ORIENTAL SPLENDOUR BY THE BRITISH SEASIDE! and other Brighton, United Kingdom Things to Do Tips

There aren't many people who can claim to have a royal palace on their doorstep but the residents of Brighton and Hove can do just that. But curiously even something as outrageously splendid and madly misplaced as the Royal Pavilion can be overlooked by those who are most familiar with it. Having walked through it, past it and around it for decades - yes, I am that old a resident! - you tend to take it's beauty and existence for granted. Rather along the lines of..."I know this really great place for coffee. Oh, that? Um, it's only the Royal Pavilion. Let's get some cake!" But then there are days when the sunlight catches it just so, or when it's illuminated at night and you simply beam with pride.

Built between 1815 and 1822 as a seaside residence for the rakish Prince Regent (who eventually became King George IV) it's Indian and Chinese influences are apparent throughout. if you want interior design sensory overload then some of the rooms here are an excellent place to start. Queen Victoria did actually sleep here but in keeping with her Victorian values she didn't care for the place and was happy to sell it to local councillors who bought it for the town for the princely sum of £53000 in 1850. Needless to say, £53000 will get you considerably less than a palace in today's Brighton!

I suppose I could get a quick plug in here and tell you that I once filmed a short piece on the Royal Pavilion for BBC Television...but perhaps not. No, suffice to say that you simply can't visit the town without taking a peek at the Pavilion. The internal decorations are quite as dazzling as the exterior - if you want to see a dragon holding a chandelier than I respectfully suggest that you need go no further.

Adult entry £8.50
Open Daily
October to March 10.00am-5.15pm (last tickets at 4.30pm)
April to September 9.30am-5.45pm (last tickets at 5.00pm)
Closed from 2.30pm on 24 December and all day on 25 & 26 December

*** The Royal Pavilion will be closed on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 July 2008 due to a national strike ***

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Phone: 01273 290900
Address: The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, East Sussex. BN1 1EE
Other Contact: visitor.services@brighton-hove.g

Brighton Pier (formerly the Palace Pier) is a splendid Victorian structure much beloved by visitors to the few British seaside resorts that still have them. Originally built during the 1890's at a massive cost of £137,000 it provided the thrill of a stroll above the sea, boat trips from the landing stage at the it's seaward end, a theatre and even a trip on the electric tramway that ran sedately up the middle. As years went by the tramway disappeared, the theatre sedately toppled into sea (well, part of it anyway) and fish and chips, ghost trains, slot machines and fortune tellers took their place.

In my childhood you couldn't step foot on the pier without paying for the privilage but nowadays it's totally free to stroll on and off and the owners simply have faith that ample amounts of your loose change will lavished on fried doughnuts, candy floss, shooting galleries the Helter Skelter and other rides. It stays open until late evening, draws plenty of tourists and foreign students with a younger mix probably more evident as the day draws on. It's rather magical once lit up and is certainly worth strolling back for a snap as night falls.

Far be it from me to court controversy chaps but there has been a fair amount of local ill feeling in recent times due to the decision of the Palace Pier's owners to rename it 'Brighton Pier' after a century of Palacedom. Imaginative it isn't and doubtless it was to ensure that any tourists who asked to be directed to Brighton's Pier was would be sent there. Given that the one possible competing pier - the West Pier - has been a little more than a largely submerged bundle of metallic pic-a sticks for years now, it's no wonder we locals weren't impressed. Even so, you can't afford to miss it!

The Pier opens at 10.00am each day
(0900am from 21st July – 2nd September)

Monday - Friday

Palace of Fun 10.00am – 10.00pm
Victoria’s Bar 10.00am – 9.00pm
Horatio’s Bar Closed
Glitter Ball Bar
7.00pm – 10.00pm (Fri only)
Palm Court 11.30am – 5.00pm
Rides 11.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday and Sunday

Palace of Fun 10.00am – 11.00pm
Victoria’s Bar 10.00am – 9.00pm
Horatio’s Bar 12.00am – 11.00pm
Glitter Ball Bar 2.00pm – 11.00pm (Sat)
7.00pm – 11.00pm (Sun)
Palm Court 11.30am – 8.00pm
Rides 11.00am – 9.00pm

Times are subject to change dictated by weather conditions.

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Directions: Situated across from the Old Steine at the junction of Marine Parade and Grand Junction Road (A259).
If you arrive by train, head south from the station, go past the Clock Tower, and keep going until your feet get wet and then turn left.
Website: http://www.brightonpier.co.uk/indexflash.htm

Although seemingly small, and insignificant, the 125 year old Volks Electric Railway is rather important in the annals of history. Built by the Brighton born Magnus Volk (son of a German clockmaker) upon it's inaugural trip on On August 4th 1883 it became the world's very first public electric railway. Nowadays it ploughs a straight course that runs between it's station adjacent to Brighton Pier (Palace Pier) and opposite the Sea Life Centre (Brighton Aquarium) and it's 'end of line' Brighton Marina stop. There is a Half Way station at Peter Pan's playground. This isn't exactly one of the worlds great journeys -it does after all take up little more than 10 minutes or so of your time on a one-way trip - but it is jauntily refreshing and a great way to 'jet' (and I use that word very advisedly!) along the seafront on a warm Summer's day. If you like cushioned seats look elsewhere. If you want to experience a bit of history than you must take a trip!

