Mother's Respite: Brighton

Last Sunday, in Brighton: a day out with my dear friend Abigail. No children, no families, just us old friends wandering around the North Laines, reminiscing about the things we bought and the things we said when we wandered around those same streets almost twenty years ago.

We try to meet up for a day out each year, most recently in London, but this year we chose a different destination which made a welcome change. I like Brighton. I feel at home there, I know my way around pretty well and love the quirkiness, the richness and the individuality of the place. We walked where our feet took us under sunny skies and grey, had coffee, browsed shops, had lunch (and a small gin and tonic), walked a little more, were buffeted by the wind on the seafront, had tea and cake. We ate and talked all day basically. 

Now that I'm south coast based and we don't always have to meet in London, I am thinking of other places my friend and I can visit - or revisit - together. Places like Charleston or Petworth House, for starters. But I hope there will be many more trips to Brighton. I like to think that Abigail and I will be wandering around there in another twenty years time, reminiscing about the past, talking about our families, discussing politics and drinking gin at lunchtime.