Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Brighton

  • Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 1 (Brighton to Hove)

    Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 1 (Brighton to Hove)

    The morning of our first day started with my walking from the bargain priced Travelodge Brighton Seafront to Jonathan’s more decadent hotel.

    A free breakfast courtesy of Jonathan’s accommodation arrangement. Jonathan was going to Gatwick via Flixbus on a bargain priced service which goes from the centre of Brighton. The journey was absolutely perfect in many ways other than they cancelled it, part of the reason that I didn’t book it in the first place.

    Jonathan decided to get the train, although his options were somewhat reduced at that point. I had got a £4 rail ticket as part of the national rail sale, but that went from Brighton station to Hove station before connecting to another service. This station opened in 1840 and is mostly still there, but it’s hard to see the original building because of later extensions.

    Mine was the 10:13 service and I was pleased that it was operating as usual as a number of services had been cancelled due to over-running engineering works. Jonathan had already departed on the first service he could, better to be safe than sorry when getting to an airport.

    They announce the platforms around ten minutes before the train departs with this one departing from platform two. There are eight platforms at the station and some very careful gate line staff who were carefully checking all the tickets, something which took a few minutes as the barriers were rejecting a fair number of tickets, including mine.

    My Southern Railways train sweeping in. I had cut this whole arrangement quite tight (well, tight for me), arriving just a couple of hours before my flight departed, due to wanting to get the £4 fare.

    I got settled in for the four minute rail journey. There were power outlets and I must have charged my device by around 2% during the extensive journey. The train was relatively clean and organised, with plenty of free seats.

    And safely into Hove railway station, where I had a connecting train to Gatwick Airport which departed just three minutes after my train from Brighton got in. A few others were doing the same connection and it feels too tight to me for those who aren’t easily able to navigate the subway between the platforms.

    Anyway, that was the first part of the journey done….

  • Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Brighton – Mad Dog Brewery Taproom)

    Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Brighton – Mad Dog Brewery Taproom)

    So many bars in Brighton that I haven’t been to, but unfortunately, so little time. Mad Dog is a brewery based in Cardiff, although they have taprooms in not only Cardiff and Brighton, but also Tunbridge Wells and Cheltenham. This venue has been open for around one year, so it’s a relatively new arrival to Brighton.

    The beer list, although unfortunately the McStout Face wasn’t available. I opted for the three 1/3 pint beer flight that they offer, all beers from the brewery themselves. The welcome was friendly and so that gave a positive first impression.

    The bar is located on the ground floor and that has nearly no seating, but there are seating areas on the first and second floors. It’s a slightly odd set-up, which makes accessibility nearly impossible, but it’s otherwise a clean and tidy arrangement.

    They had Cards Against Humanity which brought me some amusement as I’m easily pleased. My first beer was the Marmalade IPA from Mad Dog, this had a gentle orange flavour and was crisp and clean.

    Next was the Apollo Galaxy from Mad Dog, a punchy 5.5% (although the board gives a higher ABV) beer which had a taste of citrus from the hops and a bit of sweetness.

    And finally the Now in a Minute from Mad Dog, this had a malty edge and a pleasant taste, but it was a bit thin.

    The venue wasn’t overly busy when I was there, but the atmosphere was comfortable, informal and inviting. All really rather lovely and it was good to try three different beers from the brewery and I’ll likely visit their Cardiff taproom if I’m back in sunny Wales.

  • Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Travelodge Brighton)

    Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Travelodge Brighton)

    After a quick visit to the Rook Taproom, I popped to Brighton Travelodge Seafront to check-in and I was already pre-pleased with the arrangement as the room cost £22 per night which surprised and delighted me. There was a friendly welcome at reception and the receptionist mentioned that the bar was 24 hours, which is certainly handy.

    For the money, I was very impressed with the value as the room was clean, tidy and well presented. The hotel looked a bit knocked about in places, but it’s obviously heavily used. There was a heater in the room and the window actually opened, so the whole range of options as far as I’m concerned.

    I had a look at the online reviews and they’re not particularly good, but they’re not a disaster.

    “DO NOT GO HERE -Needs redecorating and NOT value for money paid over the top for a scummy room and toilet .Not enough coffee and milk for two people complained to reception . I don’t normally give feed back but do not use Third party websites as you will be over charged and not willing to help.Travel Lodge think before you sell your booking slots…”

    There’s a heap of tea and coffee at reception, as much as you could ever want. Definitely don’t buy a Travelodge room via a third party site though….

