(Mr Kipling's house and pond, Rottingdean, Sussex)Yesterday got back from a few days away in Brighton. Stayed in a friend's holiday apartment overlooking the marina. The weather was lovely, mainy hot and sunny. One day we walked along the seafront into Brighton itself (about one and half miles) and wandered around The Lanes where each alleyway reveals another splattering of quaint shops selling unique jewellery, foods, clothes boutiques, kids stuff and gifts. We had lunch in a little cafe and sat in some gardens. Another day we walked along the undercliff in the other direction to a place called Rottingdean. This proved to be quite a find. Hidden away off the main street is a road of old houses and shops which leads to a green with lovely trees to take shade under (they had those little circular benches around the trunks). We ate our lunch here then walked around the pond. Rudyard Kipling lived here for a few years, the house is still there but there were plans to redevelop the garden site and build flats. Thankfully the Friends of Kipling bought the land and saved the garden. There is a rose garden and herb garden as well as a croquet lawn and other little areas to sit and relax and walk around. The church had some Burne-Jones stained glass windows (put in by William Morris) and I just had to see those. Burne-Jones and Morris were part of the second wave of pre-Raphaelite artists whose work I really admire, so the opportunity to see some in the flesh was too irresistable! Their style is so distinctive and anyone who has been watching Desperate Romantics on BBC2 (UK friends only) will know what a bunch they were! I've seen many exhibitions of their work now and I am still amazed by their artistry. For those who don't know the main 'Brotherhood' consisted of William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Christina Rossetti's brother - she wrote In The Bleak Mid Winter!) and John Everett Millais. Other artists were sometimes associated with them, such as J.W. Waterhouse.
Me along the cliff walk (Brighton in the distance)
(Rottingdean, West Sussex) Anyway, art history lesson over with! We walked back along the top of the cliff which had some lovely views. While away we got to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince which I enjoyed and we also had two game
s of bowling which was great fun. On our last morning we walked along the harbour wall. The tide was coming in and we had to dodge the waves coming over! Do hope you like the selection of photos.(View from the apartment - back of Marina)
(Brighton Marina from the front)
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