a cup of tea, I could feel my breath stretch a little longer as my body released some of life's tension. I'd just woken up from a deeply peaceful night in a shepherd's hut located in the vineyards of Oxney Organic Estate. Oxney is one of seven award-winning vineyards that are part of the newly launched Rother Wine Triangle, which I'd been exploring the day before. I was brimming with the boundless energy of the passionate growers and owners who make up this newly formed wine route nestled in the Rother Valley region of East Sussex. Just a short drive from London (but also accessible by train and then via bike, taxi or foot), you might be struck first that you seldom actually see any vines. They're hidden, waiting to be discovered, within a landscape of deep, ancient country lanes, weaving their way through oak forests and fields divided with hawthorn and blackthorn dense hedgerows. The vineyards, including Charles Palmer, Mountfield Winery, Oastbrook, Oxney Organic Estate, Sedlescombe Organic and Tillingham, form a triangle between the towns of Hastings, Rye and Flimwell. Bordeaux may have their chateaux, but in England we are blessed with elegant country estates, of which Mountfield Court, the home to Mountfield Winery is one. The approach to the handsome red-bricked 18th-century manor is via an impressive avenue of welcoming sweet chestnuts. The tasting room is located alongside the house, inside an old sympathetically renovated stable block. If the weather's fine, you can taste sparkling wines overlooking the wooded parkland with beautiful, extensive views. It's a short hop to Oastbrook Estate Vineyards, where owners America and Nick are a powerhouse of energy and vinous passion. Within moments of my arrival, America put me to work driving a small tractor to do some 'mowing'. Don't worry, she assured me that guests generally sit back, relax and enjoy a glass of one of their outstanding wines from the terrace overlooking their home vineyard plot. I'm still daydreaming about their chardonnay with its concentrated notes of white peaches, soft vanilla and hints of hazelnuts. If you want to extend your stay, there are glamping tents available, and 'Vineyard Hollow', a perfect hobbit-hole hideaway in East Sussex-shire. My next stop was Seddlescombe Organic Vineyard, situated just outside the picturesque village of the same name. The tasting room is a tastefully converted brick and crittle glass space with a small terrace outside, tucked away off the main road. Large replantings are underway on this organic and biodynamic estate, so I'm excited to revisit to taste again. In the meantime, you can enjoy, as I did, a freshly prepared platter of charcuterie, local cheeses, quiche and salads alongside a glass of one of their wines – the Pet Nat, a natural, hazy, unfiltered wine bursting with tart apples and lemon sherbert, went down particularly well in the sunshine. Charles Palmer Vineyards has to be one of the most beautiful sites for a vineyard anywhere in the UK and beyond. The sweeping drive up to the family-run estate takes you through the 13th-century 'New Gate', one of the historic gates to the Cinque Port of Winchelsea, now just an evocative ruin, but quite the entrance nonetheless. I couldn't decide whether to taste their decadent and polished wines under the old walnut tree overlooking the vineyards or on the terrace in front of Wickham Manor, a National Trust-owned 16th-century Manor House, of which the Palmer family are the current custodians (you can even stay in one of the wings). It's breathtaking, both in the quality of the wine and the setting, and I lost myself in the views across the marshland to the English Channel beyond. Close by is perhaps the most established and famous of the 'triangle' vineyards, Tillingham. Set in over 28 hectares of farmland, it comprises vineyards, fruit trees and ancient woodland dating back to the 13th century. You can taste and learn more about their progressive (traditional) techniques, including ageing wines in clay qvevri, while enjoying the great hospitality in their airy restaurant overlooking the vineyard, or staying overnight in one of their rooms. The low-lying Rother Valley, in the heart of 1066 country, has a unique microclimate that makes it perfect for growing vines. It has some of the highest sunshine hours of anywhere in the UK, and combined with its terroir of alluvial soils and sand, silt, clay and sandstone ridges, it has all the characteristics necessary for producing exceptional, world-class still and sparkling wines, which are often compared to those from Champagne. I've visited countless wine regions around the world, from the Californian glamour of Napa to the simple cellar door in rural Italy and everything in between. But nothing feels as exciting as the wine scene here in the UK. In 2023 alone, over 1.5 million people from home and abroad visited a British vineyard, up 55 per cent from the previous year – and this figure is only set to grow. There are now over 300 cellar doors open to the public in the UK, offering a range of experiences including wine tastings, tours, and a variety of places to stay and eat, from a simple retreat to elevated luxury. And, while it's certainly glamorous to tour the world's greatest wine regions, from Italy to Champagne and the Napa Valley, it's a lot cheaper to explore the incredible wines and wine regions we have right here in the UK. Rosamund Hall was a guest of Oxney Organic and Sussex Winelands. Find out more about tours and tastings and the Rother Wine Triangle on their website. How to get there: Trains depart from London terminals to Hastings and Rye, and you can organise onward local taxis from there. Even if you're the designated driver, all the tasting rooms have spittoons, so no one misses out on the tasting experience. Where to stay Oxney Organic offers a range of cottages and shepherd's huts set amongst the vines. Shepherd's huts at Oxney Organic Estate are available from £320 per night for two people. Book now Luxury glamping tents at Oastbrook Estate Vineyards start from £190 per night for two people including a breakfast 'bakers' box. 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BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Seven Sisters walkers warned to avoid wading across River Cuckmere
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