Human sundial sculpture on seafront

At a fortuitously sunny early-morning ceremony West Parade's human sundial was inaugurated by Town Mayor Cllr Peter Fairhurst on Tuesday.

All the sundial requires is a figure to stand on the appropriate month for their shadow to show the time.

Passers-by have puzzled for months at the strange construction next to the Rotary wishing well. First an oval base was laid. Then radiating arms were laid on its circumference.

It was not until plates indicating the months of the year and the hours of the day were laid that all became clear.

The sundial is the gift of the Rotary Clubs of Bexhill and Senlac and was built by Hastings College students under instructor Darren Pooley, as Senlac spokesman and Rother member Cllr Stuart Earl explained.

"Brian Griffiths from Rother community services discovered an example somewhere else and thought the idea suitable for Bexhill.

"We wanted to do something from the two Rotary clubs to mark the Queen's Jubilee Year. Unfortunately, because we used volunteer manpower from Hastings College we have had to fit in with their curriculum and then we had some bad weather when work could not be done."

The project has cost 3,000 with the Rotary clubs each contributing 750 and donations coming from Old Town Preservation Society, Rother's seafront sculpture trail fund and Bexhill's Charter Trustees with Rother additionally contributing officer time.

The Town Mayor has himself contributed to the Sculpture Trail project, his tubular evocation of the 1902 Bexhill Motor Trials-winning Serpollet steam car is on De La Warr Parade.

He said: "I am delighted to see that this has happened and that the seafront is beginning to show signs of coming to life. It is also good to see young people involved in the designs."

Pictured: Hastings College students join members of the Rotary Clubs of Bexhill and Senlac on the sundial with the Town Mayor flanked by Bexhill club president Harold Lawrence and Senlac counterpart Rob Farrow.