A wee bit about Brighton
If you find you have any time off (after
5pm of course) and you find you’ve exhausted all
the fringe meetings, here is a brief guide of what Brighton
has to offer....
Brighton has plenty of trendy bars, clubs
and restaurants, as well as traditional British pubs and
restaurants. There is a lively LGBT scene.
The Lanes
The Lanes, an area of winding alleys and hidden squares
and passages, are the historical heart of the fishing
town of Brighthelmstone which is easy for me to say.
There is a wide range of ‘new age’
shops and up-market jewellery. They also boast coffee
shops and specialist restaurants, as well as the traditional
pubs.
North Laine
North Laine is known as the 'cultural quarter', with 300
or so shops, as well as cafes, bars, pubs and theatres.
The Royal Pavilion, Brighton museum & art gallery
and theatres are all around here.
Beachfront and Piers
Famous for its pebble beach and piers, the beachfront
area offers a host of attractions and you can hire deck
chairs (contact the Briefings Team for instructions on
how to knot your hankies!).
The fishing quarter has a museum, modern
art trail and seafront artists' quarter.
The Sealife Centre is also on the seafront
near the pier.
The Palace Pier is the only pier in England
to be open year-round. Deck chairs again with amusement
arcades and fairground rides and games, souvenir shops,
fish and chips and even a pub.
By night, the beachfront clubs are jumpin’
(we’re told). There is also open-air cinema, performances
at the Ellipse area, music on the beach, and shows and
concerts at the seafront near Brighton Centre.
Brighton Pavilion
Building on this Regency but ‘n’ ben in the
elaborate Indo-Saracenic style in began 1787 as a retreat
for the decadent George IV, then the Prince of Wales.
The pavilion is home to the finest collections
and examples of the chinoiserie style in Britain.
History/ Politics
A branch of the Social Democratic Federation was first
formed in Brighton in 1889. Organised trade unionism had
begun long before with the arrival of the railway and
railway engineering in the 1840s.
But it wasn't until 1986 that the Labour
Party won control of the council. The party also won control
of the unitary authority from 1997 to 2003 when Brighton
and Hove went to no overall control with the Tories as
the biggest party.
Since 2007 the Greens have been the biggest
party and now lead the council as a minority administration.
Jason Kitcat remains the council leader
despite the Greens losing a vote of confidence earlier
this year relating to their plan for a referendum to increase
council tax by 4.7%. You might say (and I’m sure
it has been) that Kitcat refused to take a break.
