07/08/2026
Today has been incredibly disheartening.😔
A number of us independent business owners came together to take part in a photo shoot and video with one simple aim: to encourage people to support local businesses and celebrate Bexhill.
We gave our time freely because we genuinely care about this town.
We love Bexhill, we believe in its future, and every day we work hard to keep our high street alive—not just for ourselves, but for our whole community.
What we didn't expect was the overwhelming negativity that followed.
Instead of discussing the message, many comments quickly turned to parking charges, empty shops and everything that is wrong with the town. While those issues are real, they are not ones that independent businesses have the power to solve. We are simply doing our best with the resources we have.
It is difficult to keep giving your time, energy and passion when every positive effort is met with criticism. It leaves many of us wondering, "What's the point?"🤷
The reality is that independent businesses are the ones opening their doors every morning, investing in Bexhill, creating welcoming spaces, supporting local artists, makers and charities, employing local people, and encouraging others to visit the town.
We are not asking for sympathy. We are simply asking for perspective.
If we want Bexhill to thrive, we need to start celebrating the people who are actively trying to make that happen, rather than discouraging them.🙏
Negativity doesn't revive a high street. Support does.
To everyone who continues to shop locally, recommends independent businesses and offers words of encouragement—thank you. You make more of a difference than you probably realise.
Let's build Bexhill up, not wear down the very people who are fighting to keep it alive.
Two images of me and my works on the Footbridge Gallery.
