Brighton is nicely within range for going to gigs (like Oxford). By "range" I mean one can still get a train back to London and get home after the gig. But also being a bit further to go encourages me to make a day of it. So this Friday I had a day in Brighton. I intend there to be more!
Inauspicious start - fog in London
But blue skies by the time I reached Brighton
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| Jubilee Clock Tower, built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1888 |
The burnt out shell of the old West Pier. It will clearly never be reconstructed. I remember the fire - only 2003.
As you can see lovely blue skies and no tourists on the beach. It was a perfectly nice day but you would be a brave soul to go for a dip. Also its a very pebbly beach
The existing pier, the Brighton Palace Pier, which opened in 1899. Didn't enter this time. Not really my thing
The Royal Albion Hotel. Once a top hotel attracting visitors like Oscar Wilde and William Gladstone, when Brighton was a stylish holiday destination.
The Lace House below, pleasant but unremarkable edifice, apart from the tiny little black blob you see half way up the edge of the left side of the building...
..which is a metal cat! The sort of thing you would never spot if someone (my guide book) didn't point it out.
The Royal York Hotel was another once-fashionable hotel - fine looking place but now a youth hostel. As you can see, once frequented by royalty. My favourite quote about King William was to show his sobriety (compared to George IV) - "never drinking above a pint of sherry before dinner". Those were the days.
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| Nice Georgian townhouses |
These are Old Steine Gardens - a nice stretch of greenery reached by risking life and limb crossing the traffic that encircles them.
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| Victoria Fountain |
The beautiful if simple 18th century Marlborough House. Rightly grade 1 listed
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| Old tram shelter, now rather down at heel cafe |
Steine House, now used by the YMCA but originally built for George IV's mistress
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| This was built as the fashionable Castle Inn in the 18th century. Now closed down building society |
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| Hannington department store - another ex-department store of course. From a time when every major town had a big department store. |
The Indian Gate to Brighton Pavilion, only completed in 1921
The Pavilion. More on this later as I decided to visit the interior shortly before it closed, hoping to enjoy the best of the sunshine outdoors first.
The North Gate, built in 1832 so rather older than the Indian Gate to the south
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| George IV |
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Former county court
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Brighton Dome, a sort of combined museum and music venue. I have visited both in the past, and hopefully will find another reason to see an act in the Dome. Great venue
Most blue plaques mark someone's birthplace. This one mark's Abba's birth as international pop stars
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| Former gas showroom, now restaurant |
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| Old Coronation Cinema |
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| Former Citizens Permanent (clearly not so permanent😀) |
Building Society building from 1930s, most notable for art deco stone reliefs above the windows
King & Queen pub. 18th century pub but with 1930s Tudor exterior added
Mazda fountain in Victoria Gardens
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| One Church |
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Fine Georgian terrace - St George's Place. Strictly speaking built in reign of William IV, but feel the style is still Georgian
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St Peters Church, artfully photographed by yours truly. Much of it covered in scaffolding
Entrance to a park called the Level. Not very photogenic inside
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| The late Victorian Municipal Technical College |
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| Richmond Terrace |
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| Phoenix Brewery |
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| The 1930s neo-Georgian former Richmond Hotel & Bar |
Houses along the Grand Parade. Splendidly grand but with very busy road in front of them. Otherwise would be very appealing residences overlooking Victoria Gardens. Also fine example of attractive high density housing - these are five storey buildings. Modern architects take note.
Less attractive along the parade is the 1960s University of Brighton building
And now back to the Royal Pavilion, George IV's eclectic fantasy palace in Indo-Saracen style. Basically give a playboy lots of money and this is what you get. Marvellous, unique palace/holiday home. Just don't look at the bills.
Queen Victoria sold it to the local council, but took away most of the contents. The shell was used for lots of things before a major restoration and now becoming a museum and major tourist attraction. While pricy entrance fee, the ticket allows re-entry for a year so I certainly intend to take advantage of that.
A little boy asked his mother if this was the restaurant!
The detailing is extraordinary. This took a lot of craftsmanship to produce
Even the kitchens are impressive
S that was the end of my afternoon's activities - now to the gig. An oddly sited little venue, Daltons, right on the beach.
Forgotten name of the openers above, but really liked the second support act - Artaca. Proper guitar band - did a good cover of Coldplay's Adventure of a Lifetime. Have seen them since, also as a support act. Would like to see them do a full hour set.
Then to the act that I had come to see, again, Entitled Sons. Charlie eschewing his trademark black leather jacket for a pink one in support of breast cancer, the boys' mother (and bass player's wife) TV presenter Sarah Beeney famously having recovered from it
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