In the first week of August I went to Brighton overnight. I am on someone's PhD steering group and we have two in person meetings per academic year. In February we met up in Birmingham and this time went to Brighton, where the PhD person and three other people in the group also live, so that was useful. I have never been to Brighton so I was excited to go!
I knew I couldn't drive that far by myself so I had booked train tickets. Lee took me to Penistone station at about 10am, and I got to Sheffield a bit late but managed to get on the London train with only about thirty seconds to spare. It wasn't very busy at all so I had two seats to myself and did some reading and some cross stitching. I got into St Pancras and got changed to the Brighton train. It was quite a slow one but it wasn't too busy and I got to see lots of London suburbs etc. I got into Brighton about 2.30, went to the loo, bought some more water because it was right in the middle of the heatwave, and then got a taxi to the Premier Inn.
My mum and stepdad and aunt and uncle had been to Brighton earlier in the year and had stayed in the same hotel! It was very central. I had a little lie down and then I wandered into the Lanes to meet my colleague Jade. They live in Brighton too and know Laurel, from the PhD, a bit. They had suggested we meet at Knoops for iced chocolate so I headed there. I chose a 60% dark orange iced chocolate and I sat outside and waited for Jade. They turned up not too long after and we chatted for about an hour. It was lovely to be able to see them too!
I went back to the hotel to meet some of the others and four of us headed to Shelter Hall which is right on the seafront and which is one of those places with several different food vendors under one roof, which was ideal for us with different dietary requirements. I went for mushroom tacos and tortilla chips with a dip, which were both really yummy. A few more people turned up and it was really fun to just chat again with people. The more often we meet the more friendly we become!
I headed back with some of the others at about 8.30 I think. I was tired and in pain so wanted to rest. I was reading Everyone Is Lying to You which I really liked, so I definitely read some of that before sleep.
On Friday morning I got up early and realised I had forgotten to bring any deodorant, so I went downstairs to the Co op next to the hotel to buy some. I went back up for breakfast and met some of the others who had stayed over too. We were all downstairs by 9.30 to get in taxis to take us to the university. Laurel was already there and had the meeting all set up.
We met until 1pm with fruit and snacks. I think it went well. Laurel's PhD is actually so interesting and I'm enjoying being a part of it and getting to be professionally fat again. I got a taxi back to the station with someone else, but my return trains weren't until after 5pm as that had been much cheaper, so I had some time to kill. The Brighton natives had advised me on where to go so I set off into the North Lanes where there are tons of kooky little shops.
I had made sure to only take my backpack with me so I had that, and it wasn't too heavy, but it was a bit cumbersome. I was probably a bit slow, but I took my time. I found somewhere called the Vegetarian Cafe to have my lunch in. It reminded me so much of The Blue Moon cafe in Sheffield which I loved but which has sadly closed now. You chose a main and then a side and then salad. I got enchiladas with potato wedges and then aioli and hummus too. It was so good!
I bought a record for Lee in a secondhand shop, and a couple of other bits. I stopped for an iced coffee and a vegan caramel shortbread and a sit down. It was cool being in Brighton, I enjoyed people watching a lot. I sat for a while near a park where Trans Pride had been the previous week, so it was cool to see some of the flyers for that etc. I got a taxi back to the station because it was quite a walk back, and uphill, and I knew I wouldn't manage it.
I finally got back on the train to St Pancras and then nearly missed the train to Sheffield because I had to go to the loo and then there wasn't a platform for ages. But I managed to get it - and it was SO full. There were no seats and I can't stand in the vestibules and find it hard to stand on moving trains anyway. I did in fact fully fall into a person when we set off. Finally someone offered me his seat which was good. It was busy nearly all the way back to Sheffield. Fortunately Lee picked me up there because I was very tired by this point and needed to be home!
The roof at St Pancras
On the Brighton train on London Bridge
Iced chocolate from Knoops. I'm so glad a lot of places have started doing this because I really like it! But I get that Knoops is like the OG, I will have to go to another one some day!
Here's Jade and me outside Knoops
A cute little map of the area near to the hotel
The book I was reading, which was far better than Yesteryear
Tacos! I feel like I rarely get good Mexican food and this was fabulous
And chips and dip too
I had to go take the touristy photo of the burnt out pier which looked gorgeous with the sunset behind it, too
This very cool sculpture was just outside our meeting room at Sussex University
It was made by the traveller community and I really liked it
Starting my wander around the Lanes
The vegetarian lunch I had, I could eat it again right now
And the vegan caramel shortbread I had later!
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