Brighton

We left London to pick up the car near Heathrow which wasn't that bad as it was a Saturday morning and the traffic was light. We eventually got off to a less than stellar start using Doris the GPS we had brought with us. All the maps had been loaded but can I tell you the English don't know how to clearly signpost a road. We eventually found our way and started our journey south west to Brighton. 

Peter had worked out a route that would take us via a place called Tunbridge Wells, then onto Lewes finishing at Brighton which was our stop for the night. Well Doris didn't do a very good job at all and while she is telling us to go one way we notice that the sign for Tunbridge Wells was not the same way! So never mind we drove on to Lewes where we arrived to see a quaint town full of so many different styles of architecture all in one street! We had lunch at the Rights of Man pub right on the High Street. A lovely chat with a local and the barmaid about Australia and we were on our way again.

                         

 

 

After a short stroll around a very small part of the town we made our way to Brighton. More confusion ensues as we try and find our hotel. We eventually do find it above a pub with the entrance in the side street which I might add wasn't mentioned in our notes. As soon as you hit Brighton it is a sea of people. They are everywhere, think Circular Quay on Australia Day and then some. Unbelievable! 

We dump our luggage and make our way to the Royal Pavilion which is one of the highlights of Brighton. The Pavilion started out as a modest farmhouse when George the Prince of Wales decided he needed a place out of London away from his father (don't they all) as well as being advised the sea water would be good for his health. Over time the farmhouse was transformed first into a modest neo classical structure then a more substantial structure named the Marine Pavilion until the  architect John Nash made it into the grand oriental pavilion you see today. The changes also reflected the changing status of George Prince of Wales to Prince Regent and then to King George.

What can I say it was another example of pure opulence. Mind you George had never been to the Orient or India but so much of what you see has these themes running through them. As you walk from room to room the interior decoration is magnificent. 

The chandelier in the Baqueting Room was unbelievable. It weighs a ton! Everything was set out beautifully and if only I could have taken photos to be able to show exactly what I was seeing. Even the kitchen was superb, it was so big with huge work spaces which I supposed were needed to prepare the meals that George served not only himself but his guests as well.

Each room was very grand with decoratively painted walls featuring all different kinds of dragons, creatures and scenes from exotic places. The music room was one room which had been was outstanding. This room was decorated with Chinese scenes in rich reds heightened with gold. Painted dragons held up canvases which decorated the room. This room was severely damaged by an arson attack in 1975 and after a decade when the restoration was almost complete a ball from one of the 
minarets fell through the ceiling in the hurricane of 1987 and embedded itself in the newly laid hand knotted carpet. More work ensued and it is back to its former glory.

As you make your way through the private apartments you get a sense that this was definitely a show piece for th royal family. As you make your way to the first floor where most of the bedrooms are located, there is one section of the first floor which has a painting done in 1944 by Rex Whistler which is a bit creepy looking. It is called "HRH The Prince Regent Awakening the Spirit of Brighton" have a look for it if you are interested and see if you agree with me. In this space also are a series of cartoons lambasting the King who was not very popular with the people. 

Through the bedrooms which compared to the rest of the house are quite modestly decorated and then through to the South Galleries which were used as breakfast rooms by the Prince Regent's resident guests. These are decorated in a vivid blue with strips of block printed imitation bamboo. 

From there it is back downstairs through the obligatory gift shop and outside. This was an unbelievable place to visit as it really showed Royalty's manner of indulgence for what was to me a seaside retreat. 

Following the death of George IV the Pavilion was used by William IV and then by Queen Victoria until 1845.  She decided to buy Osborne House on the Isle of Wight as a family home.  Leading figures in Brighton saw the importance of the building and the town of Brighton purchased it even though all of the interior furnishings and furniture had been stripped from the building. 

After we left the Royal Pavilion we wandered around the lane ways another thing Brighton is known for. I can tell you now a pub crawl would be very easy here as there is a pub whichever way you turn. The more we walked around it became very apparent why Brighton is known as the "Gay Captial of Europe".  

As it was getting late we decided to find Jamie's Italian for dinner. While we had to wait for a table we sat in the bar and enjoyed a couple of drinks and true to there word 40 minutes later our table was ready. Lovely meal and then a stroll along the promenade to the Brighton Pier. We did a walk through the pier and the cacophony of noise coming out of there was amazing. Music blaring, people trying to be heard above the noise and then the sound of all the arcade machines as well. I thought the pokies at the RSL were bad but they have nothing on this. It certainly was a popular place to be. Everywhere around us was pumping music and had people everywhere. 

We walked back to our hotel to go to bed and the noise followed us. I have never been anywhere where the noise is so constant, music, sirens, people talking loudly, gulls screeching, it is amazing. 

An early morning wakeup wasn't what I wanted but what can you do when there is still music playing, people shouting and sirens blaring. I tried to go back to sleep but to no avail so started to read until Peter woke up as well and he went for a walk along the seaside with his camera. He came back and told me that there was still a bar with music going along the promenade at 5.30!!! Crazy town is what Brighton is. It was an early getaway for us but I still hadn't managed to get a photo of the Brighton changing boxes which I had seen many pictures of. I thought I must have been confusing it with Melbourne's ones. But just as we were driving out of the city we saw them. While not a bright and sunny aspect to the pictures I did get them.

                                                                                                                                                                                

  

              

  
                                               

Next on our adventure is a ferry ride from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight.