Jackson Pollock does Brighton Pier - sort of...

Did you know its Jackson Pollock's birthday today?

An influential American painter and a major force in the abstract expressionist movement, Pollock was famous for developing what became known as the "drip" technique, which resulted in a lifetime of striking paintings of maelstroms of sinewy and splattered colours.

Regarded as one of the most important American artists of his day and dubbed 'Jack the Dripper' by Time Magazine, Pollock was famous for his very 'immediate' creation of paintings, using his whole body.

So, how difficult can it be we thought! Well, quite actually. We had a go with Brighton Pier as a backdrop and thought, hmm, maybe we should leave it to the experts after all...

If you want to find out more about Jackson Pollock or want to buy prints of his work, (which are a little bit better than ours!), check out Artrepublic in Brighton who offer a fascinating online biography of Jackson Pollock as well as a range of Pollock prints to buy online or via their shop in Bond Street, Brighton.

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Romantic Brighton & Hove

The pressure is officially on for all couples to prove just how sickeningly soppy and loved up they truly are as Valentine's Day approaches and inevitatbly the card shops and florists will be adding a 100% mark-up on all their products. Ok perhaps that might sound a tad synical but I thought there might be some people out there who want to give their lovers a treat but are reluctant to pay extra just because of the date and let's face it, there is never a wrong time to spoil someone, so I thought I would offer you some advice....

I would consider avoiding Valentine's Day in Brighton and suggest having a Brighton valentines break during the week as you can get some great deals if you come mid-week including two nights for the price of one at the Royal York or Lansdowne Place, rates starting at £49 for a double room at the New Steine and special gourmet or romantic breaks at drakes. You can also get reductions on meals when dining out during the week at English's, In Vino Veritas and the Ginger Pig and you can buy your loved one a treat from Toast and get a 10% discount.

Although if you would still prefer to come for a romantic weekend break then why not come for the Royal Pavilion Wedding Fair which will be on Sunday 22 February between 10-4pm. Now in it's eighth year the fair is ideal for anyone planning a wedding or civil partnership to have a look at this spectacular venue as well as getting the chance to meet a variety of local suppliers. You will also get to hear harpist Andrew Ballantyne playing throughout the day and after hearing him play there for White Night I can tell you it really is lovely.

But if you still need some Romantic Brighton ideas then don't forget to have a look at our top suggestions on the website

Charlotte

VisitBrighton leaves its mark on a bar in Hanoi!

Hi folks...it's been sometime since I wrote on this blog...I've been rather busy settling into my new life in Vietnam!

Despite loving the exoticism of South East Asia, I often think back to my days in Brighton & Hove with great fondness!

I'm currently in visiting Hanoi (Vietnam's capital), where I stumbled across a rather 'Brightonesque' bar (name withheld, or VisitBrighton would be asking them for advertising fees!). The interior walls of the bar are covered in graffiti, left there by the hundreds of visitors who have been there over the past few years. The place reminded me of some of the quirkier bars that there are in the funky North Laine area of Brighton. I wanted to leave my own mark on this little gem of a bar in Hanoi, so I drew my trademark drawing (far too saucy to post a pic of it here!!)...but I then also added a second peice of 'graffiti' on the wall, leading people to the offical website of another of the world's best gems....the city of Brighton & Hove! (photo evidence above).

I will be back in Brighton this summer, so I'm hoping that Adam (the big boss) will treat me to lunch in recognition of my spreading the word about Brighton here in Vietnam.

In the meantime, I'm off to drink some more snake wine!

Love to all you VisitBrightoners from sunny and hot Vietnam!

Darren

xx

Valentines Day in Brighton

Looking for smoochsome inspiration for Valentine's Day?

VisitBrighton have put together their Top 10 ideas for romantic things to do in Brighton on the year's most popular day of love.

From rolling down a hill together in an orb to scrummy Fruity Sundae ice cream, oysters and cosy sofas at the cinema, we've got traditional, as well as weird and wacky ideas for the most cynical of lovers...

Check out the VisitBrighton Top 10 Brighton Valentines ideas.

And you're looking for a Valentine's hotel, Brighton has lots of romantic options to choose from.

With everything from rooms for chocoholics to boudoirs with private whirlpools, why not check out our Top 10 Romantic Brighton hotels and get those hearts racing?

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Brighton breaks

I don't know about you but quite frankly I'm fed up with all the doom and gloom in the news at the moment and to make matters worse apparently today is the most depressing day of the year, due to the post-Christmas blues and trying to stick to your New Year's resolutions.

However thankfully I am not the only one to think enough is enough when it comes to bad news and so The Optimists' Society (yes there really is such a thing) have decided to rescue 'Blue Monday' and encourage a more positive attitude by sending famously dour celebrities cheer packages. Targets include Jeremy Paxman, Jack Dee and the whole cast of Eastenders and the society will also be hosting a free comedy show.

