Goodbye to Costa Geriatrica? Regeneration, placemaking and the future of Bexhill-on-Sea

Description

Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex has gained fame as a seaside town with a sizeable retirement community. The 2021 Census confirmed the town’s status as home to an ageing population, with a median average of 54, and many over 80s and centenarians. Bexhill is a jewel in the Costa Geriatrica [the geriatric coast], a string of urban settlements from East Anglia to the south coast of England impacted by the growth of retirees in search of a tranquil coastal existence. The in-migration of those approaching or entering retirement has had profound impacts on these communities and especially on Bexhill-on-Sea, but it is not the whole story and important changes are underway to shift perceptions of the town. This lecture takes an historical perspective and highlights important periods in the evolution of Bexhill-on-Sea through distinct phases of development: (1) an entrepreneurial phase of constructing a luxury seaside resort to cater for the upper middle-classes, (2) post-war transition to a retirement community centred on nursing and convalescent homes and bungalows, (3) regeneration and revitalisation of the town through culture and destination marketing in the new millennium. Dr Gilchrist’s lecture will reveal a bewildering array of attempts to shape new meanings of place and will give insight into the agents leading contemporary placemaking initiatives, drawn from music, comedy, heritage, the arts and festival sectors.

Period	19 Mar 2025
Degree of Recognition	Local