Hot Summer in Brighton
All the plans about visiting Brighton had finally come true. I had heard so many wonderful things about Brighton, about the beach and the sun. Early June was the best time to enjoy this seaside city.
However, I was not the only one who thought of heading to Brighton. The train towards the city was semi-packed, full of English people who wanted to have their skin tanned red. Jasmine and I balanced ourselves for forty-minutes throughout the ride from Gatwick Airport. When the train terminated at the station, the passengers gradually disembarked themselves. I could not even find the exit until I followed the flock that marched towards the narrow ticket scanner.
I could finally breathe after being stuck in the crowd.
Brighton is a city filled with steep roads, which looked aesthetic on photos but could be strenuous to walk upwards. Right outside the train station was an illustrated map directing to different landmarks, and the estimated time to reach each location. I already knew where I should head, so I guided Jasmine to traverse the shops that were unique to the city. There were so many Asian restaurants that looked way genuine than those self-claimed authentic restaurants. We even rested at a minimalistic Japanese café for a cold drink, which was the perfect match for a hot day.
Royal Pavilion with Multicultural Motif
On the outside, the Brighton Royal Pavilion shared a similar motif with Indo-Islamic mosques—the bulbous dome and slender minarets. It looked like the mosques in my country, the fancier ones. Once entered the main entrance, we were welcomed by a Regent-era style interior full of heraldic dolphin—far from the common bottlenose creatures we all know.
The interior instantaneously shifted to red wallpapers and Chinese-motif furniture and decors. This design style is known as Chinoisene, the European interpretation of East Asian artistic practices, which became a trend in the 18th-century. Most of the designers had not visited beyond the Western land but were fed by the images of the Far East from merchants and diplomats. This palace was a living embodiment of this fashion, which was shown in the elaborated banqueting room. This space was decorated with oil paintings of Qing Dynasty men and women, but their facial features were illustrated by adhering to the Western aesthetic. On the ceiling hung a chandelier made of massive crystals, connected to the painted plantain leaves.
George IV lived a lavish lifestyle, which this palace reflected his life philosophy and aesthetics. The constructed began when he was Prince of Wales, as he fell in love with this seaside town. In three stages, the palace expanded and remodelled into what we see today. His coronation involved 700 participants in thick clothing, which was not friendly during a hot summer. The procession was illustrated in a 9m long panorama painting, a popular but expensive Regency souvenir. The palace kitchen displayed plastic replicas of rabbits, fish, goose, and hanging pigs and chicken. He would serve extravagant meals in the banqueting room, which one dinner could serve up to 90 guests.
The King was well known to publicly hate his wife, Queen Caroline. He tried to divorce her and even banned her from attending his coronation. However, his royal consort remained popular among the mass. Among the exhibits, there was a hand-drawn etching of the royal couple in the form of a satire cartoon titled ‘To be, or not to be’.
At the end of the wing sat a music room in red and gold, where George IV hosted parties and dance balls for his aristocratic guests. The large lotus-shaped chandelier at the centre of the room painted figures of Chinese deities, such as the Eight Immortals and the Four Heavenly Kings. The real question lies in whether the designer knew who they were. Even the golden dragon ornaments were a cross-bred between the Eastern serpent-like creature and the Western winged-giant. More than a century later, this room became a make-shift hospital during the Great War. Many Indian soldiers served the British Army on the Western Front. From the hand-drawn paintings and photographs on the wall, the hospital beds lined together closely for the injured soldier to recover. To commemorate these soldiers, the Indian Gate was erected right outside the pavilion, where it became an essential part of the garden.
Not long after the palace’s completion, the King fell ill. He remained in his royal apartments, laying on his lush green bed accompanied by black Chinese-style furniture. It was the most modest room compared to the other parts of the palace, where he spent his remaining days with his loyal servants and his health practitioner.
The other famous resident of this pavilion was Queen Victoria. The Queen visited Brighton several times, where she stayed in the Royal Pavilion’s Second Floor—a room decorated with Chinese wallpapers. She shared happy moments with her beloved Albert, where they watched the fireworks on the rooftop. Although she stayed in this palace several times, her last visit was rather unpleasant. Albert and the Queen were disturbed by the local boys when they were having a private stroll on the beach. Since then, she never returned to Brighton and sold the property in 1850.
A Break at North Laine
North Laine was the Brighton equivalent of Penang’s Weld Quay. A vibrant district full of pubs, cafés, restaurants, and vintage stores. There were even comic book shops and old DVD stores for collectors. Walking around, we found a little bazaar tucked in a lane in a style of a flea market, selling old books, vintage clothing, jewellery, and toys. How rare to find an open-space bazaar offering cheap stocks in the West.
