Brighton

 

city (1991 pop. 134,581) and district, East Sussex, SE England. The largest and most popular resort in S England, Brighton also has engineering works and factories that manufacture office machinery, machine tools, electrical apparatus, vacuum cleaners, shoes, and paint. Formerly a small fishing village, it became a fashionable resort and was patronized, starting in 1783, by the Prince of Wales (later George IV), who had the Royal Pavilion built. Entertainment is provided on the Palace Pier and in the Dome, which was formerly the royal stables; the West Pier was closed in 1975 and partially collapsed in 2002. In addition to the seaside promenade, the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, an aquarium, a race course, and sports facilities are of interest. The Univ. of Sussex is in Brighton.

Brighton Brighton shown within the United Kingdom Population 155,919[1] OS grid reference TQ315065 Unitary authority Brighton and Hove Ceremonial county East Sussex Region South East Constituent country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town BRIGHTON Postcode district BN1, BN2 Dialling code 01273 Police Sussex Fire East Sussex Ambulance South East Coast UK Parliament Brighton Kemptown Brighton Pavilion European Parliament South East England List of places: UK • England • East Sussex Coordinates: 50°′″N 0°′″W / 50.842941, -0.131312

Royal Pavilion

Lewes Crescent in Kemptown.

Brighton Pier, formerly known as Palace Pier

The remains of the West Pier

Brighton beach packed in the heat of April 2007

July 17 2002. The Big Beach Boutique II over 250,000 fans saw Fatboy Slim play live.

Seafront display of Minis after a London to Brighton drive

Brighton beach

The Jubilee Library pictured in 2006

Roedean School, Brighton

Brighton Pier at sunset

Flats in Ashton Rise, immediately south of the Hanover area

Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighton is one of the largest and most famous seaside resorts in the United Kingdom.

The ancient settlement of Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as an important health resort during the 18th century and became a popular destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961.^[2] Modern Brighton forms part of a conurbation stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000.^[3]

Brighton is a popular tourist resort with numerous hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a substantial business conference industry. The modern city of Brighton and Hove is also an important educational centre with two universities and many English language schools.

History

Main article: History of Brighton

In the Domesday Book, Brighton was called Bristelmestune and a rent of 4,000 herring was established. In June 1514 Brighthelmstone was burnt to the ground by French raiders during a war between England and France. Only part of the St. Nicholas Church and the street pattern of what is now The Lanes survived the attack. The first known drawing of Brighthelmstone was made in 1545 and depicts what is believed to be the raid of 1514.^[4] During the 1740s and 1750s, Dr Richard Russell of Lewes began prescribing the medicinal use of the seawater at Brighton to his patients. By 1780, development of the Regency terraces had started and the fishing village quickly became the fashionable resort of Brighton. The growth of the town was further encouraged following the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) after his first visit in 1783.^[5] He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the exotic and expensive Royal Pavilion during the early part of his Regency.

The arrival of the railway in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London and rapid population growth from around 7,000 in 1801 to over 120,000 by 1901.^[6] The Victorian era saw the building of many of the famous landmarks in Brighton including the Grand Hotel (1864), the West Pier (1866) and the Palace Pier (1899).

After a number of boundary changes made between 1873 and 1952, the land area of Brighton had increased significantly from 1,640 acres (7 km²) in 1854 to 14,347 acres (58 km²) in 1952.^[7] New housing estates were established in the acquired areas including Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, Coldean and Whitehawk. Closer to the centre of town, a major slum-clearance development was initiated in the Hanover area. The replacement council housing, including Tarnerland near Richmond Street, stretches from the bottom of Albion Hill to the tower blocks at Mount Pleasant, and radically changed the local street layout. The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages of Patcham, Ovingdean and Rottingdean, and much council housing was built in parts of Woodingdean after the Second World War.

More recently, gentrification of much of Brighton has seen a return of the highly fashionable image which had characterised the growth of the Regency period. Recent housing developments in the North Laine, for instance, have been kept in keeping with the local make up of the area.

In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined together to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which in turn was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000.

Landmarks

Main article: Landmarks and notable buildings of Brighton and Hove

The Royal Pavilion is a former Royal palace built as the home for the Prince Regent during the early 1800s and is notable for its Indian architecture and Oriental interior design. The building and surrounding grounds were purchased by the town in 1849 for £53,000.^[8]

Brighton Pier (or the Palace Pier) was opened in 1899 and is the largest pier in Brighton. It features a large funfair, restaurants and arcade halls.