Personally I think it's a lovely idea as obviously this is a difficult time for people for various reasons but there are still things to be postive about as things could be a lot worse as anyone who watched Survivors will know!

Also I'm going to see Jimmy Carr this weekend so I'm guaranteed a giggle and we've put together lots of special offers for some Brighton breaks that won't cost the earth so you too can experience the 'liberal and tolerant aura that emanates from the city' Don't worry I haven't gone into Marketing jargon overdrive, that is actually a quote from El Mundo, Spain's largest newspaper who wrote a glowing review about having a break in Brighton, they also said that this was one of the coolest cities in the UK, rivalling the capital.



So there you have it, don't let 'Blue Monday' get you down, get on to visitbrighton.com to plan and book your Brighton break now :)

Charlotte

A Geekend in Brighton

This post is dedicated to all the geeks out there who are wondering what to do as they wait for the new Star Trek prequel film to be released and I'll be honest I am pretty excited about it myself. Although I'm not convinced that anyone will be able to fill the mighty William Shatner's boots but time will tell (I am very tempted to include a link to his version of Pulp's Common People but this post is supposed to be about Brighton not William Shatner so I'll resist the temptation although I urge you to google it - after reading this obviously!)



Well as you may have guessed Brighton & Hove has come to the rescue of all geeks as in February it will be the annual Brighton Science Festival with a whole week of amazingly geeky events, hooray! From 21st to 28th Februray there will be all sorts of things happening including the Big Space Show dedicated to all things spacey and the classic 80's film The Right Stuff depicting the Cold War space race will be screened at the gorgeous Duke of York's cinema. For those looking for an alternative half term activity there is a family fun day for Bright Sparks where, among other things, you can find out whether it is possible to build a tower out of speghetti or drop an egg ten feet without breaking it

So there is no need to be shy, release your inner geek and have a geek-end in Brighton - thanks to Richard from the Science Festival for today's brilliant pun!

Oh and before I leave you all this talk of science has actually reminded me of a little factoid - according to the 2001 census the highest proportion of UK Jedis live in Brighton & Hove. May the force be with you :)

Charlotte

 

myhotel Brighton

For my first post of the New Year I thought I would try and make you all green with envy and tell you about my lovely stay at myhotel Brighton.

As a special treat in between Christmas and New Year, and encouraged by a good deal, we decided to spend a night at myhotel, situated in the North Laine area opposite the Jubilee Library. The hotel was designed by Karim Rashid and has a spiritual ethos, each level is named after one of the body's chakras and every room has a crystal set into the wall



I'll be honest I'm not entirely convinced by the whole subject of crystal healing but it did look very pretty especially as the lights behind it change colour, ooh! I was also rather impressed by the toilet as it had a sort of space pod look about it, but then when Hilary saw this photo she pointed out that there is also an Anish Kapoor feel to it as well. Although perhaps we're getting a bit carried away as it is only a toilet! What do you think?



You see we really do give you the insider's guide to the city, what other reviewer would tell you about the toilet?! Oh and I nearly forgot the robes which were very cosy & snuggly, perfect in this weather. However we did not stay in the room the entire time and while we were staying at the hotel I did insist that we go downstairs to the Merkaba for a cocktail, I mean frankly it would have been rude not to! So we forced ourselves to have a Long Island Iced Tea and to try one of their own creations called a Beachside Presse which was delicious a raspberry and lemon concoction.

All in all we had a great time and would certainly recommend it to anyone else as its definitely something a bit out of the ordinary and makes for a memorable stay plus on the practical side it's in a great location close to the train station, shops and the Cultural Quarter. Has anyone else been, what did you think?

Charlotte

Brighton Music

Famous for its music scene, Brighton offers an eclectic mucical offering year round.

Here are some VisitBrighton picks, for upcoming Brighton music gigs and events, to kick off the New Year.

London Philharmonic Orchestra - Brighton Dome, 10/01/09

Brighton Jazz Club play Brubeck - great live Jazz in cosy surroundings, North Laine, 16/01/09

The Streets - Skinner is back in euphoric form with a witty and uplifting antidote to the credit crunch. Brighton Dome, 28/01/09.

Sharleen Spiteri - catch tracks from Sharleen's new solo album, as well as some classic Texas tracks thrown in for good measure...

Keane - Keane's pop brilliance has shown them to be one of the most talented and timeless bands around. Brighton Centre, 10/02/09

X Factor Live Tour - oh go on, you know you want to really... Brighton Centre, 6- 7/03/09

African Soul Rebels - Baaba Maal is one of Africa's true international stars. Offering hypnotic live shows Baaba Maal has collaborated with Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn. Brighton Dome, 8/01/09

Check out VisitBrighton's What's On section for more Brighton music gigs and concerts.

Let us know if you've been to any great gigs lately.

Sarah
VisitBrighton