The Brighton Blog

The art lover can never claim to be neglected in Brighton! From the conventional at the city’s art gallery via the wealth of galleries representing old and new talent to the downright avant garde, it can all be found somewhere in the city.

Cinema as it Was
If you’re lover of cinema that’s from anywhere but Hollywood, The Duke of York Picture House provides a regular diet of art-house cinema. This cinema was one of the first in the world but caters for the modern cinema goer by providing comfy seats and a glass of wine and cake. It’s just the thing for a nostalgic, enjoyable night out at the flics as they should be. You can’t really miss the place if you look for the large pair of legs on the roof!

Brighton’s Art and History
Brighton Museum and Art gallery, the city’s main museum has recently had an extensive remodelling. You can find it in the Pavilion gardens, adjacent to the Royal Pavilion and it has good disabled access and comprehensive educational facilities in the educational pavilion. The recently-opened new galleries strengthen its focus on the lives of the local population but its collections overall reflect both local and national interest. The Theatre Royal is represented in a special exhibition - Stagestruck – which celebrates its 200-year history and this forms one of the local attractions in the museum. The display features photographs and prints, accompanied by costumes and props and a number of fascinating reconstructions of special effects which were used in the 19th century theatre.

The museum’s main galleries are: Fine Art, Fashion and Style, 20th-Century Art and Design, Mr Willet’s Popular Pottery, World Art and Discovery, Images of Brighton, Body and Performance. The museum is open year round but closed on Mondays (except public holidays.

Art of this Era: Contemporary Art
If it’s contemporary art which you’re into then this is available in Brighton at Ocontemporary, an exciting contemporary art space. Here, there’s an eclectic mix of tastes, which has ranged in the past from Andy Warhol to Tracy Emin. The main exhibition space is some 1200 sq ft and houses exhibitions which change on a 7-8-week cycle and feature the best of contemporary art. The displays cover original paintings and photography along with sculpture and limited-edition prints. This is a commercial venue and all the items on display are available for sale.

Art - Up Close and Personal
If you’d prefer to get close to your artists then there’s an opportunity to do so in the Bohemian Artist’s Corner. Located under some small Victorian arches on the seafront, this contains a fantastic collection of works of art and it’s displayed in a group of odd-shaped studios where there’s a chance to get a tea and a bun while wandering through the wonderland of art.

Ditchling Museum
Ditchling has a unique claim to fame as it was the setting of the village, which is nestles in the downs, and its tranquil, timeless rural lifestyle which drew many notable artists such as Ethel Mairet, Eric Gill, David Jones, and Edward Johnston to settle in the village. In Ditchling, which is situated just to the north of Brighton, near Hassocks, is the museum with its collection which illustrates both local life and the remarkable artistic activity which took place in the village in the early 20th century. The international recognition of these artists led to the village gaining a reputation as a centre for print, calligraphy, weaving and many other crafts. The museum itself occupies a converted Victorian school building and is crammed with artifacts, paintings and sculpture by its famous local residents as well as the more-mundane items which, nevertheless, reflect agriculture and domestic history from the local district. As well as the static display, there are lectures, workshops and guided walks which are organised by the museum. The Museum opens from early March until the middle of December from Tuesday-Saturday and Bank Holiday Mondays – from 10.30am-5.00pm on the weekdays and 2.00pm-5.00pm on Sundays. Free parking is available close by.
Plastic Arts: Model and Decorate Your own Clay/Ceramic Product
If you’ve got a special occasion and your guests are a bit creative or just if you want to enjoy a relaxing time with a few friends, you can arrange a hands-on session at hands-on Pottery. The workshop is housed in a garden studio and under the careful supervision of the owner, you’ll be able to get to grips with clay and its decoration and make yourself a gift to remember the day by or, if you’re confident enough, something for a unique present for a friend. If it’s the painting which draws you along then there’s a range of previously-made pottery and children’s pieces which are ready for you to decorate and take away.

The same courses can be run as corporate events for an organisation and foster team-building and social cohesion in a group as they learn to manipulate clay to create form or to mix and blend paint to decorate a previously-created object. These corporate courses are designed for stress busting and relaxation, imaginative thinking, and creative fun. Team cohesion is built as members work individually but all focus on tasks at the same level, watching each other and frequently offering advice and assistance.

