|
From Reporter Issue 83
BRIGHTON BESIDE THE SEASIDE (ENGLISH STYLE)...
Whether you're a Brit or some other kind of Riviera expat, a short
break across the Channel is one of the easiest travel projects to
arrange. Currently there are over a dozen flights to the U.K. out of
Nice every day of the week. But it's discouraging to learn that so many
travellers stay in and around London. The capital's okay if it's your
kind of town (it's certainly not mine) but there's much else to see in
England within easy reach of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.
Last time I wrote about Manchester which is now linked to
Nice-Riviera by a daily flight. And then there's Brighton. Within 3
hours of making your Travel Value purchases in Terminal One you could
be striding along the seafront there, inhaling that characteristic
odour of ozone, seaweed and Channel shellfish which is nothing like the
seaside smells of our own region. CityFlyer Express will take you to
Gatwick - flights are at X and every day - and then it's just 30
minutes by train to Brighton.
As so often there is a widespread image of the town (currently
bidding for city status) which is outdated, drawing on ancient jokes
about "dirty weekends", recollections of old-style holidays (paddling,
whelks,  mystery coach tours) and, occasionally, something more sinister
- one of my Irish uncles emigrated to Sussex and, on return visits to
Cappoquin, would talk darkly about Brighton race course and its "razor
gangs", whatever they were. But that's all history. For anyone from
here, whatever their origin, a short break in Brighton would offer a
view of England rather different from that available amid the
shove-and-push of London.
I was back there the other day and found that everybody I met -
authentic locals, adoptive residents and visitors - loved the place.
Like Manchester, it's been livened up by two demographic injections: of
students and of gays. It's now full of bars, clubs and restaurants and
has an enticing range of speciality shops. I came across the Cat shop -
hundreds of items with feline motifs - and A lot of Gaul which sells
Frenchy things, including some you wouldn't find easily in Nice.
Brighton has, famously, one architectural feature that's unique.
George IV's Royal Pavilion, completed in 1832, is an enormous palace,
Indian outside, Chinese inside. Of course, it's desperately vulgar (I
could imagine Fergie living there) but it's one of those rare buildings
which once seen is never forgotten. And then there's the Palace Pier,
also desperately vulgar, where you can step back in time and sample one
of those old-style holidays with fish and chips, fortune tellers,
dodgems and even - still in these days of rolling porn - What the
Butler Saw. There's much else to see and do, of course. An attractive
option could be Sunday lunch in one of the villages on the downs behind
Brighton although your neighbour at the bar is more likely to be a
television director or a dot.comer than a local yokelŠ
And where to stay? For me there's no doubt: at the Old Ship Hotel,
bang on the seafront. The original inn was opened in 1551 and the Tudor
cellars still remain. The Old Ship has played a big part in Brighton's
history. In 1651 Nicholas Tattersall helped Charles II escape to France
and used his pay-off to purchase and enlarge the inn. It's always been
a venue for celebs - Dickens read there, Paganini played. And there's a
ghost, too - though friendly, I was told. Recently the Old Ship has had
a £2.5 million face-lift and so can offer the lot: location, tradition
and state-of-the-art comfort.
© Patrick Middleton
 |
Travel 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form