| We went to Brighton at the end of April and stayed at the Caravan Club Site in the Sheepcote Valley, which is close to the marina. Brighton as you probably know has many independent retailers – here are a couple – I think you can guess what they sell. Most the shops are situated in the North and South Laines. Here are a few photos from the Laines. |
| Seen in a shop window – someone has plans for a tube system in Brighton. Double click to enlarge. |
| Brighton Beach | Brighton Marina |
| Royal Pavilion – a former royal residence. Beginning in 1787 was built in three stages as a retreat for George, Prince of Wales. |
| We had a sunny pitch and managed 4 BBQs despite the chilly weather. |
| From The Pump House website: ‘The Pump House is one of the oldest and most historic buildings in Brighton; A stone fireplace in our bar bears the initials of Miss Elliot who bought the building in 1766 and the cellars of our fine old building date from medieval times. When the beach was further inland a hand-operated pump was used to bring sea water to us and to nearby hostelries as people believed it had health giving properties.’ |
| The Cricketers - Victorian pub with an elegant upstairs bar named after author Grahame Green, who drank here. | Brunswick Square, Hove. Architect Charles Busby built these houses in East Hove in 1825 |
| Here I am on one of my cycle rides along the prom (selfie photo). | Doing some maths on one of the geocaches in Hove. |
| One day we went east to see two National Trust properties. The first at Alfriston was the Clergy House it was the first property to be acquired by the National Trust and was purchased in 1896 for £10. |
| The Clergy House |
| The interior – downstairs |
| Interior detail | Having a rest outside |
| The garden |
| Alfriston High Street – it was St. Georges Day hence the bunting |
| A cream tea before our next visit. |
| Monks’s House – Virginia Woolf’s 17th century retreat at Rodmell, East Sussex Busts of Virginia and Leonard Woolf in the garden |
| Sitting room | The garden |
| Virginia’s garden writing room |
| One afternoon we visited Hove Museum and Art Gallery. In the grounds there is The Jaipur Gate this was originally commissioned for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition held at South Kensington in 1886. The exhibition was opened by Queen Victoria on 4 May 1886 |
| In the Wizard’s Attic I spotted these Minibrix – I had a set of these so it brought back some memories. This was one of the forerunners of Lego. |
| Panorama of Brighton Pier |
| Madeira Drive – On the right you will see lots of fencing at ground level. This area is now out of bounds as is the terracing above. Extract from the B&H City Council website: We're taking action to prevent sections of Madeira Terraces from collapsing and to make the area safe for the public.The entire length of Madeira Terraces is closed, following engineers' advice. Surveying showed that the steel beams embedded in the concrete, supporting the deck of the Terraces, have corroded and the cast iron has come to the end of its useful life. Repairs cannot be made and a rebuild is needed. |
| Brighton beach looking east. The thin ‘tower’ on the left is described as ‘The British Airways i360 is an 162-metre observation tower being constructed on the seafront of Brighton, near to the West Pier. The "i" in the title stands for independence and innovation.’ |
| Brighton Marina | Not exactly your usual marina yacht. A 40 person lifeboat, totally enclosed |
| The Brighton Wheel – this closed on the 8th May 2016 |
| View from the pier looking west towards the i360 |
| We spent 10 days on the campsite and were very lucky with the weather. Although cold it hardly rained. A successful trip. |
