Brighton

Brighton is a place that you really should visit. People started coming here in large numbers back in the 1780s, when it first became a fashionable seaside resort, largely thanks to the fact that the future King George IV passed most of his free time here. It was he who built the Royal Pavilion, that beautifully strange building which resembles the Taj Majal in India - odd indeed for the centre of Brighton! In 1849 the government decided to sell it, and Brighton Council successfully persuaded the government to sell it to them for £53000. Now it is used for weddings, gala dinners and various business and education seminars. It's open to the public, too.

When the railway between London and Brighton opened in 1841, suddenly masses of people from London could quickly and cheaply get to the coast for the day. This is what really led to Brighton's growth. It was in this period that the piers were built, those constructions which went from the promenade into the sea and on which there were restaurants and amusement arcades. They remain to this day popular tourist attractions.

Brighton beach is not the most beautiful in England but it has a certain charm. It's a pebble beach so it's not even particularly comfortable to lay on. There are often concerts and festivals on the beach and they are always full and very atmospheric. If you don't like the beach you can visit the marina, one of the largest in Europe, or go shopping in The Lanes. This is a series of small characteristic streets just off the seafront that follow the original layout of the ancient town. This is where you find the trendy shops, bars and restaurants.

Brighton is also the destination for a number of 'London to Brighton' events. Probably the most famous is the Vintage Car rally. It started in 1930 and features some of the oldest cars in the country. In 2005 over 400 cars took part. There is also a charity cycle ride which regularly attracts 30,000 cyclists and even a 'super-marathon' which starts at Westminster Bridge in London and finishes on the seafront of Brighton - over 54 miles in total! The winner usually finishes in under 6 hours.

But if you don't want to drive, cycle or run around the city you can just have a good time enjoying a typical British seaside town by day, and a lively fashionable centre by night as there are restaurants, bars and clubs to suit all tastes.