Brighton Short Breaks couldn’t help but think that with one of the worst summer holidays for weather nearly over, how can an inside entertainment venue such as a museum compete with other indoor leisure activities in entertaining the kids and are they good value for money?

Great lengths have been attempted by many museums in recent years in order to cater to every generation and scholarly level. Introducing children to the world of museums is important not only to integrate the importance of archiving our heritage for future generations but also as families for a whole to interact together. 

With more parents working more hours a day,  somewhere like a museum is essential for families to have a day of both learning and fun together, interacting with each other and learning more about what kind of people their children are developing into. Harewood House in North Yorkshire Leeds has put on many activities for families  including creating arts and crafts, fun days starring characters from TV’s ceebeebies and the creation of the new Geopods which holds an indoor kids playground. The Kite festival and days such as ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea party’ have also attracted families in their hundreds. However, at £35 for a family freedom ticket this could be classed at an expensive day out and although there are fun activities presented, what do families actually learn about the museum itself? Compare this to the Brighton Toy and Model museum which automatically caters for kids with the display of toys and gives a hint of nostalgia for adults as they can experience their childhood favourites. There are hands on activities such as operating an old fashioned penny arcade which can keep kids entertained whilst feeding them information about the museum itself. And at £12 for a family ticket it seems to be much more worth while day out.

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton Short Breaks  can now offer specially tailored English tuition in one of our locations. These classes can be from one-to-one up to one-to-four, all for the same flat fee, unlike the conventional English Language Schools where there is a tuition charge per person.

Not only will BSB’s offer save you money but will guarantee a much more concentrated learning experience due to the size of the group (maximum four). The teacher, who is also the owner of three holiday rental apartments in central Brighton, has many years teaching experience. He taught English within the Swedish state system and on his return to England taught Upper Intermediate/Advanced/Specialised English classes for Embassy CES.

Whilst we cannot offer English tuition geared at Exam passes, we can offer you the opportunity to study English to a level and purpose of your choice. By allowing the clients to manufacture their own course and choose who will be taking it, we would also hope to avoid the inevitable level difference that occurs in English Language Schools. THis, in turn, should ensure greater progress.

We believe that this might well be of particular interest to businesses and companies who may wish to improve the English communication skills of some of their employees. However, we also believe that it might be attractive to anyone wishing to improve their English who might not wish to be subject to the format and age difference experienced in the normal English Language Schools. As an added advantage, you the client(s) can choose the length of time and intensity of your course; thus allowing yourself time off to take in the cultural experience of Brighton/London/England.

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

Brighton Short Breaks loves an early warm snap and the little pre-taster of the summer months we got last Wednesday when temperatures got up to 25 degrees was just the ‘warm-up’ act – if you’ll forgive the poor pun.

This coming weekend is looking to be a real scorcher with temperatures confidently being touted as getting up to 26 or even 27 degrees. Its in weather like this that Brighton really blossoms. Like many a Brightonian I love the winter for it’s wind swept sea walks and Sunday lunches tucked up in the lovely pubs in the city – but no-one can argue that the sun glittering on the sea, especially with the amazing way it bounces up so much light INTO the city – and anecdotally the reason it was called BRIGHTon in the first place – means that many people are going to remember this weekend with great fondness as a special time. 

If youre coming down for the weekend and plan to hit the beach then a couple of tips – Tescos are currently doing some real bargains on discounted suncream and theres a branch on St James St (just one street set back from the sea front in Kemptown). There’s also a Superdrug there if supplies have run low. Don’t be tempted to go without – or you’ll remember the visit to Brighton  for all the wrong reasons!

St James St is also a great place to top up on water bottles and maybe a nice picnic lunch with Morrisons on there and also the delights of Bona Food and a number of other really good deli’s.

However if you fancy treating yourself royally then my personal recommendation is to take a trip to Pomegranate Restaurant on Manchester St. Consistently, year after year, voted one of the best restaurants in Brighton – the special joy of it is that with the set lunch menu you can really get a taste of what this great restaurant is about without breaking the bank. At £7.95 for 2 courses its well worthwhile making this a special day – and the house white goes down beautifully too. The award winning chef Hassan creates some fantastic dishes with a Middle eastern flair and the signature taste of Pomegranate – whilst Zalal ensures the whole dining experience is a great one that I promise you will want to to go back for.

