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Sussex churches: an exploration

Sussex churches: an exploration

Last year, I developed two interests that this year I must blog about. Both are of a historical and architectural bent and both are related to my pleasure in “Sunday outings” and my hope to travel more widely within the British isles. One is an interest in British Piers, which saw me join ... Read more »
Tardis Police Box Spotting in Glasgow

Tardis Police Box Spotting in Glasgow

What was a Whovian with a few hours to spare in Glasgow to do, but have a tootle around looking for police boxes? The second city of the Empire is home to a several of the Gilbert MacKenzie Trench designed beauties and I managed to find two as part of my sight-seeing. Reports as to how many there ... Read more »
A bridge below: the Ouse Valley Viaduct at Balcombe

A bridge below: the Ouse Valley Viaduct at Balcombe

I tramped across a cornfield to take a proper look at something I've travelled over countless times. The beautiful and stately Ouse Valley Viaduct, just outside Balcombe, is largely unknown by the people who use it every day. Many a London/Brighton commuter will tell you how lovely the view is ... Read more »
The peaceful, natural burial ground at Clayton Wood

The peaceful, natural burial ground at Clayton Wood

My friend Sue writes at London Cemeteries and described her visit to Epping Forest Burial Park recently and how it changed her view of burial. Like her, I previously favoured cremation (or even burial at sea, in my more eccentric moments) until I visited a natural burial site. Cremation ... Read more »
A trip on the Spa Valley Railway

A trip on the Spa Valley Railway

I do like going for a ride on a steam railway. Chuff chuff chuff poop poop. And last week the chaps went on an excursion to the Spa Valley Railway. It’s not the best known of the so called heritage lines. (I really hate that phrase. Almost as much as I dislike the term “cherished numbers” ... Read more »
Brightoniana: Beautiful Pedantry

Brightoniana: Beautiful Pedantry

I love this. Chortles galore. I think it's a boyish effort at flattery, attached as it was to a fence. I salute that. A reckless, rather romantic gesture. No? Then someone comes in and goes all Truss in a most amusing manner. It's like a Twitter row. But better. Look carefully for the biro ... Read more »
Worst Royal Wedding? George IV and Caroline of Brunswick

Worst Royal Wedding? George IV and Caroline of Brunswick

(A little guest post I did for someone else as a favour. Shameless recycling) The prize for the worst Royal Wedding ever could easily go to the man who would become George IV. He was Prince of Wales at the time and later Regent. George married his first cousin, Caroline of Brunswick, in 1795. ... Read more »
Taking a Shine to Shine...

Taking a Shine to Shine…

One good turn deserves another. I was the lucky winner of a cut and blowdry at Shine Hair and Beauty in a raffle at the Brightwest Twitter Meet-up back in September. Since they were generous enough to donate the prize, the least I can do is blog about how marvellous it was. Thankfully, I don’t ... Read more »
Don't show my dad this....

Don’t show my dad this….

Spotted this shop in Sussex. Hoping it doesn't give my old man any ... Read more »
Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

The Brighton Argus has embarked upon an interesting social media ‘crowdsourcing’ experiment. Voters in the hyper-marginal Brighton Pavilion parliamentary constituency are invited to report their encounters with party candidates via Google Maps. The idea sprang from the Brighton Future of ... Read more »
Is Caroline Lucas on the Bus in Brighton?

Is Caroline Lucas on the Bus in Brighton?

Yesterday, the Brighton Argus (print edition) reported a press release from Green Leader Dr Caroline Lucas claiming a day's travel on Brighton and Hove Buses costs £3.80. Obviously, as any Brighton resident will know, a CitySaver ticket costs £3.60 daily (and there are huge savings available for ... Read more »
Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

When I was 17, I was arrested during a Reclaim the Streets demo at the Old Steine in Brighton. I spent the afternoon in cells and my bicycle was confiscated. Subsequently, I went to court, pleaded guilty and took the punishment (bound over for a year and a modest fine, as I recall). On the protest ... Read more »
The Sun: Brighton is a "Town of Shame"

The Sun: Brighton is a “Town of Shame”

I adore this 1988 editorial from The Sun. Many thanks to Brightonian playwright Adrian Bunting who sent it my way. He got it from local cultural guru Peter Crisp, who is well known in the city. I hope that Peter and Adrian will forgive me for sharing it. It's too delicious. The thing about the ... Read more »
Remembering Brighton's Heroes

Remembering Brighton’s Heroes

Noone who was present at Henry Allingham's funeral earlier in the year doubts Brighton's pride in its heroes. And today at the Brighton cenotaph down at Old Steine, just like in communities all over, hundreds of people joined in the Service of Rememberance. Rememberance is important every ... Read more »