Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending

You've met the staff, you've made your choices, you've been measured and you've parted ways with a smile and a firm handshake. The difficult part of the suit process is over and done with and that leaves you plenty of time for self-reflection and devoting your life to pruning bonsai trees and meditative philosophies. Except it doesn't quite work that way. Perhaps it’s the ‘boys and their toys’ mentality, but once you've got your mind set on something you want it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the material doesn't order and stitch itself into perfection instantly, leaving you biting your nails and watching the days pass by until you receive the phone call letting you know: It’s done.

You get changed behind an organ

Of course there’s just one last step. The final fitting! You get to slip on that suit you've so eagerly been waiting for and have it adjusted to perfection. In my case, adjusting was a couple of small fixes that allowed the jacket to sit on my shoulders comfortably and the sleeves to be shortened just a touch. These were very minor alterations that highlighted just how accurate the measuring was in the first place. Impressive! The second phone call doesn't take as long as the first and before you know it you’re back in the same room wearing the newly-adjusted outfit.

And it fits perfectly.

Tools of the trade

Dear diary: Today I was a human blackboard

There’s something to be said about a tailored set of clothes, but the most noticeable thing for me was that when I tell you it fits perfectly, it’s so much more than that. Your attire not only sits on you comfortably (it was made to measure, obviously) but it shifts with your body’s own movements, not unlike a second skin would. The end result is clothing that looks great and feels enjoyable to wear.
That’s a sentence I never thought I’d end up saying through this adventure.

From the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out, the discussion, interaction, options and even the atmosphere really set a standard that has to be the most open and relaxed I've found clothes shopping. A simple thanks doesn't cover it, but I’d like to extend it to Gresham Blake and all at the Brighton store, with a special thanks to Max for being an excellent guide through the world of bespoke tailoring and for answering the myriad of questions I peppered his way every time we met.

Max was quite the jovial personality!

Here’s the finished product! Sharing some camera space with me is the delightful Charlotte Barrow, VisitBrighton’s own marketing marvel, trying her best to conceal her envy. Fortunately for her, Gresham Blake also do women’s clothing as well! I suspect she'd want something in purple, though green would suit!

Options are often illustrated on nearby friendly mannequins.

Thanks also to Mad Hatters, a stylish hat shop situated on Trafalgar Street, for informed advice and recommendations on hat styles and colours. They have a huge range of head wear to choose from, mens and womens, to compliment any and all attire! Certainly worth checking out!

Gresham Blake
20 Bond Street Brighton BN1 1RD
Mon - Thur : 10am - 5.30pm
Fri : 10.30am - 5.30pm
Saturday : 10am - 6pm
Sunday : 11am - 5pm
www.greshamblake.com
http://www.greshamblake.com/contact-us/i51
https://twitter.com/GreshamBlake

Mad Hatters
www.madhattersandfriends.co.uk

Will you find Lady Chastity's wine?

Last night was one of the most surreal nights out we have ever experienced, and considering we work in Brighton that is saying something!

We were invited to experience Handmade Mysteries new game Lady Chastity's Reserve. We weren't sure what to expect, all we knew for sure was that it takes place at The Black Lion pub and that the site describes it as an immersive team game.

Therefore we arrived at the pub feeling slightly confused and with a certain amount of trepidation. However I think this must be the standard entry as we were soon recognised as the group there to play the game!

Now we come to the tricky part of my post as I want to give you an idea of what it's all about without losing the sense of mystery. I guess the first thing I can do is try to reassure you that there aren't any nasty surprises. When I read that there were theatrical elements I had visions of people creeping up on me or trying to grab me in the dark and that idea gave me the heebee-jeebies! There are plenty of moments that will make you jump & scream but most of your time will be spent giggling & shrieking with laughter.

Our host for the evening was Gabriel who cut a dashing figure in his green flock coat and he was on hand to help us throughout the experience. He whisked us upstairs to a private room and after explaining the details of our quest we were left alone in the dark & creepy room to solve the puzzles to try and claim our prize - a coveted bottle of Lady Chastity's Reserve wine. There is a time limit of one hour which is strictly adhered to although Gabriel is on hand to assist if you need him.

Studying the clues...

The time absolutely flew by with moments of confusion and chaos, a few frights and lots of laughter. I'm delighted to say that we did manage to complete the task with just 2 seconds left on the clock! There were four of us in the team which I think was about right as a couple of times we were able to split into two sub-groups to try and speed up the process. It can be played with 2-6 players so in theory you could try this as an alternative date night! However I think this works better for groups, whether it's a team night out; friends get-together or even a corporate bonding session.

The Brighton Divas are victorious! 

If you fancy a night out with a difference then I would highly recommend this, be prepared to get stuck in and make sure you listen to Gabriel - he is there to help not hinder your progress. So if you fancy trying it for yourself then make sure you enter our competition to win tickets for a group of you to play the game.

Charlotte

YHA Brighton - Budget can still be stylish...

A couple of us here at LoveBrighton are actually out-of-towners and so when it came time to prepare for our work Christmas party we decided it would be more fun if we could stay over somewhere. Which led us to the YHA Brighton...

I must confess I hadn't stayed in a hostel before, I haven't been backpacking and therefore the idea of staying at a hostel for a city break hadn't really occurred to me so I was intrigued to see what it would be like. First of all those of us staying were passed the stage of wanting to stay in a dorm so we were delighted to see that the hostel has a range of private rooms, all en-suite, sleeping from 1 person up to 6 with a mixture of single, double and bunk beds.

The room was an impressive size with plenty of room for each of us, with even enough space for a bit of a dance whilst getting ready. The bathroom was also spacious and included both a bath and a shower.

I do have one word of warning though... Bedding is provided, as is soap but towels are not which led to some inventive drying techniques the morning after! Of course we later found out that we could have hired towels but that would have been too simple.

Overall it was a fantastic place to stay, the location was perfect as it's on the Old Steine so right by the seafront and close to the shops and the Royal Pavilion as well. It is also housed in a former Regency hotel so some of the rooms have lovely bay windows and fireplaces.

The YHA was ideal for us and I can see it would also be great for families too, so if you fancy a budget break but still enjoy a touch of style then this is the place for you. Oh but don't just take my word for it as Chris Eubank visited the YHA Brighton for the trailer of Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank

Rates start from £14.50 for a bed in a dorm and £25 for private rooms. Plus book now for stays between March and September and save up to 33% in  the January sale.

Charlotte