By Paul Topping

We set off to the English south coast, following a trend that began in the eighteenth century. We are heading for Brighton. Time Out voted it the “most walkable city in England” and it attracts around eleven million visitors a year.

Its history dates back to the Bronze Age, later becoming a Saxon fishing town. Perhaps the biggest influence on Brighton came from George IV, who, when he was Prince, was sent there at a young age for the therapeutic benefits of sea air and sea bathing. He was so inspired by the place that he commissioned the amazing Indian-style Royal Pavilion, designed by John Nash, with the final work completed in 1811. I hear it is full of old furniture, so we decided against an internal tour.

Brighton’s popularity grew rapidly, and the population soon reached 41,000. Ironically, during the First World War, the town housed over 4,000 Indian soldiers in the Indian-style Pavilion complex. In the 1960s, “the Mods”, i.e. the modernists who rode scooters and listened to bands like "The Who" and "The Small Faces", clashed with “the Rockers” in Brighton in 1964. In 1984, the Grand Hotel Brighton was bombed in an attempt by the IRA to kill Margaret Thatcher. They failed to get her, but five people died and many were seriously injured. In 2003, both the West Pier and the concert hall were burnt down in separate arson attacks.

Today, it is a calm, seaside Victorian town on the English south coast; it is a quiet city of about three hundred thousand people. There is an abundance of predominantly day-trippers, budget holiday-makers and year-round visitors. I would call it a slightly upmarket “kiss-me-quick” hat town. My brother-in-law buys a bag of doughnuts, and we stroll down the prom like two old men. No comments required from you, readers. I imagine Brighton can be bleak in the winter months, yet it has become an attractive home to many, given its rail connection to London. Many members of the gay community have found it a comfortable place to live.

The city boasts 350 pubs. The Cricketers dates back to before 1547, and there is also an unusual 1825 church with a full-submersion baptism pool, built by the Nonconformists, later followed by the Union Free Church. It is now a bustling, inexpensive pub with an extremely quirky layout and style. It is called “The Font” and is worth a visit. We enjoy a good banter with the friendly staff, who are local university students. Brighton in summer looks like a great place to be, with over nine kilometres of seafront walking. The pebbled beach, as an adopted Sri Lankan, is not so special for me. The pier and towers add up to plenty to see. We plan to take a trip on what is claimed to be the oldest working electric train in the world, but the staff member is so rude and disinterested that we skip it.

The beachfront road is lined with endless rows of hotels and guest houses. The area we enjoy the most is “The Lanes”, old pedestrian alleyways and squares filled with various shops and services: jewellery, knick-knacks, vintage clothing, and numerous themed restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. There is an amazing amount of controlled graffiti. We find the seventeenth-century Sussex Arms, enjoy a wholesome meal and a few jugs of the local brew.

It is time to head back to London on the train. The journey takes ninety minutes, giving us time to chat about our fun time in Brighton before we drift off to sleep.