Art Everywhere
Overall, there’s a couple of dozen galleries in Brighton and you’ll come across it all over the place. Many of the specialist museums feature the art associated with their interest and you’ll find pieces in the Toy and Model Museum and the Mechanical Memories Museum and the Fisheries Museum all of which contain some art works.

In addition, Brighton’s own university has its own gallery. This being located in Grand Parade and this is used to display student work and to put on special displays of contemporary art.

Inside Brighton for the Historian in You

Brighton has so many different histories to tell! So much is preserved in the city and there are so many museums that pretty-well all historical tastes can be catered for. You really don’t have to explore for historical Brighton things to do, they’re awaiting your visit.

Preston Manor: The Rich and their Servants
Preston Manor provides the visitor with a window into the life of an Edwardian house of the gentry which houses its strict demarcation between upstairs and downstairs. It was originally built around 1600, rebuilt in 1738 and then extended quite extensively in 1905. The contents of the house, together with the house itself, provide a fascinating, and unfortunately rare, opportunity to look at life during the early part of the twentieth century.

More than twenty rooms are open to visit, these spanning four floors of the building and including the servants’ quarters, butler’s pantry and kitchens which are ‘downstairs’ in the basement, all the way up to the nursery and attic bedrooms on the fourth floor. Outside the house is a walled garden and a pets’ cemetery. The house is open from April to the end of September but can be visited by special arrangement for groups at any time.

Armed to the Teeth in The Lanes
For the lover of militaria, a visit to The Lanes Armoury is a must with a difference. It’s housed in a three-storey 16th century building and is a treasure trove – it’s a museum but not a museum as everything is for sale. The Armoury has been nominated and then short-listed  for the British Antique & Collectors Awards as the best Antique Shop in Great Britain and is the latest incarnation of an older business – Hawkins – which was among the earliest and largest dealers in Antiques and Collectibles within Europe. It is their specialisation in Arms, Armour, Militaria, and Books which marks them out and makes it such a fascinating and fantastic place to visit. You’ll see bronze-age swords, suits of armour, guns, revolvers, duelling pistols, American Civil war swords through to medals, right through to World War II weapons, it’s all their to be viewed and drooled over. It’s not a museum but when you leave, you’ve had the same experience!

Brighton’s Historic Pubs
You’d expect to find historic pubs in an ancient town such as Brighton and the town will not let you down but delight you with its ancient alehouses. The Cricketers on Black Lion St. in The Lanes is reputably the oldest and occupies a site where there has been a hostelry present since 1547. Listed amongst its most-famous residents is one Jack the Ripper and the first person to set up as landlord, Derrick Carver was famously burnt at the stake just for holding inappropriate religious beliefs – not a good idea at the time! However, its main claim to fame is its immortalisation in Graham Green’s novel ‘Brighton Rock’. Another old hostelry, The King and Queen, in Marlborough Place can be found on the Old Steine, in a large historic building. Having a  more modern look and dating back just to the 1930’s is The Ladies Mile in Mackie Avenue (Patcham) and this still retains some of the original features from the thirties.

Be Guided Electronically
History really comes to life when you get the story from an expert while wandering around the evidence. You can make the stones tell their story now as you wander around either The Royal Pavilion area, Regency Brighton or The Laines when you take an MP3 tour. All you need to do is to rent the technology and then get walking. The guide will lead you on an exciting tour, filling you in on the sights as you go.

What the Victorians Did for Us
If ‘What the Victorians did for us’ excites you then you should take a trip on the Volks Electric Railway. This was one of the first electric passenger-carrying railways in the world – the first in Britain -  being created in 1883 by Magnus Volk and is the oldest one still in service. It takes you several miles along the seafront from Brighton Pier (The Palace Pier) to Black Rock. The railway works with a fleet of 10 cars (what the public calls ‘trains’) dating from 1883 to 1930 and carrying some 30-40 people. Their quaint and antique appearance makes travelling on the Volks a trip back into the past.