The trains operate weekdays from 10am to 5pm, and until 6pm on weekends and bank holidays, in the summer. For 2008 the season commences on Friday 21 March and finishes on Sunday 14 September. Four trains run every hour between Black Rock and Brighton Pier. An adult return ticket is about £2.50. The 125th anniversary celebrations will take place on Sunday 3 August!

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Address: Marine Parade, Brighton
Directions: Stations are on the beach side adjacent to Brighton Pier (Palace Pier) and opposite the Sea Life Centre (Brighton Aquarium). At the end of the beach leading up to Brighton Marina. There is also a Half Way station at Peter Pan's playground.

Covering over 126 acres (some of the wet) the building of Brighton Marina began in 1971. it was always a contentious project with locals eho were quick to note that very few of them owned yachts or even inflatable dinghies. The project was originally pushed as an project certain to draw visitors, rich boat owners and money to the town and with the slow but certain decline in seaside tourism it seemed like a promising port in a storm. Residents were promised the prospect of free entry into the marina in the hope that the fun of looking at the boats would make up for the £50million cost and the loss of a stretch of beautiful rocky coastline. (Hmm. Am I sounding bitter here?) It opened as the largest marina complex in Europe in 1978 when HM The Queen cut a length of ribbon, seaweed or something similar. However soon afterwards the development of the site started faltering and ex boxing businessman George Walker bought into the project to 'save' it.

In came an Asda Superstore, 1500 space multistorey car park, shops, restaurants, tenpin bowling and lots of expensive flats... oh, and jolly local fishing trips too! They are all still there and growing as we speak but the general ambiance but isn't perhaps as upmarket as first envisaged. Had Marks and Spencer or Waitrose taken the supermarket concession things might have been different!

From Brighton town centre (North Street or Dykes Road) the No. ‘7’ bus runs approx every 15 minutes to the Marina Village.
Walk - or take the Volks Electric Railway - E. from Brighton Pier and keep going alongside the beach until you can go no further. The thing you bump into will be the marina!

PS Don't mention global warming to the Marina residents. Best not upset them eh?

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Address: Off the A259 going E. of Brighton town centre
Directions: Take the A259 going E. of Brighton town centre. Follow signposts to the Marina Village and don't be put off when you are pointed North away from the coast at one point!
Website: http://www.brightonmarina.co.uk/

First open to the public in 1871, Brighton Aquarium (now part of the Sealife Centre chain) can claim to be the world's oldest working aquarium. Designed and built by the wonderfully named architect Eugenius Birch, who was also responsible for the beautiful but now sadly defunct West Pier, the building cost a whopping £133,000 (equivalent to about £6 million today!). It had a largely prosperous life not only as an aquarium but also as a venue for music and other performances. Attractions also included a conservatory, a reading room, restaurant and a conservatory with fernery, rockery and cascade and a roller-skating rink on the roof terrace! Financial difficulties eventually led to it's purchase by Brighton Corporation in 1901 and as the years passed other changes were to follow.

One of the most notable was the opening of a Dolphinarium in 1969 complete with special viewing auditorium and dolphin shows. These were a major attraction for many years until public concern for the environment and captive species started to lead to questions as to whether such 'entertainments' should even exist. Thus it waved goodbye to the dolphins and closed in 1991 control passing from the local council to the current owners the Sealife Centre group.

Open; Daily from 10am. Closed Christmas Day.
Adult: £12.99
Child: £8.99 (3-14 yrs)
Student with NUS: £10.99
Concession: £10.99
Family (2 adults & 2 children): £38.95

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Phone: 01273 604234
Address: Marine Parade, Brighton. BN2 1TB
Directions: Head for the seafront area by the Brighton (sic Palace) Pier
Website: http://www.sealifeeurope.com/local/index.php?loc=brighton

Still looking spruce after it's £10 million refurbishment Brighton Museum and Art Gallery has an interesting assortment of exhibits, ranging from a wonderful Dali sofa based on Mae West's lips to tribal ethnic art, paintings, historical costumes and local history galleries. It is also the base for the Brighton History Centre where you can access all the local genealogical records as well as many other national birth marriage and deaths records via microfiche. Like so many museums nowadays it can lay claim to a rather nice café selling sandwiches, soups , salads, cakes and other delights and a small but perfectly formed trendy shop. Definitely worth a visit as it is absolutely free. (some special exhibitions might apply an entry fee)

Opening Times
Tuesday: 10am-7pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 2-5pm
Closed Mondays, except public holidays 10am-5pm

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Phone: 01273 292882
Address: Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton. BN1 1EE
Website: http://www.brighton.virtualmuseum.info/
Other Contact: visitor.services@brighton-hove.g

Whenever one visits a new destination the civilized traveller should always endeavor to sample the local delicacies. Therefore I am delighted to present a particular local delicacy that, in all honesty, is anything but delicate. Brighton Rock!