    “I booked a night on the quieter floor but the music from the Pub across the street was unbearable, even with the window closed.”

    I can imagine a lot of people don’t like the noise, but it’s probably best not to book a hotel in the centre of Brighton….

    “Worst hotel ever! Stains all over the floor, bedding and walls. Kept awake all night by club across the road and the hotels response is well it’s not our hotel is it!”

    It’s an honest answer to be fair…

    “Yes this hotel is not too expensive and in a great location.
    However room was infested with bed bugs causing over 40 bites on the body and then when moved room woke up with more. Was told they can’t offer refunds or compensation as the bites weren’t evidence enough so pest control have to confirm it. Rang 28 times and no one has answered to give a follow up and check If they have even rang pest control to avoid happening to other people.”

    I like the reviewer’s precision of 40 bites and 28 calls.

    “We paid over £200 for a 1-night stay. They don’t tell you that the hotel is right next to a nightclub that is open until 3am”

    I think I would have considered paying £200 for a room as a bit sub-optimal, so they have my sympathy. Anyway, I digress.

    And leaving the hotel the following morning. There was a lot of external noise during the night of crashing glasses and shouting people, but I like that kind of constant disruption and I slept through pretty much all of it. Overall, I was very pleased with the whole arrangement and if a room is under £25, then definitely go for it….

  • Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Rook Taproom in Brighton)

    Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Rook Taproom in Brighton)

    As I was in Brighton for the evening, I thought I’d tick off a couple of craft beer bars that I hadn’t visited before. This is the Rook Taproom, formerly the Prince Arthur pub which was reopened in 2023.

    The beer list, all rather extensive and there were numerous options that I would have liked to try, but I limited myself to two half pints.

    The bar looked modern and on-trend with the service being friendly and engaging. It had a nice inviting feel atmosphere and was relatively busy when I was there, with a main bar and a separate room at the rear.

    Some of the extensive cans list.

    The Even Rooks Need Beer from Moon Brewery, a smooth, hazy, hoppy and quirky beer with a decent mouthfeel.

    The Respectable Mystery from Howling Hops, a slight taste of marmalade and hops, certainly not unpleasant.

    It’d be unlikely that a customer couldn’t find something that they liked as there are 22 craft beer taps and over 150 cans, which should surprise and delight a fair number of people. The online reviews are very positive and they’ve actually yet to pick a review of fewer than four stars, so that’s some impressive work.

    I imagine that this can get quite busy at times, but it’s certainly worth a visit. The prices were middle of the road, the service was friendly and the surroundings were comfortable. It’s only a short walk from the central area of Brighton and it was clean internally, so definitely recommended.

  • Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Corby to Brighton)

    Turkey Trip 2026 : Day 0 (Corby to Brighton)

    My journey started at Corby railway station when Richard dropped me off before he went onto something quite specialist. This is definitely rail progress for the town, there was a station built here in 1879, but that was closed in 1966. This was clearly a ludicrous decision and it left Corby without a rail link (one of the biggest towns in the country with no railway station), until wiser heads prevailed and this station was opened in 2009, bringing the railways back to the town.

    Although not the most decadent of railway stations, and there’s only one platform, the train I needed to get me into St. Pancras arrived on time.

    The East Midlands Railways train isn’t the most exciting, there are no power points and they’ve shoved five seats across which really doesn’t work. The guard made an announcement that due to train cancellations this service would be very busy towards London, but, fortunately, it wasn’t too bad at all.

    We arrived into St. Pancras on time, although it was all a bit chaotic on the platform as they had passengers waiting for two trains and it took over five minutes to get to the ticket barrier.

    One quick underground journey on the Victoria Line between King’s Cross St Pancras and Victoria. Fortunately, this service was operating as usual, although the Piccadilly Line was closed.

    This is the Southern Railways train to Gatwick Airport, which despite being 12 coaches long was packed by the time we left London. There are some bus replacement services on the other line into Gatwick, so sensible passengers switched to this route. As a positive point, there were at least power points on this train.

    There was an incident on the train when a passenger pressed an emergency alarm in the toilet and the driver made three announcements calling for the guard before announcing he would stop the train if the situation wasn’t resolved. It was unclear to me what the guard was doing, but the train was split into separate units so if the guard was in the bit at the back, it might have been rather more challenging to resolve the situation.

