It’s amazing what you can fit into forty-eight hours! And boy, we were lucky with the weather.
A friend had invited me to stay with her at her apartment at Brighton Marina for two nights. I have been many times before, but this might be the last as she is thinking of selling after fifteen years of it being a family bolt hole. Circumstances change and all that. My family have borrowed it twice as well and I shall be sorry not to visit again. We made the most of it!
The day we arrived, the weather was beautiful, having left London in spots and spits of rain. This is often the case. Once over the South Downs weather can change rapidly. We dumped our stuff, nipped to Asda for some provisions, and returned to the apartment to eat our lunch. Then it was time for a stroll. We headed off along the lower cliff path towards Rottingdean. The tide was in and the heat of the sun was reflecting back on us from the white chalk cliffs. The lower cliff path attracts joggers and cyclists (you can hire bikes nearby) and is flat. The sea was still (sometimes) crashing over the wall, and we nearly got caught.
The sea looked so inviting on such a hot day, and I was tempted to go in and paddle. There were a few stretches where sand made an appearance between the stones, and quite a few people (as well a dog) were out swimming. As we neared Rottingdean the urge to paddle grew stronger. I knew if I didn’t do this now, I probably wouldn’t get another chance. So we went down the steps on onto the beach. My friend, who at first said she’d photograph it, decided to join me (I lead her into all sorts!). Off came the shoes and sandals and into the sea we went. Actually, the sea was warm once the initial wash-over the feet came. It felt refreshing. It was just great.
After sitting on the beach to dry our feet, it was onwards up the steps to Rottingdean itself. This is a favourite place of mine. It was the home of Rudyard Kipling and Edward Burne Jones for a time, and there is a Burne Jones stained glass window in the church. It is a lovely village with a green, pond and beautiful gardens, once belonging to Kipling, which is free to explore. This time we didn’t get into the village, just to a shop that sold ice creams. I was impressed to find they had two vegan choices.
Coming back we walked along the upper cliff where you can spot the windmill and the breeze is very welcome.
The following day we had tickets for Ditchling Museum, so we set off in plenty of time in order to find somewhere to park. We were a little early, so we had cup of tea before going in. The man associated with the place is Eric Gill, an artist lived in Ditchling with his family. Later the abusive relationships he had with his daughters made it difficult for the museum to know how to approach his art in light of this.
There were some exhibits of his on show, but less than I had expected. However, the exhibition we saw was works by John Vernon Lord. He is a fascinating illustrator, especially his notebooks. The tiny writing and intricate drawings were just mind boggling. He is obsessed with numbers, and he uses a stop watch throughout the day. He knows how long he takes to complete a picture. John Lord has illustrated works by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and James Joyce, as well as writing and illustrating children’s books. There is video interview which makes great viewing.
I had never heard of John Vernon Lord before this exhibition, but was totally knocked out by his work. I found that he also illustrated an album cover for Deep Purple, a record I have in my collection! This was a wonderful exhibition.
Afterwards sat on the green between the museum and the church to eat our packed lunch. The day had started overcast and a bit drizzly, but was now improving. We visited the church, and then sat outside a pub with our pots of tea (very civilised) and relaxed. By the time we got back to Brighton, the sun was fully out and had chased away all the clouds.
We ate out that evening – no cooking, no washing up.
The next day was leaving day. The time had flown by. It was a leisurely start and then we packed up. We decided to do a short detour before coming back and headed from West Sussex over the border into East Sussex to Seaford. Seaford has a flat seafront, but then at the end you have the cliffs, which we have walked over before. There is a fantastic museum in a martello tower, which isn’t often open, but was that day (we have visited once before). We sat on the seafront with our rolls and crisps and then took a short stroll before stopping at a seafront cafe for a cup of tea. The day was perfect. The earlier clouds had vanished quickly this morning, and the sky was blue and the sun hot. Reluctantly, it was time to leave. Just two nights away makes all the difference. I was more relaxed and with good company. We had plenty of laughs and plenty of memories to take home.
My London+ 