Beyond the Boundary

Here is the tenth of 25 stained glass window designs on the Palace Pier which AI and I are using as inspiration for some of these BrightonBeach365 daily posts - see Stained Glass Window 1 for background. This image features, in close-up, a batsman’s arms and legs positioned next to a set of cricket stumps and bails. A bright red cricket ball, about to be hit, is shown close to the bat. The background includes a green field and blue sky, with an additional white section, probably a sight screen.

A limerick starter

A batsman once played by the sea,

With stumps by the pier and great glee.

He swung at a ball,

Gave Brighton his all

And bowled out a deckchair for three.

Beyond the Boundary (with apologies to the greatest cricket writer of all, C.L.R. James)

Brighton, summer, when the sea air is thick with sugar and salt, and the pier groans beneath the weight of tourists and time. It was here, just beyond the promenade, that the boy made his wicket from driftwood, balanced on a patch of shingle that passed for turf, and dreamed the game into being.

They called him Clem - short for Clement, though he bore little resemblance to that noble prime minister. Dark-skinned and limber, Clem bowled with a whipcord wrist and batted with the elegance of the ancients, though his audience was mostly seagulls and the occasional retiree resting on the bench with a copy of The Argus folded on their lap.

But this day was different. This day, a man in white trousers and a Panama hat approached from the pier, sipping tea from a paper cup like it was silver. He stood for a moment, watching Clem drive a cracked red ball through an upturned deckchair.

‘You ever played proper?’ the man asked, voice smooth like varnished mahogany.

Clem shook his head. ‘Just here.’

The man nodded slowly. ‘Then you’re overdue.’

That’s how it began. Brighton CC had lost two of their colts to summer jobs and one to sulking after being benched. They needed a number seven with sharp reflexes. Clem had never stood on grass so green or worn pads so stiff. But when the new ball swung like a gull in crosswind, he held his ground. And when the slow left-armer dropped one short, Clem pulled it into memory.

Yet it wasn’t only about cricket. Not on this coast. Not for Clem, who knew his grandfather had first disembarked here in ’48, wearing his Sunday best and carrying his bat like a suitcase. Not for Brighton, whose seafront had once denied men like him entry to clubs even as they cheered Caribbean tourists for ‘spicing up the season’. Not for England, where the empire was gone but not forgotten, not even under the shadow of the Pavilion.

That summer, Clem became more than a boy with a bat. He became a conversation. Old men leaned in to discuss his footwork. A local paper ran a headline - New Hope on the Boundary. And down by the pier, tourists took pictures of the match like it was theatre.

In the final game, as dusk rolled off the sea like steam from a kettle, Clem stood with his back to the setting sun. The bowler ran in - tall, wiry, South African. Clem stepped out. The ball pitched short, rose up, and Clem hooked. The ball soared, high over square leg, higher than the Pavilion roof, and for a moment it seemed to pause mid-air, suspended between sea and sky, past and present.

Then it landed - with a kerplunk - into the Channel.

That ball, they said, was still floating somewhere off the coast of Newhaven.

But Clem, barefoot in the shallows that evening, didn’t look for it. He knew it was not the ball that mattered, but the boundary it had crossed.

14,000 cyclists on Madeira Drive

It is the British Heart Foundation’s London to Brighton Bike Ride today, and up to 14,000 cyclists and many supporting friends and family are descending on Brighton Beach’s Madeira Drive. The ride is one of the largest mass-participation cycling events in the country, and it is surely the longest-running - next year it will be celebrating its half century.

First staged in 1976, the London to Brighton Bike Ride has become a summer institution, attracting a broad range of riders - from seasoned club cyclists to families on vintage tandems - all pedalling the 54-mile route from Clapham Common to Madeira Drive. Over the decades, it is estimated more than 650,000 people have completed the ride, raising in excess of £50 million for heart disease research and patient support. Organised with rolling road closures and medical and mechanical support along the route, it’s a rare opportunity for cyclists to experience a fully marshalled ride through London, Surrey and the Sussex countryside.

A signature feature of the ride is the infamous Ditchling Beacon, a mile-long climb near the finish that has become a rite of passage for many riders. With gradients reaching 16%, it’s a test of strength and spirit, all the more memorable for the crowds of volunteers and supporters who line its verges each June, ringing cowbells and cheering even the weariest cyclists to the summit. In 1994 and 2014, the climb briefly gained wider fame when it was included in the Tour de France’s visits to the UK.

Over the years, the ride has drawn a colourful mix of participants and transport. In 2016, Sussex man Alex Orchin completed the ride on a 130-year-old penny farthing, raising funds for the British Heart Foundation and turning heads along the route. Riders have also tackled the 54-mile course on unicycles, tandems, post office bikes, and folding commuters, with reports of such appearances dating back to the early 1980s. Though often slower than the pack, these unconventional entrants have long been part of the event’s inclusive and good-humoured spirit.

