The weekend that I got my first job in London deserved a celebration. Especially after all the drama I had with settling in to London, that Overseas Working Holiday caused; that weekend was sunny so I figured what better way to celebrate then getting out of London and checking out Brighton.

There is something really cool about walking down Queen Road (the main street in Brighton) having a view of the sea-side squeezing in between old Victorian buildings and cafes. (my photo really does not do it much justice.)

I was warned before-hand about the disappointment of rock replaces sand so I knew what to expect and thought nothing of it, after all I am here to see Brighton with all of its stone replacing sand glory, not the Australian beaches that I have already seen; but at the first glance of the sea meets stone you do feel a sense of “somethings missing” and even though I was thoroughly forward I was still disappointed, it just felt wrong!

I was also under the impression that Brighton’s cosmopolitan nightlife wouldn’t affect me, having had a big celebration the night before and since I was visiting Brighton on my own I really just wanted to take in a new location, some sights and sun and get away from what was becoming “the norm” of London. but walking along the pier, coming across open bars and court yards with vibrant, funky blaring music onto the streets, seeing the crowd sitting on brick walls and benches facing the sea with pints in hand you cannot help but feel like putting your dancing shoes and getting a refreshing drink.

The stones for all of their disappointment and my new hatred for them were still kinda cool, with the blue and white stripped chairs creating an image of Brighton. The sea is peaceful, it’s very unlike the raging waves and surf I am used to in Australia, Brighton really does have to a nice atmosphere!

Now of course no post of the Brighton would be complete without a mention of the iconic Brighton pier. This extravagant and fun pier is a really nice walk. There is a theme park on the pier and as you walk to the end, you can smell donuts and all other sorts of fun foods that are great for you arteries. You can enjoy the rides or the food, or crowd watch over the railings. I found myself highly entertained by a couple of jet skiers and some English guys jumping over the pier rail into the water (I think they had enjoyed a couple of pints in the sun beforehand)

The pier was built in 1823 and originally used for passenger ships to France, the pier was effected by many storms and needed to be rebuilt, during the rebuilding process it was hit by more storms and eventually finished in 1899 and in 1905 it was turned into the amusement park it is now. A concert hall opened two years later and by 1911 this had become a theatre. In 1984 the pier was destined to be renovated under new ownership. Major changes were introduced such as free admission, free deck chairs, new food outlets on the forecourt and a traditional fish & chips restaurant The history of Brighton’s pier makes it an iconic Brighton image and an overall must see, fun place to be!

And of course,  another iconic image Brighton’s west pier, once the most amazing example of sea-side architecture and even more extravagant than the Brighton Pier. 2003 was a catastrophic year for the West Pier. A huge storm on 29th December 2002 resulted in the dramatic collapse of the south-east corner of the Concert Hall. On 28th March 2003 the Pavilion was destroyed in an arson attack, and on 11th May 2003 the Concert Hall also was burnt out deliberately. With the loss of funding the West Pier will now never be restored to look as it did in its prime.

I was doing some history reading on the old west pier and came across this photos taken before and during the destruction, pretty historically interesting.

An iconic and fantastic photo

An interesting before shot of Brighton from an aerial perspective. From here you can see the Brighton pier and the west Pier, where now the West pier is just a form of destruction, you can also see how much more extravagant it was then the now Brighton pier

 An in between image showing the destruction when the concert hall was burnt down.

Brighton has a great family atmosphere, with rides not only on the pier but all around Brighton. As you walk around you notice kids playing in the parks, families walking around with ice cream or fish and chips on the beach. kids playing in the… ah.. stones -mmm water, playing in the water.

I was also  forewarned about Brighton’s fantastic markets and told to stay away.. I didn’t listen! I took a walk from Brighton to Hove and passed the markets on the way, need-less to say I couldn’t resist. Brighton, following in the direction of London, has some fantastic shopping!

Hove

Walking through Hove  I witnessed the ever picturesque beach huts and walking around town away from the beach I visited to Royal Pavilion, quite a sight to be seen.

Royal Pavilion

Over all I say Brighton is a fantastic vibrant part of the UK and hard to leave.