snapshots, part III

I have just had the most fantastic five nights in Brighton. I did not expect to enjoy Brighton as much as I did. It's the most tasteless place I've ever been in but it LURES you in. The Prince Regent seems to have started the trend for OTT in the early 19th century with the Royal Pavilion, below, which is even more dazzling inside, full of the most lurid colours, utterly showy - but, again, somehow likeable. And after reading so many Georgette Heyer Regency novels I just had to love it; I kept wondering, "is this the room where the heroine of Regency Buck faints when the Prince tries to kiss her?" Just down the road, the Brighton Pier, where ragtime music drones away on English funfair-type rides. The beach itself - I liked it best when it was moody and stormy weather, but Monday, a bank holiday, it looked almost like the Riviera, and it seemed like half of London was there getting burnt strawberry-red as they sat on their rented deckchairs or ate their rock candy.

I also worked in the coolest archive EVER - which you should all find out about, and if possible, start your own research project that has something to do with English social history between 1937 and the early fifties. But more about that later, I have a blog post planned.

There were only two downers. The first, that I tried to eat fish and chips outside on the beach, where a horde of giant seagulls immediately flocked to me, one landing ON MY HEAD.

The other, and the worse, was that I paid very little for accommodation. You think that sounds good? Nope. It isn't. I stayed in the most depressing, skody, uncomfortable student hostel known to man. It got to the point where I was really unsure how to feel when I left today - part of me was so sad to leave Brighton - the other part was deliriously happy that I was moving on to a hotel with a) a comfortable, non-creaky bed; b) internet; c) full English breakfast; d) ensuite; e) a regard for human comfort.

And here I am now. Taking advantage of that free wi-fi, obviously. In Battle. But I'll tell you more about that another time.

The Royal Pavilion

The Brighton Pier

All taken on the same stormy evening.

Bank holiday Monday - and yes, that's the English sea looking inviting.

I just took this trying to get a photo of some pretty muffins, but I love the way it happened to capture the expressions on the faces of the people walking by.

Metal detector man. I saw him several times on the beach. It must yield something but I thought it was funny.