BRIGHTON

 Undoubtedly, Brighton is the most cosmopolitan seaside town in the country. 

In 1750 a physician named Richard Russell published a book extolling the virtues of "oceanic fluid" as a cure for hundreds of common ailments. Russell, a native of Lewes, Sussex, advocated not just bathing in seawater but drinking it as well. Russell's book was a best-seller in his day, and he built himself a house at the small fishing village of Brighthelmstone, near Lewes.

Patients flocked to see Russell and follow his prescriptions, but it was not until 1783 that Brighton, as the town became known, really began to take off. Much loved by royalty, including the Prince Of Wales. He was so taken with the place that he built the Brighton Pavilion (yet to be photographed by me).  The royal patronage helped establish Brighton as a popular seaside resort.

Before 1514, when the village of Brighthelmstone was burned by the French, it was bordered by East, North and West Streets (South Street having been washed away), and within these boundaries lies the oldest part of Brighton, including the famous 17th. century Lanes.

From the crowded Lanes with their antique shops and cafes, to the Palace Pier (the sole survivor of 3 piers) and the once-beautiful Madeira Drive, it's immensely popular with tourists of all nationalities and persuasions.

It's one of those places that, if you catch a glimpse of the green railings along the beach, you instantly recognise it as Brighton.

Madeira Drive badly needs restoration to its' superb ironwork, but here it is as it stands....... The Drive is privately owned, so it can be closed for major events, including the London to Brighton Vintage Car Rally, the motorcycle Pioneer Run, and the Ace Cafe Brighton Burn-Up, which sees motorcycles arriving from as far away as Japan.