Top 5 Things To Do In Brighton, UK – A low cost seaside seaside break
By: Patricia
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By: Lisa Logan If you travel and want to find a referenced, experienced and mature house sitter to take care of your home and pets while you are away, you need to check Lisa's fabulous website:http://www.trustedhousesitters.com Top 5 Things To Do In Brighton – A low cost seaside seaside break
Brighton Pier © flickr/OliverN5 Brighton is a popular destination for get-away-from-it-all breaks. It’s proximity to London and Gatwick Airport means it is easily accessible to those looking for a vibrant but laid-back location to spend a few days. The main problem for those wanting to visit the city has always been the accommodation issue. Either top end, blow the budget, edifices like The Grand; the new wave of boutique hotels, which are not much cheaper; or flea pit B&Bs populated with Stag and Hen parties. But there is now a new way to stay in the city without paying for accommodation. House Sitting is a great way to achieve a luxurious and unique break by the sea on a very tight budget. Home owners increasingly don’t want to leave their property empty while they are away and those with cats and dogs prefer them to stay in their own environment rather than be sent to kennels. This means that in return for offering your services to water the garden, feed the cat or walk the dog you can enjoy a holiday in Brighton for the price of a train fare or tank of petrol. And once you’re here you don’t need to spend any more than you would at home. There are a huge number of things to do and see for free around the city and as you’ll have your own kitchen you won’t need to eat out at every meal time. So kick back, relax and enjoy Brighton. 1. Walk the Seafront
Photo By AnnieGreenSprings No trip to Brighton would be complete without a walk along the vibrant seafront esplanade. And the best thing about it is that it’s free. Starting at the Brighton Pier head right down onto the beach and walk west towards the very sad sight of the twisted, burnt remains of the formally grand West Pier. You will first pass the “Artists Quarter” where there are some fantastic little galleries tucked under the arches selling the work of local artists. In many of these you can see the artists working in their studios behind the shops. There are also great bars, cafés and restaurant all along the walkway from the ubiquitous Fish and Chip Shops to the high(er) end dining of Due South – nothing is too high brow in Brighton. But if you’re on a budget grab yourself a bottle of wine/flask of coffee/sandwich/cake and have yourself a picnic on the beach.  Don’t confine a walk along the seafront just to sunny days. There’s no greater pleasure than battling through a February gale to get to the sanctuary of The Fortune Of War for a hot toddy!
2. Brave the Sea
Photo By alex robinson You will definitely need a hot toddy if you brave a swim in the sea at almost any time of the year. The Mediterranean this is not! And that’s once you’ve managed a painful bare footed stumble across the pebbles. It is absolutely impossible to do this without looking like a complete fool. But this is Brighton and you MUST go for a swim. Some hardy fools swim around the pier every day of the year – including Christmas Day.
3. The Brighton Festival
PhotoBy eyejewels
Each May Brighton becomes the cultural hub of the UK when the Brighton Festival and Festival Fringe take over the city. In 2011 the festival runs from 7th to 30th May. Every available space is pressed into action as a venue of some kind and events spill into the street. In fact street theatre is a huge part of the festival thanks in large part to the wonderful Same Sky arts organization. This means that many events are free to attend: the most notable of which are the Children’s Parade which opens the festival and the Big Splash event at Brighton Marina.
Events range from classical concerts, dance, comedy, and book readings to every weird and wonderful form of entertainment you can imagine. Yes, you could spend a fortune of tickets but you could also come and have a fabulous time without spending a penny.
The Artists Open Houses are also a great feature of the festival. Each year during weekends in May over 240 brave (foolish?) citizens of Brighton and Hove open their homes to exhibit the work of over 1,300 artists. The art is varied and often wonderful – but even better is getting to have a good nose around some really rather fabulous homes!
One of the things that makes Brighton great, and different from other coastal resort towns in the UK, is the shear variety of people that it seems to attract. It’s easy to while away an hour or two watching the multitude variety of residents and visitors pass you by.
Of course the seafront is a great place to do this (head closer to the West Pier than the Brighton Pier for the more out-of-the-ordinary types). But other interesting areas are the North Laine and St. James Street. Both have good independent coffee shops and bars for spending an afternoon pretending to read a newspaper.
Royal Pavilion © flickr/huygens
Brighton’s most famous attractions are undoubtedly The Brighton Pier and the Royal Pavilion, The Prince Regents extravagant pleasure palace. Both are worth a (quick?) visit but are certainly not the defining features of the city.
A quick walk to the end of the Pier and back is probably enough if you’re over 25 and not addicted to fruit machines!
The Pavilion is magnificent but at almost £10 entry it depends on how tight your budget is as to whether it is worth the cost. You can get an idea of the grandeur of Regency life by visiting the Brighton Museum (entrance is free) and The Dome (now a theatre venue) across the garden. These were once the Prince Regent’s stables!
For more information on House Sitting for a low cost holiday in Brighton or anywhere else around the world visit www.trustedhousesitters.com
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