    After a quick change at Gatwick Airport, I boarded another service to Brighton. The efficiency of the services meant, to my slight disappointment, that there was no Delay Repay…..

    Into Brighton railway station and it’s all happening now….

  • Brighton – Brewdog

    Brighton – Brewdog

    I continue on my tour of the Brewdogs of the United Kingdom and I’m making steady progress, so thought that since I was in the area it’d be wrong not to pop into the Brighton location. I was disappointed to miss the Newcastle location last week, but they were temporarily closed for Covid-19 reasons.

    I booked a table, although I’m not entirely sure that they ever found the booking. It’s quite a large location and it seemed to be booked for most of the evening, so I assume it’s making them some money given how busy Brighton is at the moment. Everything seemed clean and tidy and I spotted some tempting beers in the fridges.

    I saw the staff member looking at giving me a small table by the door, which seemed ridiculous given that the entire bar was empty, but then without my saying anything a colleague mentioned that two larger tables were available. I was pleased by this and they had power available as well for my devices. So, all was well.

    I ordered a third of the Cannon Blast, which was unexciting, although it had a clean citrus flavour that wasn’t unpleasant. It was the first drink I’ve ever had from a Brewdog bar that was under-measured. I mention this not as a complaint that I received slightly too little liquid, but that it’s only fair since Brewdog have given me several free drinks by mispours over recent weeks.

    I was eyeing up the very well rated Tuesday (2020) from Cycle Brewing Company from St. Petersburg in Florida as one of my later drinks here. But, the service just felt wrong, it’s that Pret philosophy that their shops should seem inviting. I’m sure there were external factors, but the service seemed disengaged, cold and the staff didn’t seem very engaging about beer. To be fair, I could have started an engagement given it would be hard not to like the barrel aged imperial stout that I was considering, but then I decided that I’d just leave and head back to the campsite that was so far away. I don’t normally need to be upsold to as I’ve busily already ordered it, but I needed a bit of convincing to stay here and it wasn’t forthcoming.

    This was probably one of my most pointless Brewdog visits, lasting ten minutes of my two hour booking and I never even started charging my devices. On the bright side, it cleared a table for them as they seemed to have very limited availability. They received £1.79 for my one third of a pint and I left dreaming of the service of other Brewdogs. But, I’ll keep my eye out for that Tuesday (2020) beer in other Brewdogs, that’s too good to miss.

  • Brighton – Evening Star

    The rain decided it would fall quite heavily tonight in Brighton, which meant that I had to do the only logical thing I could of, which was to run inside a pub. By run I actually mean walk.

    This is a tempting little number and the staff member was keen to engage about the options, mentioning there were some bottles of dark beer to choose from as well. The beer had only just been put on (I didn’t guess that, the staff member told me) and it had a sweet taste, but was very drinkable. At the appropriate temperature, it had a surprising number of flavours to it, much better than I had expected.

    I have a rule that if it rains when I’m in Brighton, then I’ll have a dark beer and a packet of Hula Hoops. Since this was a classy pub which sold such delights, I was pleased to be able to meet my rule. Which admittedly is a rule I’ve started tonight.

    Part of the beer list, there are certainly some expensive little numbers on here….

    I really liked this pub, it had a quiet atmosphere even when it was busy. Lots of character, although it’s one of the darkest pubs that I’ve visited. By dark, I mean that it hasn’t got much light, not that customers were taking part in some dark deeds. One customer was sitting directly under one of the few lights so that he could read his newspaper, and it did feel that it was a bit too dark. Anyway, it’s a charming pub and the service was efficient and friendly. and they had Hula Hoops.

  • Brighton – Prince Albert

    This live music and rock pub is part of the Brighton scene and it’s noticeable from the road if only for the graffiti and artwork on the side of it. It’s a bit hidden away at the bottom, but there’s a Bansky work there which is well known, the Kissing Policemen. Unfortunately this is just a copy, as the original was lifted on the pub in 2011 and sold at auction.

    I opted for the Broken Dream breakfast stout and the beer was well-kept and tasted of a good quality. I’ve seen quite a bit of the Siren Craft Brew beers over the last day, although I’m not sure why as it’s not a local company, it’s from Wokingham.

    The pub’s atmosphere felt just that bit tense to me, so I didn’t feel entirely comfortable throughout my time there. I think that’s the first time in 2018, so it’s not a feeling that I get very often. However, it is a vibrant pub and so they aren’t likely aiming to deliver a relaxed and refined ambience.

