An online Etsy shop is to open to promote Pevensey Bay
The team working on the shop say that they aim to develop a promotional tool to residents and visitors that will become a new feature in the profile of the unique and quirky character of Pevensey Bay.
Their goal is to establish “a wider visitor base”.
They say, “the essence of Pevensey Bay is the individual character, spirit and strength of the location and people” and that “people who live here know that this is the secret”.
“Pevensey Bay demonstrates unique features in this small coastal location, the place has been called the hidden jewel in the crown of Sussex, what we want to do is capture something of that spirit in the online shop”.
“Of course we know that the seascape sunsets here can be sublime, but many of the features of life here are both interesting and noteworthy with regard to the spirit of the place.
“The Guardian newspaper said in 2015 in their ‘Let’s Move to” section (18 September) the seafront at Pevensey Bay might not be Malibu, but it is splendidly eccentric, with Edwardian town houses cheek-by-jowl with shacks and the 1930s-50s bungalow estate of Beachlands.”
The team say, “Pevensey Bay has been home to artists, poets, writers, composers, illustrators and crafts people for at least three, possibly five generations and there is no surprise to see that these ingredients are still here today, there is a marked local arts scene, for example”.
“There is also a rich mix of comedy writers and performers who were regular visitors to the Bay, particularly in the fifties. Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan were here, episodes of the Goon Show are scattered with references to Pevensey Bay.
“We now know Tony Hancock stayed in the Bay Hotel, and a famous early situation comedy script, written by Larry Stephens for Hancock, who went on to write parts of Goon Show, references key elements of life here.
“There is a Martello Tower and a shingle beach, in the script, even a past owner of a hotel in the scene is given the name Mr. Pevensey all that sounds familiar. The name of the location in the script, Churdley Bay, also sounds familiar.
“The spirit of Pevensey Bay is part Goon Show, part Donald McGill saucy postcard, part Carry On film and part Passport to Pevensey Bay in the spirit of the 1948 comedy Passport to Pimlico,
“The place is truly in the spirit of small English seaside locations for all the right reasons.
“We believe that the essence of Pevensey Bay can be identified and sold to visitors, what we are aiming to do is reach a new visitor destination audience, as well as offering products that will be of interest to residents.
“What appears to be the case is that no-one has yet thought to bottle the spirit of Pevensey Bay in the Digital Age. Our new online Etsy shop is part of that process.
“Etsy has been chosen because the shop is for anything from creative people everywhere, and that in our view, most certainly, should include Pevensey Bay.
“As well as being the Digital Age, this is the age of Localism and some aspects of small seaside places are being re-cast in ways that benefit both residents and visitors.
“In some cases small coastal locations are beginning to re-cast themselves, we are aiming to tap into some of the resources available that help local projects of this kind to launch.
“The flair and independent creative spirit of Pevensey Bay has always been here since the start. You can see these features in the history, arts, and architecture of the locality.
Roads are named are famous pre-Raphaelite figures here. Beachlands, we now know, was planned to be an entire modernism town’.
“There is some magic to some of these ingredients.
“The place is a premier example of a hidden jewel in the crown of Sussex. Maybe this is the time to promote what we have here to a wider audience.
The team says they have chosen Etsy to promote the online shop because they are inspired by the work of local people like Jo Collins with her online enterprise “On The Tides”, which feathers driftwood miniatures of buildings in the Bay.
The team says they are also inspired by the quality of art and photography in the Bay, and crafts people working in a variety of mediums.
“We see the online shop as being another step in the right direction in terms of the call to see economic regeneration here back on the agenda.”
“The potential to re-cast Pevensey Bay in the distinct shape of the 200 year history with products that are truly representative of the spirit of the place is a challenge, but we believe that we have the tools to make this happen.
Initially the online Etsy shop will promote a series of products including premium notelets, postcards, and greetings cards.
The team is keen to found a strapline to accompany the launch of the online shop, something they hope will be as English as a Pevensey Bay stick of rock.
One of the possible themes they are working with is the phrase, Sweet home Anderida, which they say ‘has a certain nice memorable rock and roll ring about the phrase”, adding “that one might stick”.
The Etsy shop launches to the public online on Saturday 25 August 2018.
Already postcards and greetings cards are being trailed to focus groups that include both residents and part seasonal visitors to the Bay, such as mobile home owners.
