Inside the Life & DIY Home of an Illustrator Who Left London for the Seaside

Sign up for Milanote for free with no time limit: https://milanote.com/nts9 After years of living and working in bustling London, longing for a change of pace, illustrator Jay Cover moved to the seaside town of Hastings, UK. Raised on the Isle of Man, Jay has always felt a connection to the coast, and in Hastings he's found a welcoming creative community that has shaped his work and the way he lives. From his thoughtful, and DIY,-renovated Victorian house and illustration studio to his favourite neighbourhood café, local artists' workshops and community pubs, Jay introduces us to the people and places that make this town special. Reflecting along the way, on the importance of making things by hand, finding inspiration through everyday encounters and building a life around creativity, friendship and community. My City, My Backyard explores the places people return to, and the stories that make a city their own. Places we visited this episode: Stooge Coffee   / stoogecoffee   The Waves   / thewavesbookshop   Project Art Works   / projectartworks   London Centre for Book Arts   / londonbookarts   The Corner at Tate Modern   / tatecornerbar   The Crown   / thecrownhastings   Featuring: Jay Cover   / jay__cover   Creative Director: Colin Chee Executive Producer: James McPherson Executive Producer: Nelson Khoury Executive Producer: Luke Clark Series Producer: Luke Clark Head of Production: Lindsay Barnard Producer: Jordan Barrett Co-Producer: Olive Bilic Director: Rhys Graham Director of Photography: Sam Kostevc Fixer / B Cam: Tim Gibson Editor: Jaime Snyder Colourist: Jaime Snyder Music: Artlist.io A Soaring Swan Sister by Ardie Son Autumn Pizzicato by Veaceslav Draganov Minimal Truth by Xavi Morató Alkaline Bedtime Story by Phil David Bluebell by Woolfson Glimpse by Jamie Wright Polaroids by Willow McKenna & Santa Susana Rainbow City by Aves Endless Fields by Ian Post Songbirds by Warmkeys Dream Loop by Ariel Shalom Lighter Than Air by Yestalgia Flight of the Inner Bird by Yehezkel Raz Streets by Curtis Cole Principal production funding from ‪@ScreenAustralia‬, in association with VicScreen. Financed with the assistance of Scout Production Finance. With support from ‪@T2tea‬ © 2026 Never Too Small Pty Ltd