When visiting Brighton recently we also visited a friend in Eastbourne. Seeing as they're two seaside towns about 30 minutes apart on the same coast, it's difficult not to compare the two. Both towns have similar grand buildings on or near the seafront but Eastbourne somehow feels smarter, nicer in most departments.
I suspect that because Brighton has quicker links to London it attracts lots of wealthy and poor Londoners (whoops now I'm going to upset Londoners) and, as a University town, it has lots of students. Superficially at least, Eastbourne seems to be less scruffy, less 'vibrant' and cater for a better class of folks (like me). For a person who doesn't like the term 'class' that grates as I say it.
The evening that we were there, a really good brass band played on the sea front and turned a mundane promenade into something quite pleasurable.
God, I'm getting old.
Yes Alex, it's definitely your age.
ReplyDeleteOne of the benefits of being older is that one is not afraid to admit that a nice walk along a nice promenade with a nice brass band to listen to is more agreeable than spending the same time surrounded by hip, cool people all making a lot of noise and chucking their litter about.
It's nothing to do with class, more to do with the fact that one eventually just wants a bit of peace and respect.