h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Brighton and Hove - City by the Sea - A87745594
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090

This was written for February's 'Local interest' theme. Sorry it's a day late!

Interesting article. I have friends and family in Brighton, and so visit from time to time. It strikes me as an odd place - where commuter belt meets Bohemia.

I think any article on Brighton would have to say something about gay culture and the gay community. I don't know any facts and figures, but my impression is that Brighton (perhaps along with Hebden Bridge) are the gay capitals of the UK. Dunno how true that is, but I understand that "Does your boyfriend know you're here?" is a song regularly sung by opposing fans at Brighton and Hove Albion games.

Another thing that Brighton is famous for is Green politics. First Green MP, first Green controlled council. That's pretty distinctive and perhaps worth a mention. Perhaps also something on the reasons why Brighton might buck the national trend?

A relative always refers to Hove as "Hove Actually", with an implied assumption of superiority. I think this is very funny, but I don't know if that joke is common currency or not. If it is, perhaps worth including?

I agree about including the gay community, the only people in brighton I know are gay, so my sample may be biased.



I've also heard the joke 'hove actually' - as in 'do you live in Brighton? no Hove actually.

Did you want to perhaps mention that Brighton's only been a city since 2000, when the Queen granted it city status to celebrate the Millennium, beating other towns competing for city status, such as Reading?

<BB<

Thanks.

Yes, I knew Brighton had a strong gay community, and I'll include something about it.

I hadn't heard the 'hove actually' joke, but it's always been the case that Hove is seen as posher and less vulgar.

Thanks Bluebottle.

I knew that Brighton had acquired city stutus but, oddly enough, I couldn't find the date.

Nice entry!

That local railway has a splendid entry to link to: A34644224

London to Brighton cycle race worth a mention? (And is there not a vintage car rally, come to think of it?)

Beach is notoriously pebbly isn't it? No sandcastles here!

sprout

Thanks sprout.

I know I need to add some links to this. There are plenty of other things I could add too, like the points you mention, but it's quite difficult to know how to organise the information.

I'm off to Spain for a week, so it'll have to wait until I get back.

I like this a lot. It covers a lot of ground really effortlessly and it does seem to give the flavour of the place. Not that I am more than an occasional visitor.

I second the request for the mention of the pebbly beach though. It is _very_ pebbly.

"'Are you from Brighton? No, Hove actually'."


I assume you'd have had to be there

many thanks for this entry MVP!

i went to Brighton in the '70s, as a student, and then stayed on there and made it my home, for a total of just over 20 years - i feel that you've managed to capture the essence of the place very well (and very compactly, too)

i had to choose between Brighton and Portsmouth for my college and i just had one day in each, to visit the respective departments and look around the two towns/cities - Brighton won hands down, for a lot of the reasons which you've highlighted (the only one to which i'll admit was the 'vegetarian shoe shop', of course!)

thanks for reminding me about the "Hove, actually" joke - it was right on the button - in fact, i used to 'kid' visitors that the local football team initials, "BHA" (as in 'Brighton and Hove Albion'), stood for "Brighton and Hove Actually"

i sense that some researchers may be struggling to share the whole 'actual' joke thing...

the boundary between Brighton & Hove is the geographical equivalent of 'conjoined twins' sharing one body between two heads - many 'posh' people living in the Hove side couldn't bear to be associated with Brighton, and it became such a regular part of life hearing people replying in a 'plummy' voice: "oh no... Hove actually!" when asked if they lived in Brighton, that the posher 'twin' became affectionately known locally as "Hove Actually"

apologies for the diversion, nice job on the entry!

have fun
a-l-s

Would you consider a link to the Royal Pavilion's website, possibly as a reference? http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/RoyalPavilion/Pages/home.aspx It's a Grade I building and used as one of the city's symbols, and springs to mind when Brighton's mentioned.

<BB<

Thanks, Bluebottle.

I know this article needs a few links, but I've been away for a week and haven't got around to it.

Perhaps we need a 'round tuit' smiley!

Sounds a good idea to me. I'll design one when I get
When I think of Brighton I always think of the scene in 'The Snowman' where James and the Snowman are walking in the air, flying over Brighton, its pavilion and pier. Not sure if it's worth mentioning, though.

<BB<

Thanks BB.

I suspect there are lots of works of art, literature, music etc that have a Brighton connection. I did wonder whether to mention Graham Greene's 'Brighton Rock' - and I've discovered an article on the EG to which I could link.

so I'll go and put some useful links in.

some metion of mods / rockers / teen culture in the 60s ... wasn't brighton a place where they came to hang out / riot ?

Thanks jon .
It looks as if the section on the modern city still needs some work.

Lanzababy

I've added a short piece on Mods and Rockers, and linked it to the Edited Guide Article A721276.

I've wondered about links. In the BBC past, I imagine that links to websites that are essentially adverts for commercial venues, and to the website of the Green Party, would have been banned. What's the current policy?

I would prefer not to use links to sites like that, because they don't really add anything to the Entry. Large commercial venues and political parties can be found on Google very easily.

I'd much rather links were used to point to things that the interested reader might not know about already. That adds value to the Entry.