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton Self Catering holidays are a great way of staying in the city of Brighton and Hove for extended lengths of time at a great price. And there can be few better times to be looking at an extended stay than during the month of May when the Festival arrives – bringing along with it the Fringe Events which offer an amazing range of events activities and entertainments!

Running from the 7th of May through to the 30th of May, with all its activities detailed on their website

This is their Fifth Anniversary and its looks to be a particularly good one – with such personal highlights as ‘Lucy Bundy is Fake Bush’ appearing on the 15th of May at The Brunswick. Ive seen Lucy Bundy perform on a number of occassions and she totally charms you. Her act is a tribute to one of the greats – Kate Bush – but Lucy brings a  level of humour and fun to the evening which always wins the audience. She’s also an amazing singer too so be prepared to be impressed on every level!

There’s also a wealth of fantastic Early Music and Classical Music performances, and with many of those being broadcast by the BBC they offer an opportunity to see absolute world class performances and real knock-down prices. I shall be writing more about those performances next week, bu again, check the Festival website soon because tickets wont hang around for long!

If you’re looking to spend any time in Brighton and Hove then check out our property pages to see if theres something that appeals to you. With locations all over the city theres sure to be something close to a venue to please you!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton self catering holidays allows fo rlots of time to explore the  city for visitors – but the borad range of things to do means you need to do your research beforehand.

The site that I always refer to check out the listings activities and dates  during any visit is  the www.visitbrighton.com web page.  It’s especially good for looking at a month at a time.

Thats where I found  the publicity for a current exhibition that I think should figure on any person’s agenda, and that’s ‘Capturing Colour: Film, Invention and Wonder’ which is on at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery   until the 20th of March.

According to the Visit Brighton site the  exhibition ‘explores and celebrates the quest for colour on film, from magic lanterns, early colour photography, chromatropes, kromscops and applied colour films, through to Kinemacolor, Kodachrome and Technicolor. ‘Serpentine Dances’, the wonders of the natural world, fairy-tale genies, Hollywood films and home movies all illustrate the stories of our desire to capture the world in colour.’

It sounds like a really interesting exhibition – and a definite destination for a visit whilst you are in Brighton  and especially if you’ve got a family with you  - its subject matter is appealing to all ages – and what ever age you may be – the admission is free!

Its such a lovely building to visit anyway you should go whatever the weather!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton Short Breaks came into creation through the sheer number of people wanting to visit our city – they all needed somewhere to stay. But many of those visitors are then inspired to move permanently to the city and set up home.

Certainly in the past year or so thats been a daunting task with the job market being seen to be ‘challenging’ to say the least. But as I’ve written on many earlier occasions, Brighton is still very well served by both the large multi-national employers as well as the entrepreneurial set-up companies which is proving to be a key to the future prosperity of the city.

Traditionally the Evening Argus and the High St Recruitment Agencies have been a good access route to the local work market – but you only have to witness the closed down offices of some of the longest established recruitment agencies to know that avenue is not as rich as it once was.

And thats where a new Brighton based website and organisation come in. http://www.brightonjobsearch.com is a site aimed purely at guiding both employers and potential employees through the market palce and making the necessary introductions. With so many graduates of the universities and colleges in the city staying on to live here after graduating, not only is it providing a service to them, but its also ensuring that all that talent finds a home in Brighton and contributes to our ongoing success and future prosperity!

They also provide a wealth of advice and information about the job search process and how to maximise your effectiveness with your job hunt. If youre looking to set up roots in Brighton then this is a good place to start!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton Short Breaks welcomes the Royal Pavilion Ice rink is due to open soon in Brighton. Whether you’re a skater, or prefer simply to spectate, a visit to the impressive outdoor rink is a great way to spend a day.

However if you are looking to enjoy skating on the rink then you must buy tickets for a chosen hour session. Be warned; if you are late to your session unfortunately your time will not be added on at the end. But fear not, the rink has a fully licensed cafe/restaurant which is open from 8am till midnight which happens to be the winner of Observer Food  Monthly Seaside Restaurant of the year.

The easiest way to secure one of the hour sessions available is to go to ticket master. For an adult an hour on the ice will cost around 9.50-11 pounds but for children under 12 it is slightly cheaper between 6.50 – 7.50. As there is little parking in the city centre of Brighton public transport is strongly advisable.

