Travel & Holidays in later life

Brighton's one of the few seaside resorts where the seasons don't count. Winter, summer or in between, there's always something happening. Any time when Londoners want a quick weekend away from The Smoke, thousands choose Brighton to blow away the cobwebs.

It's a habit that started over two centuries ago. In earlier times, Brighton was just a small fishing village. Then, in mid-18th century, a physician proclaimed the health-giving virtues of sea bathing, and people began arriving for a dip.

The big fashionable boom started in 1783, when the Prince of Wales - who later became Prince Regent and then King George IV - took a liking to Brighton. He returned often with his womanising and heavy-drinking cronies. That's what started Brighton's somewhat rakish reputation.

Travel Facts   Visit our  holidays, breaks and travel options pages TRAVEL FACTS Transport: Go by train or coach, or go by car and 'park and ride'. Central car parking is very difficult. Events in 2010 Brighton Racecourse meetings: Apr 20, 29; May 10, 18, 20 & 28; Jun 6, 15, 22 & 29; Jul 4 & 13; Aug 5,6, 17 & 25; Sep 1, 13 &28; Oct 14 & 21. May 1-23 - Brighton Festival - Britain's largest mixed arts gathering, with over 800 events in varied venues, and featuring local, national and international talent. Sun Nov 7- London-Brighton Veteran Car Run - formerly known as the Old Crocks Race, celebrating the 1896 lifting of the speed limit from 4 to 14 mph. More information Visitor Information Centre at Royal Pavilion Shop, Royal Pavilion 4-5 Pavilion Buildings Brighton, BN1 1EE Tel: 0906-711-2255 (costing 50p a minute) for brochures, accommodation service, details of What's On and general enquiries. Web: www.visitbrighton.com Enjoy rent-free holidays for life. 58 exclusive resorts across Europe, Morocco and the USA

The Prince secretly married a young widow, Maria Fitzherbert, when he was 23 years old. But the marriage didn't count because the royal heir didn't have the consent of his father, King George III.

 However, the Prince remained relatively faithful to Maria Fitzherbert even when he had to clear his debts by undergoing a more legal marriage to the German princess Caroline.

Beside a fondness for women and food, the Prince also had a keen eye for art, and a good ear for music. Artists and musicians were made welcome. The tradition continues today with Festivals and Exhibitions to keep the culture vultures happy. 

Brighton has five theatres, several art galleries and specialised museums. You can choose from a traditional seaside show, fringe theatre or a straight pre-West End performance.

When the Prince became Regent, he was also able to indulge his taste in architecture. His aristocratic pals fuelled a housing boom with building elegant Regency-style squares and crescents. They are now mostly converted to apartments but still keep their stylish look.

The Royal Pavilion was built 1815-1823 by the great architect, John Nash, who also designed London's Regent Street and Regent's Park and even the Regent Canal. The location he chose was on the Old Steine, which had once been used for drying fishnets.

This ornate Indian-style palace with onion domes, minarets and a Chinese interior has been one of Brighton's most popular sights ever since. 400,000 visitors a year tour through the Royal Pavilion, completely furnished and decorated in opulent 19th-century style.

Opening of the steam railway from London to Brighton in 1841 gave the resort its big Victorian leap forward, with major expansion in hotel and guesthouse accommodation and facilities for day trippers. Brighton has never looked back.

Part of the original fishing-village layout still survives in The Lanes, a delightful area of boutiques, pavement cafes, old pubs and restaurants of every description, from vegetarian to ethnic.

 For collectors of antiques or cast-off junk, Brighton is prime hunting territory. The Lanes and the North Laine are loaded with every kind of bric-a-brac and collectible, arts and crafts, or clothes that were trendy in the 70s.

Hove Museum has likewise been redeveloped to show wide collections of ceramics, toys, world art and local history.

Or why not wallow in Edwardian nostalgia with a visit to Preston Manor, with its antique-filled family rooms and the housemaids' spartan bedroom in the attic? 

Sportlovers can watch football, horse racing at Brighton Racecourse or greyhounds at the Coral Stadium, Hove. More active visitors have a go at windsurfing, sailing or hang-gliding. Or how about some dry skiing, golf, squash or fencing?

ISLE OF WIGHT - Taking a walk

PORTSMOUTH - Visit this new-look Portsmouth and Southsea

The Brighton Book - A collection of 20 viewpoints of crazy wonderful Brighton! A complete entertainment in itself.

A History of Brighton and Hove by Kenneth Fines - Excellent choice for those who like to explore deeper into the engrossing past of the royal resort.

Brighton Rock by Graham Greene - One of the novelist's finest works, set in the seedy underworld of prewar Brighton.

South Downs and the South Coast (AA 40 Pub Walks & Cycle Rides) - A family-friendly guide to 25 walks and 15 cycle trails.