Have you tried Kipling?
Brighton has many famous sons, among them Rudyard Kipling whose celebrity status drew visitors to Rottingdean just to get a view of the man himself. He had moved there in 1897 to be near his aunt, living in The Elms, just off the Green. While living here, he wrote some of his most-famous stories, including many of the Just-so Stories, Kim and Stalky and Co. While there, he also wrote the poem ‘Sussex’ and the hymn Recessional. Becoming worn out by the attention, he moved in 1903 to Bateman’s in the then-remote village of Burwash in East Sussex where he died in 1936. He is remembered in the Village Museum in The Grange at Burwash and Bateman’s is open to the public during the summer. Preserved here are many mementos of the great man, along with his book-lined study. In the 1980’s, developers threatened to develop part of the large garden at The Elms but this was saved by the villagers who purchased it and handed it over to Brighton Council to manage as the The Kipling Garden in 1986. Another reconstruction of his study is to be found in The Grange in Rottingdean in the museum of the Rottingdean Preservation Society, this being open daily.

The Obscra in Foredown
Dating from 1909, at the Foredown Tower Countryside Centre, just a couple of miles to the west of Hove, is an Edwardian water tower which was built in 1909,  and has been carefully converted to house one of the south-east’s two working camera obscuras. The tower itself is very interesting architecturally and is located within the centre’s grounds. Here, there is a permanent display which covers science in general and astronomy in particular, as well as the environment and different educational initiatives are co-ordinated from the centre. As a plus – and it’s a big plus - the tower offers stunning views over the Downs and surrounding area.

Fishing for the Past
Being a seaside town it’s no surprise to find a Fishing Museum in Brighton which covers all aspects of the history of the trade – including the tasting! It’s located smack in the middle of town and forms a focus for Brighton’s fishing quarter. Within the museum is a reflection of sea-based activities spanning from the Regency period right up to the post-war boom in tourism and pleasure boats. The exhibition features a 27-foot beach boat, and contains photographs, prints and memorabilia from Brighton’s fishing industry. During the summer months and when the weather allows, the museum operates a twelve-seater passenger boat, aptly named The Skylark, providing short trips for visitors.

For more serious study, a computer archive is available and provides a wealth of information about the local industry and the people involved in this. Right next to the museum are a couple of shellfish stalls and a smoked fish shop, enabling you to actually taste the end product of this still-alive local industry.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
Brighton Museum and Art gallery is the city’s main museum and this has recently been extensively remodelled. It is located in the Pavilion gardens, adjacent to the Royal Pavilion and has good disabled access and an educational pavilion which houses comprehensive educational facilities. Its collections reflect both local and national interests and community involvement has enabled new galleries to reflect the lives of the local population. The principle galleries are: 20th century Art and Design, Mr Willet’s Popular pottery, Images of Brighton, fine Art, Fashion and style, Body, Performance, World Art and Discovery.

If there’s one thing which typifies the Brighton experience, it’s the Brighton public house. There’s not only lots of them but there’s a huge variety too. Some were obviously converted homes, some were places of worship while some of the most recent are large theme pubs which contain every electronic gizmo imaginable. To some extent, the setting tells you much about a pub and you can get some idea of what to expect from where it’s situated. However, if you take this as a hard-and-fast rule, be prepared for surprises. What you find when you walk through the door may be totally different from what you expected!
Just how you judge a pub is your thing but, somewhere in Brighton, you’ll find what you’re after. Perhaps, to be more precise, you’ll need to exclude what you’re not after! Take sports – does that big screen drag you in or does it set you running in the other direction? What about children? Do you really love them – but only on toast? And then there’s the Irish theme! Do you love or hate the fake Irish ambiance? With my mother – who did like a good pub – it was the toilets and, yes, Brighton does have some fierce privies in its pubs!
The Brighton public house has changed from its beer and a bag o’ nuts image towards that of an eating place which serves beer. Granted, some have progressed further down this path than others. This means that you can find everything from a frazzled burger to a gastronomic delight in a pub somewhere in Brighton.
The historic Brighton public house is also a part of the scene and the city and surrounding area can offer a number of watering holes which are steeped in history and have a rich historic ambiance. There’s the mock ones too but they’re not usually too hard to distinguish from the real McCoy.
Brighton, like many major UK cities has an active gay community and there are many pubs in which this community chooses to meet. These are generally in the Kemp Town area of the city but are not exclusively so but, wherever they are, they’re known for their friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Again following a trend while catching up with the past, many a Brighton public house offers a real ale which will set your taste buds ablaze.
The trend to diversity is seen in Brighton, as elsewhere and more than one Brighton public house could be said to aspire to being a Brighton Hotel and others to being night clubs – but what’s in a name?
So, whether its darts, pool or karaoke or the Premier League or live music or a bit of local colour you’re after, it’s possible to find it somewhere out there in a Brighton public house.

