Brighton Short Breaks

Brighton Short Breaks takes a more relaxed position

mike — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:50:38 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks is always thinking of more interesting and alternative ways for you to spend your holiday here with us in Brighton. One thing most people will say when you ask them what they look for in a holiday is
relaxation, and this can mean different things to different people. Yoga and meditation is an excellent way to relax as well as being good for your physical and mental well-being, and Buddhist traditions are becoming more and more popular in the West.

The Bodhisattva Kadanpa Meditation centre in Brighton is definately a place you should look into if your craving some rest and insight into inner peace and happiness. It is a special centre dedicated to tranquility, rest, reflection and friendship and hosts a community of around thirty people who wish to make their lives more meaningful and want to help others to do the same. The centre is open to the public and there are several day courses or meditation classes that you can participate in. A meditation day course is a holiday for your mind and can bring long-term benefits into your life such as improved concentration, less stress, reduced anger, increased confidence and just a general more positive outlook on life and relationships. There is a world peace cafe and shop in site too where they serve excellent vegetarian and vegan lunches including home-made soups, quiches and amazing salads as well as being able to buy freshly ground organic fair-trade coffee, herbal teas, home-made cakes, Buddhism books, meditation cds and souvenirs before taking a walk in the beautiful peace garden; home to many wonderful plants and one of the oldest gas lamps in Brighton. This is a perfect way for any beginner or advanced student in meditation to spend a day or a weekend relaxing by one of the oldest Eastern methods.

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 likes a good ghost story

mike — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:46:34 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks likes to hear a good ghost story especially when it involves the history of the area and we
are lucky to have our own ‘haunted’ place here in Brighton to attract the fans of the gothic and gruesome. Preston Manor is a beautiful historic house located on the outskirts of Brighton & Hove.

It is decorated and furnished in an Edwardian style where you can see the elegant lifestyle of the rich upstairs with ornate reception rooms and bedrooms and then the ‘downstairs’ stories with the kitchen and servants quarters. It was the home of the Stanford family for over 130 years and there are also beautiful walled gardens outside to wander around. Ghostly sightings and supernatural experiences go back throughout the history of the house and they regularly host ghost tours for visitors. The story says that the Stanford family were particularly troubled by sightings of a Lady in White, where a Lady in Grey also walks up and down the main staircase disappearing into nowhere. There have been guests in the past that are reported to have stayed in the library (when it was a bedroom) and saw disembodied hands on the bedpost and weird noises coming from the wardrobe. The story of the lady in white has been quite frightening and in 1896 the family held a seance in the Cleves room. The medium revealed she was getting messages from a nun called sister Agnes who had been wrongly removed from the Church and buried without a proper Christian burial. A year later when there was an epidemic of sore throats the drains were checked and a skeleton for a 400 year old woman was found. After giving it a proper burial the hauntings apparently stopped. Even Living TV’s Most Haunted have visited the house saying they were thrilled with their supernatural experiences there. So, if you fancy having a spooky experience in Brighton then give Preston Manor a go.

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

Brightons Children Festival

mike — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:43:38 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks knows that Brighton is a great destination for families – and no better time than this coming month of May when the Children’s Festival returns to town

For more information go to the Visit Brighton website which provided us with the information below on their website www.visitbrighton.com:

‘Brighton & Hove Children’s Festival returns in 2012 with a ten-day arts festival for children under 11 and their families. This year the festival is challenging families to take part in a series of events, performances and workshops all inspired by our theme of Bravery.

(The) programme in 2012 incorporates many different forms of bravery such as physical, emotional, social and creative. Some of the highlights this year include:

You’ll like this film because you’re in it – A family filmmaking event inspired by the community film-making ideas of Michel Gondry. Write, direct and star in your own short film about bravery.
Break The Spell – Challenge your bad luck superstitions by joining us on Friday 13th and completing a series of activities including walking under ladders, putting up umbrellas and creating single magpies.
John Hegley Special – John Hegley has compiled a special one-off show for the Festival incorporating films, songs and some brave audience participation. ‘

Need I say more? If youre visiting Brighotn then why not make a date in your diary to visit Brighton with the family for this great event this coming May.

Brighton Short Breaks goes for a Spin!

mike — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:35:52 +0000

One of the newest and by far most exciting attractions to Brighton’s plethora of amusements is the Brighton Wheel. Every major city worth its salt around the globe now counts one of these as a ‘must do’ on the visitor’s list.

Brighton and Hove City Council spent £6 million creating this fabulous way of showing off its wonderful town.

Situated very close to the more famous of the two piers, the Brighton Pier (formally known as the Palace Pier and referred to as such by most of Brighton’s residents to this day), the Brighton Wheel is not easily missed! With a diameter of 45 metres and a height of 50 metres it certainly stands out along the sea front itself.