The West Pier was built in 1866 and has been closed since 1975 awaiting renovation. The West Pier was one of only two Grade I listed piers in the United Kingdom until the pier burnt down in 2003. Plans for erecting a new landmark in its place – the i360, a 183 m (600 ft) observation tower designed by London Eye architects Marks Barfield – were announced in June 2006. Plans were approved by the City council on 11 October 2006.^[9]

Created in 1883, Volk's Electric Railway runs along the inland edge of the beach from the Palace Pier to Black Rock. It is the world's oldest operating electric railway.^[10]

The 11th Century St. Nicholas Church remains a place of worship and is the oldest building in Brighton, commonly known as "the mother church" of Brighton.^[11] Other notable churches include St. Bartholomew's; and the Church of St. Peter, prominently sited in the heart of Brighton on an island between the main roads to London and Lewes.

Beaches

A major tourist attraction is the pebble beach, which has a variety of bars, restaurants, night clubs and amusement arcades, principally along the strip between the two piers. Together with the attractions further inland, these contribute to Brighton being sometimes referred to as "London-by-the-sea"; it certainly offers one of the most accessible tourist beaches from London. Brighton beach has a designated official nudist area (south of the easterly part of Kemptown). This is unusual in that very few naturist beaches in the United Kingdom are located within urban areas.

Since the 1978 demolition of the open-air swimming lido at Black Rock, the most easterly part of Brighton's seafront, the area has been developed considerably and now features one of Europe's largest marinas. However, the site of the pool itself remains empty except for a skate park and graffiti wall, and further development is planned for the area including a high-rise hotel which has aroused public and media debate, mirroring the situation with proposals for the site of the King Alfred leisure centre nearby in Hove.^{[citation needed]} In addition, part of the Eastern side of the beach is being redeveloped into an outdoor sports centre, which will include beach volleyball courts and a sand beach, which opened to the public in March 2007.

Night-life & popular music

Main article: Night-life & popular music of Brighton and Hove

Brighton is associated with notable popular music artists including The Levellers, The Kooks and Fatboy Slim. There are over 400 pubs and many nightclubs. There are also many live music venues including the Brighton Centre and the Brighton Dome. Brighton now have a blue flaged beach (DLT)

Public events

Brighton hosts a number of conferences including those held annually by major political parties, often based around the Brighton Centre, Grand Hotel and Metropole hotel. A wide range of sport and leisure clubs, in particular cycling and motoring clubs, annually hold London to Brighton events, culminating in a display on the Madeira Drive section of the seafront, which is closed to traffic for this purpose on many Sundays throughout the summer months.

Brighton Festival and Fringe

Main article: Brighton Festival

Main article: Brighton Festival Fringe

Each May the city hosts Brighton Festival, an arts festival. This includes organised processions such as the Children's Parade, outdoor spectaculars often involving pyrotechnics, and theatre, music and visual arts in venues throughout the city, some of which are brought into this use exclusively for the festival. The earliest feature of the festival, "Open Houses", are homes of artists and craftspeople, opened up to the public as galleries and usually selling the work of the inhabitant and their friends.

The Brighton Festival Fringe runs alongside the main Brighton Festival, and has grown to become the second largest Fringe festival in the world.^[12]. Together with the street performers from the Brighton Festival's 'Streets of Brighton' and the Royal Mile-esque outdoor performances that make up Fringe City, the amount of outdoor spectacles and events to see more than doubles during May.^[13]

On September 1, 2007, competitors of the world's most hirsute faces from the UK, America, Germany and other countries convened for the annual World Beard and Moustache Championships in Brighton. Hosted by The Handlebar Club, categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle.^[14]

Museums and galleries

Brighton has a number of museums including the City-run Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Booth Museum of Natural History, the Brighton Fishing Museum and the Brighton Toy and Model Museum. There are many privately run galleries, including some in the arches on the seafront. A widespread practice is to display and sell art in cafés, pubs and bars.

Further information: Landmarks and notable buildings of Brighton and Hove

Theatre and cinema

Major theatres in Brighton include the recently expanded Komedia (also used as a music venue) and the Theatre Royal. There are also several smaller theatres such as the Marlborough Theatre and Nightingale Theatre, both above pubs, which attract a variety of mostly local productions.

Brighton also has a long history of involvement with the film industry, and the Duke of York's Picture House has been in operation since 22 September 1910.