Irish Pubs in Brighton
The Brighton public house has adapted to the demands of its punters and some have gone down the Irish Pub route. In many cases, the Irishness is less than skin deep but others, some of which cater for Brighton’s Irish community are rather more authentic.
There is, of course, an O’Neills Irish pub in Brighton (London Rd.) and it manages to be as authentic as the rest of the chain – i.e. not very – but you can at least get a pint o’ Guiness there.

For a Brighton public house with real Irish music and Gaelic County Football and hurling on the big screen, there’s The Lectern, in Lewes Rd. and the Nevill while The Pond and The Plough offer a reasonable mix of Irish music and sport.
Other ‘Irish Pubs’, such as the Fiddler’s Elbow (Boyce’s St.) offer the more-mainstream sports such as rugby and football, along with the associated noise and hullabaloo on a Saturday afternoon.
Many pubs, while not claiming to be totally ‘Irish’, can offer a satisfyingly Irish slant and the Caxton Arms in North Gardens, does just this with its wide range of Irish bevvies, including whiskey and hooch.

The Tipple
Pubs are around to sell you beer and the Brighton public house is no different, offering you Harvey’s local brew from Lewes and many adding their speciality - real ales. It’s not difficult to find a hostelry which can deliver the real thing. In one case, at The Hand in Hand, you can even watch your favourite tipple being made at their micro brewery – and then enjoy the taste of a fresher-than-fresh pint. On the other hand, if you like your tipple to have travelled then the Cobblers Thumb, in New England Rd., can oblige with a large range of beers from down-under and an Aussie flavour to the delivery.
 

As you would expect from a thriving seaside town like Brighton, there’s all manner of sea-going activities so there’s something to suit all tastes and all pockets. Boats in Brighton are not just about fishing, although there’s plenty of opportunity to do that, they offer all sorts of other pleasures including the excitement of powerboating.

Fishing Boat Experiences

Several companies offer trips in boats of substantial size, usually in excess of thirty feet and these carry around a dozen passengers. They’re equipped with all mod cons and are frequently licensed. Their equipment generally features all the modern fishing aids such as GPS gear, echo location equipment and, of course, VHF radios. The skippers of these boats are all qualified to the most-rigorous standards and, being keen fishermen themselves, know their area and where the good fishing is. A trip with them is a trip with a professional and an experience you’ll never forget!

Powerboating

If you like the sea and like speed then powerboats could be just the thing for you! There are introductory courses on offer at the Brighton Marina for all levels so, even if you’ve never driven a powerboat before, there’ll be a course for you. You can just sign up for a taster course and see how you like it and, as a bonus, you’ll get out into the Solent and experience a side of Brighton that few other tourists can match.

You can choose your craft from a planing motorised boat to a rigid inflatable or a Zap Cat and take to the water as you wish. If you get hooked, there’s no need to worry as the smaller craft are designed to be very safe and they’re very economical to operate.

If you’re looking for a bit more excitement, you can choose a larger boat with a twin hull and a bigger engine. You can do this as an individual or a group but, taking the wheel yourself, depends upon weather conditions. These tubs really motor so your instructor will take no risks.

For the sailor coming with some previous experience, there are courses which will take you to the next step. In these, you’ll learn all the skills you need to own and operate your own craft, from coming alongside to a pick up from the sea to high-speed manoeuvres.

There’ll also be a healthy dose of safety-at-sea training to make sure that you’re safe out there on your own. On these courses, you can earn your way up to the ICC (International Competency Certificate) level 2 Qualification. This qualification is the one which is compulsory in many countries overseas and owning it will enable you to take your boat abroad.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of boat control, there’s other courses which will introduce you to the world of navigation and chart work. This will enable you to plan a trip, looking at the itinerary with a view to taking into account tides, water depths, etc., etc.

