The return of Sophie in the City

I know it has been a while since I have blogged...life has just been so busy!!

So what have I been doing all this time? I have learnt Kurt Guiger has had a good sale on!? Topshop hasn’t been so good, The Lanes have too much choice and maybe I need to see someone about my shopping issues? No really...

I have been to see Holiday on Ice at the Brighton Centre, this was the Production of Energia, it was an exciting show where lifts, spins and only one stumble was included. The costumes were great, especially the Fish/Mermaid costumes that had detachable tails. It was a perfect way to become lost in another world for a few hours, this world being one I was engrossed within as it had dancing zebras in it!

Since moving down here, I have noticed there is a great selection of Oriental inspired restaurants, this time I really wanted to try Moshi Moshi, the shape of the building, never mind its menu, has always intrigued me even when I use to come to visit Brighton in the summers years ago. I was not disappointed; there was a great choice, so much in fact it took us forever to decide. The conveyer belt was full of exciting looking dishes ... it was better than YoSushi! Also while I was there I was told about the Sunday night classes that teach you how to make your own sushi, definately something that may appear sometime in ‘Sophie In the City’ sometime soon!

This week I came to the conclusion that this will be a city where I will always if not live constantly be visiting throughout my life...it’s like no-where else! This was established while sitting with my Dad watching the ‘Swinging Ninjas’ who are live from 9pm ever Wednesday night at the Mesmerist, a bar which describes itself as being where “Conventionality stays at the door’ as well as an ‘absinthe inspired wonderland of the weird”. Literally it’s the best place I have found that just IS Brighton, I don’t know if it’s the lit up chicken head on the suit of armor or the collection of people dancing like they were in the 1950’s to someone that was inside a trumpet, acting as if everyone did it… Another lesson learnt - live in Brighton!

I hope you all watched Heston’s Fishy Feast on Friday which I made a…well cringe worthy appearance for not only the words that came out of my mouth but by the fact I had my hand within the head of a dead fish. Little did people know this was just the start of the mortification as I had actually asked him, one of the most famous chef’s what he did as his day job!

Lets just hope that I keep away from the cameras that are Filming the Skins series 5 launch party that is being held in Horatios and the glitter ball bar of Brighton Pier on Friday the 28^th of this month, with live performers such as Beardyman, Morning Parade, Doorly and Jigsaw. I will but let’s try and hope I don’t do anything embarrassing this time!!

Comedy, cocktails, coffee and a celebrity chef

For a change this week my life has been quite busy…involving lots and lots of shopping, a Christmas night out in Alfresco, laughing until I cried watching Ross Noble at The Dome, having drinks with friends, discovering another ‘only in Brighton’ coffee shop, testing cocktails in a trendy hotel, visiting the Brighton Ballroom in Kemp Town and… ahh yes I forgot to add…having lunch with Heston Blumenthal… didn’t even have a chance to watch the final of X Factor!!

Tuesday night was the VisitBighton Christmas night out…starting at Hove Kitchen on Western Road which is acclaimed as the place for ‘eclectic dining in the hub of Hove’. It was what I could imagine as somewhere perfect for a Sunday roast. After loosing the Big Brighton pub quiz we moved onto Alfresco where we enjoyed our Christmas inspired dinner after exchanging secret Santa gifts.

Then on Wednesday night, after eating in Pho and testing the cocktails in merkaba at myhotel we headed to the Brighton Dome to see Ross Noble. I was constantly checking we were on time as I was nervous from watching his past stand ups where all late comers were ridiculed by Ross throughout the show… if we had to speak he would recognize our accent… and being probably two out of only three Geordies in there it would have been mortifying being part of the show!

I had the tickets to the Ross Noble 2010 'Nonsensory Overload' tour for what seems forever!! He honestly was one of the best comedians I have ever seen… he just talked absolute nonsense and jumped from one point to another then another and another within minutes of each other which left us hooked, confused and in fits of laughter!!

