From Lewes to Lewes
When the citizens of Lewes, Delaware want to know what’s happening in their community, they read the Cape Gazette.
Now, citizens of Lewes, England will get a snapshot of life on our side of the pond, thanks to a collaboration with Sussex Bylines, a website run by a dedicated group of volunteer citizen journalists who report on news and events in Southeast England.
Cape Gazette reporter Bill Shull, who covers Lewes, will be submitting articles about once a month profiling news and events that make our Cape Region community unique.
Shull’s first article appeared on the website March 16. It provided a welcome to Lewes, USA, an overview of the First Town in the First State.
The article gave people a look at issues local citizens face, like development and climate change. Come to find out, many of the issues are the same in Lewes, England.
Lewes is located in East Sussex, south of London. It is not far from Seaford, another coastal town.
The big beach resort of Brighton is about 30 minutes south of Lewes on the English Channel.
Lewes, England’s population is about six times as big as Lewes, Delaware’s.
There are many connections between the two Leweses.
Warren Golde, the founder of Lewes in Bloom, was inspired by the gardens in Lewes, England while he was there on vacation in 2002. He brought the idea back here and started the organization that now boasts 21 gardens and more than 400 volunteers.
We can also thank Lewes, England for Thomas Paine, the American Revolutionary who, some say, helped craft the Declaration of Independence.
We have the Cannonball House, named for the cannonball from the British bombardment of April 6-7, 1813, that is still embedded in its foundation.
Our Lewes has the Rose & Crown. Theirs has the Elephant & Castle. That Lewes also has a real castle.
Both cities have roundabouts.
While Shull has not been to Lewes, he has visited England seven times. He has even driven in the UK and negotiated roundabouts to the left (without incident).
For more on life in Lewes, England, visit sussexbylines.co.uk.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
