13 Things You’ll Only Get If You Grew Up In Sussex
- New friends will look at you with a mix of bewilderment and fear when you tell them about your hometown customs. Yet, even when people repeat it back, you still don’t see what sounds crazy about it.For example, Jack in the Green: “So you’re telling me everyone dresses in green, covers themselves in leaves and gets drunk in the Old Town?” Yes, but you left out the Morris Dancing in the streets.
Or: “People march through the streets carrying burning torches, which they use to set fire to a huge effigy on the beach.” Yes, and that’s how we do Bonfire Night in Sussex, bitches! FYI, you haven’t done bonfire night until you’ve done it Sussex-style. An amazing procession, followed by incredible fireworks. Well worth the trip. - Seagulls run the town. They are the apex predator, the top of the food chain. You will stop your car to let them cross the road, and yes, you sure as hell will give them your sandwich should they desire it for their lunch.
Actual CCTV footage* - People always assume you spent your days swanning around on a fabulous beach, basically in manner of The O.C (or, y’know, a more current reference). Except that you didn’t. The beaches are pebble, the smell of fish and chips and sound of the nearby amusement arcade fill the air. But you wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Except on the odd occasion when you fancy a bit of sand, so head to Camber. Where it is always guaranteed to be windy as hell, ensuring sand in your picnic/eyes/underwear within seconds.
- You feel a strange sense of pride when you bring your other half to Hastings for the first time and he spots the cricketer’s ball in Priory Meadow within seconds. This one’s a keeper, for sure.
- On that note, no-one will understand why you’re so sad that the famous cricketer statue is now gone. Where will you arrange to meet your friends in town now?!
- Talking about P.E lessons, aside from bringing up the usual borrowed kit flashbacks and rope climbing nightmares, leads to yet more bewilderment. Stoolball?! A strange but wonderful hybrid mix of cricket and baseball, and yet none of your friends outside of Sussex will have ever heard of it.
- To this day you can’t work out whether amusement arcades are delightfully quaint, or hideously tacky. Either way you will still spend many a drunken evening in them, dominating the air hockey tables and cleaning up on the 2p machines, for sure.
- The enjoyment you derive from correcting everyone you meet about the Battle of Hastings. “Ah, but you know, it didn’t actually take place in Hastings, it happened in” *dramatic pause* “…Battle!” Cue everyone’s minds being blown.
- Yet you still have to suppress an eye-roll when you tell someone you’re from anywhere near Hastings and they start reciting their year 9 History lessons.
- Chortling every time you drive past the sign near Chichester that prohibits all racing by “horse drawn vehicles.”
- This frustrating conversation. “I’m from East Sussex.” “Oh, Essex?” “No, East Sussex”. “But that’s Essex right?” *Speaking slow and deliberately* “Eeeeast Susssssex. Different place.” (That being said, they should totally make ‘The Only Way is East Sussex.’)
- The pride you felt when you heard about the men who stole a swan pedalo and attempted to sail to France in it. Not all heroes wear capes people.
Only in Sussex…*Just kidding. Probably.
Geek Magnifique
Mental health and lifestyle blogger. Originally from Sussex, now living in sunny Bournemouth. Always up for a good chat.
10 Comments
emzcraftycreations
These are all sooo true xD making me miss my small little village in East Sussex, currently studying at university in the north and the arguments I’ve had with them about how anything above London is north to me and they insist they are the midlands xD
Geek Magnifique
Aaw, thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it! XD Haha, totally agree, anything north of London is the north, that’s just how it works, no? 😉 Thanks for reading! xx
Jim Breeds
I posted this on my Hastings Facebook page. It went down quite well 🙂 At the time of writing, 186 Likes, 196 shares, a bunch of appreciative comments and it has been viewed by over 27,000 people. I thought you’d like to know. Now, where did I put my winkle …?
https://www.facebook.com/HAPP1066/posts/352216478235574
Geek Magnifique
Hi Jim,
Thank you so much! My goodness, I’m overwhelmed by how popular it’s been! 🙂
Gotta have your winkle on you at all times, you’ll be kicked out of the club for that… 😉
Chris
The cricketer is back at The priory
Jenny Keep
Also somebody told me “somewhen” is an actual sussex phrase? WTF – two different words – some and when! lol
Geek Magnifique
Haha, I have never heard that before! Is that another way of saying ‘at some point’?
Fran
Somewhen Is the Sussex version of sometime. Very commonly used in this part of the world !!!
Geek Magnifique
Haha, I’ve never heard it! You learn something every day!! 🙂
Jo Barton
All true apart from point 6 needs an update as a our beloved cricketer statue is back in pride of place.
We are still waiting for our memorial clock and Prince Albert statue to return someday though.