UKC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25604696

In reply to tlm:

Dramatic! Pity the vid stopped before the resulting tsunami reached the gawpers.

In reply to tlm:

It's amazing how there's always someone filming at the right time to catch these sort of things...

In reply to tehmarks:

In this case it's likely that they were there to film the stormy seas and noticed rockfall or maybe an earlier slip of the face and decided to film.

In the rockfall in Cornwall (2011?) that was reported, it was a local geologist doing the filming and he'd been monitoring the cliff face as a crack was beginning to appear behind the cliff edge. Quite possibly he'd got five days of filming nothing as well.

In general things like this don't "just happen" there are signs in the hours and days leading up to the actual event.

In reply to tlm:

I was watching the seas at exactly this spot a couple of months ago, taking photos of surfers whipping a long a yard off the sea wall. Years ago when living in Rye I eyed up this bit of cliff for climbing, it went no further though as the rock is both vertical and very soft sandstone. Between bands of rock their are softer bands of grey clay. Some people have climbed here but it is most definitely an acquired taste. Someone did a very long traverse, several miles, IIRC.

On the subject of filming the event, if it had happened when I was there it would have been a simple matter to switch from still shots to film mode... The whole bit of coast from Hastings to Pett Level is quite wild, worth a visit for someone based in London. It's called Firehills because of the splendid scenery when the gorse is in flower.

In reply to tehmarks:


Yes, it's funny how we never seem to see videos of things people weren't able to film...

In reply to Bruce Hooker:


There is a saying: "When the gorse is in blossom, it's kissing time!"

The gorse blossoms all year around!

In reply to Rog Wilko:


Wish I'd been one of those gawpers!

In reply to tlm:

At Firehills it doesn't seem to, sometimes it's all yellow, sometimes it isn't. When in blossom there's a very strong sweet smell in the air. All the cliff tops have been set aside as a public park so there are always quite a few picnickers around and who know what they get up to in the quiet nooks

In reply to tlm:

Looks like routes here get reset more often then at some indoor centres...

In reply to JanBella:

I don't think many people climb here nowadays, at least I've never seen anyone. This little event won't increase traffic either! Funnily they are just finishing a big hotel like building just left of where the video was taken, right close under the same cliff, a few hundred yards from the rock fall... I wouldn't spend the night there myself.

In reply to tehmarks:


If you look at some of the other films you will see that there had already been some precursory collapses here on that day, at least one is equally dramatic, so I suspect word had got out that things were happening hence several people with cameras at the ready.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are not more collapses as the overlying band at the top is very unstable and there are big cracks in the adjoining cliff faces.

I shall be in Hastings Old Town this afternoon and will have another look

In reply to Trangia:

That's the biggest collapse for a little while, but that whole stretch to Pett has changed a ridiculous amount over the years that I've been around. My mum used to play on the firehills as a child and it was a whole different place then! I love the old photos of the area and I remember being sad as a kid when we'd go for a walk and find a new section gone. Sad but also kind of fascinated. It is a lovely country park though, well worth a visit for the walking. And Bruce you're right, the gorse smells amazing! Co: