Brighton

A wooden deck stretching a few hundred feet seaward, with a building at the end of it, may not seem particularly interesting but to the Victorians it provided a way of enjoying the healthy sea air without getting seasick.

There are two piers in Brighton, though one – the West Pier – was closed in 1975 and suffered both fire damage and building collapse in 2003.

The other pier, Brighton Pier, is basically full of arcade games, tacky shops and fried food places (though you can still walk along the pier to enjoy the sea air and views of the building itself, just like the Victorians did.)

Brighton has long been known as Britain’s number one gay resort.

Its annual gay pride event, Gay Pride, has become the largest and most successful gay and lesbian festival in Europe.

Kemptown is known as the ‘gay village’ of Brighton, and has a thriving and diverse scene ranging from leather workshops, pink parlours, and techno clubs, to specialist boutiques, hotels, estate agents and kickboxing classes.

The tangled network of narrow cobbled alleyways between East, North and Prince Albert streets marks the extent of the early town of Brighton (known then as Brighthelmstone.) In those days, the lanes (as they are known) were filled with fishmongers, bakers, bootmakers and taverns.

As the town expanded, the alleys fell into disrepair and for many years, were slums. Now renovated, here you will again find lots of charming shops, bars and restaurants.