24 Hours In: Brighton

It's the little things we do, I spent twenty-four hours in the Sussex beach town of Brighton. I ditched city life for the seaside! Experiencing the old and new piers showed me that Brighton has many tales to tell. Everybody has got a point of view but it's nobody's business where I decide to travel to. Get heated up, Brighton's promenade sizzles! Brighton I can't stop thinking about you! 

I only had one day in Brighton so I didn't waste one single moment, leaving my Jury's Inn hotel I looked to The Lanes. I'm a material girl from time to time but I didn't want to shop, I could of been persuaded to have done different for the wide array of bohemian shop fronts caught my eye for sure! My new favorite thing to do is find a Bubble Tea cafe, I found Pearls in The Lanes. I choose my usual cold milk tea blend with tapioca pearls so I was satisfied. If shopping is on your mind then run wild with your funds, many non-high street purchases can be found within Brighton's individual looking shops. Go against the grain in Brighton because that's just how things are down in the beautiful south. The salty air had me from the moment I stepped off my London train, I spent over ten days in the city so to breathe in some fresh air was a relief. The Lanes include many small pubs and niche cafes that specialise in different blends compared to other places for Brighton lives by its own rules! Still got those 24 hours! Let's go!

I didn't miss a thing, closing in further towards the promenade I had finally made it to the seaside town of Brighton. I had won a writing competition for Jury's Inn hotels, choosing my complimentary night in Brighton seemed like the perfect antidote to my hectic London trip I wanted to chill things out before returning to the West Midlands. During my day in Brighton I boycotted all major brands to get a honest sense of Brighton for I had heard so much about its alternative vibe. The Lanes showed me that I could shop for fashion fancies without contributing to the high street fashion nasty's. I'm not a mainstream hater but I just embraced Brighton's bohemian scene. Take the train from London Victoria or London Bridge to Brighton's own railway station or choose the National Express coaches from London Victoria, there's no excuse whatsoever to dodge a day in the beautiful south! Forever wasn't over but I knew my 24 hours would be disappearing so I moved on forwards. I suggest that you think about booking your transport to Brighton! 

I felt brand new in Brighton there was just an air of freedom that I hadn't ever experienced before. Call me dramatic but that's just how it felt. The Royal Pavilion was next on my sights to experience, I just couldn't say no! First constructed in 1787, Brighton's Royal Pavilion looks more Indian than anything but it was the retreat for the Prince Regent during the early 1800's. Empire was in full force during that time so the influence speaks for itself. I noticed that lots of people were taking advantage of the glorious sunshine by lazing in the surrounding gardens of this palatial Brighton residence. I did take some time to capture some photos of the Pavilion and to appreciate its Indo-Saracenic revival architecture but I wanted to keep on moving.  It's no secret that some folks have expressed some strange views about the style of the Pavillion in Brighton for its not typically British looking but during the time it was built India belonged to Britain so if that's not British enough then I don't know?! Just get over yourselves! I loved it!

Know which way to go in Brighton, I found the streets really easy to navigate because my sense of direction sometimes fails me. Call it pure luck I made it to Brighton, I embraced The Lanes and loved the grandeur of the Royal Pavilion so I could finally appreciate something that had a slower pace compared to the constant beat of the city. The promenade grew ever closer but I didn't want my day to be stressful, I suggest you do the same when you visit this town? Being on a budget is what I do best so I took amusement in discovering the kitsch neigbhourhood of Kemptown. I wasn't in town for a party so I didn't look for the liveliest of venues, I had ran around London for ten days so getting inebriated wasn't my plan. I loved the architecture around the bars and cafes in Kemptown, something made the sea view have a deeper shade of blue. I learnt that having a good time doesn't have to involve getting crazy, I might learn to be leisurely again in the future? Why had I not got my things together to visit Brighton a lot sooner? Brighton is now!   

It was inevitable that I would bump into Brighton's iconic promenade, I literally couldn't walk any further south! Swimming wasn't not on my agenda, neither was a short paddle but I made the best of the promenade and even took a stroll along the beachfront. I dodged the torrent of seagulls that dive through the skies along the beachfront, I'm not a fan of those birds but it's there home turf! The sun was shining, everything was sweet! I didn't appreciate the main Brighton pier, it was just too much, the area around it on the beach was jammed pack with too much nonsense. You might like but I wasn't a fan of it! I didn't want that judgment to mar my opinion of Brighton's main point so I looked for the original pier that can been viewed in the photo to the left. I loved that side of the beach, even though the original pier has seen better days it blended well with the vibrant cafes, restaurants and shops that overlooked that section of the beach in Brighton. I don't like to sugarcoat things, that's not me at all! Yes!

I chose to eat something close to the original West Pier, I didn't dream of going back to the operational Brighton pier for I wanted to stay with the bohemian and alternative hype that Brighton does best! It's your life so you have the freedom to decide!? I found a no-frills beachfront ice cream cafe that served hot food, I didn't have breakfast in London that morning so my hunger was growing. I enjoyed my hot dog very much, let's just say I would have spent twice as much for the same thing at the other side of the beach so I had made the right decision in my eyes. I don't get to many beaches because being from the West Midlands its the canal or bust in that landlocked part of England! Brighton had served up something extra compared to previous seaside towns I had been to before that day. I didn't have a crazy night in store because that wasn't my plan! When I go back to Brighton I will make it my duty to buy a sweet chocolate treat from Choccywoccydoodah, I suffer from tunnel vision when I'm on a day trip so I occasionally miss things out!

Brighton ... The Beautiful South!Joseph Harrison