Win a £50 meal at Brighton Moshi Moshi

Right, since it's nearly Christmas and we know that all our www.visitbrighton.com visitors love competitions, (because you keep telling us!) we thought we'd get a new one up in a frenzy of festive yule tide spirit.

So in celebration of the Japanese Year of the Ox (ushi) in 2009, we've teamed up with the restaurant Moshi Moshi to give away a £50 meal per week during the whole of January!

Yes, we did say a meal a week!

Voted one of the Top 10 restaurants in the UK by the Independent, Moshi Moshi offers fresh, handmade sushi and an authentic approach to Japanese dishes. Winner of the Green Apple Award for the Environment and RSPCA Award for Animal Welfare, its got a brilliant ethical approach too!

Visit the VisitBrighton competitions page to enter.

Good luck!

Sarah

VisitBrighton

The Science of colour

We've been thinking in terms of colours a lot recently at VisitBrighton. Last week we had a day out of the office to do something called Prism training which is a form of profiling, the idea being to develop a better understanding of your own character traits as well as your colleagues to ensure you have the best possible working relationship. As you may have guessed the training is based on colours, and there are four main groups:

This is an example chart but I will try and summarise the main points for you. Green represents creativity and ideas; Blue is empathetic, emotional and supportive; the Red area indicates drive, determination and ambition and the Gold area (which looks Orange but it's meant to be gold) is someone who is highly analytical and precise. For the most part people are flexible and can flit between all four, however if you have a score of 75 or above (the outer edge of the circle) in any of the four areas then this is what you are most comfortable with and dictates how you will react under pressure. To be honest I'm not entirely convinced how useful this will be in day to day life, however it was a good day out and it was interesting to see the results which I have to admit were pretty accurate for everyone.

The other reason we have been thinking about colours is that it is just over a year since we launched the VisitBrighton brand and so we have been having an internal review to see if everyone has been sticking to the guidelines. You can download the guidelines and find out more about the branding work through our website but I thought as I was writing about colours today I would just mention our colour palette:

These colours were chosen as they best reflect the identity of the city - Magenta as it symbolises culture, femininity and health; Purple reflects royalty, spirituality and sophistication; Cyan because it represents the sea and sky and it is calming, and finally Black because it is timeless and stylish. These colours should be used in all of our Marketing activity, not all together but one could be used as a background colour in an advert or to highlight a piece of text. The colours are used in our logo and you can see on the homepage of our website that the menu tabs go through the spectrum from Cyan to Purple to Magenta. But which colour would you use, what colour do you think of when you think of Brighton & Hove?

Charlotte

Christmas Artists Open Houses

As our marketing manager fled wildly to Woolworths at lunchtime to bag a bargain in the china ware department, we started talking about the 'tragic' demise of this longstanding British retail institution.

Whilst it is undeniably a bit sad, let's face it, it is ONLY a SHOP! It's not exactly up there with the Greek tragedies is it! Although, admittedly, the queues were of rather Epic proportions...

Anyway, if all this 'Wooly's talk and battling with the festive masses in the 50% off crushes are proving a little bit too testing for your festive spirit, why not try the Brighton Christmas Artists Open Houses?

A lot more laid back but still great value, they're a really great twist on the traditional Christmas shopping.

Offering an exceptional mix of art and handmade goods, the houses are open for the first two weekends in December (6-7th and 13-14th) and offer up over seventy houses crammed with all kinds of unusual and beautiful gifts. As well as paintings and sculpture, most houses offer a wide range of ceramics, jewellery, textiles, lighting, furnishings, cards and a variety of Christmas decorations.

For details on the artists and items available in each house, simply pick up a brochure from locations around Brighton, or visit the website at www.aoh.org.uk.

Or if you have an opinion on Wooly's, feel free to share it! I mean it will leave an awful big gap on Western Road!

Sarah
VisitBrighton

The Chilli Pickle wins hot award!

The Chili Pickle is one of Brighton's newest restaurants but they are already making a name for themselves as their chef Alun Sperring has just won the XXX mints Can You Handle the Heat competition for his Oxtail Madras.

This is a fiercely contested national competition so huge congratulations to Alun. Personally speaking it sounds like it was also a victory for common sense as one of the other competitor's dish included a pepper that was 100 times hotter then a Jalapeno and the judges could barely manage one mouthful and have advised that it should not be served in restaurants, which I can't qutie see the point of.

Whereas The Chilli Pickle use local Sussex produce and while their dish was hot it was also packed full of flavour, so a well-earned win there for Alun. Therefore next time you are visiting Brighton make sure you pop in and try some award winning curry.



To find out more about the award check out the video on the BBC website

Charlotte

Film in Brighton

I watched the film Genevieve again last night. I do love it. It's one of those old British gems I just can't get enough of. It's just so funny and depicts the battle of the sexes perfectly. If you've never seen, check it out - I don't think it will disappoint! If you want to own a copy, it's available to buy on the VisitBrighton Eshop.

As you probably know, it's all about 2 couples who indulge in a race against one another in their respective 'old crocs' on the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Great fun. And if you're interested in Brighton's film history, you might also like to check out our Brighton on Film page.

Following on from this I then found a great film on You Tube showing the Veteran Car Run from the 1950s - its well worth a look if you like a bit of nostalgia. And it reminded me of Genevieve too!



And if you love film, don't forget it's the Brighton Cinecity Film Festival at the moment. Loads of lovely filmic fare to get you going. I actually won 2 tickets to see a Polish film last night and the office rudely suggested I was probably the only person to have entered. What a load of old heathens.

Has no-one else seen the Dekalog or the Three Colours Trilogy!? They are just the most fabulous films (oh alright, you may need to be a teensy weensy bit art housey to like them!)