There’s no end to the skill thing, though and there’s pretty-well always a next-level course to move onto, such as the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Advanced Courses. These look at advanced boat-handling skills, seamanship and navigation allowing you to take a boat out into coastal waters with complete safety. Yet another course, the RYA safety Boat Course will take you even further, providing the skills necessary for you to take out an escort boat for all manner of safety and support activities.

Cruiser Charter

If you prefer a more-leisurely trip to sea, it’s possible to charter a cruiser and take to the sea like a person of means. One sixty-foot boat which is operated from the marina is offered on a fully-skippered basis and, because of its top speed of 40 knots, it can reach much of the south coast in pretty short order. You can take this out for the day or longer and make a special occasion even more special.

If you’ve got your own cruiser but want to improve your skills, that’s also possible. Again from the Marina, there are two-day courses which allow you to get in some training and then to plan an get out on your own trip. These courses are carried out on your own boat and can cover the topics which you feel you need most help with, such as navigation, berthing, and manoeuvring your boat. Further courses cover mooring practice, first-time Channel crossing and the International Certificate of Competence and all these may be completed on your own boat.

Time to Get Going

Whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s training at a basic level in a power boat or getting yourself up to become an independent boat owner - or even just getting out to sea for the thrill of a lifetime, Brighton Marina’s got what you’re looking for!

Introduction

Brighton is located ideally for the tourist, between the South Downs and the south coast of England and Brighton simply attracts the sun! Whether it’s the sleek sophistication of a Regency city, the beachfront, shopping or the arts or just good-old seaside fun you’re seeking, Brighton has it! This eclectic mix of attractions makes it an ideal year-round destination.

What’s to Do?

As a seaside town, the beachfront has to be one Brighton’s major attractions and there’s every manner of activity going on there, with surfing and sailing on the sea and volleyball, basketball and skateboarding on land. For the ardent shopper, The Lanes offers its mix of unique shops in a setting dating back a century or more.

Throughout the year, Brighton hosts many events, including powerboat racing and kite festivals and there’s always the annual London to Brighton Vintage Car Rally. Located as it is, the city offers a great opportunity to visit its beautiful hinterland with Hever, Leeds and Arundel Castles all within easy travelling distance.

Of course, if you like to stretch the legs, the South Downs are irresistible with walks for every type of walker with a plethora of watering holes along the route! However, you don’t have to take to the hills to stretch the legs as there are walking tours aplenty around both Brighton and its sister town Hove. These are an ideal way to explore the fascinating history of the towns and the area around them, accompanied by a guide who can point out the history, the landmarks and the other places to visit during your stay. One of these tours even caters for the more-ghoulish of visitors and, if you seek the spooky, there’s an organised ghost trip.

For a more sedentary trip around the town, there are bus tours which run throughout the day. Not only can these get you from A to B but they are run on a hop-on, hop-off basis and a daily ticket will provide you with the means to explore every nook and cranny of the town. As these visit all the major tourist attractions and monuments as well as the interesting landmarks, they provide a good way to get your bearings at the start of your visit.

One of the spectacular features at the north end of the coast is the Devil’s Dike, a deep gorge cut into the cliffs. It is owned and operated by the National Trust and opens out into a pleasant grassed area, ideal for sports, sunbathing or kite flying. During the summer, the strains of local brass bands can be heard wafting through the gorge – great with a cup of tea and a cake!

For the lover of steam, The Bluebell Steam Railway chugs away on the outskirts of town, travelling between the three stations on the line. The stations, the trains and the carriages are all lovingly restored by the enthusiasts who have re-created this picturesque piece of Victorian England. It’s a magic formula which transports you nostalgically-back to a long-past England when you add the absolutely stunning views of the local countryside and the stops along the way at the country pubs which satisfy the palette.

Catering for everyone is Brighton’s forte and the lover of the gees is not left out as nearby Brighton Racecourse provides the visitor with the Sport of Kings throughout the summer months.

Brighton’s Places of Interest

Since it was first visited by the Prince Regent, Brighton has offered its eclectic mix of the sophisticated demure and refined to the blatant eccentric. And it still does! From high culture to good old-fashioned seaside fun, it’s all here!

