Disappointed there will be no Carpet Gardens in Eastbourne this summer

We were very surprised and disappointed to read in the recent Eastbourne Herald that Eastbourne Borough Council’s suppliers will not be able to provide plants for Eastbourne’s Famous Carpet Garden floral displays this summer because of the effects of Covid-19.

Willingdon Parish Council has a contractor, John Hesse of Southern Land Services, who supplies our excellent flower troughs every summer, as well as keeping our Gorringe Valley Road Cemetery in tip top condition.

He and his team have been continuing to care for our cemetery throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, at all times of course observing the social distancing rules.

As far as our flower troughs are concerned, early on our parish office staff confirmed that John Hesse would be able, as usual to provide our flower troughs and as anyone who drives through Willingdon will have seen, they are now there in all their glory. It is one thing that in these difficult times brings a smile to residents’ faces.

Surely Eastbourne Borough Council could have had measures (and the funding put by) to make sure that their contractors could, as usual have provided what has always been a magnificent display along our seafront – especially following the sad news that some of our hotels may have to close.

Now that people are able to get out more, how disappointing, especially for those without gardens, that there will be no beautiful Carpet Garden displays to brighten up people’s lives.