Des Marshall - urban Robinson Crusoe

‘I believe Brighton has more disturbed people in relation to the size of the population, than any other town in the country. There’s a sort of unreality about the town. It’s too frivolous. People don’t really listen to each other. They seem very excited and distracted. It is because it’s a holiday town, with too many distractions - the sea, the beach, the pier, the pretty women (there seems so many of them here), the men on the prowl for women, the buskers, the beach cafes with their coloured sunshades and ice-cream adverts, a sense of permanent holidaying atmosphere.’ This is a diary entry written exactly 30 years ago today by Des Marshall, the son of a Russian Jew and a Welsh coalminer’s daughter.

Marshall was born in 1941, in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but he suffered so badly from asthma as a child that he spent most of the first ten years of his life in an institution for sick children. He found life no less difficult as a young man in London in the 1960s, with depression rarely far away. He worked at many jobs, not least being a stand-up comedian in holiday camps; and he travelled widely, to Russia and India among other places.

The chronic depression eventually led him to Dr Peter Chadwick, a psychologist, who had suffered from schizophrenia and written very sympathetically about mental illness. Indeed, in two publications, Chadwick used Marshall as a subject of his studies. In 1994, Marshall became a Quaker, and in the same year he began to write a journal. At the time, he was living in Camden, but in February 1995 he moved to Brighton, and stayed for over two years. 

The following year, David Roberts, who runs Saxon Books, published the diary as Journal of an Urban Robinson Crusoe. ‘Dear Reader,’ Marshall says by way of introduction, ‘I want to tell you the truth about this journal. I didn’t write it. It was written by a man who called himself Urban Robinson Crusoe who, for some reason I don’t understand, happened to look very much like me.’

I came across Des Marshall and his journal while researching my book Brighton in Diaries for The History Press.  Here are several extracts from the chapter dedicated to Marshall (and two old photographs of mine, partially illustrating the ‘frivolous’ nature and ‘distractions’ mentioned by Marshall in his 21 April entry).

15 February 1995

‘I suppose I am a Brightonian now. I still wander the streets but it’s just so much more pleasant to do that here, and I see so many so-called Robinson Crusoes, who don’t realise what they have become.

Brighton is a strange town of contrasting types of people jumbled up and thrown together: the very poor, the very rich, gangsters, day-trippers, the unemployed coming down for the summer from the cities, possibly to get work for the season, students from other countries to learn English, artists, writers, street performers. Well-off show-biz people live here, and there’s a big gay scene.

Graham Greene, the writer, who lived in Brighton, called Brighton a fugitive town. There’s a sort of truth in that; people are always coming and going, just like London.

There are mad people thrown out of the asylums that they are closing down. There is a big one at Haywards Heath, half way between London and Brighton. The inmates have a choice when they leave, London or Brighton. Most opt for Brighton, for reasons I would think are obvious. Anything you want in London you can get here.’

21 April 1995

‘I believe Brighton has more disturbed people in relation to the size of the population, than any other town in the country. There’s a sort of unreality about the town. It’s too frivolous. People don’t really listen to each other. They seem very excited and distracted. It is because it’s a holiday town, with too many distractions - the sea, the beach, the pier, the pretty women (there seems so many of them here), the men on the prowl for women, the buskers, the beach cafes with their coloured sunshades and ice-cream adverts, a sense of permanent holidaying atmosphere. It distracts people, even if you live here. You get sort of sucked into the excitement and get distracted. [. . .] People wear such odd clothes that don’t really match. Could be, sort of punk, with a bit of hippy thrown in, or mohair with greatcoat, or a collar and tie man, with shorts of different colours, possibly even with a bowler hat.’

15 February 1996

‘There should be a book written on how to survive Brighton. One thing I have found out is that you don’t take it, or even the people, too seriously. That might sound like a harsh thing to say, but that is the nature of the beast. What I mean is, it’s a hello, goodbye, sort of town, tinsel town.

The people who live here, or have made their life here, probably live very varied lives, and are into all sorts of activities outside their own domesticities - things like dancing, singing, writing groups, yoga, t’ai chi, religious groups, psychology meetings, humanist groups, the state of the nation groups, psychic groups, political discussion groups, old age discussion groups, gender bender groups, gay groups, social issue groups, single people meeting groups, history of Brighton groups. [. . .]’

Easter spectacle on Brighton Beach

While Easter on Brighton Beach is remembered for the violent clashes between Mods and Rockers 60 years ago (see Saturday’s post), it should also be remembered for a much bigger and colourful spectacle - the Easter Volunteer Review. This image - The Easter Volunteers Review: A Sketch on the Brighton Beach published in the Illustrated London News on 23 April 1870 - depicts a scene from the event during Easter 155 years ago. 

