Spot the local...

It was really busy on the beachfront yesterday. I wasn’t surprised. It was one of those special, Brighton winter days. You know the sort – blue sky and bright sun - crisp, clear, almost gleaming air. An invitation for a walk by the sea.

Well, we made our way down to the Lower Promenade which runs along the beach. So good to see the return of the Passacaglia sculpture. The Fishing Museum was open as well as the seafood shop and business was brisk around the stalls under the West Pier. As usual, the children’s playground was full of excited children sampling the pirate-themed assortment of climbing frames and boats. Definitely time for a coffee on such a crisp day, so we headed for Alfresco’s ground floor coffee shop which is level with the beach. Seated in the window, the world wandered by. So many people out on the beachfront at the end of January – and then I started to wonder who they were. Were they day-trippers? Perhaps they were taking a short-break over the weekend (very lucky to have such wonderful weather) or were they locals?

I’ve always had a fascination for Brighton locals. You can spot them a mile-off on the beachfront. Apart from an ability to walk in a leisurely, more relaxed way than visiting townies, there’s something that’s a sure give-away. 90% of the women don’t carry a bag. Now, it is definitely the custom in this country for women to take a bag of some sort with them to carry all the junk they need, but not on Brighton beachfront. Just watch and observe. No bag… Afterall, what do they need apart from their door key, some money, a mobile and a hankie? Nothing, except for a couple of pockets.

And there are other Brighton idiosyncrasies I could share with you… perhaps next time…

Hilary