Happy viewing...

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Brighton is the top destination for young people

I don't know about you but I'm not very good with cold weather, in fact I would like to hibernate but as I can't I resort to wearing umpteen layers including some gorgeous thermals and basically just whinge, moan and be miserable. However there will be no whinging from me this week as we've had some news that has helped to warm the cockles...

Brighton & Hove has just been named the Best Destination for Young People at the British Youth Travel Awards, wahoo and hooray to us! Organised by the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), the awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding companies and individuals operating within the youth travel market.


In case you are wondering the happy chappie clutching the award is our Marekting Manager, John, and he certainly is pleased :)

Charlotte

Romance in Brighton

As I mentioned last week that I was compiling a list of the Top 10 romantic things to do in Brighton & Hove, I thought it only fair that I share the results with you. Oh and thanks to Baroque for the image, the ring is called 'Hook my Heart'

1. Impress your lover with a cultural treat by booking a box for two at the Theatre Royal Brighton to see the classic Swan Lake


2. Nothing is quite as sensual and romantic as a massage, apart from a joint massage at The Treatment Rooms complete with soft music and candlelight


3. Hire a moped from Vroom by the Sea and pretend to be Jimmy and Steph from cult classic 'Quadrophenia' as you zoom along the seafront


4. For a special treat for Valentine's night visit erotic boutique She Said, need we say more…?


5. Get wet and wild at ORB360 as you roll down a hill in a 12ft orb filled with 30 litres of water


6. Oysters are well-known for being an aphrodisiac so a meal at Riddle and Finns Champagne and Oyster bar will get temperatures rising!


7. If you feel taking a dog for a walk is too passé then how about taking a llama out instead? Couples can take a special Valentine's Day walk at the Ashdown Forest Llama Park


8. If you fancy a trip to the movies but are worried about getting a numb bum then take your loved one to the Duke of York's as they have cosy sofas for two so you can snuggle up and enjoy the film in comfort


9. For those whose sweetheart has a sweet tooth to match Scoop & Crumb has the answer as they have a special Sundae menu with 50 varieties to choose from so you might decide to have a Pink Lady and a Bachelors Kiss or you might prefer to share a Really Fruity Sundae


10. If all this talk of romance has made you think about popping the question or if your lover just can't get enough bling then visit Baroque Bespoke Jewellers

If you are planning a break then see our Romantic Brighton section for my Top 10 tips on where to stay

Charlotte

Make it so

Last night the cast of The Wizard of Oz switched on the Christmas Lights in the Lanes, and while I think it's great that the Theatre Royal has decided not to do a panto this year and has instead decided to do the classic musical I have to admit I am more excited about their Spring programme.

I am particularly looking forward to seeing Waiting for Godot starring Sir Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart (oh for the less geeky of you who are wondering about the title of this post 'Make it so' was Patrick Stewart's catchphrase in Star Trek: The Next Generation). It should be a fantastic night out as I don't really see what could go wrong when you have two fantastic actors in a classic play, although I might get distracted imagining them doing the whole show dressed as Magneto and Prof Xavier from X Men!

However that is not the only thing we have to look forward to as other highlights include classic musicals Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, HMS Pinafore and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. If you are not a musicals fan then don't worry you could go and see the timeless love story Brief Encounter or Gethsemane starring the Olivier award winning Tamsin Grieg who telly fans will know from Black Books and Green Wing. There are laughs aplenty in Totally Looped (Mock the Week meets YouTube!) and Boeing Boeing plus stand-up comedy nights with Ed Byrne and Stephen K Amos. You can also see Richard E Grant in God of Carnage and Edward Fox and Claire Bloom will be starring in Lloyd George Knew My Father.

And of all that wasn't enough the programme also includes Spongebob Sqaurepants in The Sponge who could fly. All together now - Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? ...
Ok then I think I'd better sign off now before I embarrass myself any further

Charlotte

Love is in the air

In the world of tourism, Christmas is old news and we are starting to plan for Valentine's Day. I am currently putting together a list of the Top 10 romantic things to do in Brighton & Hove, between us we have come up with a few suggestions, including Llama walking! But if you have any then please do let me know. Although if you are already feeling as loved up as the two chaps pictured below then check out the Romantic Brighton section of our website



And while we are on the subject of romance I have just heard some very exciting news, Wallace and Gromit are going to be back on our screens for Christmas Day in a brand new short film - A Matter of Loaf and Death (they are now running a bakery). Not only does Wallace find romance in the form of Piella Bakewell but even Gromit gets in on the action when he meets Piella's poodle, Fluffles!


Charlotte

The number 5

Well, firstly a massive thank you to Ms Barrow for keeping the blog going over the last month, whilst I have been drowning in creating the new VisitBrighton website.

Hope you like it, we certainly do... If you haven't seen it yet, check it out at www.visitbrighton.com.

Now - onto other things - did you know that on this day in 1959 Britain's 1st quintuplets were born in a London hospital? No, neither did I! I'm far too young!

Anyway, it got me thinking about the number 5! And what with the looming recession, what better than our Top 5 budget things to do in Brighton:

Brighton Budget Top 5

Check out VisitBrighton’s special offer section for some great exclusive deals on hotels, attractions and things to do.

Visit off season. Lots of hotels offer reduced rates during the winter months, so you could bag a bargain. You’ll also find you’ve got much more of the city to yourself.

Buy a combined Royal Pavilion and Sealife Centre ticket from the Visitor Information Centre and you’ll save a packet.

Visit our Brighton fun for free and cheap eats pages. You’ll be surprised how much you can do and eat in the city without breaking the bank.

