We parked at the train station car park in Hassock and catch the train to Brighton, only two stops and 10 minutes away. The Brighton railway station is right in the centre of the city, and was the reason Brighton became a popular holiday destination for Londoners in the early 1800's.
Our first stop and the primary reason for our visit to Brighton is to take the tour trough the Royal Pavilion.
The Pavilion was built in the early 1800's by the Prince of Wales and soon to be George IV. It was built as a holiday home or beach house. It was a place where the Prince could escape too from London and party. And boy did he like to party. Fine food, wine, women and song.
The interior is decorated in the very distinctive Chinoiserie style. A "Chinese-esque" style as interpreted through European eyes and artistic traditions. Photo of Interior Banquesting Room
From here we head to the area close by known as the lanes. Narrow medieval lanes now occupied by jewellers, upmarket fashion stores and trend coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
There were also supposed to be an abundance of antique stores but only one (a high priced type) was sighted. Interspersed with all this fashion are several gun stores selling all manner of rifles, shotguns and hand guns. Here John is selecting his "Rabbit Gun".
We walked out onto and through the Brighton Pavilion Pier. The original Brighton Pier burnt down a while back but part of its skeleton still stands in the ocean a few hundred meters off shore. The Pier is a sort of permanent side show alley of rides, games and overpriced takeaway food and drinks.
We spend a bit more time wandering the streets of Brighton but find little else to excite us.
Home on the train to buy an Indian dinner in a brown paper bag and a bottle of Pims from Tesco. We master the art of mixing (and drinking) Pims while our dinner is heating. It may seem odd but Indian food and Pims are as quintessentially British now a days as fish and chips, and gin and tonic.
Both the Indian and the Pims were a success; cheers to another day.
