Brighton - new life

Life has changed a lot in the last six months. I have moved cities, moved jobs, acquired a furry son by the name of Mr Cheeky and most evenings end with a lovely walk on the beach with my partner Oliver before bedtime. If the sun hasn't gone down yet, we also like getting our beach tent out and waiting for the sunset, sometimes with picnic tea. Looking out from the tent in a quiet spot it looks like our own private beach in addition to protecting against the wind and sun.

For some reason, I always thought I'd have to be old to live by the sea and there are certainly an alarming number of funeral directors and crematoriums in the area but Brighton is no sleepy seaside town and not for nothing is it known as London-On-Sea.

Year round, there is always something going on, such as a skateboarding dog, a roller skating man in a tutu, stand-up poets on the beach. Or even a dog eating seaweed (pictured), never mind the second largest Fringe Festival next to Edinburgh and all the culture one could wish for including no shortage of poetry gigs, comedy gigs, art exhibitions and jazz nights the rest of the year. We have also joined The Regency Society which seeks to preserve the USP of Brighton, its regency spa heritage. In a funny sort of way my move has also been a homecoming as my mother grew up in Brighton so I have known the city and been part-Brightonion all my life. It is sheer co-incidence that my future partner turned out to live in the area and love it too, offering the perfect excuse to relocate.

This weekend we are on a stand-up comedy course, the finest in the country, and attended by participants far and wide. We are not expecting to become the next Jimmy Carr or anything, we just want to hone our performing skills generally. I will leave you with a few images of my new life...

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