I wish that they’d done the West Pier
up and put a theatre at the end of it.
That was one of the plans but they
decided to go with the i360 observation
tower instead.
there and look at it and makes me feel
regenerated in a way. Also coming from
the East End, I’d always think… when
I first moved down I used to walk down
the pier, and I do love walking along the
promenade by the sea. I’d keep thinking
that I was on a daytrip to the seaside
and I would keep buying ice creams. I
thought, “I’ve got to stop having these…
I’m not just going to the seaside, I live
here now.” I like its architecture and
Brighton itself. My husband’s parents
live in Rottingdean and that’s very sweet
and we actually got married in the church
there where they got married. Brighton I
think is a really fab place. I really enjoy it
now and I actually look forward to getting
the train back down here, whereas before
I’d start dreading the last train back - but
as long as I’m in London a few days
of the week, or sometime during the
month to have meetings and meet the
people that I need to about my work and
continue my work, I’m really happy to
be here.
Is your husband from Sussex?
He was born in Brighton but I think he
moved away when he was a year old or
something. Then he travelled around a
lot and lived in all different places. His
dad was a bank manager down here
and he lived in Jersey and all over the
place including Guernsey, then he moved
with his brother’s work, and then his dad
moved down here later, was the manager
of NatWest Bank down here, the big one.
They lived in Rottingdean when I met him
and he came to visit them and we were
talking about making a new start and I
said, “Well, the only other place I’d like to
live apart from London is Brighton.” So,
we thought about that and because his
mum and dad were getting on a bit we
decided to make the move down here.
And he said, “Well, this is where I was
born so it’s like coming back.” It does feel
like home now. I do have to still go into
London though because that feels like
home too. I’m still a Lo ndoner but Brighton
is a fab happening place and I love the
diversity of it and the buzz. As I say, I just
think we need more theatre. I wish that
they’d done the West Pier up and put a
theatre at the end of it. That was one of
the plans but they decided to go with the
i360 observation tower instead.
There is another theatre - a wonderful
theatre called The Hippodrome which
was where the Beatles have played - all
sorts of people have played in the Laines
and that’s going to go. I know there’s an
action group fighting it but they’re going
to turn that into a cinema and shops or
something. It’s a Frank Matcham theatre.
There’s only about six of them left in the
country. It used to be a bingo hall but
at least it was still functioning. So really
when I was looking for venues for All or
Nothing, there’s only the Theatre Royal
but that’s where they do the circuit shows.
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