It's All Random In My Head...

I took the train to Hastings today, which is on the southern coast of England.  It was a typical seaside town with amusement halls with video games and coin operated games.  I wandered all the way as far as I could down to the edge of land, and took a stroll out onto a stone plinth near the sea. 

The waves were crashing in, and I snapped a few photos.  It amazes me how many of these beaches are all stone and no sand.  I would find it very uncomfortable laying on stones during a summer day at the seaside. 

On my walk back into town, I stopped in to the Shipwreck Museum.  I thought  this sounded very interesting.  I like morbid stuff like that.  It wasn’t exciting.  It was a bunch of old, rusted out broken relics from one or two ships that had sunk years ago.  I’m glad it was a free museum. 

I took a stroll round some side streets with lots of quaint antique shops, and unusual shops. 

On the way back to the rail station, I stopped for lunch at a place called Mr. Peppers (I believe).  I got a chicken curry jacket potato.  It was tasty, inexpensive and very filling.  However, I ended up with a huge glob of curry sauce in my hair.  Lesson learned:  On a windy day, tie your hair back when eating a messy lunch. 

Back on the train, I was headed for Brighton.  I passed a little area called Bopeep Junction.   I thought that was cute and imagined a bunch of pretty shepherdesses living there, tending their sheep.

The first half of the train ride was wonderful.  The train rolled along the seaside, and you could look right out the window onto the sea.  Such a lovely piece of scenery it was.

Arriving in Brighton, I wandered down to the quirky and cool shops of North Laine.  I went into so many of them, including my very favourite Snoopers Paradise.  There were some awesome repurposed bowler hats that I had very hard time resisting.  I spent a lot of my time wandering around that area.

I took a stroll down along the beach, where there actually were a lot of people having a sit on the rocks.  Better them than I, I say. 

I saw a handful of fancy dressed chaps, as Brighton is known for having ‘dandies’ and men who are very chap-pish.  It was really nice to see well dressed gents out for a wander. 

I decided to have a really cheap supper, and opted for Sainsbury’s £3 meal combo of sandwich, snack and drink.

I chose a prawn mayonnaise sandwich, a bag of ridged Walkers Simply Sea Salt, and a Coke Zero. 

After trying the prawn mayo at the afternoon tea, I found I really enjoyed it and this version didn’t come with the watery evil that is lettuce.

I had a sit on a bench and people watched while having my supper.

After a small wait outside the Brighton Dome, the audience were allowed in.  I was seeing Jack Dee tonight.  He’s not performed stand up for over 7 years. 

He was very funny.  I laughed quite a bit, and THAT is saying a lot for me, with how I usually react to standups. 

During the interval, everyone went out for ice creams.  That’s something I find intriguing.  Where did the ice cream during interval thing originate? 

Jack came back out and did some more great material and ended with a song about former jobs he had before he made it as a comedian.  

I had no idea he could play guitar and sing.  Granted, his singing wasn’t stellar, but it was passable.

The show ended and it was back to London for me, passing some young people dressed in cheetah suits, and one in a devil suit, and one in a panther suit holding up a clearly drunk friend trying to get him to walk.  I love young people on a weekend night, they’re always pissed.

Tomorrow is a very busy day.  I’ve got a Macarons masterclass to attend in the early morning, then Chocolate Unwrapped (which is a 2 day chocolate event with lectures, demos, and sellers of glorious chocolate), and at the end of the day I have a ticket to The Ceremony Of The Keys at the Tower of London.  It is their close of day ceremony and has been going on for more than 700 years. 

I feel honoured to be able to attend.