Come by train - Southern trains offer a £20 group save ticket for up to 4 people in the Southern area.

You'll find lots more ideas in our Budget Your Brighton section.

We do sometimes get sand on the beach

It is a well-known fact that Brighton & Hove beaches are not sandy however a couple of times a year the tide is low enough to uncover some sand and while some people might celebrate by taking a romantic stroll or by building a sandcastle there is a group of people who decide to cycle along the beach.

Local film maker Evan Pugh has made a short film following 10 people riding along the beach from Hove to Brighton Marina, so have a look and see if you'll be tempted to join in next time. Although I should warn you that a couple of people have decided to ride in the nude! Can't think why though, it must chafe a little, oh well whatever makes you happy. Anyway if you are tempted then it looks like the next time that the tide will be low enough will be Wednesday 11th February 2009 although this might change so check their website to make sure.


Just before I sign off, just want to say thanks to my Grandad for letting me know about this video :)

Charlotte

PS Following on from Evan's comment below you can vote for the video at: current.com

Brighton Festival news. Yes already!

While most of us are just starting to get our heads around the fact that Christmas is galloping towards us, some people are already looking ahead to 2009.

The Brighton Festival may seem a long way off given that it does not start until May but they are already putting the wheels in motion as they have just announced that Turner prize winner Anish Kapoor will be the guest artistic director. I'll be honest here and admit that I had not actually heard of him, however after John had derided me he then insisted on showing me a picture of some of Anish Kapoor's work and I must say I am now just as excited as John is, I mean imagine something like this in Brighton & Hove:

Apparently a number of Kapoor's works will be presented across the city and they will be the inspiration for the whole programme of events, how exciting!

Charlotte

New website and let's see if we can make Sarah blush...

We are all extremely excited as after lots of hard work our brand new website has gone live today, wahoo! So do please have a look at www.visitbrighton.com and let us know what you think....

There is not much point my sitting here trying to describe how delightfully lovely the site is as you can go and see that for yourself. So instead I will say that while these last few weeks have been a bit frantic, hectic and a lot of hard work it's been great to see everyone pulling together and getting involved.

And while it definitely has been a team effort and everyone has contributed to us getting to this point (including yours truly) I have to single out our Mistress of all things webby - Sarah. We have barely seen the poor love these past couple of weeks as she has not only had to project manage the design and development of the new site but she also had to create all the content for it, no mean feat given that there are over a 1000 pages and while we think of it as one website you actually get 6 for the price of 1 as VisitBrighton also has micro sites for Media, Conferences, Learning English, Groups and our local Partners. Crikey!

However assuming there are no major glitches things should calm down a bit for Sarah and I'm sure she will soon be back on the blog to share her witticisms with you all once again, although hopefully she will have a holiday first!

Anyway I will now hand over to Sir Cliff who has a message for Sarah and everyone who worked so hard on the website....



Charlotte

Local businesses win prestigious awards

Well before I go off to see the new James Bond film at the lovely Duke of York's cinema, with a glass of wine of course, I just had to say congratulations to SailNetUK who won in two categories of the Tourism ExSEllence Awards - Best Tourism Experience and Sports Tourism. So well done guys, and in case you were wondering Sailnet offer exciting sailing activities but don't worry if you've never sailed before as they also cater for complete novices.

Another local business which was highly commended was M's Cycle Hire, who unsurprisingly hire out bicycles! They very helpfully bring the bicycles direct to your door, or hotel if you are a visitor and given that this is a compact city, it's the ideal way to get around!

So well done to both businesses, why not try them out this weekend?

Charlotte

‘The day the music died…’ or did it?

Well, I truly don’t believe it did. Judging by the volume of audiences at the concerts I’ve recently attended, I’d say music is very much alive. I think Don McLean got it wrong when he sang ‘American Pie’. I think he was ill informed.

Let’s take my visit to Glyndebourne in August, for instance. As part of my Silver Wedding Anniversary celebrations we booked to see ‘Love and other Demons’ a new opera adapted from the Gabriel Garcia Marquez novella. Very dark, very deep, very mind provoking and very packed out. Ok, it was a new opera, ok, it was conducted by Vladimir Jurowski (acquaintances are beginning to think I’m a groupie – I think they may be right, but don’t tell my husband). However, it did have a rather ‘arty’ feel to it and such operas are not everybody’s cup tea and yet Glyndebourne was full to capacity.

Then there was the last night of Brighton’s World Sacred Music Festival last Sunday night. Mor Kabasi – WOW! No wonder there were ‘SOLD OUT’ signs all over the windows of the Sallis Benney theatre on Sunday night. She was a knock-out. Israeli born of Moroccan and Persian parentage, singing in Ladino – a language made up of Old Spanish, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Turkish and Greek and spoken by the Jews of Spain, Portugal and North Africa. Her voice was so beautiful, her musicians world class and her music full of Spanish, Arabic and rock influences with strong flamenco rhythms. At one point she and her band left the stage to set up at audience level with Mor Kabasi singing as she walked up the centre aisle. The audience were spell bound. The theatre was full.

And that brings me to last Wednesday night. A piano recital at Brighton College. A mix of Bach and Shostokovich as well as a selection from Gershwin. And you guessed it - almost full to capacity – and in the middle of the week too.

So, what can I say? The music certainly hasn’t died. In fact, it’s very much alive in Brighton during the winter as well as the summer. Anyone that says we’re just a summer city has got it totally wrong. As the brochure says ‘Our city isn’t just for the summer’. There’s just so much to do here and people do it!

