Brighton, Summer 2003

July 22, 2003

Jeanette’s version

Against Jenny's good advice to stay home and rest up from the journey, Emily and I were anxious to get out and about so we decided to have a day out in Brighton. This was a four hour train journey each way but we thought it was worth it. Brighton has been a seaside resort for several hundred years. Emily thought that Brighton Pier was tacky but I think that sometimes tacky can be pretty wonderful - in a tacky kind of way of course. We especially liked the ornate kiosk advertising Orgasmatronic Massages.  

You should not even bother to go to Brighton unless you plan to tour the Brighton Pavilion. In 1783 George, then Prince of Wales began converting a simple farmhouse into a neo-classical villa known then as the Marine Pavilion. In 1811 when he became Prince Regent he hired John Nash to enlarge the building. Between 1815 and 1822 it was transformed into the present Pavilion. It is opulence personified and pretty much a testimony to how anyone can have really bad taste, even a king.  The Pavilion was sold to the town of Brighton by Victoria in 1850 but not before she stripped it of its furnishings.  The chandelier in the Banquet room was originally hung with precious and semi-precious stones and Victoria had them replaced with ordinary crystal. 

The first time I visited Brighton was in 1980 when we lived in Scotland and took a trip "down south" with Bob, Jenny and the girls. A short time before that visit an arsonist had set fire to the music room causing a great deal of damage to that room and smoke damage to many of the other rooms on the main floor. Tours were being given but you could not get the total effect of just how grand everything was because repairs were still being done. In 1995 we went back and for some reason lost in the mists of time Matthew took the tour, I did not. So this was my first time to see the Pavilion in all its total glory. It was definitely worth the 7.60 (pounds) that it cost for the two of us. We are both at convenient ages since I qualify for senior discounts and Emily for Student discounts. 

After leaving the Pavilion we wandered around in the area known as The Lanes which are narrow alleyways lined with all sorts of interesting shops and restaurants. Brighton is another one of those places you could spend a week in and never see everything you wanted to. Just strolling along the seafront promenade and sitting on a bench staring out to sea is a wonderful way to spend your time. But, we had a four hour journey home so we reluctantly made our way back to the train station.

The journey back was interesting. A couple of disgusting young men got on at Brighton and proceeded to get roaring drunk. I almost had a heart attack when one lit up a cigarette and Emily reached over, tapped him on the shoulder and told him to put it out. He put it out though and even apologized to her. I guess he was too surprised to do anything else. The train was late getting into Bath and we missed our connection but we improvised and made it back only about an hour past our expected time. 

Emily’s Side of the Story

We hopped on a train at Weston-Super-Mare at 6:57 in the morning...arrived in Bath at 7:41, then took a train to Brighton, the ride lasted until 11:15...it was a nice ride..Grams and I took naps, and then chatted a little about  about our lives. She told me that Grandpa used to say, "There are 3 kinds of people in this world, the people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and then the ones who wonder what happened." I thought that it was quite fitting for what we were talking about, for we were talking about people who let others think for them. I absolutely love that saying...maybe just because it is so him..and I only knew him when he was very ill... don’t really know.. but I do know that I will begin to use that quote. Anyway on with today... 

We arrived in Brighton and the first thing we did was get on one of those sightseeing buses that you can ride over and over again...but we sat on the top where it was open...awesome it was. Gives you a whole new perspective on the town. 

We rode that for a while...then we got to The Royal Pavilion...it was HUGE...the city of Brighton bought it for 53,000 pounds...which in our money is like 170,000 dollars. That was way back when though...it was absolutely gorgeous. 

After that, we went to wait for the bus to the pier...as we were sitting there though...this kind of chubby woman went by on her bicycle...and well, we saw her thong...it was absolutely hilarious, and we were later informed that that is the style over here? Why on earth would you want anyone to see your knickers? Thats so grodie my-odie. Later when we got onto the Brighton Pier...we were walking through, and they have turned it into a sort of amusement park....you can ride rides, play the slots, and all other sorts of things..like a semi-state fair...to me it was displeasing...I think of a pier as a nice quite place where the only noise are the seagulls bothering you...not the sound of games...oh well...build it up for the tourism I suppose. Grams and I decided that we were going to take a rest on one of the nice benches...and across the way we see a little stand called "Massage Orgasmatron"...well now let’s see...how does that work again? he he...I got pictures...you will see them sooner or later if you care to...well NO not pictures of us getting one...pictures of the STAND :) Then we sat down for lunch...fish and chips, chips being french fries...actual CHIPS are called crisps. It was...different..I don’t eat fish but apparently it is very popular over here...so there you go. 

 After that, we looked for a places called Lanes..it is some rows of closely quartered shops...one that I went into was called FCUK...riiight I am sure that REALLY stands for French connection in the U.K. Uh huh and I am just some stupid broad...riiiight. Needless to say I didn’t buy anything there..I did however buy a rose pin thing...hard to explain but cute none the less. Grams and I also went to a bookstore and bought a book to read on the train back...so we didn’t get so bored.

Got lost on our way to the train station- more so to the bus stops...things are so confusing over here. I have also noticed that every guy has the Hugh Grant swagger down pat. It is quite amusing, they are either slouched shouldered or shoulders up to their stinking chin...great it is. Also, people don’t move when you say excuse me, and they don’t say excuse me...they just push you out of the way. Lovely people..:) he h

We finally arrived at Brighton Station...got on the train for a verrrryyy long ride back. Absolutely NO table seats...So I sat beside some stuffy woman who acted like if our arms touched she would get leprosy or something...ugh us Americans... I went to sleep on a tray about 6 inches wide and 8 inches long- quite comfy. The lady got off at a stop..and I spread out on my two seats..might have been impolite..but at least I wasn’t some "bloody american'" who was giving someone leprosy :) All in good fun do I write all of this. I awoke to some man arguing with his friend about that they will take your credit card away and leave you with all these fees...he was very loud...and obnoxious. I finally went back to sleep...then awoke to him talking loudly again..very annoying...then he got on the phone and was incessantly talking...started talking about sex..and every other word was F- this and F-that...very nasty. They(he and his friend) began calling some of their female friends and asking them to come out with them. and get laid..and if his mistress called, tell her that he was going down to somewhere and that’s all they knew. He also said for them to tell one of the male friends that he could have sex with his mistress just as long as he shut her up. It was very vulgar for about 2 hours.

Then the guy was so drunk he went into the train bathroom and threw up all over it...ugh..then they began smoking on a non smoking train..I nudged the not so obnoxious one and said "I don’t know if you even care but this is a non smoking train...that means, you< can’t> smoke on here." He smiled and said.."yes, I just realized that." Whatever.

We finally got off the horrible train..after we had missed our connecting one by about 25 min. We got off a Bristol Temple...waited for the train...went downstairs to the ladies room...another thing is that all of the woman’s bathrooms are downstairs..why is it that, I wonder? Anyway, we arrived back about 30 minutes ago...such a long but fun day...something I will never forget...chance of a life time.. but it still doesn’t feel like we are in a different country. Oh by the way, they sell gas over here by the litre..liter..whatever...so its like 4.40 a gallon! That’s crazy talk! Plus cartons of cigarettes are like 60 U.S. dollars...wowzers.. Drinking age is 18 and smoking age is 16.