There’s no doubt that The Royal Pavilion is one of the jewels in Brighton’s crown. Its royal connections date back to the time when it was built for the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, and it was used by the Royal Family up to Victorian times. No expense was spared on the exotic

Indian-styled architecture and influences from Asia, principally China can be seen throughout its many rooms.

As befits an English seaside town, Brighton has its pier. It actually has two piers but one has been ravaged by the elements and is now awaiting rejuvenation and a proposed exciting new cycle of life. The surviving pier, now known simply as Brighton Pier, is an archetypically-English pier. With the funfair and arcades, dodgems, roller-coaster and cafes and restaurants which you would expect to find on a pier. For the more-discerning visitor, a trip to the end of the pier provides spectacular views of the adjacent coast, along with the bracing sea air that the Victorians so loved. During the summer months, the pier provides the venue for fireworks displays which line the beachfront with visitors to enjoy the spectacle.

The Victorians loved their technology and left behind the Volks Railway, the first public electric railway in the world, which runs from Brighton Pier to Black Rock – all the way along the seafront. As one of Brighton’s oldest tourist attractions, it provides yet another way to explore the town and its coast.

No modern seaside town can feel complete without its marina and the Brighton Marina, which is in the Kemptown area of Brighton, is one of the largest yachting marinas in the UK. However, it’s much more than just yachts as it has been developed into a superb tourist attraction with shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, along with a ten-pin bowling complex and multi-screen cinema. Most of the facilities enjoy superb views of the harbour and almost compel the visitor to simply sit, relax with a drink and enjoy the view. The Marina also has, as befits any marina worth its salt, regular boat trips around both the marina and surrounding coast.

The shopper can also feel at home in Brighton and in a way not possible in most of the UK’s larger towns. It’s possible to get away from the familiar High Street shops and to wander into The Lanes, a world of small shops of every kind and a world long gone from most High Streets. Wandering into the Lanes is wandering into a past of small, personally-owned shops. Shops of every description are here, with jewellery, antiques, gifts, music, clothes – and all with their individual identity. Alongside the shops are street entertainers, historic buildings and, of course cafés and restaurants and atmospheric pubs in abundance. Once you’re into The Lanes, it’s hard to imagine that you’re still inside the bustling seaside town of Brighton. The Lanes is, indeed, Brighton’s Secret Garden.

Entertainment in Brighton

As it grew into a first-class tourist town, Brighton inevitably developed a wide range of entertainments and, today, these still provide the visitor with a wide range of venues.

The Theatre Royal Brighton, which is housed in a beautiful Grade II listed building which dates back almost 200 years provides a wide mix of theatrical experiences for the visitor. There’s everything from Noddy to The Sound of Music with Mozart, Gilbert and Sullivan and Sleeping Beauty along the way. Whatever you go to see, the pleasure is enhanced by the wonderful building which was given the Royal Assent by The prince of Wales in the summer of 1806

Other theatrical performances are staged at The Gardner Arts Centre which puts on shows ws featuring contemporary dance and drama, along with visual arts, films, comedy and music.

Seaside entertainment is provided at The Pavilion Theatre which provides a range of entertainments including comedy, music, dance and theatre and similar shows are staged at the Komedia.

Wining and Dining

Brighton’s visitors need have no worries about their appetites during a trip to this vibrant city on sea. Boasting over 400 restaurants, the city can offer a menu to suit all tastes. Yes, it’s a seaside town so there are the beachfront fryups with burgers and fish and chips as well as restaurants which offer a more-traditional English cuisine. At the other end of the scale, there’s chic café culture and a large range of exclusive restaurants where the most-discerning palette may be satisfied.

Accommodation in Brighton

Just as it caters for all tastes in food, Brighton offers a wide range of accommodation from Bed and Breakfast to five-star hotels. You are free to chooses whether you want the family-run atmosphere of a local B&B or to meet fellow backpackers in a hostel or, indeed to be pampered and treated like royalty at an exclusive and elegant seafront hotel. All you need is the research and you’ll find just what you are looking for.

Welcome to Brighton

No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’ll find a welcome in Brighton and its sister town Hove. There’s lots more facts figure and photos on our website so please do give us a visit at Brighton and Hove.