The Easter Volunteer Reviews were major public military events held annually in Britain during the 19th century, particularly popular from the 1860s onwards. Originating after the formation of the Volunteer Force in 1859 - a citizen militia created in response to fears of invasion and to supplement the regular army - these reviews became a fixture of the Victorian social and military calendar.

Held most often on Easter Monday, the reviews brought together thousands of volunteer soldiers from across the country for large-scale parades, drills, and mock battles. Brighton, with its broad seafront and easy rail access, was a favoured location, frequently drawing crowds of both participants and spectators. The events were not only military exercises but also significant social occasions, attracting families, dignitaries, and local residents, as depicted in contemporary illustrations showing mingling soldiers, elegantly dressed women, and children enjoying the spectacle

The foreground of the illustration above shows volunteer soldiers in uniform, some seated and others standing, interacting with women and children dressed in typical Victorian attire. One woman holds a parasol, and several children are present, suggesting a family-friendly atmosphere. Behind, a dense crowd of spectators fills the beach and the promenade above, with people standing on steps and railings to get a better view of the event. The background includes boats and seaside structures, reinforcing the coastal setting. The overall scene is lively and crowded, reflecting the popularity of the annual military review, which was both a ceremonial occasion for the volunteer regiments and a major social event for the public.

In fact, the Illustrated London News ran two articles on the Brighton 1870 military spectacle in successive editions - both freely available to view or download at Internet Archive (issues 1590 and 1591). Here are several paragraphs from the first report (and a further illustration found in the second report): 

‘The annual Easter Monday review and sham fight of the metropolitan and home counties volunteer corps took place at Brighton, with the advantage of the finest possible weather. [. . .] As Brighton is a holiday town, where Londoners are sure to find comfortable accommodation for themselves and families, with the benefit of the sea air and sufficient opportunities of amusement, large numbers of the volunteers and their friends went down either on Saturday or Good Friday, or the previous Thursday evening, some of the corps marching by the high road from London, but most of them arriving by railway. [. . .] 

Among the officers staying at the chief hotels in the town were Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir James Scarlett, with Lady Scarlett, and Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, who went together, on Saturday, to examine the review ground. The Esplanade, the sea-beach, the King’s-road, the Steyne, the Pavilion Garden, the old Chain Pier and the new Western Pier, at Hove, the line of terraces in Kemp Town leading to the walk over the cliffs towards Rottingdean, the Racecourse, the Downs, and the road to the Devil’s Dyke, were much frequented by visitors in uniform, with a crowd of others - men, women, and children - who took their share of pleasure in those few days. The beach opposite the town was continually thronged; and the boatmen and the keepers of refreshment-saloons made a pretty good profit of the occasion. [ . . .]

The London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, with excellent traffic management, conveyed down thousands upon thousands on Monday morning, the first arrival being at half past six. At ten o’clock, when the signal-gun was fired, they began to assemble on the Level, the ground adjoining the Steyne. in order to march thence to the Racecourse, where the inspection was to commence.’

Mods and Rockers clash in the 60s

Sixty years ago today, on 19 April 1965, groups of Mods and Rockers clashed on and around Brighton Beach. The event occurred during the Easter bank holiday weekend. Police were present in large numbers and intervened to disperse the youths gathering along the seafront and in the town centre. Several arrests were made and minor injuries were reported. Damage included broken shop windows.

The incident followed similar disturbances during the previous year’s May Day bank holiday in 1964. On that occasion, clashes between Mods and Rockers in Brighton resulted in multiple arrests, injuries, and damage to property. Police were deployed to manage the disorder, and several youths appeared before local magistrates in the days that followed.

Mods were typically associated with scooters, suits, and modernist fashion, while Rockers were known for motorcycles and leather jackets. The two groups were identified as youth subcultures with differing styles and music preferences. The 1964 clashes were widely reported in national newspapers, and later immortalised in Franc Roddam’s 1979 film Quadrophenia (based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera of the same name). It’s a gritty, stylish snapshot of subculture and adolescent angst, featuring music by The Who and early performances from actors like Phil Daniels, Sting and Ray Winstone. Above are four grainy stills from the film which itself can viewed freely at Internet Archive.  

ChatGPT provides this analysis: ‘By 1965, the fierce edge of the Mods and Rockers rivalry was already dulling. Mod fashion was moving toward psychedelia and the emergent counterculture, while Rockers began to look like a fading relic. Yet the 19 April disturbances showed the staying power of the myth. Even as the actual confrontations became more manageable, the cultural image of Brighton as a flashpoint for youth rebellion lingered. Indeed, the echoes of these bank holiday battles still resonate. They were not just scuffles between teenagers but symbolic episodes in a much larger story - of how Britain came to terms with its youth, its future, and its identity.’