In recent years, participation numbers have fluctuated, partly due to the pandemic, which led to the cancellation of the event in 2020 and reduced entries in subsequent years. In 2024, around 12,000 cyclists took part - a significant rebound - and this year the ride is on track to be one of the most successful with over £1m raised. Much of the money, the organisers say, goes towards pioneering research into heart failure, congenital heart disease and genetic conditions affecting the cardiovascular system.

Glorious Day in Hove

The inaugural Glorious Day Festival is set to bring a fresh wave of house, funk and soul to Brighton’s Hove Lawns today. Running from 1pm to 10:30pm, with last entry set at 4:45pm, the boutique seaside event is aimed at an 18+ audience and promises a sunset soundtrack from some of the biggest names in dance music. Headliners include Soul II Soul, Grammy-winning DJ Roger Sanchez, Mark Knight, Norman Jay MBE, Danny Rampling, Julie McKnight and Smokin Jo.

Organised with the backing of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Outdoor Events team, Glorious Day positions itself as a one-day celebration with a single-stage setup, beachfront vibes and a carefully curated lineup. The event is ticketed through platforms such as See Tickets and Skiddle, with early bird prices from £39.50 and VIP upgrades available. It joins a packed local summer schedule alongside Brighton Pride, The Great Escape and other major music events, but is billed as bringing a more relaxed, refined edge tailored for a discerning crowd.

The festival takes place on Hove Lawns, a council-owned green space along Brighton Beach, long used for community celebrations and seasonal events. Festival-goers can expect a wide range of food and drink vendors, free water stations and a no-camping format. Blankets are allowed but camping chairs, windbreaks, gazebos and outside food or drink are not permitted. With a ‘Challenge 25’ policy in place, all attendees must bring valid photo ID.

The lack of a publicly-credited promoter for Glorious Day Festival suggests it is being run by a small, possibly local, independent events team operating under the festival’s brand name rather than a known production company. This is common for boutique seaside festivals, where organisers often handle bookings, branding and logistics internally while partnering with established ticketing platforms. To stage an event on Hove Lawns, the team would have needed to apply through Brighton & Hove City Council’s Outdoor Events team, who oversee permissions for use of public space, ensure compliance with safety and licensing regulations, and coordinate site access, noise management and emergency services. The council’s role is to facilitate rather than produce such events, meaning the festival’s creative, financial and operational planning rests entirely with the private organisers.

Liminality

Order and chaos
Ebb and flow
Sand and pebbles
Persp and ective

Rags and angles
Shapes and shades
Trussels and tresses
Scaff and olding

Mud and iron
Wet and dried
Gull and nets
Indus and trial

Pilings and mussels
Maze and mops
Weed and feathers
Perp and endicular

Nuts and bolts
Ropes and rods
Lines and curves
Encrust and ation

Rusts and reds
Black and greys
Salt and ripples
Limin and ality

Together Co at the pier

Brighton-based charity Together Co is hitting the road today with a vibrant citywide bus roadshow marking 25 years of tackling loneliness and building community connections in Brighton & Hove. The one-day celebration, part of the charity’s #ConnectIn25 campaign, coincides with Loneliness Awareness Week and aims to put ‘social health’ - the ability to form meaningful relationships - firmly on the public agenda.

In partnership with Brighton & Hove Buses, the roadshow features a specially designed, beach-themed double-decker bus that doubles as a mobile community hub. Fully accessible and dementia-friendly, the bus will stop at key locations across the city including Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk, Churchill Square, and culminate at Brighton Palace Pier (where these photos were taken).

Television presenter and Together Co ambassador Gail Porter will join charity staff, volunteers and community partners along the route. Visitors are invited to climb aboard for a chat, learn more about Together Co’s work, or find out how to get involved as a volunteer. Founded in 1999, Together Co has supported thousands across Brighton & Hove through befriending, social prescribing and volunteering programmes.

Its work, the organisation says, has never been more relevant, with recent research showing that nearly half of adults in England experience feelings of loneliness at some point. Together Co CEO April Baker said, ‘This roadshow is about Together Co being out in the community, on the move, meeting people where they are. We want to celebrate what we have achieved with the help of our volunteers and supporters over the past 25 years, and to invite everyone to be a part of what comes next.’

Together Co is always looking for new ways to spread its message. In April 2024, to celebrate the Grand’s 160th anniversary, Together Co hosted an afternoon tea at the iconic hotel. It attracted 160 guests and performances including the Brighton Welsh Male Voice Choir. In November, it is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a gala on the pier. This will be themed, appropriately, as ‘All the Fun of the Fair’ - think Moulin Rouge meets Cabaret, it suggests. 