My coffee shop of the week is the Marwood coffee shop which is hidden away in a corner of Ship Street; it was a discovery through a meeting but I have already been back. I loved it as soon as I walked through the door, the quirky manikin hand handle while closing the door just made it! It had a brilliant vibrant, arty atmosphere… it was just what I would describe as ‘typical Brighton’ the tables were made from old doors, a washing line hung throughout and the walls were adorned with an odd collection of photographs from around the city. My favourite of all of course had to be the discovery of the owl that lived in the fridge just on the shelf by the sparkling water! Oh how I love Brighton!!

I have always believed Sundays were made for long sleeps, this week however was an exception, one I didn’t really mind waking up early for…I acted as PA (even having my own radio!) when Heston Blumenthal was filming on Brighton Pier for a new program that will be shown as part of channel 4’s Fish season. They wanted a destination that captured the iconic seaside… Brighton Pier, how perfect! Filming was done throughout the day all along the Pier, a fish and chip van was also set up on the forecourt where he made punters experiment and taste a new sustainable species of fish - Atlantic Wolffish - that was found when in Iceland for the programme. I was made to try this monstrous fish’s cheek, tell him my verdict (it was actually really delicious!) then hold it through its head while SJ gave it a kiss…all in the name of TV (aired in January).

After dealing with the fish brains that I had left on my hands…lots of anti bacterial hand wash, we all went for lunch, yes me and my new ‘bestie’, one of the most famous chefs in the country sitting in Palm Court on Brighton Pier enjoying fish and chips, just chatting!!

After the excitement of the day when we had gotten over being excited about being on TV we went to the Brighton Ballroom to see the ‘award winning’ Knock2bag comedy night. I really loved the Ballroom and could imagine it would be a brilliant place to see a gig but didn’t really get the comedians that were on, it was a lovely night but I spent most of it confused about what was going on, not understanding Paul Foot’s jokes!

So all in all this was quite a busy week, definitely in serious need of a nap and catch up of the X Factor final!

Until next time…
Hope everyone has a Happy Christmas
Sophie

Snowday Sophie

Due to being snowed in at home in Newcastle last week I had to have some snow days up home. That meant I didn't have time to explore all the ‘Christmassy’ (if that’s even a word!!) events in the city.


Before I left I did however manage to have a peek at the gorgeous Christmas grotto that is in the Churchill Square Shopping Centre where I started my present buying mission.

On the Tuesday the comedian John Bishop was on at the Brighton Dome. This was the first time I had been into the Dome; I have to say I was pretty impressed as soon as I walked through the door by its grandness. This was his ‘Sunshine Tour’ and as he isn’t really that well known he seemed to be grateful for the large amount of people he classified as ‘those who took a gamble on him actually being funny’. The audience were laughing out loud the whole time, my favourite bit of course were his reactions to the cringe worthy hecklers shouting out completely irrelevantly and his totally northern reaction to the couple that turned up late; one called Phellula and the other who busked for a living. My face being in agony from smiling and laughing so much, was a good sign of a winning comedian and a definite recommend for you to see him from me! I also have to say he defiantly has to be related to Bez from the Happy Mondays!!


You will have to wait until Monday to see how John Bishop compares to Ross Noble, who I have had tickets for what seems FOREVER to go see tomorrow!

Last week we also had dinner at the New Steine Hotel, Bar & Bistro, we received a charming welcome from Mr Herve Guyat, the director, and had faultless service from Mr Stephane Gaucher, who is the general manager of the hotel. We were wined and dined within the charming atmosphere while fully enjoying the evening. I would like to thank them for both their kindness and hospitality.

That’s all from me this week. I know I have been boring; I haven’t even had time to catch up on X Factor!

So goodbye until next week…enjoy the snow!!

Sophie

Time flies at VisitBrighton

This is my first month over…time working at VisitBrighton is disappearing so fast! I am even getting used to living like a normal person and seeing seven o’clock twice in one day…it really is far more productive!

After watching The Hangover again and again it was essential to see if ‘Alan’ (Zach Galifianakis) was going to be as funny in his new film ‘Due Date’ so I went down to the Marina to check it out. There were definitely some Laugh out Loud moments (I couldn’t bring myself to use ‘LOL’ there) and the ‘Sophie cackle’ definitely revealed itself! It was total stupid humour that is easy to watch and will definitely leave you smiling!!

