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Thank Goodness Brighton's "Godless"!

Thank Goodness Brighton’s “Godless”!

Rejoice! The church has sent another missionary to save us godless Brightonians! Our new saviour comes in the shape of the ever so trendy Reverend Archie Coates. He knows what we need: more god. He’s so wrong. When it comes to beliefs and religions we’ve got plenty. It’s just not ... Read more »
Some Local gems for Labour Conference Comrades

Some Local gems for Labour Conference Comrades

A couple of delegates at Labour Conference have asked for some food, drink and fun suggestions for when they’re down in our great city-by-the-sea. And as a special service to them, here are some places that I really like and can honestly recommend. Places that you might not naturally stumble on ... Read more »
Stag parties and Brighton Rock

Stag parties and Brighton Rock

I don’t head down to Brighton seafront enough on Saturday nights. But a few weeks back I did enjoy a drink at the Fortune of War and I was totally amused by these flyers that some chaps on a stag do were giving out. Essentially: spot the groom and claim a pint. A fun idea and plenty of folk were ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #8

Brighton Scenes #8

Overheard. Two slightly eccentric gents order a round of drinks at the bar of a Brighton boozer not far from the station. Their change includes a five pound note. Vladimir: That’s the second one today. Estragon: What? V: (triumphantly) A fiver! E: (very seriously) They’re like gold ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #7

Brighton Scenes #7

Backstreet boozer not far from the sea, sunny Sunday evening. A flame haired, ill-tempered 30-something woman approaches the bar. She has enjoyed a few scoops. And I don’t mean ice cream. Her: (Rudely) What wine have you got? Barman: Red or white, madam? Her: White. (As if he should have ... Read more »
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 »