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Brightoniana: Embassy Court

I love a nosey behind closed doors and I was interested to take a tour around Embassy Court on Saturday. It's a fascinating and beautiful building from the 1930s. More Miami Beach than West Pier, and certainly a Brighton icon. Tales of Embassy Court's heydey before the war, replete with a martini bar and lifts reserved for servants, did make me wonder. The cost of keeping these flats was extraordinary. It was all about exclusive luxury. I can't imagine it was as respectable as our lovely tour guide suggested. I'm sure it was a hotbed of adultery, kept women, well respected men in the ... Read more »

Brightoniana: London Brighton & South Coast Railway stone

Brightoniana: London Brighton & South Coast Railway stone

I don't really know what this is, but I snapped it. It's a stone in the central reservation of the barrier at the west end of the railway bridge at the junction where New England and Old Shoreham Roads meet. I guess, technically, that it's on New England Road. It obviously has a railway ... Read more »
The British Prime Minister isn’t a Community Manager

The British Prime Minister isn’t a Community Manager

At the weekly ritual of Prime Minister’s Question Time, where Britain’s head of government is held to account, PM David Cameron condemned comments and pages on Facebook from users supporting murderer Raoul Moat. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said: “It is absolutely clear that Raoul ... Read more »
Brightoniana: Aubrey Beardsley

Brightoniana: Aubrey Beardsley

I'd never seen this plaque on Buckingham Road before yesterday. It's commemorates the all too brief life of the artist and illustrator, Aubrey Beardsley who was born at number 12. It's such a shame that it has a spray can squiggle on it. Not least because such artlessness seems totally at odds ... Read more »
Brightoniana: Some links I've enjoyed

Brightoniana: Some links I’ve enjoyed

The Argus is the first for news. I particularly enjoyed this picture of the Mayor last week. What IS he doing? How to be a Retronaut is a superb compendium of old snaps and views. It's required reading in my personal blogosphere. Last week The Retronaut people published some really rather ... Read more »
Labour won't win if it's London-centric

Labour won’t win if it’s London-centric

I received an email last week, as a Labour party member, telling me that I could attend hustings of Labour leadership candidates in Southampton or London. Thanks. Why not Brighton, I thought? But then, I am merely 50 miles from London and have hardly any cause for complaint. I took a look at all ... Read more »
Election Notes 2010: On losing

Election Notes 2010: On losing

It’s more than a month since the General Election and I have one last post to make in my Election Notes series. I’ve been sitting on it because I was unsure exactly what I wanted to say. I made some notes at the time. This is a verbatim extract from the Sunday after the General Election: ... Read more »
Where's the Honourable Member for Legoland?

Where’s the Honourable Member for Legoland?

I had the Scrabble set out earlier (not a rare occurance) and discovered the Lego House of Commons. Where are my Lego people? And my Lego despatch boxes, Lego ... Read more »
eBay: A courier as a sales tool

eBay: A courier as a sales tool

There are a surprising number of things on eBay where the only delivery option is “Buyer collects”. I wonder if this is necessary. How many things, excluding furniture and the like, can’t be sent via a courier? Royal Mail (as long as there isn’t a strike on) is good for the small stuff. ... Read more »
eBay: Don’t you think it looks and feels tired?

eBay: Don’t you think it looks and feels tired?

eBay has been part of my life since I first worked for the company in July 1999. In all those years, I’ve usually been selling something and certainly buying something each month. My selling goes in fits and starts. And for the first time in ages, over the past few weeks, I’ve been having a ... Read more »
What's happening to Brighton's Post Boxes?

What’s happening to Brighton’s Post Boxes?

What's going on with Brighton's post boxes? Here's the double one one outside the Post Office on Melville Road. And the second was spotted at the Dyke Road end of Buckingham Road. I thought at first it might be incompetant priming for a new coat. But according to the nice lady in the Post Office ... Read more »
Election Notes: iPhone Snaps

Election Notes: iPhone Snaps

Before I close off the Election Notes series, I have a few more posts to make when I have a moment. Yesterday, I finally cleared some snaps off my phone and put them on flickr. You can find the set here. Here are several of my ... Read more »
Election Notes: Something for the geeks.

Election Notes: Something for the geeks.

I thought this graphic might be interesting to political geeks out there. It's the visitors to nancyplatts.com (Brighton Pavilion's Labour candidate) in the run up to the general election. I've taken the numbers off: consider this indicative. I didn't really know what to expect trafficwise but ... Read more »
Election Notes 30/04/10: Fantasy TV Debates

Election Notes 30/04/10: Fantasy TV Debates

As the Cleggsurge shows, those TV Debates really have made a massive difference to the General Election. Personally, I’ve found them a little dull. Cameron kept pushing for them and must surely be regretting that. He wasn’t as good as good as he reckoned he’d be. As a former secretary of ... Read more »