Further information: Brighton in film

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community

Main article: LGBT community of Brighton and Hove

Brighton has a substantial LGBT community, served by a high number of "scene" shops, bars and night-clubs in addition to a range of support organisations. It is often referred to as "the gay capital of Britain"^[15], in a similar vein to San Francisco in the USA. Brighton hosts a Gay Pride carnival every August, which attracts thousands of participants and spectators. It consists of a carnival style parade through the city and a party and funfair in Preston Park.

Ethnicity

Brighton and Hove has a range of organisations supporting many of the faiths and ethnic minorities in the city, such as MOSAIC, a black- and mixed-parentage family group. The City Council promotes diversity in its charter, but is often reported as falling far short of its responsibilities. ^[16]

Economy

Brighton has a high density of businesses involved in media in general, particularly digital or "new media" companies, and since the 1990s has sometimes been referred to as "Silicon Beach". According to the Boho Britain creativity index developed by United States economic regeneration expert Richard Florida, the city of Brighton and Hove ranks sixth amongst the largest 40 of 66 British new cities when measured against the three criteria of his creativity index. Florida states that the index measures the appeal of cities to the new "creative class" and are a key indicator of a city’s economic health.

American Express has a distinctive (former headquarters) building in Edward Street. It employs around 3000 people, making it the largest private employer in the town. ^{[citation needed]}

The Lanes is a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, partly characterised by a collection of narrow alleyways following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The businesses in The Lanes are predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs. The North Laine area is a retail, leisure and residential area immediately north of The Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "Laine" meaning "fields". North Laine contains a mix of businesses dominated by cafés, independent and avant-garde shops, and theatres. However, due to property price rises and the expense of local council taxes, many small businesses are finding rents increasingly unaffordable in the area and are being replaced by larger leisure and entertainment chains.^{[citation needed]} Churchill Square is an indoor shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (43,663 m²) and includes 85 shops, 5 restaurants and 1,600 car parking spaces.^[17] It was built in the 1960s as an open-air pedestrianised shopping centre, but was completely rebuilt in 1998 and is no longer open-air. Further mainstream retail areas include Western Road and London Road.

Education

Brighton & Hove City Council is responsible for 80 schools in Brighton and Hove of which 54 are in Brighton.^[18]

The University of Brighton, the former Brighton Polytechnic, has a student population of 20,017 of which 80% are undergraduates.^[19] The University is located on several separate sites in Brighton, with additional buildings in Falmer and Eastbourne.^[20]

The University of Sussex is a "plate glass university" based on a campus between Stanmer Park and Falmer, four miles from the city centre. It has a student population of 10,563 of which 70% are undergraduates.^[21]

A wide range of non-university courses for students aged over 16, mainly in vocational education subjects, is provided at the further education college, City College Brighton and Hove. More academic subjects can be studied for 16-18 year olds at BHASVIC (Brighton, Hove and Sussex VIth form College),located in the Seven Dials area.

There are numerous state schools, some of them faith schools. Notable state schools include Dorothy Stringer, Blatchington Mill, Varndean, Hove Park and Cardinal Newman (a large Roman Catholic secondary school, which also caters for the children of the city's large Coptic Orthodox community).

There are also a number of private schools, including Brighton College, Roedean School, a Steiner School and a Montessori School. As with the state schools, some of the independents are faith-based; Torah Academy, however, the last remaining Jewish primary school in the city, closed its doors at the end of the 2007 academic year.

In the summer, thousands of young students from all over Europe gather in the city to attend language courses at some of the many language schools across Brighton and Hove.

Politics

For the local authority, see Brighton and Hove

The city of Brighton and Hove is covered by part of the Brighton Kemptown constituency, Brighton Pavilion constituency and Hove constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. All three Members of Parliament elected at the 2005 General Election were from the Labour Party. The city is within the European Parliament constituency of South-East England. The Green Party held a relatively high 22% of the vote in the Brighton Pavilion constituency in the 2005 general election, compared with 1% nationally, in addition to holding one of the ten European Parliament seats for the South East Region.

The political campaigning group Justice? and its SchNEWS newspaper are based in Brighton, at The Cowley Club libertarian social centre; also in the town is the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company EDO Corporation in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, has been the cause of ongoing protests outside their premises since 2004.^[22]

Sport

Brighton is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. There is also an annual beach soccer competition held in a temporary stadium erected on a patch of specially imported sand on the beach. The inaugural contest in June 2002 featured football stars such as Eric Cantona and Matthew Le Tissier.

Brighton also has a horse-racing course, Brighton Racecourse, with the unusual feature that when the full length of the course is to be used, some of the grass turf of the track has to be laid over the tarmac at the top of Wilson Avenue, a public road, which therefore has to be closed for the duration of races.

