It's a Grand life when Brighton rocks
A weekend in Brighton by car? It's not too far, although we did stop at Cambridge on the way down, and it took about four-and-a half hours back.
As you walk along the famous seafront, with the pier in the distance, runners and joggers pound past along the perfectly flat walkway, all the way to Hove… old, young, keen, not so keen, perhaps a touch too much Lycra on those unsuited to tight-fitting garments, but that's all part of the appeal.
Or perhaps it's that Brighton just lets you be who you want to be.
Even before breakfast, looking out of our seafront bedroom, .the enthusiastic ones are out in the fresh morning air.
All the time cyclists, skaters and skateboarders whizz past.
Everyone including the runners has a cheery wave or smile. Perhaps it's the sea air.
A lady on a tricycle stops to pass the time of day. She and her husband, both retired, bought a flat here only 10 days ago.
The pier itself is typically English. At the entrance, doughnut and candy floss stalls lead on to seats which are back to back to look out over the beaches split by the pier.
Strangely the east side appears dark caramel in colour, the west a lighter shade of tan.
The pier offers three bars, a Palm Court restaurant at the end, a proper funfair and superlative fish and chips.
More importantly, that staple of the English seaside, deckchairs, and they're all free.
Passing on the synthetic red toffee apples, I partake of a large tub of prawns with a choice of vinegar, mayonnaise and tabasco sauce, and sliced lemon.
In the middle of the pier, another staple of the English seaside, the arcade.
Slot machines and video games to the fore, but this arcade seems a lot less tacky than other resorts. Almost stylish, but not quite.
Down on the beach, art and curio stalls under the arches jostle with bars and eateries; live music echoes up and down.
A solitary bass saxophonist seems oblivious to the passers-by, lost in his own gentle, jazz-fuelled world..
A group of fit young men are offering a free workout class Saturday morning on a grassy area overlooking the beach, just down from cream-painted, bay-windowed homes at Regency Square, although there didn't seem to be many takers.
Probably the most famous attraction is the magnificent Royal Pavilion.
Built as a pleasure palace for King George IV – Brighton was the centre of fashionable society in Regency times – the sumptuous interiors with a Chinese influence contrast with the Indian-themed architecture outside.
Free audioguides are in French, German, Spanish, Italian, even Mandarin and Cantonese.
But we thought the exterior was looking bit tatty and could do with a refurb.
Walking through the town a boy racer in his small and garishly customed car, with ridiculously lowered suspension, pumping out an excessive number of decibels, contrasts with a stylish classic Maserati, marred only by the lack of one windscreen wiper.
If you want a different shopping experience head for The Lanes, a myriad of bars, shops,cafes, arcades and restaurants .
My favourite secondhand book shop has its cast-iron spiral staircase to the basement and books on proper wooden shelves. You need a ladder to reach the top ones.
We discover a small square and and the aptly-named Sky Bar where the sun beats down .
On the edge of The Lanes a jazz band plays in the sunshine, the female vocalist's gently honeyed tones perfectly suited for an afternoon relaxing.
A girl, six years old at the most. sways along to the music. Jazz catches them young, it seems.
If you need a more modern shopping experience, at the rear of the Grand, the Churchill Square shopping centre has the ubiquitous indoor malls, fashion shops, bookshops et al.
It leads down to Western Road, a mixture of cheaper fashion shops,trendy furniture, ethnic restaurants and food shops, plus candles, crafts, barbers and Berks home shop.
Culture vultures have can head for the Museum and Art Gallery as well as the Royal Pavilion.
There's the stunning Marina development, one of Europe's biggest night and day waterfront complexes with free entertainment, food market, activities for kids, sailing,diving, a casino, home-made cakes and ice cream, and somewhere to park your boat.
We stayed at Brighton's most famous hotel,The Grand, aptly named, on the seafront next to the Brighton Centre.
The imposing cream frontage with wrought iron balconies hides an equally imposing interior. Built in 1864, the hotel originally had 300 bedrooms and first had electric lights installed in 1886.
After the IRA bomb attack in 1984 the hotel was totally renovated, with an Empress suite and another 28 bedrooms added and now it has a total of 201.
The reception area is dominated by an imposing, wide carpeted staircase, flanked with intricate wrought iron on one side. Large jardinieres filled with ferns add to a regal feel.
Our bedroom, stylishly decorated in silver, grey and eau- de-nil, had a bed big enough for at least three.
The Victoria Lounge and Bar in the foyer is a premier meeting place for local residents. The gleaming polished wood of the grand piano, tinkling unobtrusively, complements the shining wood on the bar.
The hum of conversation and muted laughter from comfortable wing chairs is only interrupted slightly by the laying of white cloths and the delivery of silver service for the traditional afternoon tea, or during the evening, by the service of cocktails and drinks.
Charming, attentive but unobtrusive staff serve the guests with a quiet efficiency.
Dominated by a crystal chandelier, the splendid Kings Restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is still reminiscent of a gentler bygone age.
If you don't want to help yourself to the classic British breakfast, full waiter service is available and kippers are on the menu, which features locally sourced products.
Eating is a delightful experience, especially if you can grab a table in the small conservatory overlooking the seafront.
Even at dusk, the world seems to gravitate past at various speeds, sometimes on two legs, sometimes two wheels or more.
People-watching here has a different aspect against the backdrop of a sunset on the ocean.
This is the life... and it's Grand.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
