Blue plaque in Eastbourne.

The location of the English Heritage Blue Plaque dedicated to the legendary author Charles Dickens, who made several visits to Eastbourne during his life to Pilgrims, 4 - 6 Borough Lane, Eastbourne.

The author visited during the 1830's as a guest of the Victorian artist Augustus Egg, who rented the house.

Dickens also visited Seaford, where I live, in 1850:

One historic problem was longshore drift that, in the mid-19th century, threatened to render Seaford Bay too shallow for navigation. One rather bold solution was to blow up part of the towering chalk cliff at Seaford Head thereby creating a bank to divert the current. Tons of explosives were deployed, an estimated crowd of 10,000 gathered – including Charles Dickens – and at 3pm on 19 September 1850 a huge explosion shook the ground and a vast bank of chalk tumbled into the sea. Despite initial optimism, it soon became apparent that the chalk was powder rather than boulders and it all washed away within a couple of weeks.

The extra - a bit of colour in Gildredge Park.