If your thinking about taking children to the rink, or even nervous skaters, the rink has its own beginners area and special “penguin” skate aids for youngsters! There is plenty of room to manoeuvre as the rink itself is 700 square metres and can accommodate up to 200 skaters.

Don’t worry if you think you will miss the rink, it will be open to the public from 10am to 10.15pm everyday from November 13th-January 16th, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the ice in Brighton. The rink should prove to be in prime location with the former Royal Palace as its backdrop and should look idyllic.

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton short breaks is excited to see that the Brighton Comedy Festival returns once more with a very amusing line up this October

A variety of talented acts from old favourite Alistar Mcgowan, to up and coming Jack Whitehall feature in this years festival seeking to entertain Hove and Albion. However the popular event is near to its closing date on the 23rd of October, so its your last opportunity to grab any late tickets. check out there website to book yours.

Acts have been introduced to the growing festival from all over the UK, America and Australia and Headliners such as Jimmy Carr are sure to make the festival sell out. With such a variety of acts there is something to everybody’s taste in comedy to ensure a few laughs and is well worth a day trip or holiday to Brighton to enjoy the shows and festivities.

The location of the festival is in the grand Brighton Dome situated on Church street (a map can be found on there website) right in the heart of Brighton and close to the Royal Pavillion. Although there isn’t a great amount of parking close by travelling by train may prove to be a wise decision as the Brighton Railway station is only a ten minutes walk away.

With the festival lasting over a period of days why not take the opportunity to enjoy a holiday in Brighton with Brighton Short Breaks and enjoy what else our city has to offer!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton Short Breaks is looking forward to the welcome return of the Brighton World Sacred Music Festival this month.

The festival has been running for a number of years now, and is really going from success to success – with an ever increasingly impressive line-up of acts and performers.

The event is now drawing to a close and its final dates are scheduled for the 17th of October – so if you havent already gotten your tickets, then dont delay and check out their website today for more information.

Acts have been invited form around the world, and this year features the varies talents of Barbara Furtuna, from Corsica as well as the London Jewish Male Choir appearing at Brighton’s Middle Street Synagogue with its fantastic acoustics.

They quote their mission statement to be: ”to promote understanding across boundaries of religion, ethnicity, language and nation by providing opportunities to experience moments of genuine transformation through sacred music and arts”.

Certainly this has proved to be the case in previous years with people sampling and experiencing forms of Sacred Music which perhaps they may not have encountered before in their lives. There is also the recoginsed, but largely unspoken intent to aid better understanding and appreciation for other cultures and music genres as well as having a great evening out.

With the event running over a number of days it really makes sense to avail yourself of a longer term holiday home from Brighton Short Breaks, and then you can really immerse yourself in all the wonderful offerings this organised event is bringing to our city!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com

Brighton holiday homes through Brighton Short Breaks offers you the ability to attend this years Brunswick Festival. Set up and operated by totally a voluntary organisation it provides  an annual festival in celebration of the diverse community of Brunswick, Hove.

We reported on it last year and they were very fortunate to pick a lovely weekend of weather and as its now in its 29th year it is one of the longest running festivals in the city!

This year the event will be over two weekend periods which means even more opportunity for local residents to say hello and city visitors come along and see something of what makes  the city, and especially this particular area , such a great place to both live and visit.

To get more specifics then go to the Visit Brighton web site where they detail  :

‘The exciting programme offers a variety of FREE events and activities for everyone – Highlights of this years festival include:

Sunday 15th August ‘Rural Day’ – Bringing the countryside to the City and raising an awareness of the environment. Featuring the ever popular ‘Scruffs’ Dog Show, arts and crafts, conservation stalls, children’s activities.
St. Anne’s Well Gardens -1pm – 6pm

Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd August – Brunswick Festival in the Square – A lazy weekend of live music, dance, street theatre, circus skills, healing area, arts crafts and bric-a-brac stalls, world food and beer tent… fun and entertainment for all the family!!! ‘

When a city can be such an expensive place to keep the family entertained then events like this offer fantastic value and something just a little bit different!

If you’d like to arrange accommodation during the month  then check our our self catering Brighton properties and see what suits you best!

BrightonShortBreaks.com™ – 0845 500 9486
contact@brightonshortbreaks.com