A spin around in one of its 36 weather proof capsules will give you by far the best view of the fine Regency seaside resort you are in. As you glide up into the fresh seaside air, you will even be treated to a commentary from the comfort of your capsule, so there is no need to worry that you’ll miss out on any of the famous landmarks!

Most importantly, you will want to know how much all this pleasure will cost. A ticket for an adult will cost you only £8, and for this price you will be treated to three complete revolutions of the wheel. You should count on your complete experience taking about 30 minutes. Tickets for the kids aged 4-16 are priced at £6.50, with anyone under that age travelling free! There is also a family ticket for two adults and 2 kids for £25 in total. A very reasonable price for something the kids will love and remember from their visit to the seaside. Enhance your flight around the wheel with the VIP experience. Here you get your own personal capsule for up to 6 adults and 2 kids. All this for only £46! Of course Brighton is very popular with all sorts of groups, from Hen to Stag, and these can all be accommodated although it is worth checking on info@brightonwheel.com for any special arrangements.

As with any popular attraction it is always advisable in advance. You can do just this and also find out more information on the Brighton Wheel’s own website www.brightonwheel.com or by calling +44 1273 722 822.

Brighton Short Breaks joins the drink and food festival

mike — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:42:23 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks likes to think that we are ‘foodie’ people and one of the events coming up here in Brighton and Hove is the annual food and drink festival. There are two this year that tourists and Brighton dwellers alike can participate in with the Spring harvest taking place between Friday 30th March and 9th April and later the Autumn festival taking place between Friday 7th and Sunday 30th September. These are events to put in your diary as the Brighton Food and Drink festival is the largest of its kind in the South of England. There is an abundance of local producers, growers, restaurants, bars and food retailers at the heart of it. The festival is keen to involve local communities and focuses on making events accessible to all different kinds of people. It is run by a voluntary group of people all who have the common ground of their love of food and local businesses. The festival is a non-profit organisation and has no public sector funding so it is important to get our full support behind this event to make it a success and so it can continue every year. They host a range of specialised events within the festival including a beer festival where visitors can sample over 25 local beers and ciders. There is a chilli challenge, where throughout the evening participants can test their heat tolerance with 10 items including the world’s hottest chilli: the Naga Death. A cake and bakes event is also provided with cupcakes and coffee for those with a sweet tooth and the Indulgence Cupcake Company hosts the Brighton Bake Off with three of Brighton’s top restaurants battling it out to be King of the Cakes.

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 visits the storage centre of museums

mike — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:10:31 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks gets intrigued as to the storage facilities behind looking after and conserving the many objects we have here in Britain. These days, and especially the museums that are funded by the government, tend to pull together under one branch and work as a team in the storage and display of objects. The Royal Pavilion in Brighton and Brighton and Hove museum and art gallery are an example of museums linking together through the government. Another example, are the Leeds museums consisting of Abbey House, Armley Mills, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Art Gallery, City museum, Lotherton Hall, Templenewsam House, Thwaite Mills and the Discovery Centre in the middle of it all. The Discovery Centre is not a ‘normal’ museum in the sense that visitors can turn up whenever it is open and look at objects. This building is designed specifically to house and care for all of Leeds’ collections making it a state of the art storage centre. The wide range of treasures that it houses range from tiny butterflies and bugs to sculptures, stuffed yaks, paintings, roman pots and washing machines! Tours normally last around 45 minutes but you have to ring up and make an appointment and there are also specialised tours put on each month (again you need to book) ranging from chats with curators about their favourite objects to community art and design classes. They are beginning to upload certain objects online in order for people who may not be able to visit them, to view them, and this now includes their whole textile collection and the Leeds collection of fine art prints and drawings. As well as the public tours the Discovery Centre is a well known place for the education of school children, due to the fact they only have guided tours, there is a lot more space for school children to congregate. Plus all their school workshops have the national curriculum at the core, encouraging children from a young age that conservation and museum storage are important for our future generations.

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 moves onto 19th century museums

mike — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:16:18 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks understands that museums themselves hold a lot of history not just the objects they display. Museums started to develop from the 18th century country house displays to buildings purposely built and used for storage and research of historical and artisitc objects. This started to develop more during the 19th century but still with mainly rich and upper class families visiting these instiutions. One museum that began to break this tradition and opt for a more public admitance to its objects was the V & A in London which is only 53 miles away from Brighton. The museum was actually established in 1852 and the idea behind it was to try and make profound pieces of art accessible to all members of the public and to try and educate the working class of that time. In 1857 it moved to the site it is on now and was named the South Kensington museum. Its main collections were of metalwork, furniture, textiles as well as its fine art collection. This was to tap into the industries that people worked and were involved in, and to educate them about the differences in these industries and introduce them to new forms of design. In 1899 it was Prince Albert’s support for the museum and Queen Victoria’s help in laying the first brick in its new building foundations that the museum received its new name and of the Victoria and Albert museum. The museum, to this day still supports free admission and accessibility to all visitors and displays some of the finest Victorian architecture in London. It was the beginning of a new age in British museums soon began to follow suit with them opening their doors to more and more of the general public and giving us the brilliant instiutions that we can visit today.

