Brighton, once the quintessential English seaside town, is all grown up. Words: LYNETTE EYB
Brighton seven years ago was a bohemian oasis in England. I'd not long
arrived in the UK, and I'd left London for the day for a wander along
the famous pebbly beaches of the English seaside. What I found was not
so much an impressive beach - though Brighton Pier was a wonderful
introduction to air hockey-by-the-sea - but a city moving beyond its
synonymous seaside past. Yes there were great fish and chip shops,
ice-cream vendors pottered the seafront and the selection of tacky
souvenirs on offer was second to none, but what sits in the mind most
was found inland, in the city itself.
In the lanes and alleys
away from the water, another side of Brighton thrived. Market stalls
and silver jewellery shops were dotted one after the other, and incense
drifted from doorways. The cafés and bars were all interesting and
unique, and I didn't recognise a single one of their names.
Today, tourism authorities here boast that Brighton and neighbouring Hove have more restaurants per head of population than anywhere else in England. I'm not sure what percentage of those are Pizza Expresses and Café Rouges - every major chain is now here - but a thriving independent market has somehow managed to survive this corporate onslaught. The lanes and alleys are still bustling, though some of the shopfronts are a little more polished than I remember.
The Lanes area - Meeting Place Lane is a good place to start - is still home to a series of twisting alleyways known as the cultural quarter. The shops here are as diverse as the people who run them; silver jewellery, interior design, stores that have grown from backyard businesses into nice little money-spinners. It's bustling and proudly bohemian.
From Meeting House Lane, cross North Street and follow Bond and Garnder streets north through the theatre district, full of cafés, juice bars, record shops and more weird and wonderful fashion. Here, fish and chip shops sit comfortably alongside 'vegetarian shoe shops' and imported leather.
Examples of this sort of disparity are at play the city over, with the Royal Pavilion perhaps the best. Despite being at odds with the very thought of the seaside, this symbol of 19th century Royal decadence has become as important to the city (and almost as famous) as the historic pier down the road.
People started flocking to this part of Sussex after Dr Richard Russell arrived in 1750 and declared the seawater to be a cure for poor health. Queen Victoria may have famously decided that she didn't like Brighton, subsequently selling the Royal Pavilion to the town, but it didn't deter the masses. The sun and, yes, the pebbles, saw Brighton grow into one of England's premier holiday resorts, and the pride of the south coast.
Brighton's heyday as the quintessential English seaside escape may have passed - Majorca and the Costa Brava these days proving much more exotic draws - but it still attracts eight million visitors each year. Brighton may have moved on and noticeably grown up over the past seven years, but it's retained the charm it's always had; it's still got a twinkle in its eye and a surprise around every corner. •
GOOD EXCUSES TO VISIT
Sussex Beer Festival
March 8-10
Beer, beer and more beer at the Hove Town Hall.
Brighton Festival
May 5-27
England's largest arts festival runs concurrently with the Brighton Fringe Festival.
Great Escape
May 17-19
Sample new bands and club nights from around the world.
World Sand Sculpture Festival
June-September
There's more to Brighton than pebbles during this festival.
Kite Festival
July 7-8
Kites galore invade the skies.
Summer Pride
July 28-August 5
Brighton's large gay population will be out more colourful than ever.
Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival
September
A celebration of culinary creativity.
Brighton Live
September
Get in tune with live local music.