End of the Pier Show

A new chapter in Brighton Beach entertainment - or rather an old chapter renewed - is set to open in Brighton this summer, according to the Brighton and Hove News. The Palace Pier Performers - led by local panto favourites Allison Ferns and Jack Pallister - are preparing to revive a once popular theatre genre - The End of the Pier Show - on Brighton Palace Pier. 

Auditions, described as ‘a kind of Brighton’s got talent,’ will take place on 1 July at Horatio’s, with the first performance scheduled for 11 August and a run through 22 August. According to Brighton and Hove News, the organisers promise a contemporary twist on the classic variety format, seeking dynamic performers who can sing, dance, and act, and emphasising inclusivity for applicants of all backgrounds. Anne Ackord, chief executive of the pier was quoted as saying: ‘I am delighted to both revisit the past and create new memories for today’s visitors with the return of the iconic end of pier entertainment.’

Allison Ferns reflected: ‘My first ever proper job was on the Palace Pier selling seafood and Brighton rock and so it feels really special to be back here. In fact, I’m very much going back to my roots as my first ever performing job was in an end of the pier show in Eastbourne.’

This revival draws on a rich tradition that began in the late Victorian era, when pleasure piers across Britain built theatres at their seaward ends to host variety shows for holidaymakers. End of the pier shows became a hallmark of the British seaside, offering affordable entertainment that mixed comedy, music, dance, and novelty acts for generations of visitors. Though their popularity declined with changing holiday habits in the late 20th century, the format remains a cherished part of coastal culture.

Indeed, today, such anachronistic entertainment has largely disappeared. The Cromer Pier Show with over 70,000 visitors annually is a rare exception - this publicity still (!) can be found at the DayVisits website. 

Marrocco’s and the dawn of TripAdvisor

Fifteen years ago, in June 2010, a TripAdvisor user named Candyjo quietly posted what remains one of the earliest - and most charming - online restaurant reviews in the UK. Her destination was Marrocco’s, the family-run Italian institution on Hove’s seafront. At the time, hers was the only review for the year - only the second in total. Today, there are nearly a thousand.

Founded in 1969 by the Marrocco family, the Brighton Beach business began as a gelateria serving homemade Italian ice cream prepared fresh each morning. Over the decades it evolved into a full restaurant, offering fresh seafood, pasta and grills in a close-knit, cheerful setting. The heart of the operation remains the same: a warm welcome, an open kitchen, and food made with care.

TripAdvisor, meanwhile, was just beginning to take root in the UK dining scene. Although the platform launched in the US in 2000, its early growth in Britain was slower. In 2010, most independent restaurants still relied on word-of-mouth, and online reviews were more novelty than norm. This is what makes Candyjo’s post feel like a time capsule. 

She wrote in June 2010: ‘If you go here (please don’t - I like to be able to get a table) you need to accept that it’s a small, family-run place where they cook the food in an open kitchen that might be right by your elbow, and if they’re too busy then you’ll have to wait, and if you take longer than usual over your starter that might mess up the timing a bit but that what you get is authentic, fresh and delicious.

I had the crab linguine - a whole spider crab so not a huge amount of meat, and very messy of course what with pincers and extractors etc - it was already chopped up a bit, the pasta spilled from the shell like a piece of art - it was beautiful. Am I being too effusive? Probably. It’s just so rare to get food this good, that looks this good and that I can afford (£11.95). The pasta sauce included fresh cherry tomatoes to die for, a hint of heat (chilli), perfect.

My companion had a whole, huge sea bass, grilled perfectly. Same price; it came with chips. The tables are closely packed and if it’s busy it’s noisy. There are children, who might possibly run around were there room to but there isn’t. There are grandparents, business people, couples, friends; often they seem to be Italian which seems a good thing. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Perhaps you should go with the idea that it’s a café that serves fab food (and with ‘greasy spoon’ cafes charging perhaps £7 or £8 for a plate of breakfast, this is a bargain in comparison). Get a bottle of wine, linger. Then walk along the seafront towards the dreamy sunset and remember that city living can have its advantages.

I don’t especially like the ice cream (not sweet enough for me) but I don’t go there for that. Though I did share an ice cream ‘cocktail’ thing (banana split?) once and it was good.’

Fifteen years later, the heart of that review still beats. The prices may have changed, but the atmosphere, the setting and the charm of Marrocco’s continue to draw locals and visitors alike. Candyjo’s post wasn’t just an early review - it was a small piece of Brighton food history, lovingly written, and now part of the restaurant’s long and ongoing story.