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Farewell Henry Allingham

Farewell Henry Allingham

I live a stone’s throw from Brighton’s oldest church, St Nicholas’s. So I felt an urge to attend the funeral of Henry Allingham, one of the last veterans of World War 1. Many hundreds of people were there too. It was a moving occasion, even outside the church. Sombre certainly and all the ... Read more »
To Let in Brighton

To Let in Brighton

One 'amended' To Let sign is unfortunate. Two looks like carelessness. Snapped tonight, these two are back-to-back for the same big old Victorian house recently turned into studio ... Read more »
Southern Railway Passenger Playlist

Southern Railway Passenger Playlist

Southern Railways usually do a pretty good job of running trains to and from London and Brighton. But the past few weeks have been horrendous. I'll forgive snow disruption reluctantly (although not the website being down due to demand as people were desperate to get info) but signal failures, ... Read more »
Snow in Brighton

Snow in Brighton

Some pictures taken last night, at about ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #6

Brighton Scenes #6

Overheard in the pub: First Man: Seen that Andrew Lloyd-Webber programme with Graham Norton? Second Man: The Eurovision one? Yeah. Bollocks innit. First Man: Nah. I reckon Lloyd-Webber's the man. He knows his stuff. He might win it for us. Second Man: Win it? All block-voting these ... Read more »
The Beauty of Sussex is Underrated

The Beauty of Sussex is Underrated

We don't have the wilds of Scotland, the wilderness of the moors in Devon or Yorkshire, Northern Ireland's moody mountains or deserted beaches like Wales. No brooding hills as you see near Malvern or Manchester. We lack the drama of the Lakes, the chocolate box rolls of the Cotswolds and Dorset. We ... Read more »
Brighton: I like it here

Brighton: I like it here

A fellow Brightonian read my previous post on Brighton and asked me why I like the old place, in a bit a more detail. We had a long conversation that ranged from the general to the specific and the arcane to the absurd. So, why do I like it in Brighton? Here are some incomplete and random thoughts ... Read more »
Browsing the Booth Museum

Browsing the Booth Museum

On a cold saturday after Christmas, a little excursion is in order. Where better than the Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton? Thankfully very little has changed since I used to visit frequently as a child. Founded by Edward Thomas Booth in the 19th century, it was very much a ... Read more »
Things I love about the London Underground*

Things I love about the London Underground*

For my money, there are few British institutions as marvellous as the London Undergound. From humble beginnings as a cut-and-cover route between Paddington and Farringdon as the world's first underground railway, to the major engineering feats of the deep tunnels of the Northern line and the ... Read more »
A year in Brighton

A year in Brighton

Can it be a year already? Well, it isn't really, but a year ago today I signed the papers and took a flat in my hometown of Brighton and even though I didn't completely relocate until after Christmas, it's pretty much one whole year. Wow. No regrets. I can hardly imagine moving back to the smoke ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #5

Brighton Scenes #5

Overheard. Two men and a woman in a pub: both fancy their chances with her. There has been much flirtation and a bit of bawdiness. Woman: So you're a plumber. Man 1: He's a heating engineer, there is a different. Woman: (Chastened) Oh. How's business? Man 2: Shit. Man 1: He's going to become ... Read more »
The Old Euston Station

The Old Euston Station

Change isn't always progress. New isn't necessarily better than old. See Example 1 below: Euston Station. A beautiful neo-classical building was replaced with the brutalist terminus we see today. They saved St. Pancras but the Euston Arch is at the bottom of canal in East London. Planners and ... Read more »
Vampire Weekend play Fleetwood Mac

Vampire Weekend play Fleetwood Mac

I love this Vampire Weekend cover of Fleetwood Mac's classic, 'Everywhere'. I heard them play it in London last week and it was a bit of a highlight of the gig. I was reminded of it by The Independent. (Yes, not a video as such but def the best audio quality I can find.) ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #4*

Brighton Scenes #4*

Two men overheard on the London Bridge train as it waited to depart: - How was xx and xy's wedding? - Not bad. But we had to buy our own booze. - Thought it was no expense spared? - Got fed. And a glass of champagne for the toast. - The way xy was talking, you'd expect the full works and ... Read more »