Hilary

What's on in Brighton

Well hooray it's Friday, so I thought I'd be helpful and give you a few ideas of things to do this weekend.
So let's start with tonight:

• Brilliant local band Educated Animals are launching their new album at the Latest bar
• The Comedy Festival is nearly over but there's still time to catch some great acts, either by seeing local favourite Stephen Grant or you could try The Best of the Fest
• If you'd prefer a music festival then there's two for you to choose from over the weekend with the City Festival and the Brighton Early Music Festival
• There's something for literary fans as well as the Royal Pavilion is hosting Jane Austen - A Truth Universally Acknowledged
• Of course as I mentioned earlier in the week it will be White Night on Saturday so all sorts of things will be happening right through the night
• There is even a Tea Dance happening on Saturday

So hopefully that has given everyone something to look forward :)

Charlotte

London to Brighton train ride

Just a quick one today, but as I was perusing the BBC iPlayer I came across this short film which shows two train journeys from London to Brighton, one from 1953 and one from 1983, side by side.

Well that's it, told you it was a quick one! 

Charlotte

 

Brighton & Hove is the country's most continental city

Another day and another accolade for Brighton & Hove! Yes it's true this time we have been named the most continental city in Britain beating Liverpool, Belfast, Edinburgh and poor old London had to make do with being eighth in the list.

Overall the study (commissioned by Heineken) found that Britons were embracing continental attitudes be it a kiss hello or having a siesta during the day in order to stay out later, presumably another factor is using words such as siesta instead of nap!

Back to Brighton though, people do often comment on the fact that there is a European feel to the city particularly when it comes to food and drink as there is such a mixture of styles on offer, I like the fact that more restaurants are moving away from the traditional three large courses to having a few smaller dishes so you can pick and choose more things to try without getting bloated, examples in Brighton & Hove include Pintxo People and Graze.

Another factor has to be the people, the traditional image of English people being stand-offish and having a stiff upper lip just doesn't apply here as everyone is friendly and also more laid back, visitors often comment on the fact that the city centre is quiet first thing in the morning, it doesn't really start to get going until 10 or 11. That's not to say that no one works a normal 9-5 shift but the independent shops of the North Laine don't tend to open up until late morning and then you start to see more people about. Part of the reason for this continental approach of starting and finishing later is that we have always had a lot of students here thanks to the two universities and the large number of English Language schools.

But don't just take my word for it, come and visit Brighton & Hove and then you can see for yourself why we have been named the most continental city. As ever if you think I have missed something out then please let me know

Charlotte

Brighton nightlife with a twist

Brighton & Hove is well known for having great nightlife, whether it's club nights, live music or comedy we've got it covered. However this month you can do something a little bit different once the sun goes down.

On the 25th October the city will host White Night where a variety of venues and attractions will stay open right through the night and best of all most of them will have free entry. The event is already very popular in Europe particularly in Paris and Berlin, but this will be the first time it's been tried in the UK. The reason for choosing that date is because it is the Autumn Equinox and it is the night the clocks go back, and to mark this there will be a 'Duet for the Small Hours' with three live and highly charged physical duets which will begin and end at 2am.

It's also good timing from my point of view as I am going to see Roy 'Catchphrase' Walker that evening at the Corn Exchange, so I'll be able to enjoy the festivities afterwards. Highlights include the Royal Pavilion staying open til midnight with a concert being performed by the Brighton Philharmonic orchestra in the Music Room. Herbie Flowers will be performing in the Dome Foyer bar, the Prince Regent swimming pool will be open until 2am with underwater speakers, the library staff will have to resist the urge to shush people as they will have local bands playing and screening films as well. If that wasn't enough there will also be special trails throughout the night all with a romantic theme there's a Love Hunt, Lit Lit Trail and a romance walk, although if you prefer to peddle there is a special treasure hunt for cyclists as well!


So for a night out in Brighton with a difference make sure you come down for White Night and if I've completely confused you with all the different events happening, then don't worry as the Visitor Information Centre will be open that night and you may be lucky enough to spot our Marketing Manager John wandering around thrusting our Winter Guide in people's faces :)

More awards for Brighton!

Obviously as I work for VisitBrighton I am always on the look out for news stories about the city, but as I've been here a while it seems I have managed to brainwash my family and friends, as my mum very sweetly alerted me to a news story that I had somehow overlooked, so thanks Mum!

The Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital has been named Britain's best Public Building, beating the other 20 building's on the shortlist to win the Prime Minister's Better Public Buliding award. The building was built in the shape of an ark and has bright bands of colour, well rather than trying to describe it why don't I just add a picture for you:


Back in 2005 the same award was won by Brighton's Jubilee Library, which was chosen becasue of the fact that it is environmentally friendly as it features low energy consumption, low embodied energy and recycled rainwater. Although personally I like it becasue as the glass fronted exterior looks stunning, especially at night:


There you are then, yet antoher reason to visit Brighton, as apart from the well known architectural delights of the Royal Pavilion and the Regency squares there are all sorts of less well known ones as well. So please fell free to let us know which are your favourite buildings in Brighton & Hove

Charlotte

We're off to see the Wizard...

Well it may be a dreary rainy day but our lunch break was full of glitz and glamour as we went to the Theatre Royal Brighton for a sneak preview of their fabulous Christmas musical The Wizard of Oz.

Brighton is breaking with tradition by having a musical instead of a pantomime and I for one am delighted, as personally I have never been a fan of pantos, what with all the 'it's behind you' nonsense and the Butlins-esque audience participation element either.

This afternoon we were treated to a couple of songs followed by a Q&A session with Tim Flavin who is acting, directing and choreographing the show, and at one point he did stray into a slight rant about the current state of celebrity, as when he first started thirty years ago if you wanted to be a musical theatre star you had to undergo years of training and then several years gaining experience in order to work your way up to the best parts, however nowadays he is losing roles to people because they have appeared in the Big Brother house or some other drivel. When you think about it is ludicrous, in what other profession would you get away with hiring someone with no qualifications, just because they have been on telly.

