Favourite Places in Brighton

Over the years, Brighton has become my home away from home. It is a place that simply fills me with joy the moment I arrive. Seagulls squawking overhead, the hustle and bustle of people visiting or just living their ever day lives and the smell of that clear sea air; it creates a relaxed, magical and happy feeling in me. I try and visit Brighton as much as I can and especially have done so this year. Most recently I stayed there for a few days with my cousin, Jess, and we explored and had a superb time, so I wanted to share with the world some of my favourite places in one of my favourite places in the world.

Photomatic

I really enjoy taking photos when visiting places and this shop is my go to when I arrive. The shop is located in Gardner Street and has two photo booths inside, one for coloured pictures and one for black and white. However, the images come out studio quality and are simply wonderful keepsakes to have, so not just your usual photobooth quality! When inside you can pay for tokens to be able to then go into whichever booth you chose. I generally get 3 tokens for £10 which means 3 printed sheets that have 4 photos on them. Another fun thing is you can use props as well and it's genuinely a fun little thing to do if you want a sweet memento of your trip with the people you've gone with or even want to take some good head shots of yourself!

Below are an accumulation of the ones I own featuring my cousin, Jess, Chummy (Sasha) and Emily. Though the black and white booth has been my favourite in the past since going in the colour one recently with Chummy I like that one the most.

Justsilver4u - Jewellery Stall

I go to this stall nearly every time I'm in Brighton. It's located at the top of Kensington Gardens and I simply can't walk past it without having a look and inevitably end up buying something. The jewellery itself is beautifully made and none of my pieces have ever gone green (and I wear them all the time). I'm usually always attracted to the rings the most and their array of stones from: moonstone to turquoise to garnet. I'd also like to add, the man who works at the stall is one of the most upbeat and lovely people you will ever have the fortune to meet. I always have a lovely chat with him while he polishes the rings he gives me before presenting them in a sweet silver bag. It should also be noted all of these items are at an incredible price, the ring all usually under £20!

Below are all the rings I currently own from him (they do fit I've just put them on fingers I wouldn't usually wear them on to show you). The turquoise is a matching one I have with Chummy but she has a different stone and the garnet one on my ring finger is a matching one with my cousin but she has hers in moonstone. I will most likely have nearly every type of ring at some stage in my life because they're all so beautiful, perfect quality and the friendliness of the man always makes me feel comfortable to keep going back. 

Brighton Pier

If you want to have the true Brighton experience you can't miss Brighton Pier (literally it's right on the sea front it's really hard to miss). Not only is there a lot of food places (I mean a lot) there is so many fun things to do. The main thing to do is the fair ground. If you pay £20 you get a wristband that allows you to go on as many rides as you want! It's so much fun and if you need a minute or two to settle your giggling and calm that adrenaline kick then there is also the arcades. Me and my cousin went in one recently and I totally whipped her butt at air hockey for I am air hockey champion.

Flashback Brighton 

This is located on the Pier and my friend Emily and I stumbled upon it a little while back. Both of us are fascinated by history so the moment we saw we could dress up in old fashioned clothes and get photos taken as though we were from a different time period it was simply too tempting to pass up. We got given a time slot for the shoot and then were given the choice of what we wanted to dress as. There is a lot of variety from 1920's to Victorian/Edwardian, cowboys or pirates and we went for the Victorian/Edwardian. We were allowed to choose outfits and accessories and then the fun began! Prompting us as we went along, our photographer put us in different poses, some serious and others funny. At the end we were able to look through them and see which we liked best and we even had the option to have certain things photoshopped to make them more realistic. Unfortunately, I can't remember the pricing exactly but I remember it not being overly cheap. It was completely worth it though as we had loads of fun and were thrilled to have an actual photoshoot and a sweet picture afterwards. I sometimes pretend the picture is me from the 1800s and I'm actually an immortal witch. Or am I actually not pretending...*dun dun dun!*

Snoopers Paradise 

Also located on Kensington Gardens, if you decide to go into Snoopers Paradise make sure you put aside a good hour, or more, in your day for this. This shop is filled to the brim of any kind of antique you could think of. The shop itself is absolutely huge and you can truly get lost in it. It sells hundreds of old records, furniture pieces, art, clothes and even old photographs. If you adore old antiques and collectables, or just get excited by having a look into the past, then this is the place for you. Sometimes I can just get swept up in looking at everything and I never once feel as though I'm just looking at old tat. They also have whole sections dedicated to merchandise, there is a great collection of 'Doctor Who' collectables which always excites me when I walk past it.

To Be Worn Again 

For years now, I have grown a very strong attachment to men's plaid shirts (it probably connects to my love for 'Supernatural') and my collection of them has grown somewhat as well in recent years. Whenever I've finished in Snoopers Paradise I have to come to this shop afterwards. Outside is a whole rack of second hand men's plaid shirts of all colours and different materials. I always buy a large and go for the comfiest feeling ones. The best part is they're only £5! A bargain, a great shirt and I get to dress as the love of my life (Dean Winchester)? I'm sold!

British Airways i360 (a.k.a 'The Uppy Downy Thing')

This is very new to my list as it was something I got to go on during my most recent trip. It is a new viewing tower and I believe it's one of the tallest of it's kind in the world (forgive me if this fact is incorrect). My cousin and I, however, kept forgetting it's actual name and have now dubbed it 'The Uppy Downy Thing'.
It goes up at a good steady speed and stops at the very top so you can look out all around you. You have the opportunity to look out at the sea or the view of Brighton and all the way to South Downs Park! It was a wonderful experience and, with it being a very large open pod, I had the opportunity to walk all around and get different views from different spots. I did take some photos but I tried to spend a lot of my time just looking out at the phenomenal views. It was incredible to see Brighton in a way I hadn't seen it before. It certainly made me wish I had the ability to fly because if I could see those views every day I would be a much happier person.

JB's Diner 

Diner food is one of my life's greatest loves and this diner does some bloody good food (that was way to British to explain my love for an American diner). It's situated along a row of buildings opposite the seafront. Recently I went in there for breakfast where I had absolutely mouthwatering bacon and maple syrup pancakes. While eating I always find myself hypnotised by the decorations. The place is filled to the brim with American merchandise like old American movie photos, neon signs of famous brands and even an Elvis statue. It doesn't feel like a main stream diner chain like Ed's Diner or Dean's Diner (but I absolutely adore them as well) I think because it is filled up with such unique pieces that have clearly been individually bought. It almost feels like what I'd imagine a real American Diner to be like. If you close your eyes and let your ears fill with the old tunes of Mr Elvis Presley, allow your nostrils to pick up on the smells of fries and burgers it can almost give you the feeling of being transported back to 1950's America.

(photo credit of my cousin, Jess)

Brighton Pavilion 

Although I haven't been inside the building of the Brighton Pavilion yet, I have been in the gardens and it's stunning. The flowers and plants are so luscious and wonderful to look at. You can sit on the grass and watch the world go by and listen to one of the buskers that are usually playing there. It's just very tranquil and relaxing place to go and I love spending a few minutes out of my day to visit it for a quick break from the busy streets.

I hope some of you are able to visit some of these places and enjoy them as much as I do. If any of you do I'd love to hear so please let me know! Here is a little picture of me and Jess from our girls trip and the smile on my face was constantly there the whole time.

'You have to find that place that brings out the human in you. The soul in you. The love in you' 

- R. M. Drake