Bexhill's year of celebration is under way

While the full calendar of events will have a local focus, town mayor Cllr Joanne Gadd believes this is the perfect opportunity to attract visitors from far afield.

She says that while the centenary year will be very much a celebration of the last 100 years since the granting of Bexhill s charter, the dawn of the town s next century will be marked by the many positive things being undertaken in and around the town.

"The progression of the Making Bexhill Better campaign, the awaited news of the outcome of the bid for substantial funding for the De La Warr Pavilion and the ongoing work on the whole regeneration of this area, will all hopefully take a most positive turn in 2002 - this most important year in the history of Bexhill."

Bexhill s aspirations are symbolised by a new logo.

The coming year marks the centenary of the granting of Bexhill s Charter of Incorporation as a Borough, the 1902 Bexhill Motor Trials - the first international motor sport event in Britain - the opening of the Bexhill West to Crowhurst branch railway, the new Bexhill station on the rival Victoria line and the founding of Bexhill Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

A steering committee chaired by the mayor has already drawn up a draft calendar of events, starting with a De La Warr Pavilion concert by the Lucknow Band of the Prince of Wales Regiment in aid of the Mayor s Appeal Fund on January 30.

Special Centenary Year events also include "beating the bounds" of the former borough - an 18-mile undertaking organised by the town s Charter Trustees.

Bexhill Museum volunteers have been working for months to plan a special centenary year exhibition.

Other events include a veteran cycle rally - the Trials were held over Earl De La Warr s private cycle track - organised by Rotarians, Old Town Preservation Society s family day launch for the newly-refurbished Barrack Hall Park and a special hospital garden party to mark the golden jubilee of the League of Friends of Bexhill Hospital.