    I had thought about eating at the pub, but I decided against it given my thoughts about the atmosphere. But the menu options looked interesting, although perhaps just a little on the expensive side.

    The service was friendly and helpful, with the staff member knowledgeable about the beer selection. He also said goodbye when I left, and that sort of acknowledgement is nice to see (well, hear).

    The signage inside the pub for the toilets is excellent, one of the best that I’ve seen in a pub. However, that’s probably necessary as the male toilets are outside and they would be difficult to find without the clear signage. They weren’t in the best state, but outside toilets are not known for their decadent surroundings. The door to the toilets though is a work of art.

    Overall, I liked the pub, with a friendly atmosphere putting aside the slightly tense feel to the whole affair. The beer tasted fine, the staff member was polite and the food offering looked interesting.

  • Brighton – Craft Beer Co

    Primarily a London company, as this is their only pub outside of the capital, the Craft Beer Co have a reputation for excellent beer. They claim that they have the most beers on keg in Brighton with 22 to choose from, along with a selection of 200 bottles and cans. That’s certainly an impressive array of options….

    I asked about the dark beer selection and the staff member was positively enthusiastic about explaining them. I liked that engagement and the staff member seemed knowledgeable about what was available. This is the Sadako beer from the Weird Beard brewery in London.

    It’s a 9.5% imperial stout and so I asked about the price before ordering, and it’s a cool £13 per pint. I chose a third which cost just over £4, but it’s a drink to savour like wine, so the price didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. And it was excellent, with a rich taste and notes of vanilla and coffee. Beautiful and it was also at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature.

    And here’s some more of the beer menu, with numerous other options that were worth consideration. This is what is frustrating about visiting a Greene King pub which has the option of Greene King IPA and, er, Greene King IPA. The pub also serves food which are primarily burger based options, although I visited on the only night which it doesn’t (Tuesdays).

    Tastefully decorated, I only realised that there was an upstairs lounge area as well later on after I had left.

    There was a fire which the staff kept alight (it was meant to be on fire, this wasn’t some sort of Brexit protest), meaning that the atmosphere was nice and warm. It was actually too warm for me, but I like Arctic conditions, so I can’t blame the pub for that.

    I like this chain of pubs and I know I’ve visited one of the branches in London, although I’ve rather unhelpfully completely forgotten which one it was. So that story was slightly irrelevant. Anyway, the prices are expensive, but the surroundings are comfortable and the selection is interesting and pretty exceptional. All that comes at a cost, as no doubt does the competence of the bar staff who were engaging and knowledgeable.

  • Brighton – Pump House

    When we went to the Chequers pub in Oxford a couple of weeks ago, I downloaded the Nicholson’s app when our group ordered food. Roll forwards to my arrival in Brighton today, and I received a notification that I could get a pint for £1 at the Pump House, the Nicholson’s pub in the city. So, being easily tempted, I went along.

    The real ale which was going to be £1 had run out, so the helpful staff member suggested that I have a gin and tonic instead which would also be £1. This seemed like a good deal, so I went for that. I’m not really a gin person, primarily because I never think to order it (it looks expensive is the primary reason), but it’s a fashionable drink and I should really know more about it.

    Whilst I was at the bar I noticed the rather tempting Sweet Dream, so I went for half a pint of that as well. It’s a chocolate milk stout and it didn’t disappoint, with a rich flavour and a pleasant after-taste. It was also served at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature and the only thing really wrong with it was that I didn’t order a pint of it.

    I took a seat by the window and had a good view of the bar area of this historic pub, which apparently has cellars dating to the medieval period. The pub is one of the oldest in Brighton and an effort has been made with the interior, with some impressive mirrors and wooden panelling.

    A lady at the neighbouring table commented to her party that I typed very quickly, which is technically accurate, but she said it loudly enough that I had to acknowledge what she said. Anyway, she was rather lovely and conveniently I was offered some advice on Italy, which was well-timed since I was in the pub planning the 2019 Hike Norfolk trip to the land of pizza and wine.

    The view from inside the window looking outwards to an interesting part of Brighton, which like the pub also feels historic and full of atmosphere.

    The pub was comfortable and felt welcoming, with the two staff members making an effort to engage with customers. I still think that Nicholson’s are one of the better chains, something which the historic nature of their pubs helps with as they’re full of character.