A trip the the seaside (with killer seagulls)

Brighton Pier and beach with rocks!

Jane made me put up a deck chair
there are 15 photos before this of me
trying to get it up

One of the many KILLER seagulls 

Fun for everyone, on the left, is a helter-skelter,
which is a big slippery dip complete with
hessian bags to go faster

Love a good merry-go-round,
this one went much faster than I expected!

I was promised Fish and Chips for lunch
and Brighton delivered,
it was the most popular choice for everyone

This 2p machine had us engrossed,
gamification before it was a thing

6 pounds and 2 hours later with we 'win'
three plastic biscuits, so proud 

Quaint, do they still sell film?

The lifeguard had a beanie and water
temperature was a tropical 18.8

Another new experience today, we are on the Gatwick Express train to Brighton. A seaside town with a bad wrap and in countless TV shows with bodies found under the pier. What will we find?

Alas it's raining, but Jane says this is a good thing otherwise every inch of the ‘beach’ will be taken. First up let's check out the Royal Pavilion, think we go down this street, there are some Morris dancers and here we are. Well, that looks a bit decrepit. The pavilion was the seaside pleasure palace for King George IV. The first room is some kind of ugly Chinese style, second is just as woeful, really like the ornate lampshades in the Indian section and the redone carpets. But overall this place is ugly get me out of here. Exit through the gift shop, score four inside-outside cards. 

Now on we go to the sound of squawking seagulls it's pretty easy to figure out which way to the beach. People are everywhere on this drizzly, grey day, Brighton certainly is popular. From the first step, it is intoxicating, lights, music, movement the Brighton Pier is the place to be.

Along we go, the wood seems a bit flimsy its a long way down to the water. Do we want doughnuts with chocolate or Brighton Rock? Everyone here seems to have a favourite from their childhood that they are lining up for. Even groups of grown men are lining up excitedly for candy floss and toffy apples, move on boys I need a photo. The party atmosphere continues with lots of groups from hen's parties to little girls birthdays.

Squueeeeel, ahhhhh, eeeeeeek, get me outta here! the closer we get to the end, the more screams we here, But why is everyone screaming who are not on the rides? Its the killer seagulls! They perch on the top of rides and swoop down onto unsuspecting 'big kids', groups of happy teenagers waiting in line for the scariest rides that are at the end of the pier. They scream more about the seagulls than the rides that blast them high into the air and twirl around pulling g's. It is hilarious. How can they be scared of a seagull??? I move in for a close shot of one of the killers, will I survive, I get close enough to put out my finger, Jane warns I am going to end up in Brighton hospital getting it sewn back on, but phew I get a good shot and live to tell the tale.

Now onto the 'penny arcade', we get our pound coin and change for 10ps, now we have to go to another machine and change them for 2p, seems over complicated but let's just go with it. Ok, put money down the slot, no Catherine you have to get it on the blank bit to push the coins forward. Ok, another test, another test, now I have my rhythm when the coins are the closest release and ta da. I have it in the right spot. In the coins go, and again and again, this is mesmerising I feel like I am in a trance watching the coins fall, all the other noise falls away and our focus is intense. Closer, closer, a bit more, a little bit to the side. YES we have a yellow biscuit. That is strangely satisfying. A mesmerising two hours later we have won three biscuits.

Eventually, we move on walking, exploring, merry-go-round riding, fish and chip eating and snapping 500 metres of pier takes quite a while! Onto the lanes now to check out this quirky part of Brighton.