So you will be pleased to hear there are no reality tv stars or other non-entities in this production only people who are actually qualified to do the job, including a lot of local talent in particular Bruce Montague who is probably best known as Leonard from Butterflies (although personally speaking Russel was my favourite) will be appearing as the Wizard, there will also be lots of special effects so you'll still get to see the twister, a witch melting before your eyes and of course the flying monkeys!

Although while this is a professional cast there is space for one enthusiastic amateur within the ensemble, as Toto will be played by a real dog and they will be holding open auditions at the Theatre Royal Brighton on Saturday 11th October from 10 - 12pm, although there are some restrictions as it will need to be a smallish dog who can fit into Dorothy's basket so apologies to anyone with a St Bernard seeking fame! The play closely follows the plot and style of the film so they would be keen to find a dog similar to that one, and obviously one that doesn't mind being picked up by people, so if you think your little pooch could be a star then bring them along.

So if you want a Christmas outing with a difference then come to Brighton, although be quick as tickets are selling fast, in fact some shows have already sold out, so be sure to get yours soon. Tickets can either be booked online, by phone or in person at the Theatre Royal Brighton

Charlotte

Think Ya Used Enough Dynamite There, Butch?

'Once you've seen your face on a bottle of salad dressing, it's hard to take yourself seriously.'

So said possibly one of the big screens nicest and most philanthropic stars. Paul Newman passed away this weekend, leaving a legacy of films and charity work behind him. Proof that not all stars are so big for their boots they need a size 12 just to get out of bed, even conservative Muslim Iran, which would not usually concern itself with reporting on a Western film star, marked his death. Not only the 'King of Cool', he was also a humanitarian who gave and raised millions for charity.

Surely, unless the last drip of emotion has been wrung screaming from you, you can't fail to become at a least a little glassy eyed at the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

So if you're feeling a bit nostalgic for films of old, why not check out our VisitBrighton Movie Map? Paul Newman doesn't appear but the loveable Woody Allen does!

From 60s cult classic Quadrophenia to wartime romance End of the Affair, many films have been set or partly shot in key locations around Brighton & Hove, so why not re-live the glitz and glamour of film production old and new?

And with one of Newman's daughters saying that she wanted her father to be remembered for his charity work, if you want to find out more about some of his work outsdie film see here.

Brighton Walks

Well, having just got back from a week on the Camino de Santiago (a long pilgrim walk in Spain that wends its merry way to, well funnily enough, Santiago) I got thinking about the various walks in Brighton. OK, so there is nothing quite equivalent to an 800 KM trek through the Pyrenees and lots of little Spanish pueblos, but there are actually loads of walks to do in and around the city.

It's just one of the things that makes Brighton so great - the unique mix of city life with lots of countryside and green spaces sitting quite literally on the doorstep.

Here are a few ideas:

The Undercliff Walk - a 3 mile (5km) walk from Black Rock to Saltdean. A popular and scenic coastal walk, the area is also a site of special historical and geological interest, with fossils of mammoths, whooly rhinos and even hippos discovered there over the years. Regular bus services and the Volks Railway both go to Black Rock.

VisitBrighton Movie Map - From the intense noir of Brighton Rock to the wartime emotions of End of the Affair and the latest offering from comedic giant Woody Allen, many films have been set or partly shot in key locations around Brighton & Hove. Re-live the glitz and glamour of film production old and new in Brighton with our Movie Map.

Take a walk in Stanmer Park - Named one of Britain's Top 10 walks by the Independent newspaper, take a wander around the beautiful Stanmer Park and discover The Horseshoe, Wilkin's Folly and Pudding Bag Wood.

Take a walk in the Brighton countryside - Did you know there are over 14,000 acres of countryside in Brighton and the surrounding areas? That's a lot of walking! And a great antidote to the bustle of city life.

Take a Brighton MP3 walking tour with Cool City Walks or Tourist Tracks and see the great city sites at your own pace.

Happy walking!

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Elephants in Brighton

No that isn't a misprint, we have actually spotted a herd of Elephants in Brighton ... well obviously not real ones as I am pretty certain that would convene some kind of health and safety regulation. These are life-sized topiary elephants who have taken up residence in the Royal Pavilion Gardens until Tuesday 30th September

The Elephants have been on tour around the UK and Ireland raising awareness of the fact that Asian elephants are being marooned as trees are felled to make way for roads, railways, villages and industry. The suggestion is to build an elephant corridor that would connect habitable areas to help keep herds together.


Brighton is the last stop on their tour, although I think they look great and would love to keep them here after all these are Asian elephants and the Royal Pavilion does have an Indian design so I'm sure they'd be happy here :) Anyway pop down and visit them while you can



Charlotte

Winter in Brighton

I'm sorry I have been rather neglecting you all recently, the reason for this is that we have been working on a lovely Winter Guide, mainly telling people about the fantastic events happening between October - December but also including information about staying in Brighton & Hove, eating and drinking, shopping as well as a handy map and events diary.

So this week we have been busy proof-reading and fact checking, debating over whether each apostrophe was in the right place and that sort of thing. Fingers crossed we have spotted everything but it is always possible that something has slipped through the net. Anyway I've very excited about it and think the finished product will be fabulous. You'll have to wait until October to see the finished article, they will be appearing in visitor information centres across the South East as well as in train stations and workplaces in London. Although we wouldn't want anyone to feel left out so there will be an online version for people to download as well.

