Eastbourne

I'd forgotten just how beautiful our South Coast resorts can be. Eastbourne at 8.00 am was simply sparkling.

Joggers, roller-bladders, assorted dogs with their people, and young and lithe yoga devotees greeting the morning - not quite the image of this very traditional retirement heaven.

The hotel is very traditional. Fawlty Towers was harsh. It has an antique charm. I went in early for breakfast, having failed to negotiate how you can actually use the outdoor pool (that's for tomorrow). The waiter didn't want me to sit where I fancied. There were only six people in their enormous dining room. Eventually, I promised him I'd be out long before the rush so he relented. "It's been like this for years," he said. Well, yes :-)