Category: Brighton

That time of year…

Brighton Pride, in August!

In all the years I have lived here I have only once seen the procession, because we spend as much of the summer as possible in France. As it happens, that particular weekend is also the closest I have ever come to attending a festival, which you may think is rather tame. I do remember the crazy colourfulness of the parade though – and the good humour. I am told that the spirit of Brighton Pride is now endangered for all the usual reasons – uncontrollable crowds, transport and parking issues, the cost of clearing up staggering amounts of litter, the inevitable commercialisation….It is true that the impact on residents, especially in the St. James’s Street Kemp Town area, has to be deplored. They are understandably protesting against the conditions imposed on them for over three days when the council authorities close public streets to enable the event organisers to make money by charging for entrance tickets.I have no idea what deal the council have got into over this, but as well as putting up with the mess and late (all?) night loud noise, residents in a very wide zone (25 densely populated streets) are required to register for wristbands, which they must then collect from a box office, with id and proofs of residency. They then have to wear them – just to access their own homes if they dare to step outside! The standard issue is 4 wristbands per household – so don’t even think about inviting any of your own visitors for three days…Apparently many residents just can’t stand this weekend and so are effectively driven away to stay elsewhere. No wonder they feel nostalgic for the old-style friendly (free) Pride street parties of not so long ago….

I will restrict my own Pride ‘commercial opportunity’ to something much less controversial. I have made precisely three crazy Pride items for my Etsy shop. Not in themselves exactly low-key, but definitely not intrusive.

Blogvember Day 30 – made it!

Though there were two days when I very nearly didn’t – and ended up posting far too close to midnight… It’s been an interesting discipline. Definitely not one I could keep up forever, but I’m feeling rather smug to have completed the challenge.

Busy weekend ahead – looking forward to making a start on Christmas – and candlelight concert tomorrow evening in the Pavilion – always a pretty treat.

A bientôt?

Dark places

Literally and metaphorically. This is the time of year when on days that I work – which has been every day for the last month – I leave the house in darkness and return the same way. I know this is the case for most working people, but I don’t like it. The other morning – a rare blue sky day – I defied the clock and went for a walk before my day officially started. My car was parked in the street top right – and I simply walked past it towards the sea and that i360 tower known locally as our giant ‘loo roll holder’. Brighton as you rarely see it, almost as quiet as in lockdown. Which, of course, provoked other thoughts, generating echoes and memories that were not too convenient at that time of day. But I have learnt to let it take its course. It is a truth that is always alongside me, ready to spring out at the most unexpected moments.

Day 3

Of Blogvember.

Not needed for work today, so had a quick look at the sea (Hove end), then back to sorting stuff for Etsy. These pictures were actually taken in mid October, hence the startlingly blue skies (and lack of pebbles – which are all over the place today.) The statue is relatively new. It’s called ‘Flight of the Langoustine’, by a Brighton sculptor Pierre Diamantopoulo and has only been on the Hove plinth for a month or so. I love the energy of the thing – life size human figures, escaping into the air through a metal grid. It was apparently inspired by a discarded lobster pot.

I have heard mutterings about the £135K it is said to have cost and I suppose the timing is unfortunate right now but it is a major piece of bronze which must have been commissioned years ago – so much work involved.

I seem to have slept through the remains of storm Ciaran last night, which is not like me. But there does seem to have been more damage in Brighton than I quite realised – the roof of the big Boots by the clocktower became unsafe, so that the whole of North Street (major thoroughfare) had to be closed, which then meant re-routing the buses along the seafront – which cannot have pleased the drivers. There were several shops closed/opening late in the centre this morning while they dealt with leaks – in one case there was water coming down through three empty flats above the shop. The built environment in our city does have its downside – so much of it is old – elegant and beautiful, but what one builder described to me as ‘Victorian spec. jerry building.’ I think he was exasperated, dealing with the notorious Brighton Bungaroosh!

Hic sunt dracones….

And plenty of them…

Half term fun. Dragon hunting with a five year old in Brighton Pavilion.

She was less keen on this:

She refused to believe anyone had ever eaten it. In fact, I think we may be heading towards more vegetarian choices quite soon….

The most interesting thing in the Pavilion apparently has nothing to do with poor old Prinny. It is Queen Victoria’s bed – with SEVEN mattresses, carefully counted!