Click on this image

for a look at the area in 1888!!!

Lesley and I headed to the station with the promise of the ocean and sunshine.
We met my friend Jono and got our tickets (£16 return) which is okay.

The train took an hour and we went through some lovely country side.

We came out of the station in Brighton and we a little disappointed to find it breezy and overcast!!

The friends on the beach

Emma, Johno, Lesley, Kristina, Andrea and Tanya in the front

Never mind - we headed towards the water anyway.

Kristina, my friend from work, called and they had arrived about twenty minutes after us so I said that we would wait at the end of the street for her.

(two photos) A look at the beach "which was pebbles!!"

Tanya on the beach (two photos) --- and Johno relaxing

We complained about the weather and then went down onto the "beach" which was pebbles!!

Tanya, Lesley and the "fish'n'chips" --- and Johno enjoying his

A "seagull" or a "chicken"???

We found a fish and chip shop and had our breakfast/lunch on the water - it was about noon at this time.
The fish and chips were really yummy but we were surrounded by seagulls "as big as chickens" as Johno said!!
They were huge and hovered over our heads!!

Yachts and boats on the beach

We took a wander along the seafront up to the Pier and basically just nosed around.

The Fishing Museum

I also saw one of the smallest museums I have ever seen but you will see the photos of that later.

Walking towards the Pier (two photos)

(two photos) The Brighton Pier --- and a clock on the Pier

We got to the Pier and watched people on the beach and in the water (crazy!)

The rides at the Pier Emma, Johno, Lesley, Tanya, Kristina and Andrea

The roller coaster --- and "Mermaid Tanya" and "Diver Johno"

We then headed up to the rides.
Lesley was still feeling a little seedy so she skipped the rides but I went on two roller coasters with Johno and Kristina.
It was quite scary because it felt that we were heading straight out over the water at a couple of points and then it was a sharp turn back into the Pier.

We wandered around and watched people and then headed back down the Pier.
We got an icecream but Kristina wanted a crepe - Johno ended up getting one too and then I tasted theirs and got one as well!!

We wandered through a few little art galleries and then Kirstina and Andrea decided they wanted fish and chips so we stopped for them and looked at postcards etc while they ate.

The Royal Pavillions (two photos)

After that we headed into the town a little bit to have a look at the Royal Pavillions.
They seem very out of place in the little seaside town - they reminded me of the Mosques in Turkey but they are acutally Indian I think - anyway, they were quite lovely.

The 'silver fern' tattoo --- and Lesley's "spray on" (two photos)

Lesley has been wanting to get a 'silver fern' (as she is a Kiwi) tattoo.
She is yet to find something that she likes and is a bit nervous because it will be black on white (skin) and it is usually white on black.
We saw a guy doing a few spray ons and we found the perfect silver fern for her - she had it done and I took photos so she can take it to the tattoo parlour when she gets it done.
So she was happy.

The old Pier "that burnt down" (two photos)

We headed back down the beach to the other pier that burnt down.

We went past a few pubs with live bands and some great markets - Kristina got a hat and I got a beach head rest.
Lesley won't let me take the beach pillow I got at Toast Australia last year because she reckons it is too big and unnecessary but this is small cost £1.00 and she said that I can take it.

"Boys playing basketball in front of a lovely hotel" (two photos)

Tanya and Kristina sitting on the "beach-pebbles"

We sat on the beach in front of the old pier and listened to about four guys playing the sax and guitar and african drums and singing for about thirty/fourty minutes and then headed back to the station for our train back to London.

After a bit of snooze on the train we were back at Clapham.

Lesley had said that she wanted to go to GBK for her birthday so we did.
Jono came too and we had a massive burger and milkshake and chips and then headed back home for a quite night.

It was a lovely day despite the weather being cold and windy (but no rain)
Tanya.

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention about Brighton is how clear and blue the water was - I thought it would be dirty and mucky!

Monday 13th June 2005
The Sydney Morning Herald

Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz might want to secure his baggy green cap in the Tower of London after being robbed twice inside the first week of the Ashes cricket tour of England.

The big quick had cash stolen from his hotel room in Brighton last Wednesday and then had a bag containing team uniforms swiped after the Australians' tour match in Leicester on Saturday.

Batsman Michael Clarke also had gear stolen - including five personalised bats - after the win over Leicestershire.

He and Kasprowicz might have to wear teammates' playing shirts in coming matches as they wait for Cricket Australia to send over more playing gear from home.

Australia's bus driver realised on Saturday one of the big equipment bags the players use to carry their gear - dubbed 'coffins' - was missing before the team left Leicester.

Clarke was annoyed to learn he had five bats stolen, along with a pair of batting pads, seven pairs of gloves, a thigh pad, three pairs of spiked boots, two pairs of runners and even his protector.
Kasprowicz, who reported the theft of his money from Brighton to police, was missing a smaller bag after the game in Leicester, which contained seven playing shirts, two pairs of pants and five thermal skins he wears under his strip.

Kasprowicz was concerned his gear might be auctioned on eBay because the offenders had seized on being able to get close to the Australian team at small county grounds.

"The boys don't have anything against signing autographs but when you're travelling on a (tour) bus and there's blokes who've been on the grog all day who are a bit smart and hopefully not physical, there's that element (something) could happen," he said.

"If we're seeing at a basic level gear being stolen I think that maybe it's a security issue and something that needs to be looked at."

Kasprowicz, who had never had anything stolen on previous tours, at least retained his sense of humour and blamed the entire episode on British birdlife.

"When we first got to Brighton I was having a Subway sandwich and I was hit by a seagull - seagull shit - and the English seagull is a lot bigger than the Australian seagull, so when it actually hit me, the epicentre which is like a tub of yoghurt, exploded," he said.

"When I was playing at Glamorgan two years ago, I was doing an interview and all of a sudden there it was again, but the journo at the time said that's actually good luck to be shat on by a seagull.

"I went out the next game and got nine-for in the innings against Durham so I thought it's good luck.
"But unfortunately (here) it went the other way."