However I think it is safe for me to give you a sneak preview of the front cover as at least then you will know what to look out for!


Hope you like it, although being honest I don't actually want to know if you don't! Anyway that is it for now although I will be back tomorrow to tell you what has been stampeding across the Royal Pavilion Gardens...

Charlotte

Get your knitting needles ready...

Working in Marketing I receive quite a few press releases, and having worked here a couple of years you kind of know what to expect, for example I've had some recently about the Early Music Festival and the Art Fair. However sometimes one will come through that surprises you, as I have just learnt that in October it is knitting week!

Although this isn't good enough for Hove, no we are so excitied about it that we are going to have a whole knitting month! Didn't I tell you we always like to do things differently here. Apparently one in five people can knit, I remember Grandma trying to teach me years ago but I'm not sure if I'd be able to now, although that does mean a couple of people in this office should be able to.

In order to celebrate the Hove Museum will have a host of events and workshops for beginners, novices and experts so they'll be something to suit you whether you've never picked up a needle before or if you never leave the house without one. There will also be some exhibits to inspire you, including knitted fruit and vegetables made by the local Stitch 'n' Bitch group as well as this knitted coral reef by Ildiko Szabo:

Which reminds me to add that it is currently the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival and this weekend they have the Live Food Show and The Taste of Sussex Festival Market on Jubilee Street. You may be wondering what the link is between knitting and the Food Festival, well here is the logo for this year's Festival, designed by Cardigan which was set up by lovely local artist Kate Jenkins:


Charlotte

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Komedia Brighton

Well hoorah hooray the weekend is here and to make it extra exciting a few of us from work are going to Komedia tonight for their Krater Comedy Club. I've been a few times now but I remember the first time I went I was quite sceptical as they have three stand-ups and a MC and as I hadn't heard of any of them I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However it was really good, and as I say I have been a few times since then and obviosuly some are better then others but overall it's good fun, although I wouldn't recommend sitting at the front unless you want to become the butt of a joke!


Mind you although Komedia is most well-known as a comedy club thanks to the Krater every weekend, and other events such as Tag Comedy and the satirical Treason show. They are also a music venue, a while ago I saw the gorgeous Ben Taylor the son of James Taylor and Carole King - how upsetting would it have been if he couldn't sing? luckily he can though! And coming up they have got Gotye playing who we saw during the Great Escape Festival and he really is amazing, he does all the music himself, although not in a Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins kind of a way I hasten to add!

Apart from live acts they also have club nights including Born Bad and Stick It On where you get to be the DJ for 15 minutes. As well as some miscellaneous events, I remember going to see some radio comedy show being recorded but then that was only becasue it was being introduced by one of Mum's favourite DJ's Mark Radcliffe. Staying on the radio theme they have an evening with Johnnie Walker coming up soon...


So there you go that was my quick introduction to Komedia so hopefully that has whet your appetitie, have a good weekend and don't forget to go to www.visitbrighton.com for a full What's On list

Charlotte

More accolades for Brighton

Just a matter of days after appearing in the Top 10 beach destinations in the world (and the only one from the UK) Brighton has now appeared in two more Top 10 lists, wahoo!

On MSN's list of the Top 10 University cities Brighton is in at number three beating Liverpool, Manchester and Cambridge. We came high up on the list thanks to the free-spirited atmosphere, the shopping and the nightlife. Other key points are that it is a manageable sized city and we are easy to get too, and only an hour from London - which came in handy for me for going to see George Michael at Earl's Court on Sunday, ok I know that wasn't exactly relevant but he was amazing so I felt I had to mention him :)

Anyway getting back on track, we are also one of the top 10 beaches with wifi internet access in the world, in fact we came in at number 2 only being beaten by Clearwater Beach, Florida. At this point I thought it would be nice to include an image but I'm not sure if we have any of people using laptops on the beach but then I remembered that the winner of our film competition last year - Tony Moon actually appeared in his video as the guy sitting on the beach with his laptop! What a link and a good excuse to show the film again, although before I do I should just add that if you would like to find out why Brighton appears in all these Top 10 lists then see our website for more information: www.visitbrighton.com



Charlotte

Having a laugh

Congratulations to Zoe Lyons who has just won an award for the funniest joke at Edinburgh Fringe. You may be wondering why I have picked up on this particular news story as it apparently relates to Edinburgh, however Zoe is actually from Brighton and I saw the runner-up comedian - Andrew Laurence at the Komedia so you see it is relevant after all.

Also it gives me a good excuse to talk about the (deep breath in...) Magners Paramount Comedy Festival Brighton, there's nothing like a short and snappy title now is there? It runs from the 9 - 25th October and it seems to be even more crammed full of top acts then ever before. Apart from the two named above there will also be: Dara O'Briain, Alan Carr, Richard Herring, Jason Manford, Dylan Moran, Russell Howard, Ed Bryne, Rich Hall, Jimmy Carr, Andy Parsons, Michael McIntrye, Jeff Green, Frankie Boyle and finally Roy 'just say what you see' Walker! It's all terribly exciting, I'd love to go and see them all but I don't think that will be feasible but I have bought my tickets for Dylan Moran and Roy Walker, as I missed Dylan Moran the last time he was down so I wanted to make sure I saw him this time, and as for Roy Walker well he is a legend!