While working on the Pier I had a meeting with Jenifer of My Brighton & Hove at the Brighton History Centre in the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. I only had a chance to look briefly at its content but was very impressed. Next week I will arrive earlier so I can explore.

On Thursday the Christmas lights were switched on by Marilyn Monroe look-a-like Laura Nickson, it was hosted by Juice FM. There was a crowd gathered to see what was going on at East Street and a cheer once the lights were switched on. With appearances from the pantomime Cinderella and handing out of mince pies it really began to make the city feel festive.

After watching the Christmas lights I attended ‘As camp as Christmas’, an event where Jeremy Hoye and Dave Pop’s new jewellery collection was launched. The event took place in the shop on Ship Street, which opened in 1994; their décor was very Brighton, it reminded me of under the sea, with the wave inspired 3D ceiling, mermaid statue and submarine style windows where the collections are on show. Their collections are made up of bespoke items made by their own jewellers to accurately suit their customer’s needs. They are today recognised as being one of England’s leading contemporary jewellers.

My favourites included the charm bracelets with the magic carpets, the entire compilation of the kings and queen collection and most importantly the 18 ct yellow gold Russian doll. It opens to reveal a scroll that can be engraved with your own personal message and is encrusted with black diamonds and rubies, defiantly something I wish I could add to the top of my Christmas List, let’s just hope Santa is feeling generous this year!!

Doing this blog presents me the perfect excuse to eat out instead of having to cook for myself; we decided to try Gars Chinese Restaurant, which we enjoyed a really tasty meal.

This week I discovered yet another one of Brighton’s own quirky coffee shop, Redwood Coffee House, a perfect place to hide from the winter weather. Placed at the bottom of the Lanes its cosy décor and snug seats along with the stacks of books provide the atmosphere that you could stay in for hours! With the mixture of cakes, music and books offered this was a perfect Sunday afternoon find.

I spent the weekend in Birmingham visiting one of my best friends Es for her birthday, I had a great weekend catching up and having a good old gossip trying out her favourite places, meeting friends and having a girlie night out.

But by the time I left she had already decided she wanted to visit Brighton and I have booked her in into HotelSophie to do some Christmas shopping and enjoy doughnuts on the deckchairs on the Pier (hopefully in the Snow) who could resist?!?

Goodbye until next week...Sophie.

Sophie's third week in the city...

This week was too cold, like always in winter I prefer to hibernate indoors with films and a nice cup of tea, I would definitely recommend Russell Brand’s Get him to the Greek as well as the new series of Gossip Girl that I have enjoyed catching up on!

On Wednesday I went to the sold out Mystery Jets’ gig that was held at Concorde 2 which is a popular music venue in the city. This tour was to promote their new album ‘Show me the Light’.

Thursday seemed to be like any other day working at Brighton Pier, being splashed in the face by a crashing wave while staring at the, in my opinion, mental characters who were running into the waves as a photo opportunity. Until over my head flew a kite surfer that managed to clear the pier and land safely on the other side! If you haven’t done so you really need to check out the video. It was definitely something I won’t be trying…I thought I was brave just walking up the pier in that wind!

After early Christmas shopping on Saturday we tested out the Royal Pavilion's first ever outdoor Christmas ice rink, with its impressive background, that definitely distinguishes itself from the one I am used to back home in Sunderland’s Mowbray Park. As I normally fall over my own feet on a daily basis on flat ground I thought best not to try skating on ice as I would definitely multiple times be ending up on my bum! Even without taking part in the actual skating the night made me feel all Christmassy along with the Coke a Cola Christmas advert that appeared while watching X Factor confirming that Christmas has officially begun!! (38 Days 16 hours to go if you were wondering…)

Sophie

Another week living down South…

After an introduction of what my role as marketing assistant would incorporate, Monday lunch break was spent in Paperchase looking for stationery to make my desk more my own. Once all my pens were in order I set down to do some work. Not long after I was informed we were going to an event at Terre a Terre, which was voted best restaurant in Brighton & Hove in the 2010 Foodie Awards. The event was to launch their participation within ‘Street Smart’ which is where restaurants are asking customers to add a voluntary £1 per table in November and December and the money raised will help the homeless. The restaurant had previously participated last year helping raise an impressive £450,000.