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 meets Grayson Perry

mike — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:48:53 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks is interested in museum debate topics, one of which is ‘what is an author?’ In our museums we see many different types of narratives created by a Curator to tell s story, an exhibition is laid out in a specific way so a particular story is told to the visitor, here the Curator is the author, but an author using other people’s work. Why are the famous artists and writers so famous compared to other artists and writers? Who determines which of these ‘authors’ become famous and who does not?

This is a widely debated topic and one with many different varying opinions, which is why we think it is interesting to look at Grayson Perry’s new exhibition at the British Museum which is only about 53 miles away from us in Brighton. Grayson Perry was born in 1960 and is an english artist mainly known for his ceramics and his cross-dressing. His vases have quite classical formations and are decorated in bright colours that tend to depict subjects at odds with their attractive appearance. He has been known to create images that represent his experience in terms of ‘explicit scenes of sexual perversion.’ He won the Turner Prize in 2003.

From the 6th October to 19th February 2012 his exhibition entitled ‘The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman’ is on display at The British Museum. In the exhibition he has some of his new works alongside objects made by unknown men and women throughout history that he has found in the British Museum’s collection. It is meant to be a memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen that have created so many different objects from motorbikes, to vases and axes. Perry himself said ” The craftsman’s anonymity I find especially resonant in an age of the celebrity artist.” We like this statement and think it shows how the ‘author’ of something does not really matter.

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 wonders how interesting can trains be?

mike — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:42:45 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks is trying to determine what October half term activities will be worth while during the next week. The range of activities on offer to families across the UK in museums and heritage institutions is staggering from reliving the Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire of the Diwali celebrations and Bollywood dancing at Brighton and Hove museum. The National Railway museum in York which is usually free admission anyway is hosting a nine day celebration of toys and model trains. These activities are available from October 22nd to the 30th and visitors of all ages will be entertained by the huge range of trains from small pedal ones that you can sit in to an outdoor miniature railways that everybody can have a go on. There are huge names in the train world appearing during this week from Chuggington, Meccano, Big Jigs and Tomica through to the event sponsor of Hornby. There will be a special visit from Chris Vine who is the author of the new children’s books ‘Peter’s Railway.’ Chris, who has always been a fan of trains since he was a child will be chatting to visitors about his books and his love of train modelling. There are activities on hand for children to take part in as they can make their own models to take home and special craft activities mean kids can create pictures of trains travelling through different spooky backgrounds which is perfect for Halloween. There will be a huge steam locomotive available for visitors to have a ride on in the courtyard for a small fee. Other activities which are normally available anyway are still open including a simulator where you can experience the thrill of breathtaking rides indoors and there is also an adventure playground. The museum is easily accessible especially if you go by train as it is right next to York Railway Station.

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 likes Chinese Interiors

mike — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:24:04 +0000

Brighton Short Breaks is a known fan of the stately home, and this interest in how people lived in the 18th and 19th Century and even into the beginning of the 20th Century is becoming more apparent with television shows like Downton Abbey becoming household favourites. It is human nature to be interested in how other people live or lived whether it be upstairs or downstairs. A common theme which you can spot in a lot of different houses throughout Britain is either Chinese decorations of Chinese pottery and ceramics. Everyone has heard of a ‘ming’ vase and these types of decoration were common throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. There are examples of it at Brighton Royal Pavillion as King George loved chinoiserie, the decorative style inspired by China. The Long Gallery especially is filled with lanterns, exotic furnishings and Chinese objects d’art and specialised bamboo furniture. One of our most favourite examples of the British love of Chinese decoration is at Harewood House. What would have just been an ordinary guest bedroom is now known as the Chinese Bedroom due to the fantastic display of wallpaper in it. The wallpaper was discovered by accident by the house and collections team a few years ago. It was folded and stored in a box in one of the warehouses on the Harewood land. Due to the fact it had been so carefully packed away means it is now one of the most perfect examples of Chinese wallpaper in Europe. The conservation team rehung it on the walls of the bedroom and each wall represents a significant part of China. The pictures depict the production of tea, silk, pottery and rice in minute detail – one section for each wall, and not once is the detail replicated. You can clearly see why there was a fascination for this type of decor and it is great that we can still see fantastic examples like this.

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