Brighton Rock can - as the name suggests - only be found in Brighton. Traditionally it is stick of peppermint flavoured hard 'candy' that is coloured pink on the outside and white in the middle. It is notable for having the name of the resort in which you purchase it running the length of the entire stick. As a result, whenever you bite off a chunk the name will still be visible at the top of the remaining piece (see photo 2). Rock is a traditional sweet found at all British seaside resorts, and all will look the same and largely taste the same - the only difference being the actual name picked out in red through the white peppermint. Thus you can also buy Blackpool Rock (the most famous of all and featured in a George Formby comic song), Yarmouth Rock, Scarborough Rock etc. There are other flavours and shapes available but the pink peppermint stick is the traditional one. Available widely in pretty well all shops lining the seafront area (Photo 3 and 4) and in quite a few newsagents too.

PS This is nothing to do with Edinburgh Rock! That is also a sweet but a totally different animal!!

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There comes a point when certain old terms and descriptions don't really do things justice. I feel very strongly about graffiti for example. Within the confines of your own house, your own living room, your own personal space what you choose to display as 'art' is your business. However I don't like public areas defaced by tags/scrawl which I didn't choose to see, and worse still creating damage which cannot easily be removed. But there are artists whose work can enhance the areas in which we live and as long as they have the approval of those living in and around the area where their work is sited then I have no problem with it. This transcends graffiti and is, through it's sheer quality, street art.

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Address: St George's Mews and Robert Street, Brighton

When the naturists were given their own area of Brighton beach in April 1980 there was all sorts of kerfuffle. It was played for all it was worth by those reflecting upon Brighton's age old saucy reputation but by and large locals were intrigued rather than fully supportive and most were interested to see what would happen. There was some significant opposition though and some local councillors were not at all keen - although it was indeed the brainchild of a 47 year old topless bathing councillor Eileen Jakes. On the opposing side Councillor John Blackman, called the whole idea a "flagrant exhibition of mammary glands". He went on... "I personally have got no objection to people showing their breasts and bosoms and general genitalia to one another. Jolly good luck to them but for heaven's sake they should go somewhere more private. What distresses me is that people naively believe what is good for the Continent is good for Britain." The vote supporting the establishment of the beach was eventually won but not without a fight.

I can't say I've ever felt like subjecting anyone to my naked body, particularly as I have seen it too many times myself. But the beach is still going strong and I did manage to take a quick snap of the sign when all was deserted. I like VT but I am not going to risk getting myself arrested for loitering with intent! That's as much detail as you'll get!!

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Address: Brighton Beach, east of the pier
Directions: Lying to the east of Brighton Pier it is more than halfway towards the Marina end of the beach, past Peter Pan's playground. Look for the signs and lack of clothing. Don't go into the Naturist area unless you're prepared to strip off like everybody else!

First open to the public on Saturday, June 27th 1807, the Theatre Royal is Brighton's principal professional theatre venue. If you want to take in a play or a show then this is where you should look first as it plays host to many good touring productions as well as tranfers from London's West End. It goes without saying that the Theatre Royal, like so many similar establishments, lays claim to its own ghost. This is none other than Ellen Elizabeth Nye Chart the wife of a celebrated Victorian actor manager who carried on running the place following his demise. Her death in 1892 left the theatre with it's very own benign guardian spirit, otherwise known as the Grey Lady. Not perhaps the most original of ghostly names but one can't help thinking that the spiritual world is dealing with a rather limited colour range. An orange ghost would have been more eyecatching but really wouldn't have matched any of the interior decoration.

I've spent many happy hours here watching plays serious and comic, opera, ballet, musicals and of course their own annual pantomime production which runs for several weeks over the Christmas period- you name it, they've had it! On one notable evening I was sitting in the Royal Circle awaiting the arrival of the Mayor and his party who were guests at a special performance. His sudden appearance at the top of the Circle was greeted by hundreds of turning heads which then witnessed an unfortunate stumble and a cascade of chocolate Maltesers bouncing down the stairs from an unfortunately open box. It was all rather delightful to behold. A torrent of bouncing chocolate balls making their way eagerly to the front row...

Tickets for performances can be booked in person at the theatre or by using the theatre group booking number below - but do note that there will be a booking fee involved if you order tickets using it. Th website link should take you to a listing of current and future shows.

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Phone: 08700 606 650 (booking fee)
Address: New Road, Brighton. BN1 1SD
Website: http://www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyal/