We took a train at 10:45 from East Croydon directly to Brighton. I remember the old days when the Brighton Belle was a prestigious train that served a three course meal on the way down. I don’t know how long the original journey took but my guess is that the present journey would not give enough time on less orders were taken before the train started.

From the train – certainly a lot of building going on

not sure how to classify this lady… retro? traveler?

From the station, with a nice blast of 5G thrown in

Brighton is very multi cultural.

Brighton station is uniquely placed right in the middle of the city about a mile from the sea and we looked for the ubiquitous number 12 bus which goes along the south coast at very regular intervals. We have never had cause to do the trip before so it was very interesting to see the prevalence of Art Deco design in many of the small towns we passed on our way to Peacehaven where our friend had moved from Hampstead in London.

Again, doing my tourist guide bit, I suggest you get a day pass and just have fun. They are about £5. You can even go as far as Eastbourne and hance have a  two centre visit but be warned, there is plenty to see in Brighton.

Our friend’s house was perched adjacent to a cliff face and when the winds blow, they do indeed blow. This was one of the reasons why she splashed out £6,000 on a high quality greenhouse. It was clear that her intention was to become self-sufficient food-wise; although she has only been there nine months she was growing a wide selection of vegetables in galvanized tubs.

The location is not designed for commuting to London, as the journey along the coast frequently becomes rather busy and you would not dream of parking your car in London unless you had a small fortune to invest. There is no direct train service.

After lunch we went to have tea in a stylish cafe but with reasonable prices and then went off to see my cousin. I Forget who everyone is called in families but I am the uncle – the brother of his mother. We met in one of two Wetherspoons in the center of Bristol and about 200 meters of part both of which were ramped which you can expect on a Friday evening just before Christmas. It is always a pleasure to meet someone who has similar views on the way the world is going. We enjoyed a level of candidness and openness that you can only experience with such people who bring a new level of quality to the discussion. Some relationships are designed to run and run respective of age difference or frequency of meetings.

Back to East Croydon; and for supper we bought some tortellini with spinach and mozzarella. I noted that this is an excellent snack that is filling and can be prepared in 10 minutes. When I was first in Brighton in the late 1950s I remember finding a cafe that served me an excellent main meal for 2/6d with a cup of tea for 4p. I cycled down there from Streatham so that is the best part of 50 miles and I shall never forget the journey.