Wednesday 10 April 2013



At long last some sunshine, so on Saturday I caught a train down to Brighton for the day, bought bread and Victorian sausages in the farmers' market; remembered how I longed to own a Biba dress; ate fish and chips on the pier and gawped at other people having fishy pedicures. (Yuck. When did that become traditional pier entertainment?) After I recovered from the disappointment of discovering that the once wonderful Bill's is wonderful no longer and has stopped making fabulous cakes studded with fresh flowers ... a victim of its own success, it's become just another noisy, boring chain ... I perked up when I discovered my new favourite Brighton teashop where toffee and cranberry cake was the healthiest thing I ate all day. Then I went for a long, slow amble down the seafront, admiring Regency terraces and tiled shopfronts and King Edward VII's butcher ... and purely by chance found a little gelateria that sells violet ice-cream. Just the thing, don't you think, for a Regency-Edwardian lady?

7 comments:

elegancemaison said...

I also love Brighton but haven't been there for about three years. I mean to go this summer, especially to visit The Blackbird Tea Rooms owned and set up by my pal Matthew Adams who organises the Frock Me vintage fashion fairs in London. I wonder if that's the tea room you visited?

And violet ice-cream, swoon.

mary said...

No, but I've just found this and it sounds fab.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=436532529769484&set=a.295358847220187.68371.129464907142916&type=1&theater

The teashop I discovered was the one that came runner up. I'm definitely trying the Blackbird next time! Was so disappointed that Bill's had gone off, but it's well over a year since I was last in Brighton.

Noelle the dreamer said...

I was 'along' with you Mary on that lovely day, thanks for sharing!
Fishy pedicures? Ugh...

Joan Hunter Dunn said...

What a delicious day of food & sea air.

mary said...

Noelle, I always come back wondering why I don't do this more often. It's only an hour on the train.

Joan, it was lovely - and hardly anybody on the beach for once. The sunshine must have caught us by surprise.

Cosy Books said...

While walking Deacon on Monday morning I listened to a Kitchen Cabinets podcast from Brighton. It was only after 6 am but I wanted fish & chips in the worst way!

Did you have to fight to stay awake during the lulling train ride home, Mary? Sea breeze, sunshine...ice cream...sounds wonderful but I would need a post-it note on my coat saying 'wake me up at King's Cross'.

mary said...

How right you are, Darlene - I opened my book then woke up with a jump minutes before the train stopped at Marylebone. At least when you go through Victoria, it's the terminus!