Photographs and contemporary reports of the Brighton clashes in 1965 are not widely available. These two here (the one above copyrighted at Media Storehouse, the other at Alamy) are the only ones I can find actually dated to 19 April. However, earlier this year, The Argus published an excellent article, with many photographs, looking back to the 1964 clashes, and quoting from its own reports.

A paddle steamer and mixed bathing

 A superb collection of high quality old photographs of Brighton Beach and the seafront - from the James Gray Collection - are currently on display on the Lower Promenade near the i360. The 36 images have been chosen and reproduced by the Regency Society and will remain on show until 27 April 2025. All the panels carry their own captions and can be previewed at the Regency Society website.

In promoting the open exhibition, the Society says: ‘We continually look for ways to share the RS James Gray Collection of historical photographs with the public. This is one of the most adventurous yet. [. . .] We hope many residents and visitors will have a chance to experience these fascinating glimpses of bygone life on Brighton seafront close to their historical settings.’

Here are two of the photos from the exhibition. The caption for the one above reads: ‘The paddle-steamer The Brighton Queen at the eastern landing stage of the Palace Pier, probably in the 1930s. She was built in 1905 and was not just a pleasure steamer. She served as a minesweeper in WWI and in 1940 she was bombed and sunk at Dunkirk on her second trip to rescue British troops.’

And the caption for the one below reads: ‘A Mixed Bathing beach in Hove in 1919. Hove was slower than Brighton to allow men and women to go swimming from the same stretch of beach but by 1919 it had several Mixed Bathing areas, all strictly signposted and enormously popular.’

The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove was founded in December 1945 by a group of local historians, preservationists, and civic leaders with the aim of protecting the city’s distinctive Regency-era architecture from post-war redevelopment threats. Over the years, the Society has played a vital role in campaigning for the conservation and sensitive restoration of Brighton’s architectural heritage, becoming the city’s oldest conservation group and a key advocate for preserving its unique Regency character. 

In 1998, after the death of James Gray, an insurance broker with a passion for local history, the society acquired his extensive collection of historic black-and-white photographs, known as The James Gray Collection. The full collection comprises 7,530 annotated photographs, arranged in 39 volumes by areas of the city - all available to view online.

Cynicism over bike rack move

Earlier this week, Brighton & Hove News ran a relatively small item about Sea Lanes on Madeira Drive wanting to move an existing bike rack facility away from the pavement and onto the beach pebbles. The move is required, Sea Lanes, says because the facility’s current location immediately adjacent to the road enables thieves to quickly cut through locks and load bikes into waiting vehicles. In the new position, the bike racks would be overlooked by the reception staff.

In addition, though, Sea Lanes has requested permission to replace the pavement-side racks with a small swim retail unit. In response to this idea, several members of the public have left comments on the Brighton & Hove News website. One, for example, has suggested that the ‘small retail unit’ is the MAIN reason for the planning request. Another didn’t mince his words: ‘This reason to move the bike racks is total rubbish and ONLY about using the site for a shop.’

The planning application documents can be found online on the Council website. The proposal states: ‘Sea Lanes has now been operational for over 1.5 years and has proved very successful and is well used by both locals and visitors to the city. A large number of users, particularly swimmers, travel to Sea Lanes by bike. A user survey indicated that 38% of swimmers travel by bike. The existing bike shelter is well used; however there have been a number of issues with bike thefts from the shelter. Its location immediately adjacent to the road enables thieves to quickly cut through locks and load bikes into waiting vehicles. It is therefore proposed to move the existing bike parking shelter to the south side of the Volks railway.’

The planning document goes on to list the following benefits of the new position for the racks:

‘- It is considered more secure as it will be overlooked by the swimming pool reception and when the sauna is in operation users of the sauna.

- It is less visible for any opportunist thieves.

- Any thieves will have to move bikes from across the railway tracks to any waiting vehicle in the road. 

- It is a better location for pool users, who are the main users of the bike shelter. 

- Having a shelter in this location will be necessary when the temporary planning permission for all structures on the north side of the railway expires.’

As for the new ‘swim retail unit’, this will offer swim-related products/equipment to pool users and sea swimmers. Moreover, Sea Lanes suggests ‘a swim retail offer is fundamental to [its] vision for a National open Water Swimming Centre’.

