BRIGHTON SEASIDE FASHIONABLE RESORT TOWN IN SOUTH ENGLAND

Brighton city – the most popular and fashionable seaside resort town in south England lies in east Sussex, on the southern coast of Great Britain. Brighton is a favorite hang out spot and chill out zone for both yuppie Londoners and gay (LGBT) communities because of its geographical proximity to London (just a 2.5-3 hours train ride from London Clapham) and is visited by 8 million tourists annually – proof enough for its soaring popularity.

Brighton is celebrated for its incredibly bluish-green sea waters, rocking nightlife, gorgeous beaches, sizzling bombshells and bimbettes scorching those beaches and an electrifying ambience throbbing with life and gaiety. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Brighton a miniature sin city in the likes of Las Vegas.

Without a doubt, it is the hippest tourist hot spot in Britain and is thronged by thousands of day trippers and topless sun bathers from London each day during the sunny summer months.

Brief History of Brighton

Brighton was born as a Saxon village housing farmers and fishermen when the Saxons conquered Sussex in C. 500 A.D. A Saxon conqueror by the name of Beorthelm owned a Saxon tun or farm in Sussex which later metamorphosed into the seaside resort of Brighton.

Brighton in its Salad Days

During the Middle Ages, due to the charter, Brighton started developing as a town and marketplace (with annual fairs) and fortifications like the Bulwark tower were built towards the end of the 15^th century to check the continuous erosion of the coast and to prevent the sea from swallowing up farmlands.

During the 16^th century, Brighton fell prey to attacks and invasions by the French forces, but the French were beaten back during their second invasion and Brighton continued to thrive.

In the 17^th century, due to attacks by the French and the Dutch with whom England entered into battles, the fishing industry of Brighton suffered great setbacks and went into steady decline. Brighton during those eras, had been predominantly a fishing town and the great economic depression during the 18^th century along with severe storms and rapid erosion by the sea combined to turn Brighton into a ghost town.

The population, unable to fight against these 3 mighty forces, dwindled down to 1500 people, comprised mainly of impoverished decrepit people, orphans and widows, trapped in a pitiful wretched mode of living. All the fortifications built to save Brighton from being engulfed by the sea were swallowed by the sea by 1760. And the town of Brighton was steadily heading towards its fatal watery grave.

Resurrection of Brighton

Brighton’s fortunes suddenly took a turn towards prosperity and Lady Luck began smiling down once more on Brighton when a certain Dr. Richard Russell, residing in Lewes claimed in his book that bathing in the sea waters of Brighton could improve the health and well being of English people.

All of a sudden, the rich and famous people of Britain started flocking to Brighton to cure their illnesses by splashing about in the sea water and what started off as a trickle, soon turned into a flood! Brighton rose at the expense of Bath, Somerset. Brighton’s popularity was ensured and enshrined for at least two more centuries when the prince regent George IV toured Brighton with his friends and declared the sea waters of Brighton to be healthier than the mineral rich waters of Bath, Somerset.

This consolidated Brighton’s revival and prosperity and the common people as well as the aristocracy and Britain’s fashionable upper classes followed the court to Brighton. And the fashionable and hip resort town tag of Brighton was born. From the late 18^th century onwards, Brighton witnessed rapid growth and development and even the two world wars could not dent its lasting popularity.