A Wonderful Year in Brighton

Today we welcome another guest blogger as this post has been written by Eivind Nerberg. Eivind currently lives in Scotland with his partner Suzi but back in 2005 they decided to spend a year living in Brighton. For full details you can read Eivind's blog 'Walk a Pavement Once Again' on The Argus website. But below is a quick summary of their time spent in the city, including their top tips for any visitors...

When you live in inland and inclement Scotland, Brighton appears to be a dazzling jewel. And it was - it was everything we’d read and heard about.

A couple of ex-teachers, Suzi and I rented-out our house, sold the car, and on a beautiful evening in the middle of May we arrived at Brighton railway station.

After spending our first night in a B&B, we moved into a splendid self-catering apartment in Cavendish Place and then, thanks to a friendly, welcoming Brightonian, to a mansion flat overlooking the majestic Lawns at Hove. Throughout this time we were busy flat-hunting, and by the end of May we were signing a lease for six months – which we later extended to twelve – on a delightful flat, just off Western Road and on the cusp of Hove.

Every morning we emerged from our Brighton ‘home’ into invariably glorious sunshine and in sight of the sparkling, brilliantly blue Channel. (Whenever we walked along the beach or the prom we felt great: we were canny Scots and we were getting two things for the price of one – the sea and the city!)

Eivind on the beach

In order to experience as much of the city as possible we did lots of things ‘once-only’. The race-track, the dog track, zen meditation, the Theatre Royal, belly-dancing (well at least Suzi did), Hotel du Vin, the Brighton Marina, the Royal Pavilion, Valentino’s cocktail bar, the unmissable Duke of York’s Picture House - and on the sea-front, Tables 88, where we were joined by my younger daughter and her husband-to-be for an unforgettable Christmas Day dinner. I could go on and on: Brighton is simply inexhaustible.

Nearer to home, in our enchanting neighbourhood, we choose to indulge ourselves in as much repetition as we liked. (It was comforting and sweet to enter a pub and hear the staff say, ‘It’ll be the usual, then?’). By far and away our favourite pub in Brighton was virtually on our doorstep: the Atlas Lounge. We loved its décor, food, atmosphere, guest singers, and its large wooden tables on which, after borrowing a deck of cards from behind the bar, we’d play ‘Two Man’s Whist’, which I was taught decades before, in Norway. We’re delighted to hear that the The Atlas is still going strong – and gladdened to know that the nearby ‘Barney’s’ has re-opened [It is now called Hove Kitchen].

Not much farther along Western Road - in the direction of, and actually in, Hove - are two beautiful, Georgian squares, Brunswick and Palmeira. They are exquisite. Check them out for a chill-out or picnic. ‘Palmeira’, especially, sends a shiver down our spines! It was the most idyllic spot in town. Vibrant and varied, cosmopolitan and captivating, Brighton is a must-visit city. You won’t be disappointed. It gave us one of the best years of our lives.

Suzi in Brunswick Sqaure

Thanks again to Eivind for writing today's post and I hope you both get a chance to visit Brighton & Hove again soon :)

Charlotte