According to Brighton & Hove News, ‘brazen bike theft is common along Madeira Drive’. In September 2023, it says, a thief broke a bike lock and rode an expensive ebike away even though he was openly being filmed by a member of the public. A subsequent appeal failed to track him down. Then, in 2024, a serial bike thief was jailed for a year after being caught on CCTV cutting locks of bikes, including one he stole from Sea Lanes.

Nevertheless, some of those who left comments on the news article were heavily cynical of the planning application. 

J T offered this: ‘I’m pretty sure “give us a shop or your bikes will get stolen” is like some kind of blackmail but here we are.’

Hove Actually was more direct: ‘Bike thieves are notoriously men/boys who WALK up and have the lock off in seconds who then cycle away. This reason to move the bike racks is total rubbish and ONLY about using the site for a shop.’

And Dion Nutley’s comment took aim at ‘bike snobs’ in general: ‘If your bike’s re-sale value is over £100, it will get stolen no matter where you leave it locked up in Brighton. Only a complete and utter cretin will leave an expensive bike locked to a bike rack.. but that’s what the “bike snobs” do… “look at me on my expensive bike and look at you on your lump of crap”… then next week they are whining that it’s stolen while you’re still mobile on your unstolen “lump of crap”.

Night time tragedy at sea

In the early hours of this morning, the RNLI Brighton crew launched to reports of a person in the water near Brighton Palace Pier. In a post on X, the RNLI said it worked alongside Shoreham RNLI, Coastguard Rescue Teams, a helicopter, and other emergency services. Later, Sussex Police announced that a woman, in her 20s and from Lewes, was taken to hospital where she was sadly pronounced deceased. The police confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances and that this will now be a matter for the coroner.

The tragic news was reported early in the morning by both The Argus and by BBC Sussex. The Argus, in particular, published flight tracking data gathered from ADS-B Exchange (which calls itself the world’s largest source of unfiltered flight data). This shows the path of the coastguard search and rescue helicopter (which began at around 4am before landing on the beach shortly after 6am). The colour of the aeroplane/helicopter icons and/or their trails indicate the aircrafts’ altitudes.

In 2024, at least two people were confirmed to have died on or in the water near Brighton Beach. On 3 September the body of a 53-year-old man from Portslade was found washed up on the beach at Western Esplanade, Hove. On 25 November 2024, a 43-year-old man died after being rescued from the sea off the coast of Hove during Storm Bert. He was taken to hospital but later died. See also 10 years on, remembering Dan and Freddie.

‘Awesome campaign!! #skincare’

Brighton Beach didn’t quite know what hit it on Sunday! The sun was out, the promenades were abustle, and the beach was busy too. But what’s this, a young man in sun-drenched dungarees thrusting a flimsy newspaper into my hands, and four sachets! In large bright letters, I read: ‘Breaking news: The UK’s No. 1 vitamin C serum just got better & better.’

My first and rather cynical thought was how can something, anything, be both getting better and better (which implies something happening over time), and be breaking news (something happening in the moment).

What exactly is a serum, was my next thought. Admittedly, I’m an aging human, and male, so perhaps I’ve missed something. Is it a face cream, a sun cream, a youth elixir? Here’s a dictionary definition of serum: ‘An amber-coloured, protein-rich liquid which separates out when blood coagulates’. Oh! That doesn’t sound very nice. Why would I want that?

I should read the newspaper, I thought (which is called The Brighter News). Here we go: ‘C the Bright Side. Garnier’s Vitamin C Brightening Serum may just be the ray of sunshine you’ve been looking for.’ So, it’s not just a serum but a ‘brightening serum’. But what is that? I need to read more from The Brighter News: ‘Its lightweight non-sticky fast-absorbed formula is clinically proven to reduce hyperpigmentation in 2 weeks. The benefits of Vitamin C are clinically proven. It helps brighten skin and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. 99% of women tested agree their skin was left glowing.’ Wow, that’s a great stat, but not for me, a mere man.

Turning to the inside of the newsletter, I read that to celebrate this ‘breaking news’ (i.e. that the UK’s No. 1 vitamin C serum just got better & better), Garnier employees ran from Dull in Scotland to Bright(on) on the south coast telling ‘everyone along the way’ and handing out 250,000 Garnier sachets. Online, in the socials, I find a post by savannahsachdev, one of the runners, who found the while experience ‘awesome’.

Finally, in case you are thinking that Garnier’s Brightening Serum may be all you need for a happy and long life, I hate to disappoint you. Elsewhere in The Brighter News is a recommended daily brightening routine. This involves five stages, and five Garnier products. Vitamin C Micellar Water; Vitamin C Brightening Liquid Care; Vitamin C Brightening Serum; Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream; and SPF. Good luck,