We stopped by at a rustic-looking Pelicano Coffee, hoping to find titbits to fill my stomach. Instead of serving main courses, the café only displayed pastries and sandwiches on the counter. Jasmine had an iced chai while I tried to finish an extremely bitter iced Americano. Although the Danish fruit tart balanced the bitter sensation, I still could not bring myself to finish the drink.
Brighton Beach and Pier
Just like any other English beach, Brighton’s beach is filled with gravel. Just like any other English summer, the beach flocked with people in exposing swimwear and basked under the scorching sun. Some had the luxury to hide themselves under the large red umbrella, while many just simply lay on their colourful beach mats. The operating bars served cool beer and allowed local singers to strum their guitar and perform an acoustic cover. Other than land activities, the emerald sea hosted many thrilling activities like surfing and jet-skiing. However, many would prefer to bathe in the shallow area, near to the shore.
“You can tell me if you want to get down to the beach,” Jasmine said, as we were standing on a concrete seafront full of seagulls. She was taking a picture of a green bagel-shaped sculpture known as ‘Afloat’. “I can take care of your stuff.”
“No,” I said, looking at my sneakers. “I’m not doing down in this outfit.”
There was one time I went to the beach in a pair of fancy flats. Until today, I am still cleaning the sand off the shoe.
My home country may boast of their golden beaches, but I had never seen them being this packed to the point you could only see bobbing heads than the granular texture. Jasmine was from the Qingdao area, a coastal city in which its beach can be equally crammed with tourists in Summer. Hence, she was less amazed by the crowd.
Brighton Pier was just a stone away from where the green sculpture was. Compared to the pier in Georgetown, this attracted visitors with ice cream and snacks booths at the entrance. A trap to lure unwary tourists through the white gates, into an entertainment hub filled with arcade machines and souvenir stalls. Beneath my feet were the wooden planks where I could glance at the sunbathing beach goers. The extending port stored more surprises waiting for us, while the beach underneath had transitioned to the clear sea. As we dwelled deeper, the screams of joy started to fill the summer air. There was an amusement park full of thrilling rides, and there was a queue of people eagerly waiting in front of the ticketing booth.
Treading on the pavement was a difficult task when the temperature was near 30℃. I thought I miss the heat after suffering the cold air for six months, but I was sweating hard and my legs feeling wobbly. Even with her sunglasses on, Jasmine had to block the sunlight with a stack of newspaper. I shielded myself with the jacket hood, but it fell off after walking for two seconds. I was already sweating hardcore, and my hair had become oily.
The tall, spike-like Brighton i360 was visible from afar, with the glass pod dancing up and down of the tower. A part of me wanted to board on the pod to view this city, but it seemed so far away no matter how hard we tried to approach it. The heat wave slowed down our steps. All we could do was watching from afar.
“What’s the cultural significance?” Jasmine asked.
“The same as the London Eye,” I explained. “A local landmark.”
3 Hours Ride Back
As I just recovered from a fever, my nose ached a little. Even Jasmine was feeling a little exhausted from the sun. We walked back to the station and waited for the delayed train. Apparently, there was a power cut at Gatwick, which caused the trains to delay. We waited until the announcement called the passengers to get ready at Platform 4, which a large crowd had already waited impatiently for the doors to open.
The seats were filled when we boarded the train; we had to stand for forty-minutes again. Behind us stood a few teenagers with their shirt off, who occasionally groaned about the slow train ride. However, the train stopped midway as the operator had to wait for signals to continue.
“We’re still stuck at Three Bridges,” a boy groaned through his phone. “I just want to get off.”
I scrolled through the train app to look for the fastest way to reach Guildford. Most trains would either direct us to take at least two train transits, but the one that stopped at Clapham Junction had three transits. After refreshing the app multiple times, a new train line was finally available.
“There’s one that has a direct ride to Guildford,” I told Jasmine. “But we have to wait until six-twenty.”
It was a little later than the other journey back to Guildford. Nonetheless, this was the easiest method to reach home, as I was tired of changing train rides.
Date of Visitation: 10 June 2023
Brighton Royal Pavilion
Opening Hours: 9:30 am – 5:45 pm (daily)
Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1EE
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Brighton Palace Pier
Opening Hours: 10am-8pm (Mon-Sat); 10am-8:30pm (Sun)
Address: Madeira Dr, Brighton BN2 1TW
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