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Welcome to Emma and David’s house !
We are a family from Hastings in East Sussex and welcome you to stay in our home. Hastings is a historic seaside town on the south coast of England, about an hour from Brighton and 90 minutes from London. We live next to a beautiful park and are a short walk from Hastings town centre and less than a mile from the sea. We enjoy living by the seaside, shopping, exploring historic towns, heritage sites and gardens, visiting museums and galleries and walking in the countryside. In the summer we like visiting the beach and swimming in the sea. At home, we like cooking, reading, watching films and sharing our house with friends and guests.
Emma has a degree in History from Oxford University and was formerly a school teacher. Since leaving school-based teaching, she has taught English as a second language. David’s background is working in the theatre and he now runs an antique shop. We have two adult children who are both at university. We are English and try to speak only English at home with guests to help your immersion in the language (although we speak a little French and are of course happy to help out where needed). We use trains, cars or buses to get around or walk locally.
We take safety very seriously and will be with guests under 18 all of the time (except for any activities agreed in advance with parents). We will communicate with parents on What's App and will send regular updates on your child's trip.
We have one guest room with a small double bed (120cm wide).
We normally host one guest at a time. However, we are willing to host a couple and would offer a 50% discount for the second person).
We can arrange for work experience at a local gift shop / cafe.
Daily language tuition and all local tours and activities are included FREE with us. The only extras to pay are airport pick up and drop off and any trips to London or further away or optional excursions or activities.
We normally start the day around 8.30am with a breakfast of cereal, toast, fruit and yoghurt. From 9am to 11am Emma offers one-to-one language tuition. This can be tailored to your interests and preference but will typically include one hour of more intensive table-based tuition, including written and spoken exercises. We will then practice using what you have learned in a more informal situation, such as shopping, cooking, going for a walk or visiting a local cafe. On any days that a full-day excursion is planned, language tuition can be designed to form part of the day out - for example buying a train ticket or using vocabulary relating to travel or sightseeing. Lunch is served at home and is a lighter meal such as a sandwich, soup or a salad. If we are out for the day, we will take a packed lunch or have lunch at a local cafe (included).
We suggest using the afternoon as a time to explore and enjoy the local area with your hosts. It is lovely to take a walk along the seafront, down the pier or in the local countryside. The historic town of Hastings has many interesting shops, a museum and art gallery, 3 mini-golf courses, an aquarium, a cinema and theatre, beautiful parks and several swimming pools. We will also suggest a programme of afternoon visits to other nearby towns such as Rye, Bexhill, Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells. Full day excursions are possible to Brighton, with its shopping centre, pier, historic lanes and the beautiful Brighton Pavilion. We can also take you by train to London for the day. We used to live and work in London and can show you some of the most popular sights as well as different shopping districts and neighbourhoods around the city. If you wish, we can visit some of the National museums and art galleries in London (free admission) or arrange for tickets to see a show in the West End (please let us know what shows you are interested in advance so we can arrange tickets). We are also happy to arrange visits further away if you wish - just contact us to discuss this. These afternoon or full day trips will allow you to experience English culture and daily life. We will also provide further opportunities for you to practice your English language - through conversation with your host and support in different situations. Additional one-on-one tuition sessions with Emma can also be arranged during the afternoon.
You will have some time to relax back at home later in the afternoon before dinner.
In the evening, Emma and David will prepare a home-cooked meal with soft drinks (or wine for adults) which you will eat together. If you prefer, we can arrange to visit a local restaurant or even order a takeaway meal if you want to try one of the many English or international cuisines available locally.
The following elements are included in your home stay:
- accommodation in your own room with full access to the family bathroom
- 3 meals a day (breakfast, a light lunch and dinner with drinks)
- One hour of formal one-to-one language tuition per day (with notes to take home and practice)
- local visits to Hastings and surrounding areas by car (up to 40 miles, including Rye, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells and Brighton)
- entry to local attractions and activities in Hastings (mini-golf, swimming, cinema, funicular railway, museum and art gallery)
The following additional activities can be arranged at cost price:
- train tickets to London and other destinations further away
- entry tickets to other visitor attractions
- theatre tickets
- additional one-to-one language tuition sessions
- evening meals at a restaurant or from a takeaway
From 1190 € / week
+33 7 49 08 56 74