Anyway the Festival's own website isn't up and running yet but you can find out more and book tickets online from Brighton Dome

Charlotte

If you took a holiday in Brighton

Well, we felt it would be rude to let the Queen's of Pop's half century go unnoticed. Apparently, the most popular Madge song of all time is 'Like a Prayer', but we ignored that and chose Holiday instead. Here's our homage to the 1st Lady of Pop:

If we took a holiday
Took some time to go away
Just one day out in Brighton
It would be, it would be so nice

Everybody spread the word
Were gonna go and visit the Pavilion
Play petanque on the beach
In every nation
Its time for the good times
Forget about the bad times, oh yeah
One day shopping in The Lanes
Will release your daily strains
You need a holiday in Brighton

(chorus)

You can turn this world around - ooo yeah, ooo yeah
And bring back those happy days in Brighton
Take a wander on the Pier
Or grab a cheeky beer

If you go and visit Hove
You will find
A way to come together
And make things better
You need a holiday…in Brighton.

We did try amending the lyrics to Justify My Love but it all got a bit messy…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Madge.

Oh and if you fancy a holiday in Brighton - check out our Leap Into Brighton offers. Yes, we know it's all a bit tenuous, but we'd be working for Saatchi and Saatchi if we were actually any good at this...

Brighton in Top 10 world beach destinations

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, oh, I do...oh, alright, I won't sing the rest. There's reasoning behind my crooning though, because on MSNs Top 10 World Beach Destinations, Brighton came in at number 7. And that's the WORLD, not just the UK. Brighton was the only UK city in the list too and came in above Sydney, Australia. Pretty impressive really if you think of all the beaches around the world!Brighton is unique as a beach destination in that it has so much to offer - it's got the traditional seaside atmosphere, yet is also steeped in history. It's got a Royal Palace like no other and is often remembered for its associations with 60s Mods and Rockers and the seminal film Quadrophenia. It's got 2 piers (OK, one is not exactly a whole pier, but it's possibly the most beautiful shell of a pier you are ever likely to see!), loads of pubs and clubs, lots of arts and culture and a great selection of award winning restaurants. Its even got loads of stunning countryside just moments from the city if you feel like getting away from it all.

So, if you live here already, you're a resident of one of the Top 10 beach destinations in the world. And if you don't, why not come and find out what all the fuss is about. You can find out all about the city on the www.visitbrighton.com website.

More celebrities in Brighton!

I do love the quirky facts we come across working here at VisitBrighton for example did you know that for the international beach volleyball championships happening here at Yellowave 3 - 7 September they have had to import 1,500 tonnes of sand? Or did you know that Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest at the Brighton Dome?

Anyway the most recent quirky fact I have come across is that one of the stars of the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian lives here in Brighton, no not the Prince, Lucy or even Edmund but Trufflehunter the talking badger! Don't worry I'm not completely mad I know he's not real but it turns out the inspiration for his appearance came from one of the badgers here at the Booth Museum of Natural History!

So there you have it another celebrity resident to look out for when you next come to visit, and at least you know you will definitely be able to see this one! And to help you spot him here is a picture of him courtesy of the Booth Museum and also one of his movie star counterpart


Charlotte

Celebrity sighting in Brighton

Sadly it wasn't actually me who had the celebrity sighting but one of my friends who works in a shoe shop in the North Laine got to serve Gary Numan! I was extremely envious as we are both huge fans of the electro maestro, who did play at the Brighton Dome earlier in the year but sadly I missed that as well :( But hopefully he will be back again soon

Although it doesn't seem too surprising that he would shop in that area as the North Laine is the alternative bohemian area for shopping in the city. Whereas I was quite surprised to spot Nick Cave going into an ice cream parlour in Hove as somehow it didn't seem to fit with his slightly morose image, but it seems that no one can resist the temptation of a delicious scoop!

We do have a few local celebs here and obviously quite a few coming to visit, although I've never noticed anyone being mobbed for autographs, I guess that is the advantage of the laid-back friendly nature of the city, the attitude generally is live and let live no matter who you are.

Anyway enough from me, has anyone else had a good celebrity sighting in the city or who would you most like to see during a stay in Brighton & Hove?

Charlotte

Win a day at Brighton Beach Volleyball Championships

VisitBrighton have teamed up with Yellowave and the 2008 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Beach Volleyball Championships to offer 2 lucky people a fabulous day out at the event on 6th or 7th September. The prize includes:

• 2 tickets to the Championships
• champagne reception for 2
• three course sumptuous meal using locally sourced Sussex ingredients
• 'afternoon tea' in the sea facing Smoothie Bar
• Yellowave goodie bag.

Set within an idyllic picture postcard setting, it's a one off chance to catch the final days of play at Britain's first Beach Volleyball World Championships, as the venue looks towards the 2012 Olympics.

Check out the VisitBrighton website to find out more and enter...

Music Brighton

We are often saying what a creative and musical city Brighton & Hove is but then I would say that as I am marketing the city! However this week I have come across a couple of stories that I thought I should share in order to prove my point :)

The first story was about a 13 year old busker making £70 an hour on the beachfront by Brighton Pier, he earned enough money through busking to buy a new £2,000 guitar! Apparently he practises for six hours a day, so he'll be one to look out for in the years to come. You can see a clip of him in action courtesy of the BBC website

The other piece of music news which caught my eye was the fact that Amy Winehouse (don't worry it is about her music for her change, as I don't know about you but I am sooooo bored of hearing details of her every single movement!) has re-released her debut album Frank and included some live tracks from when she played here in Brighton at the Concorde 2. This is apparently due to the fact that they have some super dooper recording equipment. The innovative stuff they use means that artists can record their live tracks at studio quality. This means that you will hopefully see a lot more artists releasing bonus 'Recorded live at Brighton Concorde 2' tracks, but even more excitingly they are hoping that in the future people can leave gigs with a CD of the show they have just seen so they can relive the night for years to come. It will also help new bands, for example a support act will be able to record their segment to use as a demo, which will not only save the costs of hiring a studio but will also include the energy and enthusiasm of the gig, rather than trying to recreate that feeling in a studio.

