Visit Newsletter August 2021

Newhaven Festival: Bar at the Bandstand
Saturday, 31 July
Newhaven Fort
11.30am - 8pm, £6
Newhaven Festival are holding their second Bar at the Bandstand this year - an open air celebration of Sussex gin, fizz, beer and wine with food and live music. Arts marketplace, food and drinks to take home. Get your tickets HERE

Proms in the Paddock
Saturday, 7th August
The Paddock, The Avenue, Lewes
£5 - £12
3pm - 10pm
Proms in the Paddock returns this summer to the beautiful surroundings of the Paddock, and is open to all ages.
There'll be live music from The Lewes Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band, The Boogie Band and The Tar Babies plus you’ll also be able to enjoy BBQ, cake stalls, a bar and plenty of attractions to keep the kids busy including a tombola, sideshows and a sweet shop, as well as a large open space for running around in! Gates open at 3pm.
To find out more and book tickets, visit www.promsinthepaddock.co.uk

The Spirit Of Woodstock, Grange Gardens
Friday, 27 August,
Southover Grange Gardens, Lewes
3pm or 7pm
Something Underground Theatre Company is bringing its play, The Spirit Of Woodstock, inspired by the 1969 festival and the wider counterculture movement, to Grange Gardens on August 27. Visit the website to book.

Summer Lightning
Sunday, 1st August
Con Club, Lewes
7:00 pm - 10:30 pm, £7
This summer, The Lewes Ripple will be mounting a series of concerts at the Con Club.
These will take place every Sunday evening in August and will feature a mix of established local performers alongside fresh talent discovered on the Ripple YouTube channel over the last year.
To find out more and to book for the next show, visit The Ripple's website

Hilltop Sessions 
Thursday, 12th August
Royal Oak, Lewes
Join Hilltop Sessions for live music every first Thursday of the month upstairs at the Royal Oak in Lewes. Next up are singer songwriters Hayley Ross and Maia Eden.
For more information and to book, visit the website

Audioways - a new QR audio trail across the district 
Audioways is a new, free QR audio trail across Lewes district. They've just launched their first set of signs telling eclectic, local stories - from Lewes ghosts and wartime pig adoption to the fascinating stories of the chalk and flint which surround us. These easy to access audio recordings begins in Lewes town with codes at five train stations along the Brighton to Eastbourne line to be added soon. Look out for the signs, and scan QR code with your smartphone to listen. To find out more, visit the Audioways website or follow @audioways on social media.

The Sidings, Newhaven
Open now
The Sidings Bistro captures the best of Newhaven. Managed by local entrepreneurs with a heart for Newhaven, riverside views, great local produce and easy to get to. 
The Sidings Bistro full menu is available from 8am to 5pm; and between 5pm and 8pm you can enjoy cheeseboards and Turkish Mezze. The bar is open from 11.30 am to 8 pm.
Find out more here.

Full Harvest
Seven acclaimed writers and poets have teamed up for Full Harvest – a series of thought-provoking audio stories and poems inspired by the South Downs National Park’s landscape and available as free podcasts via all major listening platforms. 
It comes after the wordsmiths have spent the past few months exploring the scenic river valleys and engaging with the community on local stories, anecdotes and reflections about the landscape. 
For more information, visit www.southdowns.gov.uk and www.applause.org.uk

Antigone at Lewes Castle
1st August, Lewes Castle, 7.45pm
A dynamic new adaptation of the Ancient Greek play will be performed at Lewes Castle this weekend. Antigone is set in the future, and infuses Ancient Greek theatrical techniques with live music and singing throughout, audience interaction and a comedic Greek chorus commentating on the action. A thoroughly dramatic, thought-provoking whirlwind of theatrical entertainment! Book now.

Julius Caesar at Lewes Castle
Sat 21 and Sun 22 Aug, 7pm
Also showing in August at Lewes Castle is Shakespeare’s classic tale of coups, plots, murder and mayhem in ancient Rome. Styled after Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and directed by the award-winning director of the company, and creator of The Treason Show, Mark Brailsford. 
Buy tickets

September

September promises to be a busy time in the District. Here’s a preview, and we’ll be back with more information next month.

Tide Mills Heritage Celebration Week
20th - 26th September 2021
Enjoy Tide Mills' Heritage Celebration Week with creative installations produced by artists, schools and community groups, plus live performances running from 20th - 26th September.
Attendance and participation is free for all.
Visit Tide Mills website for full details. 

Artwave Returns
11 - 26 September

Running since 1993, Artwave is the annual festival of artists and makers from Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and the surrounding villages. 

The event gives art lovers the chance to discover new work, meet artists and makers, and buy directly from them. Follow the trails and enjoy the diverse range of work on show including jewellery, painting, sculpture, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, metalwork and photography.
Support your local artists and makers, whilst exploring our district. For more information visit the website.

Heritage Open Days
10th -19th September 2021

Heritage Open Days is an annual celebration of history and culture across the country, giving visitors free access to usually hidden places and new experiences. For the first time, Visit Lewes has put together a programme of Heritage Open Days across our wonderful coast and countryside, taking in Newhaven, Seaford and rural locations, offering a new twist on some familiar places, and a chance to explore the less well known.

 Keep an eye on our website and www.heritageopendays.org.uk from 1st August for information on all our venues, several of which are also taking part in Artwave. Our leaflets will be available in from Lewes & Seaford Tourist Information Centres towards the end of August.

Heritage Open Days in Lewes itself is being organised by the Friends of Lewes, and also takes in some fascinating buildings across the town. You can pick up their leaflet from the Tourist Information Centres too, or find everything on offer locally by searching “East Sussex” on the Heritage Open Days website.

Meizi Tobin, Basketball Player
A typical day for Meizi begins being woken by birdsong in her garden, beside the beautiful South Downs. 

“During the day, I’ll often take a stroll into town, and grab a cup of coffee and a piece of cake from my favourite bakery, Flint Owl; where I used to work.”

“I’ve lived in Lewes for most of my life. My parents adopted me from China and they brought me here with my sister and family. The mesmerising scenery of the South Downs makes Lewes such a special place to live - it’s beautiful and real. I love popping into the unique independent shops and playing basketball at our freshly remade basketball court… And of course I can’t forget Lewes Castle - I would definitely recommend a visit if you haven’t been.”

And if all that activity gives you an appetite? “Food-wise, I would definitely recommend booking a table at Bills in Lewes Town. It’s the first ever Bills to open and Bill himself pops in there now and then to say hello”.

What makes Meizi happy? “I am happiest doing what I love the most which is playing basketball and enjoying the sunshine and nature!”