My first visit to Eastbourne was in 1935, riding a BSA 250 motorbike with my wife riding pillion.

Riding up Beachy Head was like going up Everest. It was wonderful and we both loved it.

We had bed and breakfast at a house in Seaside. The new bandstand had recently opened and in the evenings the prom was crowded. We both loved it so much we came again and again until Hitler messed it all up.

I remember August 1939. We knew it would be a long time before we could visit again and I was out of petrol and money.

I had just opened a bank account in Colchester, so I went to the branch in Seaside to draw some cash. After some checking, they allowed me £2 from my £10 account. Petrol was 11 pence a gallon.

After the war, we returned, now by car. We stayed in Havelock Road with Mr and Mrs Wright.

She was a real Sussex lady and her husband, dear old Bill, looked after the loo near the fort and kept it spotless. We came many times and planned one day to come and live in Eastbourne.

In 1993, my wife died. I was devastated but, at the end of May, I took a day trip to see if I could visit without her.

I did the usual walk from the pier to Hollywell. I felt Win was there and she was asking me to book a holiday. I could not find anything for singles.

Over tea at the Old Bakery, I mentioned it to the proprietor and he gave me the address of The Iverna Hotel.

In the 11 years since, I have stayed at the Iverna 40 times. David and Sandra are family to me now and, when I came to live in Eastbourne recently, they made the upheaval of moving painless and still help me a great deal.

So although it took until my 92nd year, I did at last come to live in the place we both loved.

-Les Beagen, Eastbourne