On visiting the city I had always been intrigued by the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, to see what all the fuss was about. Then I understood, watching The Social Network in what felt like someone’s front room was definitely more appealing than sitting in a generic cinema screen. The look of the cakes available tempted me far more than that of the standard plastic nachos!!

Thursday night was spent late night shopping, as I of course needed a warm coat, seeing as I had the idea that it was always sunny in Brighton!!

Bonfire night this year can only be described as ‘unique’ as I went to Lewes, which held what seems the ritual of celebrating the ancient tradition of Bonfire, even being credited the ‘Bonfire capital of the world.’ Only on arriving at Brighton station I began to see the scale of the event, rows and rows of people in warm looking hats ready for a winter storm. Throughout the station I could feel the excitement of the night ahead.

After shuffling out of Lewes station following the crowds, amazed at the amount of whizz, bang, pops in the air we ended up outside the Garden Arms, watching only what I can comprehend as a scene out of the film League of Gentlemen. For the whole parade I was in awe…never before had I seen anything like this, all I could see were burning crucifixes coming from the distance.

There was fire, flashes, bangs, costumes, dancing, laughter and screams (most of all from me!). After watching the array of characters walk up and down the street at least three times we were just about ready to speak to each other, but all we could ask is if this was actually ‘real life?!’ Then sure enough there was a loud bang very close by leaving the woman in front of me with a wet hat and me without a drink.

After a long walk around the town…multiple times, we seem to be prone to becoming lost in any given situation. We arrive at Cliffe, one of the bonfire sites where this year there was an effigy of the current Coalition government where David Cameron was holding Nick Clegg upon puppet strings. All in all the night was ‘an experience’ that only I could obtain while living in Brighton and of course I am already excited for next year!!

Saturday
After walking around Lewes all night our legs decided Saturday had to be spent as a lazy day…so wandering through the lanes, testing out coffee shops was in order. After having brownies and hot chocolate in Komedia we had the energy to move on through towards the seafront, only to be stopped by a magician who impressed me with a Darren Brown taught card trick.
After exploring we went to dinner in Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant. As it was a Saturday night and my friend Lauren had come down from Leeds to visit, we thought it was compulsory to take her to the sites of the Brighton Pubs…

Sunday
As the vintage car rally from London to Brighton was on we walked through the Preston Park entrance and watched the cars as they drove to the seafront on our way to the station to catch a train into London. It was great to visit the capital but it was good to get back to my new home by the sea.

Sophie

Sophie's First Day at VisitBrighton

Just a quick note to introduce myself…I am Sophie the new ‘inexperienced’ blogger for LoveBrighton (apologies now for any mistakes made!!)

Currently I am an International Tourism Management Student from Leeds Metropolitan University on Placement in industry.

So…this year means breaking away from ‘student life’ this means actually doing more than the odd lecture, partying and lots of sleep that I have grown accustom to!

My time spent in Brighton will include a placement, working within the VisitBrighton Marketing department two days a week as well as the three days in the offices of Brighton Pier where I am planning on doing just a little bit more than eating doughnuts and ‘testing’ out the rides!

As a ‘Geordie’ coming from the North East I am pretty far from my comfort zone so I believe there is a lot of exploring to be done! For years I have visited the city for short holidays and day trips but never ventured further than the Pier or the seafront so definitely need to find myself favourite places to shop, a distinct skill of mine, places where are best to eat, a quirky coffee shop where I can spend Sunday mornings reading magazines or anything I should be doing or visiting to ensure I make the most of living in what seems to be the most energetic city I have been to!

This blog will be a description of what I have done or will be doing within my time in Brighton, hopefully giving details of my ‘exciting’ life as I become an adopted “Brightonian” Any comments and ideas on places or events that are a ‘MUST’ will be much appreciated!!

You can keep up to date with what I am getting up to by following the ‘Sophie in the City’ blog posts.

Sophie