Press Release
Treasure discovered in 50 places across Sussex!
To:Newsdesk – The Argus
From: Kevin Newman – All-Inclusive History
Date: 13/3/17
50 Gemscan be found all across Sussex, but a metal detector or spade won’t be necessary according to a local author. That’s because 50 Gems Of Sussex is the latest in Amberley Publishing’s series of books, which takes the reader on a tour of the county’s most spectacular andappealing points of interest.
Brighton-born author, tour guide, historian and teacher Kevin Newman has managed to discover where Ghostbusters Bill Murray turned up for some spirits, where people used to put their cock-in-the pot, why Parson Brady’s hole often got lit up and why the US flag flies over a part of this quintessentially English south coast county. Readers get to discover where Queen Mary ended up in a farmyard, where the French paid for a castle built to keep them out of Sussex and why Hitler refused to bomb an Eastbourne hotel. They learn about a fortress deliberately built with a massive hole in it, the group of immigrants Nigel Farage comes from and how Jane Austen once lived in Pizza Express.
Amberley chose Kevin to write 50 Gems as his Sussex-based company, All-Inclusive History, takes people on motorised tours across Sussex, whether about the history of the Seagulls, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Hillaire Belloc, Churchill or Jane Austen. He takes visitors on ‘Fizztory’ wine, history and walking tours and ‘Hops and Heritage’ tours of the county’s sites and its breweries. His walking tours have been attended by Sotheby’s students, members of the Labour and Lib Dems who visited Brighton party conferences, numerous local businesses and even Radio 4! As a GCSE textbook author, Kevin also was also used to writing about historic sites as he advises schools on their study of them for GCSE, so writing about his favourite Sussex sites was a pleasure says Kevin.
“My parents always made sure my brother and I explored the county’s beaches, villages, back roads and visitor spots from an early age,” he explains, “So being asked to write 50 Gems was a gift! I love showing off our unique county that I’ve written about for the Argus. It was great trying to find some new places I didn’t know so that even the oldest Sussex resident has somewhere new and exciting to discover. I never knew Sussex had a delightful waterfall near Storrington for example until I went exploring the Downs with my sons over the last few years. I’ve also mentioned hidden churches and chapels, ancient hotels, haunted houses, forgotten villages, terrifying tunnels, booming new breweries as well as scenic sites we all know and love.”
March is a great time to release 50 Gems, explains Philip Dean of Amberley Publishing, “Kevin’s book is timed to be dipped into for ideas for days out, exploring, walks and picnics just as the weather is (hopefully) warming up and making us all want to get out and about!”
Kevin’s book is his fourth from Amberley, after Brilliant Brighton, Lewes Pubs and Secret Brighton. He is writing next a visitors’ guide to Sussex’s different sites to visit from different periods of time aiming to get people out and about exploring the county he loves and now he too, in turn, gets his children out and about exploring. “I want everyone to get lost!” says Kevin, “Not in a rude sense! I mean that we should all try and get out and walk down some paths we’ve not explored before, trample over an unfamiliar bit of the Downs, Weald or beaches or drive up some roads you never have before. Getting lost in Sussex always leads to something being found – in my explorations, this led to me finding a WWII tank up on Kithurst Hill, riddled with bulletholes still from the 1940s.”
One other unexpected discovery came out of Kevin’s research too. In researching the 5-star Claremont Hotel in Second Avenue in Hove, Kevin wasn’t able to include the hotel in the book in time, but the staff shared letters with him written by a previous inhabitant with a most unusual background. James Bernard Clifton was an 11-year old boy who started up his own school in the house that is now the Claremont Hotel, and telling this unique story of his school (which is still going today), is Kevin’s next task. “It’s a wonderful story,” says Kevin, excitedly, “In these days of Ofsted, constant testing in schools and endless pressure for children, here’s a dream every child (and adult) can connect with – what would your own school be like if you set it up for yourself and your friends? It’s the ultimate Free School, years before the Government’s current initiative.” The true-life story, complete with one-legged Hollywood movie idol swimming teachers, ball-stealing dogs, drunken headmasters and Beef Every Day But No Latin. The last bit has inspired the name of the book and it would never have come about had Kevin not started researching 50 Gems. Anyone who would like to come to the official launch of 50 Gems, pick up a signed copy and to hear more about James Bernard Clifton can attend the book’s launch on the evening of March 31st at 8pm at the Claremont Hotel, 2nd Avenue, Hove. For further details, please contact Coralie or Vicki at the Claremont on 01273 735161 or email
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