Seafield House

SURFERS WITH A SMILE (AND TUCK TOO!)

by themajor

These chaps at Ocean Sports Board Riders have been assisting all those individuals who like balancing upon waterlogged planks since 1989. Apparently they are the biggest surf shop in the UK - more than likely, as there are hardly thousands of 'em filling the high streets. What's more, there is a 'genuine' American style diner adjacent to their establishment. Any passing American will doubtless testify whether it is more or less genuine than Dick Van Dyke's cockney accent in Mary Poppins. Either way, it always looks reassuringly busy! Polished and elongated lumps of wood and associated flotsam and jetsam.

Brighton and....

by TheLongTone

HOVE ALBION Poor old Hove. Not only does it share a footie team with Brighton, they are one of those unfortunate teams that play in claret and blue. Doomed to be upstaged by it's more glam neighbour: and, true, walking down the prom, in best holidaymakers fashion, there's nothing to tell you you're in another town. Same shingle beach, same beach huts, same gulls and (probably) the same weather. Go much further and you're in Shoreham.

This is the secret of Hove's charm. Brighton, think Regency elegence. Hove, think 30's, gabled semis all bakelite door furniture and dark oak inside. Ordinary suburbia. With added seaside.

Hove....the posh end of Brighton (apparently)

by pashadupont

"Brighton and Hove"

Brighton and Hove joined together and were awarded city status fairly recently. I think that meant greater priveledges all round and lets face it, we all want to pretend to be more important than we are.
But city status hasn't gone to our heads and we are essentially quite a small community.
Very cosmopolitan, very stylish and very creative.
Brighton is Europe's gay capital so if you are a woman you might struggle to find marriage material but the openess and warmth here are blankets for the soul. If you are a guy.......someone told me recently that there is one straight male to every 3 straight females.....you do the maths.
I will finish this later but feel free to get in touch if you have questions.

HOVE INTO VIEW! (BRIGHTON'S RESPECTABLE BROTHER!)

by themajor

"WHAT IS HOVE?"

Well might you ask Sirrah...and so I shall tell you! Hove is the respectable elder brother of that raffish ne'er-do-well Brighton. If Brighton was where you died to live, Hove was where you lived to die. Once separate and snooty, Hove's independence as a separate town and borough was cruelly snatched away by our political masters, who announced a hasty shotgun wedding with our errant neighbour and produced that Jekyll and Hyde of conurbations, the 'City of Brighton and Hove'.

"SPOT THE DIFFERENCE"

In truth we probably gained more than we lost. Although the two towns had always enmeshed invisibly, it was Brighton who had the notable lions share of restaurants etc. For most of the last century Hove has had neither nightclubs, cinemas nor theatres...in fact this is true to this very day...'er, though I am told there is a lap-dancing emporium near the municipal library. No, compared to Brighton Hove has always been quiet, which is why people often preferred to live on this side of the divide. You could use Brighton's amenties and then scuttle off to seek sanctuary over the border.

"CELEBRITIES OF HOVE!"

There are to this day a goodly smattering of celebrities who live in Hove but alas, when quoted in trendy newspaper columns they inevitably claim their abode is in Brighton. There is in fact a little 'Millionaires Row' of white villas on Hove seafront complete with their own private beaches and resident celebs. These include Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Heather, Fat Boy Slim and his missus Zoe Ball, Nick Cave, Nick Berry (who he?) etc...and yes, they are sometimes seen strolling around like the normal human beings they really are. It must however be pointed out that is far better to stroll on the promenade than the beach. For if there is one thing we have in common with our noisier neighbour it is the preponderence of pebbles and the shortage of sand. So if you come for a dip and fancy a spot of sunbathing do turn up with plenty of natural padding or a good thick beach towel!