Hastings, August 1999

John Burke's Hastings, August 1999
Brighton & Eastbourne

Wednesday 4 August 1999

Brighton seafront. We had lunch sitting at a table on the beach just up from the merry-go-round.

Right and below: Brighton has two piers. One was looking a little sorry for itself after a serious fire.

In a small arcade opposite the beach was a collection of old amusement machines.

A mini version of the Skee Roll game. We spent some time in Brighton, but spent most of it going around the spectacular interior of the Pavilion. By the time we came out it was time to move the car from the car park and we found ourselves back on the road and heading for Eastbourne.

We stopped en-route for a meal at Beachy Head then parked on the seafront and walked along past the pier up to the Redoubt - an old fort. A military band was giving a concert in the open air inside the fort.

Although we did not go in, the band sounded extremely good.

A few drops of rain fell and we walked back towards the pier, just getting to it in time as the heavens suddenly opened and a torrent of rain fell.

A crowd of mostly young people gathered under the canopy at the front of the pier, in various stages of being soaked. An older chap limped angrily under the canopy and a couple hugging each other laughed good-naturedly at his wet clothes.

'It's not funny!' snapped the grouch!