So you see we've been right all along Brighton is full of musicians and clever creative types! So if the technology had been available which Brighton gigs would you like to have been able to take a recording of home with you? I think my choice would be The Bravery at the Concorde 2 last summer but what would yours be? One of the Big Beach Boutiques or perhaps someone you saw at the Great Escape? Or going further back were you lucky enough to see the Beatles at the old Hippodrome, or Bing Crosby's last ever concert at the Brighton Centre?

Charlotte

Brighton Pride 2008

All around the world, ay ay ay...

No longer just a bizarre Lisa Stansfield 80s lyric I'll have you know - but also the theme of this year's Brighton Pride. (Well, if you lose the ay ay ay bit anyway.)

Brighton Pride is the largest festival of its kind in Europe and I thought it might be nice to take a wee look at how the event started and grew into such a seminal event in the gay calendar.

The history of Pride in Brighton & Hove stretches back to 1992 with a very modest afternoon event on The Level, complete with a few chaps and chapesses and some banners. It was probably at the time a bit more political than it is now too, which hopefully reflects that things are changing. These days its less of a political rally and more a celebration of all things gay, lesbian and transgender.

Since its fledgling days of 1992 Brighton Pride has evolved into the biggest free Pride festival in the UK. It was voted the best Pride in 2003 and 2004 by Gay Times and Boyz magazines and named 'Event of the Year' at the first annual Brighton and Hove Business Awards in 2004. Hosting a week of community events every February and August, the Pride summer Festival culminates in a Carnival Parade from the sea front, through the city to a Preston Park and a host of wonderful, eclectic people celebrating all things GAY.

What's great about Brighton Pride is that its such a welcoming event - it's not exclusive to gay people - you'll also see straight families and friends, young kids and grannies all having fun and celebrating the gay diversity in Brighton & Hove.

This year the theme is 'All around the World' so expect a lot of international influences including Brazil, Scotland, Iceland, Australia, Greece, Antarctica, Zimbabwe, Bangkok, Denmark and of course Britain.

The main Canival Parade starts at Madeira Drive next to Brighton Pier, setting off at 11.00am. With up to fifty different entries, representing countries and cities from all over the globe this year is set to be the most colourful and flamboyant yet! So why not come along?

Find out more about Brighton Pride.

It would be great to hear about anyone's Brighton Pride experiences?

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Food & Drink Festival

I know I have said this before but there are definitely some good perks to this job, as on Wednesday myself and John were having a meeting with a couple of the lovely people from the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival, which is in September. However rather than meeting in a boring old meeting room, we went to The Arrogant Frog in Hove.

Fortunately it was a gloriously sunny day so we were able to sit in their picturesque garden and had three courses of delicious food, sat in the sunshine talking about ... delicious food! We had three courses (well it would have been rude not too) I started with vegetable soup, followed by Toulouse sausage and mash and finally Iles Flottantes for dessert. Seemingly simple dishes but each packed full of flavour.

Rosario, the owner, is so passionate about food and he has done a grand job at The Arrogant Frog. It is these local food heroes and amazing independent restaurants that the festival is keen to draw people's attention too. It is great that we are starting to attract well known chefs to the city including Carluccio, Zilli and next year Jamie Oliver but we mustn't forget why they want to come here, and that is because of the locals who have already put Brighton & Hove on the map as a foodie destination. So when you are planning your visit don't forget to have a look through our Where to Eat guide to see the variety of restaurants on offer, and try and get down during September to experience the delectable festival :)

Charlotte

Favourite things to do in Brighton

I'm always faced with a bit of a dilemma when going to the cinema. You see, I love to experience a film on the big screen, but I start to get vaguely psychotic when faced with popcorn swilling, coke slurping, chair kicking, twittering, twitching, monsters who wouldn't know an Almodavar from a jamjar. And don't even start me on the sniffing. I go to see the film, not chat with my friends, demonstrate how bad my cold is and munch my way through a small island of crunchy fast food.

So, if you're coming to Brighton and love film but loath the multiplexes, I'll share a secret with you. Check out the Duke Of York's Picturehouse. It's the oldest working cinema in the country and has plush, spaced out seats and offers a brilliant selection of mainstream and art house movies. There's a comfy bar and lots of film lovers who scratch their virtual beards as they realise that, actually, Sienna Miller's performance in The Edge of Love shows that she can act. In fact, it's so atmospheric inside, I'm always convinced a small man on a piano is going to rise out of the floor and play something from Battleship Potemkin. They even sell cake and there's a massive pair of stripey legs on the roof. You won't find that at the local Odeon!

Check out the video below for more about the Dukes. It's got some fascinating history as well as some fanstastic filmic fare throughout the year, from film festivals to New York Met Opera nights. Enjoy!



Sarah
VisitBrighton

Leap into Brighton

Well we are quite excited here in the Marketing team as we have just done something that we haven't done in a long time...

For at least three years VisitBrighton has done no print advertising as we felt that given our teeny tiny budgets this was not the most cost effective way of promoting ourselves. However we have put together a special campaign for the summer in response to the current issues and so felt that it needed an extra push, so this weekend adverts appeared in the Express and the Guardian and there will be an advert in the London Metro and Time Out this week.

So it'll be interesting to see what affect the adverts have, especially as we haven't done this for a while. It was also interesting for me to see what my job would have been like if we did do advertising. Well as I've said before one of the best things about the job is that there is always something differnt happening and that I get to try new things, so this will be another string to my bow :)

Anyway here is how the ad looked, and don't forget to check out the offers at: www.visitbrighton.com/leapin

Charlotte