Eastbourne Woman Condemned for 'Romantic' Sea Littering
Lorraine Forbes, a 58-year-old woman from East Sussex, has been sending messages in bottles into the sea for years. Her goal was to find love through this unique method. However, her latest attempt led to an unexpected and unwelcome response.
Each bottle contains a letter written by Lorraine, which she throws into the water off the coast of East Sussex. Some of these bottles have traveled as far as Holland and France, but most end up on nearby beaches. Although some people have responded to her messages, none have led to romantic connections. Recently, Lorraine received a box filled with rocks, which included one of her bottles and a message she had written on the back of a John Lydon gig flyer. Alongside it was an angry note from a litter picker.
The note read: “Please stop throwing rubbish in the sea. It goes to Pevensey Bay or Normans Bay, one day later. Many thanks, a rubbish picker.” The cost of receiving the box was £7, which Lorraine found particularly unpleasant.
Lorraine, who lives in Eastbourne, explained that her intention was always to spark a connection. She said she has been sending letters for years, but most people who reply only tell her where they found the bottles. “I just wanted a bit of romance,” she said. “It has always been a hobby of mine. It is an old-fashioned thing.”
She described the person who sent the box as a “cowardly litter picker” who tried to make a point and teach her a lesson. Lorraine noted that the sender did not reveal their name, so she will never know who sent the box. “If they had, I would demand that they give me my £7 back,” she added.
Lorraine usually throws the bottles off Eastbourne pier in bulk, using plastic bottles instead of glass ones to prevent them from shattering. However, she admitted that she has been told off in the past for the potential impact her littering could have on wildlife.
She said that although the litter picker’s method was cruel, it served as a wake-up call. “Environmental health officials might find the bottles with my address on them and take action,” she said. Lorraine also mentioned that Eastbourne Harbour has previously warned her about throwing bottles into the water and has tried to stop her.
“I probably won’t keep doing it. This has made me realize that environmental health could find my letters with my name and address and I might get in legal trouble,” she added.
In September, a British boy who threw a ‘message in a bottle’ into the sea at South Shields, Tyne and Wear, received a reply that it had floated 4,200 miles to St Lucia in the Caribbean.
Lorraine's story highlights the fine line between creativity and responsibility. While her approach to finding love is unconventional, it also raises important questions about environmental impact and personal accountability. Her experience serves as a reminder that even well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences.
