Spring Forward

The past week in Brighton has been lifted by decidedly more sun than we have seen for a good few months. The relief of going to, and leaving work to daylight is quite something after what feels like a winter in sheer darkness. With that the urge to explore always comes over me, so on Sunday we made the most of our day saver bus tickets and explored Brighton!

Our first stop was a cold and windy morning at Brighton Flea Market, held at the Marina every Sunday from 7am-12pm. Those poor traders must be hardy souls braving that wind all morning, it didn't take long before the cravings for the burger van took over, and I had a bacon sandwich in hand!

 

However we didn't spend all morning just eating...we found some wonderful bargains too! I initially fell in love with some vintage spectacles for £10, however a quick try on brought much disappointment when they were too small. As with all flea markets, there are many questionable items (I am baffled how you would pay £1 for half a bottle of tabasco sauce) but there are diamonds out there too.

 

Our first purchase was a Bush Radio for £15. It is not as old as we hoped, probably a replica but a working replica nonetheless and it has pride of place in our living room. Next up, a wooden fireguard with the most beautiful ship painting on it. We plan to hang it somehow on our wall, that one can be a task for my boyfriend.

 

We then hot footed (or buss-ed) it over to Blatchington Road in Hove, a favourite Sunday hotspot for us with charity and vintage shops a plenty. We nipped into Department, a little treasure chest that has everything from furniture to toys to clothes. My boyfriend got a lovely fleece lined denim jacket and I nearly ended up with another handbag. Next up was a trip into the wonderful Bobby and Dandy. This is such a fantastic, well stocked, quality vintage shop. You can tell how carefully they source their clothes as I want everything in there! I decided to treat myself to a wonderful pair of leather tassle heels as my favourite vintage brogues are being worn into the ground. For £15 I was very happy with my new shoes!

 

Hope you all had a nice weekend!

 

Hannah xxx

Day Four-Where to go in Brighton this Christmas!

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well! Tonight I have decided to let you know about four of my favourite places to go to in Brighton. These are all very central and in walking distance of each other. All four are completely independant and Brighton based, which I particularly love, as I feel that you really do get a more unique and special experience than when you visit one of the bigger, nationwide brands.

First up is Upper Gardener Street Market in the North Laines. Held every Saturday on Upper Gardener Street (ironically!), you are welcomed with the smells of wonderfully fresh and locally produced food. As you follow the market along, furniture, music, cards, bric a brac and clothes line the streets, all for bargain prices. You can also venture off this down into the Brighton Flea Market  which is located on the right just after entering the street and passing the food stalls. Here it all is in its earlier days!

Follow the market to the end and turn right down the hill, in a few metres on your left will be Sydney Street. This street is full of vintage shops, including the wonderful Hope and Harlequin, which has the most beautiful dresses in! At the bottom of Sydney Street you will meet Trafalger Street, the location of Tramp Vintage which is just on your left up the hill slightly! Tramp contains so so many amazing dresses, it is a dream! It really is somewhere to go if you are looking for something extra special, and everyone who works there is so helpful in working with you to find the ultimate party dress!

Now over to the South Lanes. Over on Prince Albert Street (past two amazing bars, The Mesmerist and the Black Lion) is the wonderful design shop, The Lollipop Shoppe. Full of design classics and remarkably reasonably priced, this really is the perfect shop to find that extra special gift for someone this Christmas. There is a range of items from beautiful notepads under £10 to very stylish pieces with a few more zeroes on the pricetag. I have always been made to feel very welcome and comfortable to look around. They also have a really great website, that also offers FREE UK Delivery! I love it!

My final recommendation is a beauty boutique just up the road on Duke Street, Powder Beauty. Just nextdoor to The Victory Inn, they offer every beauty treatment you could imagine and some great creative treats to, such as Louboutin Nails! On the 22nd they have a pop up hair parlour from 1pm...check it out on their Facebook page here or look at their website here! A completely independent company too, creating a wonderful atmosphere and great service every time.

These are just a few of the amazing shops I have found so far on my explorations around Brighton, I am sure there will be so many more in a couple more months! Do you have any particular places you always go to in Brighton? I haven't included some of the more obvious places that are on the main routes, such as Komedia or Snoopers Paradise, but they are well worth a visit! I love nothing more than visiting a city and knowing some of the more 'off the beaten track' places, it gives a much more accurate impression of the city and what it is about. I would absolutely love to hear of any more though!

I hope you enjoyed tonights post, and I will get thinking of what to write tomorrow!

Lots of love,

Hannah xxx