Midweek winter break in Brighton January 2025

A midwinter break by the sea. 

In January 2025 I had a some leave from work. I arranged a short break in Brighton with Carl. Carl is a steward on Cross Country Trains, and lives in Bournemouth.

Wednesday January 15th 2025

I set off from my home in Calcot, around 9am and travelled by bus to Reading station, and Cross Country train to Southampton Central Station. I had a spare 30 minutes before I met Carl, and decided to go out for some fresh air.

I like street art and I managed to see some outside the station. 

When I met Carl we caught the 11.20 Southern service to Brighton, via Havant and Barnham.

We arrived at 13.05 and stopped for lunch in Greggs. I had a "Mexican" chicken roll and a cup of tea.

Carl outside The Quadrant, also home of the Folklore Rooms 

After lunch we checked in to our hotel, a Travelodge, Brighton Seafront.

In the afternoon we settled in and arranged to go out for our dinner around 5pm. We had a Thai dinner in Siam Siam, in Preston Street. I had a mild pork curry with coconut rice and spicy prawn crackers.

Carl had managed to contact Josh (Webb) who used to be a steward with Cross Country in Reading and Birmingham.

Carl and I returned to the Travelodge. As Travelodge offer a 2 for 1 drinks deal between 5 & 7pm, we decided to arrange to meet Josh in the hotel bar where I had 2 bottles of Budweiser. Although the deal sounded like a bargain, there were too many limitations. Josh joined us later for a drink and we then moved to the Fortune of War on the sea front. This pub has a nautical theme. Josh has an app on his phone which enabled us to special deals for local and international beer. I had Laine's Mango ale.

Carl and I returned to our hotel around 11pm.

Thursday 16 January

The weather was dry and mild.

Carl and I had our breakfast in the Bright Helm, a Wetherspoon pub close to the hotel. 

After breakfast we caught a Number 12  bus to Rottingdean, which a village to the east of Brighton.

We had a coffee in the White Horses pub/restaurant, where we met Josh. Rottingdean is an upmarket village, and among its famous inhabitants was writer Rudyard Kipling.

The Pond, Rottingdean village, Rudyard Kipling's home from 1897-1902 is behind. 

Josh, Carl and I went for a walk around the village, stopping off at the village pond, the church, the Windmill and the beach. We had a coffee and a mince pie outside Molly's cafe.

The Rottingdean Windmill

Carl and I then walked along the coastal path to the next village, Saltdean. We returned to Brighton, Old Steyne. We went for a stroll around the Lanes, where we saw street art, and independent shops. 

Angel painted on the side of a building 

We also visited a retro clothes shop, Quadrophenia and we talked with the owner about Mods activities in Brighton.

After having lunch in Burger King we returned to the hotel for a couple of hours.