One of the reasons I chose to study abroad in London, and would recommend it to anyone, is that it is simple to book trains or planes to other places in Europe! The first long train ride I took, about an hour each way, was the one to Brighton Beach. This is a lovely town with a beautiful beach. I ended up going with some fellow students that are studying abroad with me, but this could easily be transformed into a fun family day trip. There are many activities during the day, especially in the on-season, and also a good amount of nightlife to enjoy after hours. There are art galleries, restaurants for whatever you’re in the mood for, and funky little shops scattered about. However, my favorite memory from my day at Brighton Beach is The Royal Pavilion grounds and tour.
To start, the grounds of what used to be King George IV’s residence are absolutely stunning. The rolling hills in front of the Pavilion are perfect to have a picnic on or watch the clouds. When we went, I had the privilege of participating in a tour of the Pavilion with my study abroad provider and a few fellow students. The interior has been restored to how it presumably looked in 1823 and walking through the massive building was awe-inspiring to me. It was so ornately decorated, so majestic, it was exactly what I imagined a traditional King’s mansion would look like. For the tour, each of us in the group got our own mobile-esque audio guide. As we travelled through the mansion, at our own pace, each extravagant room was labeled as a number. Once you got into that room, you would key in that number on your portable audio guide and hold the device to your ear to hear about 3-5 minutes of history on the room and what it was used for. There are also additional audio tours and interviews with curators you can hear along with slideshows of images of the royals that lived there. The list of what is available will appear on your screen after the standard audio for that room finishes. Then, you can either key in other codes to hear more about the room or continue on to the next room. I really enjoyed this feature, I got so much more out of my visit and was able to go on at my own pace.
We were not permitted to take photo or video while in the pavilion, so I lack pictures of the inside. I can assure you though, it is indeed ornate and ostentatious. This tour is definitely something that I would recommend be a stop for your day trip to Brighton. The tour can last as long as you would like it too, because they are self-guided tours. Once you finish, you will return your device and pop into the gift shop to take a bit of King George IV’s Royal Pavilion home with you.
What I also noticed about Brighton Beach was that there were political drawings on the sides of buildings throughout the town. At first, it shocked me because there is not any art like that in London. But, upon further research, I realized that Brighton is known for being very LGBT friendly. I think that’s wonderful! Some street art portrayed a woman kissing another and each drawing by the certain artist that I saw most of had an “I love you!” hidden somewhere in their artwork. Overall Brighton has a very welcoming atmosphere. I noticed that there is a sculpture of photos right on the Brighton boardwalk. According to our Brighton tour guide, the artwork portrays all the different relationships you find in Brighton. The key is, you can’t see the images clearly until you look at them far away. As you get gradually farther, the images become clearer. This sculpture had a woman kissing a man, a man kissing a man, a woman kissing a woman, an old couple kissing, and a mother or father kissing their child. I think it’s very progressive of Brighton to be shedding light on LGBT pride. Even though it is 2016 some people still have an issue with LGBT. Brighton welcomes anyone and everyone. This can be seen in each political work of street art that you come across, such as one of two male police officers kissing (London translation: snogging). LGBT pride is not the only street art one sees however. There are also political statements on so called “Big Brother” ideas, other countries, and even some artwork that is simply fun and interesting to look at.
One other part of my day trip that I enjoyed was their “Snowdogs By the Sea” charity campaign. Scattered about town are dog sculptures, about 1.5m tall, that are each painted in a different and eye-catching way. There are over 50 of these snowdogs and the purpose is to raise money for the charity Martlets Hospice. Well-known and extremely talented local artists design each snowdog sculpture. At the end of 2016, the sculptures will be put up for auction and this money will go to benefit Martlets Hospice. This is a relatively new yearly tradition, according to our tour guide, but proved so successful in the past that he presumes the tradition will go on for years to come.
Overall, Brighton Beach is definitely a must-see for those studying in or visiting London. It’s a train ride away and has a culture all it’s own. Brighton is just as beautiful in the winter as in the summer and you will never run out of activities to do there! I hope to go back once more to explore more of the town, it’s politics and history before I return to the States.
Meet Me On London Bridge? 