British Summer Time Part III
It was a beautiful summer Sunday and the beach was the only place I fancied going to. As lovely as the London parks and riverside are in summer, nothing beats the seaside on such a day – at least for me. So I packed my bags on a whim and took the train down to Brighton – also called London-by-the-sea.
Brighton is just around an hour from London Victoria on the train. As the owner of a brand-spanking-new Network Railcard (30 GBP / 34.28 EUR per year), I get 30% off all off-peak travel in Southern England so I put this to good use with a same day return to Brighton for only 18.80 GBP (21.48 EUR) instead of the usual 28.50 GBP. I’m a big fan of taking the train anyway, especially on a hot summer day. After spending more than three hours on the motorway on an equally sunny occasion whilst trying to get myself and my parents down to Brighton by car, I decided that wasn’t an experience I ever wished to repeat. When it’s hot in London, it seems like the entire city collectively decides to get down to the beach. And who can blame them?
Beach times in Brighton
Brighton is a typical British seaside resort in so many ways but so much more in so many others. The pebbled beach is just as hard to walk on as in many other places in Britain and the water is just as cold. Just like many other seaside towns, Brighton has a lot of family-oriented entertainment close to or on the beach. The world’s tallest observation tower and a zip-line have now joined the almighty Brighton Pier (Halleluja!), which already features an amusement park as well as candy, fish & chips, ice cream and souvenir shops. It goes without saying that Brighton beach is not the serenest of all English seasides – but then again, I find any beach relaxing no matter the people or the buzz.
The beach crowd is a mixed bag. Girls in polka-dot bikinis are smoking their cigarette and drinking cans of beer while their friends are playing with dogs and listening to chilled-out beach music. Families with little kids try to hold them back from feeding the seagulls with their crisps. Older couples, the man in shorts and socks, sit under umbrellas in their beach chairs reading books. A single woman sunbathes next to me in her underwear. The smell of instant barbecues becomes stronger as it’s getting later and kids wrapped in big towels enjoy their last ice cream of the day.
The Lanes
However, there’s more to Brighton than the seafront. The Lanes are an area divided by North Street and West of the Royal Pavilion. The North Lanes are flocked with indie shops, vegan and vegetarian eateries, as well as health food shops and supermarkets in all colours. The South Lanes feature higher-end clothing shops and restaurant chains and spas. On a day like this, the North Lanes are almost bursting with people lingering along the market stalls with jewellery, clothing, home décor and souvenirs. I love the atmosphere here.
The Royal Pavilion
A sight not to miss in Brighton is the Royal Pavilion. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style that was prevalent in India for most of the 19th century, it’s a very unexpected sight for England. Construction began in 1787 with the aim to build a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales and the building was extended to its present form in 1815. The park adjacent to the Pavilion is usually nearly as busy as the seaside and often features buskers entertaining the crowd.
Right next to the Pavilion Gardens, on New Road, a couple of pubs feature nice outdoor spaces that are usually heaving with people – The Mash Tun is the most colourful and the busiest of them. After lazing at the seaside the entire day, I’d really fancy a pint but instead I head to Pompoko, a really cheap but good Japanese café and takeaway just opposite the Mash Tun. Main courses cost just under 6 GBP (6.81 EUR) and they taste awesome.
When I head for the train I feel, as usual when I come back from Brighton, as if I have just been to a mini-holiday.
Football by the beach
Currently, the Luna Beach Cinema is showing football matches as well as movies at Brighton Beach. Tickets can be booked at the door or online.
