Sunday, 29 October 2023

Living in Brighton.



Photo by Michael Brittain.

Most English people will know the name 'Brighton'. The town (city) is famous for 'Mods-n-Rockers', dirty weekends, lots of celebs, The Royal Pavilion, kiss-me-quick hats, and the pier.

What they might not know about is the wonderful Regency and Georgian architecture we have here. This (above) is a classic run of Georgian homes that look out over the sea. Luxury living at it's best. Eaton Square but with sea views.

Behind such buildings are the 'mews' properties, where coaches, horses, and grooms lived. When I first moved to Brighton I wrote to several Estate Agents asking for details of any reasonably sized mews houses for sale. None was suitable for a family with three children so I opted for a four story Victorian house instead. Below are the type of mews houses I'd been hoping to buy.


If I was to win the lottery, my dream would be to buy a mews house in London's South Kensington. I've always had a hankering for such a property, but I'm hardly likely now to have the wherewithal.

The greatest problem with Brighton living is PARKING. We're lucky because we have a garage, but most people don't. The one thing I've always liked about mews houses is that they either have a garage or a dedicated parking space. Having the luxury of a regular private parking space extends one's longevity by about 10 years.

N.B. Kimbo's big fat German muscle car is at the body shop. Without a garage he is at the whim of every careless lorry driver or scaffolder. His current scratches, bumps, and dents, are all over his car. It's taking a whole week to fix and re-spray.


26 comments:

  1. What Kimbo needs is a flatpack portable garage so he can just assemble and use as needed. Ha Ha.

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    1. We did talk about erecting a workman's roadside 'tent' (which no-one would question), which he could use as a garage; but it would need to be quite big.

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  2. If I had to live in a town or city I'd rather live in a 'centre' with local facilities and a good coffee shop. I still can't imagine life without a car so a garage would be a necessity as well. As for extreme 'hiking' - forget it.

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    1. We're right in the centre, but in a very quiet road. Everything is on our doorstep, without the hustle-n-bustle. AND, we have a garage.

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  3. I just have a parking space outside my house, those with a garage appear to use it for storage and not their car. Pity for me as I have always fancied a convertable.

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    1. Our garage is in a row of about 8, and several are used for storage.

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  4. Reminded me of the mews house that Roger Moore had in "The Saint". Very nice too.

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    1. There's something very comforting about mews houses. It's a different style of living.

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  5. "Most English people will know the name 'Brighton'. "I tested out your claim this morning by interviewing ten random pedestrians on Ecclesall Road. Six had heard of Brighton but four had not. One thought it was a cleaning product used to make brassware bright and shiny. Another thought it was a toothpaste. But your theory that most would have heard of the place was indeed right.

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    1. There used to be a huge advert in the station which said B-right-on time for R White's Lemonade.

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    2. That's clever and funny at the same time.

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  6. If I lived in a town I would forego car ownership..and hire a car or van when needed

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    1. GZ the problem is that once you get to 60/65 in the UK it becomes very difficult or impossible to hire a car even by trying to provide your own insurance.

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    2. We may not need one every day, but occasionally one is imperative.

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  7. One of those self-inflatable tents, of suitable size, might be a solution to Kimbo's garaging problems.

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    1. I think he's considering buying a smaller car, but he's very reluctant.

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  8. I live in a modern high-rise building with more flats than parking spaces in the garage. Last December, after 14 years of looking for one, I was able to buy a parking space in the underground garage, it cost more than my father's last house did.

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    1. I'm not surprised, they're like gold dust!

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  9. Brighton sounds like an outstanding place to live. The exception being parking, especially for those with no garage. Parking on the street sounds perilous and incurs costly repairs. Every place has at least one downside.

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    1. It's not a very nice place today, it's raining, cold, and windy. Ah well....

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  10. I love mews houses, but never had any ambition to live in one.
    I did grow up in a four storey Victorian pile though!
    I think I've mentioned before that my husband drives a big, fat, German muscle car. Fortunately, we have a big fat garage at the end of a 160ft drive, so there's more than enough room to park it safely! X

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    1. A 160ft drive is something Brighton residents can only dream about. You are fortunate!

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  11. It does look a nice place to live Cro. I have friends who lived there for some years but in retirement moved first to Windermere and now live in Grange over Snds.

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    1. Despite its faults, it is still a great place to live. I suppose it's the friendliness that I like the most; people seem very happy here.

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  12. Parking is a huge problem here. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad to have moved out into the hills where there's parking everywhere, though under an olive tree means a very messy car

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    1. I once posted a photo here of a car that was parked under a tree. How he ever got all the mess off, I can't imagine.

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