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Published: October 3rd 2007
The West Pier
The rusting iron hulk of the pier-head is largely intact, and crouches at the west end of the Brighton Strip. There are plans to build a new "vertical pier" - a tall tower with viewing platforms.All the stress of packing and leaving London evaporated on the way out of the city, and the bus seemed to fly over the chokehold of the encircling M25. I was elated to be on my way, and even the immediate ten minute stop in a grimy bus stand at Gatwick failed to bring my spirits down. I people watched shamelessly, and was very taken with the sight of an airhostess in a tight, bright pink number stopping at a bench, removing her high heels and replacing them with an even higher pair from the depths of her cabin bag!
Gatwick is actually closer to Brighton than it is to London, and it was no time before we had reached the city limits. Crawling in through the traffic, I caught my first glimpse of what could only be the Royal Pavilion - I laughed out loud at the insane sight of it. The bus station is right between the Pavilion and the Pier, so I walked to the back-packers' along the seafront. When the first place on my list turned out to have closed 18 months previously, I made a mental note - don’t trust guidebooks, unless they’re a Lonely
Air currents
All kind of sea birds soared overhead - though they were especially concentrated over the fish & chippies! Planet. I repaired to a place recommended by friends - a narrow little building called Baggies, just a block back from the sea and within minutes of the ruined West Pier.
That afternoon I set off to explore the town, locate churches, and most importantly of all, find somewhere to watch the rugby. I ended up in an O’Neill’s, because none of the little local pubs seemed to have the match on. There was a strong Scottish contingent, and a nice big screen. As the game progressed a lone “Go ABs!” cheer started coming from somewhere in the crowd, but the Kiwi was well hidden. Fair enough too, as the game progressed - some of the disappointed Scottish were big blokes!
True to myself, the morning of the first full day of my trip was spent in bed - but it wasn't wasted, I utilised the free wireless to get important Facebooking done, as well as sorting my insurance details. Later on, I spent a happy hour walking along Brighton's long pebbly beach. The wind had really got up, and the waves were lashing the shore. Apologies to the Monkey, I know you requested that I take pictures
Angel of the sunset
Just along from the West Pier on the Brighton-Hove Esplanade. It bears an inscription to Edward VII. of myself paddling, but there was no way I could have ventured that close to the sea without being soaked top to toe.
The sea spray tang in the air was refreshing, but even with bright sunshine the wind became a bit much, so when I reached the Pier I turned inland to see
the Royal Pavilion. A famous and much loved Brighton landmark, it began its life as a simple farmhouse, purchased by the young Prince of Wales in the late 1700s. He had it converted into a "Marine Pavilion," and then becoming his ailing father's Regent in 1811, he needed something grander, and employed architect John Nash. By the time the Prince had become King George IV in the 1820s, Nash had created the incredible Indian styled structure you can still visit today.
I was unimpressed with the first few rooms, though they are interesting examples of the fashions of the period - and then I got to the Royal Banqueting Hall. Once I'd spent some time there I didn’t begrudge them the steep entry fee. An enormous room, the main feature is the stunning 30 foot long chandelier, held in the claws of a silver dragon, which
flies beneath a giant painted and sculpted plantain tree canopy. Six smaller dragons are positioned around the bottom of the main drop, clenching lotus flowers in their jaws - the info panel notes that back in the day, with oil lamps in the flowers, the dragons would have appeared to be breathing fire, spooking the guests at the 30 seater dining table below. The walls are richly decorated with swags of material and curiously European-looking Chinese. The huge 'modern' kitchen is also very impressive, with all sorts of 'innovations'. George was apparently very proud of it, and fond of showing it to his guests!
The Music Room, occupying the opposite end to the Banqueting Room, was the other highlight of the house for me. Having been restored extensively in the last two decades, it shines with splendour. It was not always the case - in 1975 an arson attack damaged the room severely, and an eleven year restoration programme was almost complete when the Great Storm blew a stone ball weighing over a ton off one of the minarets, and straight through the middle of the newly rebuilt and reguilded roof. It came to rest in a crater in
Spires, minarets and onion domes.
A contmporary critic described George IV's Pavilion as a box with several large turnips on the roof, embellished with bulbs and towers. the centre of the room, also destroying the carpet recreated to the original design. Work had to start on the room all over again, but today the opulent red and gold is awe-worthy.
I felt a bit guilty about spending so long inside on such a sunny day, so on emerging from the Pavilion I went out to explore the Pier. The wind was NUTS. A lot of the snacks and drinks booths were shuttered off, and most of the rides were operating under restrictions, if they were operating at all. I was surprised to see the enormous arm of the “Booster” swinging around, as I was sure if anything should be shut because of the wind it should be!
The guidebooks all say Brighton’s Pier is the height of tackiness, but the contrasts - between the views, the various attractions, and the age and style of the structure itself - make an engaging place, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The bright colours and the strange location are surely a combination not to be missed, and it’s only as tacky as you make it... lots of visitors were certainly trying their hardest.
Having heard that the Lanes
Prospecting
I asked if she's ever found any thing, and she said only coins - but that several regulars had found good spoil - rings and the like. area is a must see, and after catching a glimpse the day before, I went exploring there - and crossed smack bang into a film crew! It was a full-scale location shoot, but it was suprisingly open. They were lapsidaisically 'controlling' traffic, but passers-by were able to walk right up. A few of us were even talking to the crew, who were all friendly enough, if not wholly forthcoming. I watched a couple of takes, and toyed with the idea of asking if I could do anything to help in some small inconspicuous but exciting way... but I was not dressed for standing around in the cold, and I couldn't even tell who the producer was, to ask! I identified the four people in charge, and thought I could guess which was the cinematographer, but I could not tell the producer, director and first AD apart - they all seemed to be contradicting each other and taking turns to make up what was going to happen next.
I elicited the name of the film from one of the rigging crew - a teen story, from a popular book:
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. Apparently the book has an enormous following and the film
The Pier
Brighton's famous Pier has a plethora of names - officially it's the Palace Pier, for it's proximity to the Royal Pavilion. Its sign names it Brighton Pier, but it is also the East Pier. will do well from a guaranteed audience. I thought I had heard something about it, and it was only later when I looked it up that I realised it's Gurinder Chadha's new film - she of
Bend it Like Beckham and
Bride & Prejudice fame. I did take a photo of her (now I wish I'd taken a photo
with her) but it's not as good an example of the set as the one I'm showing you 😊
I explored the famously hippy-ish North Laine, I suppose the Haight-Ashbury area of Brighton, and then hightailed it back to the hostel to change. The plan was to write in the sun down by the waterfront, but the sun was unco-operative, and the light so fantastic that I walked down the Esplanade towards Hove instead. The spectacular sunset was complimented by a kite-and-wind-surfing show, and I took far more than the usual amount of photographs, after which I meant to go back for dinner and bed.... but there was a full moon and I thought I’d just get a quick shot of the Pier lit up, with the moon behind it.
One light seemed far too bright for the Pier,
Fun park at the Pier
While the middle of the Pier is covered eating and drinking establishments and arcade amuseents, the whole end of it is made up of outrageously expensive rides of varying heights, speeds and quality. and kept flooding my pictures. As I approached, I realised it could only be my old friends the film crew! They had packed up in the Lanes, broken for dinner, and come back to take over one of the beachfront cafes. A bunch of teenage extras wearing blankets were chatting as they jiggled up and down trying not to freeze before their cue.
I tore myself away and went back to Baggies to plan the next stage of my adventure. I have decided on Southampton as a base from which to explore Winchester, the New Forest and the Salisbury plain. Excitement, and a whole lot of sitting on the coach, awaits!
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