Brighton is also home to Brighton Football Club (RFU)^[23] which is one of the oldest Rugby Clubs in England.

Brighton plays host the Brighton Ultimate, Ultimate Frisbee team. The were set up in 1985 and are one of the Country's longest running Clubs. They have produced players that have gone onto play at international level. http://brightonultimate.co.uk/ is their website

Motorcycle speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium for a short period in 1928.

A court in Brighton Beach was included in NBA Street V3 by Electronic Arts, a basketball game in which the NBA's current best, all-time greatest, user-created players and Nintendo's own Mario take play each other in street ball.

Brighton & Hove boasts some of best pétanque terrains in the UK. Pétanque is a french game also known as boules and can be played on the seafront public terrains. More info on Brighton & Hove Pétanque Club

Transport

Main article: Transport in Brighton and Hove

Public transport in Brighton has a history dating back to 1840. Today it has a major railway station, an extensive bus service, a large number of taxis, coach services, a Rapid Transport System^[24][25] is under construction and in the past it has had trolley buses, ferries, trams and hydrofoil services.

Frequent train services operate from Brighton Station. Destinations include London Victoria, London Bridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth, Ashford, Kent, Reading, Berkshire and Bedford. Twice-daily services also operate to Birmingham and Manchester, and via Bristol to Wales. The fastest service from London Victoria takes 51 minutes.^[26]

Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company operates a comprehensive local bus service with a fleet of approximately 300 buses. There is also a limited night-bus service. Brighton seafront is also the home of the Volks Electric Railway, the worlds oldest electric railway.

In July 2006 Brighton imported Tuc-Tucs from Asia, as a new and fun way to get around the city. Brighton is the first city to have Tuc-Tucs outside Asia.

See also

• Brighton in fiction
• Brighton in film
• Eurovision Song Contest 1974
• List of notable Brighton and Hove inhabitants
• The Argus (newspaper)
• Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children
• Brighton hotel bombing

References and notes

1. ^ Neighbourhood Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
2. ^ Carder, Timothy (1990). The Encyclopedia of Brighton. S.127 East Sussex County Libraries. ISBN 0-86147-315-9
3. ^ KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
4. ^ Carder (1990), s.17
5. ^ Carder (1990), s.71
6. ^ Carder (1990), s.127
7. ^ Carder (1990), s.13
8. ^ Dale, Antony (1976). Brighton Town and Brighton People. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0-85033-219-2. 
9. ^ BBC NEWS - England - Southern Counties - Tall tower rises from pier ashes. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
10. ^ Home page of VERA - Volks Electric Railway Group. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
11. ^ St. Nicholas Church - Out & About - Regency Square Area Society. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
12. ^ Brighton Fringe Festival 2006 - Cities - VisitBritain. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
13. ^ Brighton Fringe Festival 2007. 5th May - 28th May 2007.. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
14. ^ BBC NEWS, Bearded wonders go head to head
15. ^ BBC NEWS - England - Southern Counties - Couples tie knot in 'gay capital'. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
16. ^ Brighton & Hove City Council - equality and diversity. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
17. ^ Churchill Square Shopping Centre: Churchill Square Food. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
18. ^ Brighton & Hove City Council - school contact information. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
19. ^ Facts and figures - University of Brighton. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
20. ^ Maps and directions - University of Brighton. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
21. ^ Communications Division Facts and Figures 2003-04. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
22. ^ smashEDO. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
23. ^ Brighton Rugby Club - sussex, south of england. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
24. ^ Transport Project Will Cut Journey Times (from The Argus). Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
25. ^ Brighton and Hove City Council - Major Scheme Business Case - Rapid Transport System. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
26. ^ Bedside the seaside - Independent Online Edition > UK. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.

External links

• Brighton at the Open Directory Project
• Brighton England, UK: Hotels, Travel and Tourist Information. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton & Hove City Council - home page. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton & Hove Tourist Information: Brighton Beach, Pier, Centre, Hotel. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton Festival 2007 - Welcome to the 41st Brighton Festival. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton Fringe Festival 2007. 5th May - 28th May 2007.. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton nightlife listings, clubbing photos & directory.. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton from Space - Satellite image of Brighton courtesy of Google Maps. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• My Brighton and Hove. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• History of Brighton and the Royal Pavilion palace. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton, Sussex, Theatres and Halls - Index. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton & Hove in Pictures. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Go Brighton! Facebook Group. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
• Brighton & Hove Pétanque Club. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.nrm:Brighton

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