Favourite things to do in Brighton

I'm always faced with a bit of a dilemma when going to the cinema. You see, I love to experience a film on the big screen, but I start to get vaguely psychotic when faced with popcorn swilling, coke slurping, chair kicking, twittering, twitching, monsters who wouldn't know an Almodavar from a jamjar. And don't even start me on the sniffing. I go to see the film, not chat with my friends, demonstrate how bad my cold is and munch my way through a small island of crunchy fast food.

So, if you're coming to Brighton and love film but loath the multiplexes, I'll share a secret with you. Check out the Duke Of York's Picturehouse. It's the oldest working cinema in the country and has plush, spaced out seats and offers a brilliant selection of mainstream and art house movies. There's a comfy bar and lots of film lovers who scratch their virtual beards as they realise that, actually, Sienna Miller's performance in The Edge of Love shows that she can act. In fact, it's so atmospheric inside, I'm always convinced a small man on a piano is going to rise out of the floor and play something from Battleship Potemkin. They even sell cake and there's a massive pair of stripey legs on the roof. You won't find that at the local Odeon!

Check out the video below for more about the Dukes. It's got some fascinating history as well as some fanstastic filmic fare throughout the year, from film festivals to New York Met Opera nights. Enjoy!



Sarah
VisitBrighton

Things to do now that the nights are drawing out...

We too, from the Avalon Brighton, took an afternoon off and went to see Single Spies at the Theatre Royal. I have to say I found it a bit dull and nearly dozed off in both plays! Her Majesty herself (played by Diana Quick) made an appearance in the second play - unexpectedly as Sir Anthony Blunt was logging her collection and she was home early from an abandoned opening of a new swimming pool which had cracked the day before. The dialogue was playful (although I thought the Queen had a real air of menace about her). I also thought the discussion about art was more from the mouth of Alan Bennett than anything HM might come out with.

There was never a hint of why these two men, both played well - but sometimes a little strained - by Nigel Havers, should have so utterly betrayed their country. They just seemed affable toffs and perhaps, in all their muddled and misguided ways, that's all they ever were.

But that's indoors - outdoors is much more fun. There's an amazing battle at the end of the film Zulu - the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Perhaps not something this country would commemorate with the pride it once did but an immensely heroic tale nonetheless of holding out against overwhelming odds. A small mission surrounded by the hills from which the enraged Zulu armies attack. Well, out on the Downs is a spot which always reminds me of it. From immediately outside the Avalon you take a 2 bus to point on the road in to Woodingdean where the first houses start. Go back behind the end houses and there's a pathway (Jugg's Road or Drove Road) which eventually leads you to Falmer Road.

Cross this and take the track curving right after the car park. After 250m bear left to stay to the right hand side of a fence. The valley opens up to your left and you go around a hill with spectacular views. Eventually you'll see the mission hall (actually a derelict sheep pen). You do a big backward loop then the path drops down towards the buildings (you can go straight down the hill across the fields but there are two nasty barbed-wire fences to cross). It's actually called Standean Bottom which doesn't have the same cachet as Rorke's Drift.

Take the flat 'road' away from the buildings and eventually swing right uphill and around, staying on the same track. Remote houses belonging to the waterworks are down the hill to your left. This track eventually takes you back in to Rottingdean - just turn left at the end down to the village. You can get a bus back to Brighton or, if you're still up for it, walk the undercliff to the marina, stop for beers and grub, then continue back to the city.

If you're staying with us, we'll lend you the OS map. Or you can walk the whole thing - no need for buses if you don;t want to. You can be off the beaten track within 10 minutes of the Avalon.

Brian Snow
Avalon Hotel Brighton
www.avalonbrighton.co.uk

The Seven Wonders of Brighton

Since Nick left the team I have been asked to attend a lot of meetings, which I'll be honest can sometimes be slightly tedious, and with some of the invitations I get I'm not entirely sure how much benefit it would be either to myself or the organisers if I went. One such event was a seminar examining Brighton's cultural offering and so I asked Adam what he thought and he encouraged me to go as he thought it should be of interest.

And I am glad I did, as attending the event were a lot of the big cheeses from tourism businesses in the city, and the guest speakers were all from the cultural tourism industry. While we all love our city and know what is on offer it was interesting to hear the outsider's perspective. I won't go through it all with you as you probably wouldn't find it so interesting, however there was one bit I thought I would share with you and ask your thoughts on...

One of the speakers was Simon Calder, travel editor of The Independent and a rare breed among journalists as he always insists on paying his own way in order to get a realistic experience. Anyway he put forward the idea of the Seven Wonders of Brighton and this was his list, starting in seventh place:

• The North Laine
• Brighton Marina
• The Fishing Quarter including the Fishing Museum
• The Royal Pavilion
• The Volks Railway
• Victorian Sewer Tour

and in first place... drum roll please... (goodness what could it be we've already had the Royal Pavilion?)

• Brighton Museum and Art Gallery

As he said it is a beautiful building and apart from the permanent features they also host some great exhibitions including the current one On the Pull which includes a unique installation called 'May happiness knock you over'

So do you agree with Simon or do you have your own ideas on what the Seven Wonders of Brighton actually are?

Charlotte

Nick's Brighton Top 10 and Adios!

Its goodbye from me....

Today's my last day. I was going to write a nice goodbye blog to all at VisitBrighton but you the punter probably don’t want to know about that.

So here’s my personal Brighton top 10 instead:

1. The undercliffe walk between Brighton Marina and Saltdean – a beautiful man made walk along the coast. Watch out for the waves crashing over the wall if its stormy.

2. The Basketmakers pub in the North Laine. A truly traditional English boozer. Great beer, great value food and lots of cryptic messages in tobacco boxes on the walls.

3. A walk along the beachfront just before sunset. Watch thousands of starlings dance over the decrepid but proud West Pier.

4. Murasaki, a great little Japanese café on Dyke Rd, Seven Dials.

5. Queen’s Park, one of Brighton’s award winning parks and one of the closest to town and the beach. Their café does a great cream tea with real strawberries.

6. The Duke of York’s cinema – one of the oldest working independent cinemas in the country. Great big seats and you can take a glass of wine and nibbles in with you.

7. The Evening Star, another pub I know, but the range of beers is just amazing, from Dark Star to Espresso Stout to Spiced Vice. And don’t get me started on the ciders.

8. The café in the Pavilion Gardens, great value, great ambience, great view. And occasionally they have live Big Bands in the garden.

9. The sea, go on, have a dip, the colder it is the more it will wake you up!.

10. All the people at VisitBrighton. A. Because they’re lovely. B. Because they’re devoted to making sure you have a good time in our amazing city. C. Because I’ll miss them lots.

See ya!

Nick Brighton

Starlings over Brighton

One of my favourite things about Brighton, and it’s free, is the return of the starlings to the Brighton Pier, the derelict West Pier and the West Quay in the Marina. Up close they’re aggressive, ugly birds – really greasy looking – but in a flock they act as one mass.

At dusk this dark cloud of thousands of birds wheels and spins above you creating an infinite number of different shapes – globes, funnels, long streaks like black smoke across the sky. After 10 or 15 minutes one bird breaks cover and swoops beneath the pier to their roosting place and all the others follow in one great streak. An evening sky full of birds empties in seconds.

Amazing.

Brian Snow
Avalon Hotel Brighton
brian@avalonbrighton.co.uk
www.avalonbrighton.co.uk