Back To Brighton

It's time for a road trip out of London.

Cue a sunglasses selfie on the M23 and off we go!

There is only one place outside of London I absolutely love, and that's Brighton. I lived there for the whole of 2011 and fell in love with the city and its quirkiness by the sea.

When it is the summer it is one of the best places to be, so made perfect sense to head back when the weatherman announced Sunday was going to be the hottest day of the year so far!

Hello Brighton, it's been a while!

There is only one place to head straight for on a day like this, the beach!
Lined with bars and restaurants carved into the arches, it stretches the length of Brighton over to Hove and beyond.

There is so much to do in Brighton, especially in the summer, but nothing beats a drink on the beach. 

Back when I lived here, I would head straight down to the beach to meet up with friends after work. We would grab a drink or three from the bar, catch up about last nights antics in the club or whatever the latest gossip was, grab some fish and chips and relax in some evening sun.

I don't think I could imagine a better way to end the working day, could you? 

Gareth is wearing this Topman light blue jumper, which I had to track down to buy because that blue is so nice! You can find it here!

Brighton Pier opened in 1899, and is filled with food huts, 2p machines, claw-grabbing-teddy-bear-winning games and views over the Brighton sea front.
There is no way you will ever come out of here bring a millionaire, but being a couple of quid up and clutching a huge Me To You teddy bear isn't so bad either! 

Another picture moment captured!

If you don't know the layout of Brighton Beach, then I will explain to you very quickly whilst we are stood here.

The straight couples, local families, tourists and hen/stag groups sit on this side of the pier (Hove Side)...

Whilst the gay community, hipsters (and nudists if you head towards the marina end) sit on this side of the pier (The St James Street side).

See, pretty straight forward isn't it! 

Oh, and that wheel you see there on the St James Side is a nice ride if you want to see the Brighton city and coastline.

Whichever side you bat for though, there are enough ice cream stalls for you to fill up on.

Cheat day has well and truly kicked in for me - make it a double cone!
Suppose I better make the most of it, and I didn't break lent by eating that small chocolate flake on top either.
Okay, I did, but I can always start again tomorrow!

There is alot more to Brighton than just the beach, as much as you want to just lay on it all day.

If you wander up Old Steine and through the park you come across the Brighton Pavilion, which looks like you have stepped into an Indian Temple.
It was built in 1787 and was the royal retreat for the prince of Wales before being passed on through the royal generations until Brighton bought it from them and turned it into this beautiful museum.

The Pavilion parks surrounding it is lined with worshippers and yoga lovers, and you get this sense of calm before you turn the next corner into the North Laines.

This is bohemian-antic-hipster-quirky-ThatsANiceTop paradise for anyone and everyone.

Little lanes filled with independent shops that sell everything from antic furniture, little shops that sell clothes your friends will want to know where it's from, to health shops and everything in-between.

If you have followed me since I started writing, you will remember I mentioned Snoopers Paradise and how you must go in there! It is full of random old things and you will come back out from what feels like a time warp!

After a maze of shopping, lack of phone signal (seriously, you don't get 3G in Brighton on O2), we emerged back onto the sea front in need of another drink.

Perfect timing to go straight to Legends, grab a final pint and sit on the terrace watching the sun set over this seaside town with some old friends who still live there.

It was one of those moments where you forget where you are, one drink nearly turned into a lot, and we would have ended up in the nightclubs.

But, the big smoke was calling us and brought us back down to earth, so we reluctantly finished up and bid farewell whilst the rest of the group headed off to another sea front bar.

Brighton, you have made me want to move back. For the summer at least!