FLYING HIGH ON THE COAST

Experience the trendy, traditional, historical and luxurious all in one weekend, with a trip to Brighton. Angela Cole headed to the seaside and came home converted

Whether you want to mingle with ubertrendy hipsters, have a drink in a traditional English pub, immerse yourself in culture, or just enjoy a day at the beach, Brighton’s the place for you.

For many of us, the seaside city is the place where you’d imagine that you’ll need at least seven piercings and several tattoos to fit in - and my mere one tattoo and two piercings fall far short of that. I’d not visited for many years but in two days I discovered the great thing about Brighton is that it really caters for all. In an area that was walking distance of the very traditional and highly welcoming pub, the Market Inn - complete with bunting outside - where we stayed, it really was possible to experience the trendy, the traditional, the historical and the luxurious in less than 48 hours.

Our first stop after a slap-up breakfast brought to our room at the Market Inn, had to be the Brighton Pavilion. Once home to the city’s original party prince, Prince Regent (George IV), it was transformed by John Nash between 1815 and 1822 into one of the most dazzling and e exotic otic buildings in the country. country

Its splendour is still apparent today, and as you go round with your audio guide, or reading the signs, you’ll learn a lot about his lavish lifestyle and the sad side effects which ailed him later in life. Once you’ve topped up on your culture, try a walking tour of the city to learn more and head to the seafront to immerse yyourself in all walks of llife, from families chilling on the shingle beeach, to volleyballers annd cyclists, boutiques annd beachside bars. Now’s also your chance o pick up your three ppieces of rubbish at the beach and do your bit for the environment. Hidden in a small row of traders that are tuucked almost under the rroad (you’ll need to go down some steps and onto the beachfront to find them) you’ll find The Arches and Murmur, an all day dining restaurant by the Great British Menu 2017 winner Michael Bbremner.

The menu is pretty much to die for, whether you’re eating a la carte or the kids menu, and I may quite possibly have eaten my favourite dish ever there, off the specials menu, a mushroom h ravioli i li with truffle - pure bliss - accompanied by Les Boules Blanc white wine. The staff at Murmur - we were served by Danielle Fico, with Jamie Saunders as front of house that day - were the perfect mix of attentive without being in-your-face.

The highlight - emphasis on high - of our trip was the British Airways i360. The “flight” which gives you a 360 degree view of Brighton came in for criticism when passengers got stuck for lengthy waits, and I wouldn’t say I would have tried it of my own accord. But don’t knock it ‘til you try it. The trip felt like the height of decadence, as we looked down on the city and its coastline, while all around people chinked glasses and took sky-high selfies. It was almost disappointing when we came back down to earth. Our final stop of the weekend was dinner at the New Club overlooking the seafront, and if we’d avoided meeting any hipsters, now was our moment to mingle.

Relax, fill up on some succulent burgers, and enjoy the trendy surroundings while looking out at the sea, and make sure the citrusy Brighton Fizz cocktail is on your evening to-do list.

B Brighton i ht - I’ll b be b back. k