East to East

June 07, 2022

Two months ago today I moved home from a small, coastal town in East Devon, in the southwest of England, to Eastbourne, a vibrant, seaside town in East Sussex, in the southeast. The move was prompted by love, having met my partner on Bumble the year before. Together with my flock of three hens and two cats, I set off on a 5 hour drive, skirting the south coast of England and across country, with my design studio and belongings following two weeks later. I've only just surfaced.

Dust, dirt and the sound of drills has become a big part of our lives as our house renovation project got underway, pretty much from the moment we landed. We have a long way to go, but our Victorian villa is being transformed day by day and my design studio is working at full speed ahead.

Julia and Andrew in Eastbourne home

BiBi, my younger cat, took refuge in the garage, and at times I wished I could join him. But with back-to-back design commissions for months on end, I was tied to my drawing board but soon settled in to create lots of lovely art, providing sanctuary amongst the (dust) storm. Only our cheeky hens wanted what we had. Here's Jennifer checking out the cat flap.

Jennifer the hen of Julia Gash

Time out has been spent discovering my new surroundings. The stunning South Downs has become my new, stomping ground. Yoga by the (pebbly ... urgh!) beach and a dip in the sea is now part of my weekend and walking along the prom is exercise for my legs and rest for my eyes.

Julia Gash at Beachy Head

It's also lovely to have the opportunity to visit clients with whom I have collaborated on created projects and first on my list was The Star Inn in quintessentially English Alfriston ... with a perfect Sunday lunch.

The Star Inn by Julia Gash

It's always fascinating for me to visit places that I have previously drawn and I have plenty to do in the southeast, with Brighton, Petworth, Bluebell Railway and Hever Castle on my list for this summer.