Late May 2023 – Brighton

28th May – Sunday – Passage from Eastbourne to Brighton

We slipped our lines at 05.45am to enter the lock for the 06.00am lock opening.

5 boats in total entered the lock.  The fishermen were gutting fish on the deck of Fishing Vessel ‘Talsiman’ while waiting for the lock.

A seagull was on hand to snaffle a frozen fish from the fishermen’s gutting platform and fly to the floating deck in the lock, to finish it in peace.  Tough going as it was frozen. 

The weather was still ‘sunny with a chill NE wind’ which was gusting to 20 knots as we passed Beachy Head and the White Cliffs.

Beachy Head lighthouse dwarfed by the cliffs.

We took turns steering round Beachy Head.  The sea was rocking and rolling but less so than previous passages.  We arrived in Brighton at 09.30am, 22 miles in just over 3 hours, working the tides and making speedy progress.

The entrance into Brighton Marina above.  Keep in tight to the red buoys at present.  Dredging is in progress, ingress and egress are not advised 2 hours either side of Low Water, due to the shallow channel.  

We spent the rest of the day re-familiarising ourselves with Brighton Marina.  A number of the restaurants have changed since our last visit.

29th May – Monday – Bank Holiday – trip into Brighton

After a hearty Wetherspoons breakfast (I had Miners Benedict, Black Pudding instead of Ham with perfect poached eggs, yum), we took advantage of the £2 bus tickets, which are available in many areas until October.  It is a 40-60 minute walk to the Pier, so we are usually tired before we start our day.  This way we arrived fresh from the Number 7 bus.

There is always something going on in Brighton, that’s why we went on the Bank Holiday.  Retirees tend to avoid Bank Holiday destinations. 

At the bus station in the adjoining gardens we found the Brighton Spiegeltent, it was the end of the Brighton Festival but the big top, marquees, stalls and theatre were still operational. 

Before noon the Big Top was hosting a children’s disco.

The mobile theatre was starting a performance.

And the vintage mobile cinema was taking tickets.  Affectionately known as ‘Audrey’, she is the last of 7 built in the late 60s to promote the British Film Industry.

Numerous stalls, marquees, bars, play areas and entertainment made up the encampment.

We then trod our well worn path through North Laines, The Lanes, shopping centres and cafes.  We walked back to the marina and ate on the boat as we were so tired.  We can rest tomorrow.

31st May – Wednesday – Walked to Rottingdean

From Brighton Marina we took the Undercliff Walkway to Rottingdean.

It is a 2 mile walk to Rottingdean.  The wind was against us going, but helped on the way back.

I had googled The Grange which is now the local library, museum and art gallery.  There was a talk about R.H. Jones a local architect famous for his love of Art Deco and more famous for being the architect for Woolworths in his younger days.  A new store was opened every week, culminating in 600 altogether.  They had a gang of their own workers, like McDonalds do today.

We had tea and cake in the garden afterwards.  The garden was created by Gertrude Jekyll.  For a café near the home of Rudyard Kipling, they made ‘exceedingly good cakes’, sorry.

In the museum we saw a box of ‘Cludeo or Murder at Tudor Close’.  Tudor Close was a nearby hotel, and travelling entertainers Anthony and Elva Pratt hosted Murder Mystery games at the hotel, played by guests and local actors.  They took the idea to Waddington Games who produced the first sets in 1949.

We then went in search of some of Mr Jones’s building.  Starting with St Margaret’s flats in Rottingdean, which must have been a shock to the quaint village at the time.

We walked a further mile to the Lido in Saltdean, currently under renovation.

Then onto the Grand Ocean Hotel, which bears a striking similarity to the Midland in Morecambe.  This hotel was built 5 years later than the Midland……just saying.  It was later bought and run by Butlins for many years.

After over 7 miles walking we decanted to Nando’s for tea.

3rd June – Saturday – To Hove

After a couple of rest days we took another £2 bus to Hove.  Neither of us had been before.

It is the Lytham to Brighton’s Blackpool.  With some very grand crescents.

 

George St.  Shopping, Cafes and more.  The bus terminates here.  Walking to the seaside there are lots of high end boutique shops.

Leading to the beautiful Georgian Terraces.

I would struggle to choose.

We walked back into Brighton and caught the bus back. 

4th June – Sunday

Many of these floating homes have appeared in Brighton Marina since our last visit.  They are moored on several pontoons in the eastern end of the Marina.  They float in less water than most boats, which will help the marina use the existing pontoons, which are now unsuitable for boats due to silting.  They are on sale in the local estate agents for around £225,000.  Ouch.

We enjoyed an excellent Sunday Lunch at Brighton Marina Yacht Club.

We enjoyed the sunshine.

Out of the wind afterwards.

Sailors Info

£45 per night inc Electricity.

The new facilities mentioned previously are kept spit spot by a team of cleaners who are present throughout the day.

Asda and many restaurants nearby.

A pleasure as always, despite the chill wind.

Next stop Portsmouth