Subverting the ‘sleepy Eastbourne’ myth: 24 portraits show another side to our town

A photographer took on a challenge to take 24 portraits in 24 hours, and tell the untold story of Eastbourne.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Jul 2019, 11:05 BST
Shoe, the Dewdrop Inn. Photo by Phil Burrowes of Avant CommercialShoe, the Dewdrop Inn. Photo by Phil Burrowes of Avant Commercial
Shoe, the Dewdrop Inn. Photo by Phil Burrowes of Avant Commercial

The project, called the #LongestDayEastbourne, saw Phil Burrowes embark on a photography marathon. It was inspired by the Longest Day project by photographer Tom Oldham, but instead of East London, Phil wanted to explore his hometown. So that is what he did on Friday, July 19 – starting at 9am and finishing on 9am on Saturday, July 20. He said, “I wanted people to get a glimpse into a world they wouldn’t normally see, to find out interesting stories about amazing people within their own community. I think many people living in and around Eastbourne are pretty unaware of the constant activity within the town. It was by far, one of the hardest shoots I have had to do. Hopefully I am doing a little something to subvert the misconception of Eastbourne being a sleepy, seaside town – instead, it being an up-and-coming area with huge potential, whilst retaining some of the charm for which it’s famous.” The final images from the project can be seen on Phil’s website here