You can still explore the area’s top attractions – without leaving the safety of your armchair
Tourism South East is highlighting the ways you can still travel around the south-east without leaving the comfort and safety of your own armchair. In coronavirus times, there are still ways to enjoy the area, as Irene Caswell, destination PR manager, points out. “A webcam facing east at Brighton means people can still visit the beach. It features several key landmarks such as the Brighton Palace Pier; British Airways i360; the West Pier; and the Brighton Bandstand. In addition to the live feed, visitors can also scroll back through the last 24 hours to see dramatic sunrises: www.visitbrighton. com/information/weather/ forecast/brighton “artrepublic gallery is offering free virtual tours. Art lovers can book their virtual tour by calling 01273 724829 or email brightongallery@ artrepublic.com and a member of the team will book in a video call to walk and talk you through the gallery. The gallery has one of the largest collections of framed limited edition and rare prints from internationally renowned artists and emerging talent.” You can also also escape to the world of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Wakehurst. Virtual Kew offers inspiring visuals of the world-class living collections together with fun facts and activities for home, plus downloadable learning resources to support teachers, parents and pupils working at home. A treasure trove of botanical books is among the highlights in Kew’s online shop.
Irene said: “The RBG at Kew is sharing daily content on digital channels. From content generated by staff on the ground, up in the treetops and inside the glasshouses, to blogs, beautiful images and videos from both sites, they are trying to connect with a community of natureloving individuals and renew people’s appreciation for the outdoors. Plus fun phone wallpapers that people can save to their devices, quizzes, relaxing moving images and tips for promoting wellbeing through nature.”
Visit: www.kew.org/ wakehurst/whats-on You can also take a virtual tour of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, providing 360 degree views of the Banqueting Room, Great Kitchen and Music Room. Each tour comes with a sample of the popular audio guide, available in a variety of languages. https://brightonmuseums. org.uk/royalpavilion/ whattosee/virtual-tour And you can also browse the collections of Brighton & Hove Museums. Royal
Pavilion & Museums’ Digital Media Bank makes its digitised collections and other assets available to download and share. “These include art works, photographs and newspapers related to Brighton & Hove, and images and other media depicting its collections,” Irene said. Visit https://damsbrightonmuseums.org.uk/ assetbank-pavilion/action/ viewHome. Also available is an online 360 degree tour at Chichester Festival Theatre. Click on the opera glasses to explore the Festival Theatre, Minerva Theatre, its bars and restaurants, and the Steven Pimlott Building. To access the virtual 360 degree view on a mobile device or tablet tap on: www. cft.org.uk/your-visit-take-atour