‘Discover Brighton’ is a new website which will enable you to access nine unique history walks via your phone as you wander around the city. Created by volunteers and covering all aspects of the city’s history, the material is taken from QueenSpark’s four latest books.
Take a pleasant stroll along the seafront to hear about the West Pier in its heyday and strange things hauled up in fishing nets; Discover what it was like to be gay in the 1950s and 60s and what life was like in the city during the War; Explore Brighton’s lost theatres, cinemas and shops, and hear from those whose ‘slum’ homes were demolished to make way for Churchill Square; Visit the city’s alternative spaces, peek into the terraced homes of the rich and poor, and discover Brighton’s unsung heroes.
We were due to launch the website back in April at the Regency Townhouse. However, due to the pandemic it will now be launched online via Zoom, on Tuesday the 15th September, 7-8pm.There will be an introduction to the walks and content alongside a unique talk given by local historian Geoffrey Mead – ‘Devoured by the Waters – the origins of Brighton’s seafront’.
Everybody is welcome, and you can reserve a free ticket for the event here.
This is the latest stage of our Archives Alive project – in collaboration with Collected Works we’ll soon be releasing a video of our outreach work that used the four books to inspire creative reminiscence work (which will include an opportunity for you to take part too!), and in October we will be launching a series of Book Boxes around the city, ensuring that new communities can easily read and enjoy all of our titles.
Archives Alive is supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and we thank the players for their support.
Image from the Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove.
