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What
can you do in Brighton & Hove for free? Despite fears
of rising prices, there's still plenty to do, here's the
lowdown…by Eve Streeter
"I
have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless
I buy something." Ah yes, you can always rely on
US comic Jackie Mason when in need of a sage word or two.
But if, like the man, you find that money talks, but all
yours ever says is goodbye, then you might like a taster
of what you can do in Brighton and Hove for free. After
a quick sniff around, it seems that you can still have
fun in a rich man's world without parting with a single
penny. Here's how:
King's
Road Arches
A is for Art, darling - and there's plenty of it round
here you can soak up, gratis. Check out the artists' quarter
down in the Kings Road Arches and have a wander round
the studios of Daniel Lawrence and Zorian P Matthews,
where you can happily lose yourself in fantastic marine/lunar
worlds. Up the road a bit, you'll find the Two Kats And
A Cow gallery where you can look for free at the trademark
Cow Paintings of John Marshall, and the wonderfully nostalgic,
sea-inspired work of Katty McMurray and Kathryn Matthews.
Open Sundays, 11am to 5pm.
Fishing
Museum
 While
you're down there, pop in to the Fishing Museum where
- and not a lot of people know this - you can see some
of the earliest films ever made in Britain showing on
a TV screen inside. All made in Brighton, it's a thoroughly
charming look at the city, its people and its life, as
was. Open daily.
Museum
and Pavilion
Still on the museum tip, have a wander up to Brighton
Museum & Art Gallery. Only recently reopened after
a £10 million facelift, it's looking gorgeous and
packed with colourful, state-of-the-art exhibitions that
could keep you out of trouble for hours. The Images of
Brighton/Exploring Brighton bits are especially good.
And if you're there on the right day, you can even pop
next door to the deliciously barmy Royal Pavilion and
have a look round that for free, as once a year - usually
the third Sunday of January - the doors are flung open
and all visitors go free.
Booth
Museum
There's also the Booth Museum on Dyke Road (01273 299277)
that's home to about 500,000 different specimens, natural
history literature and data going back 300 years, including
hundreds of British birds, butterflies, even whale and
dinosaur bones. And as the whole world goes interactive,
even the old Booth Museum hasn't escaped, and now lets
you explore collections in a new hands-on gallery. Open
daily.
St
Bart's
Just down from the station in Ann Street, go find and
wonder at St Bartholomew's Church - the tallest parish
church in England, just try and miss it. A whopping 135ft
high (147ft to the top of the gilt oak cross), this immense
beauty was slammed by critics when it was built for being,
randomly, a 'cheese warehouse' (ouch) and a 'monster excrescence'.
Once inside, this giant's epic dimensions will stun and
amaze. Described by a recent visitor as 'rather like sitting
in the turbine hall of a disused power station,' this
rare architectural treasure is right on our doorstep,
and open Mon-Sat 9.30am to 1pm, and 2pm to 4.30pm.
Brighton
Buddhist Centre
If you've been a bit spiritually slack of late, get back
on the path to enlightenment with a bit of free meditation
at the Brighton Buddhist Centre in Tichborne Street (01273
772090) every Wednesday (1-2pm). Admittedly, it's not
strictly free, as the drop-in is by donation, as are the
meditations on offer at the Bodhi Garden Dharma Centre
(01273 235367), where you can discover Tibetan healing
practices and breathing/loving kindness.
Free
Internet
Money can't buy you love, nor can it buy you internet
access at the library - because it's free (one hour maximum)
if you fancy a quick surf. Or there's the memory of another
kind of quickie altogether in an alley off East Street,
made famous by a certain Quadrophenia. Just remember your
manners and no re-enactments, please.
Free
Music Man
As for free music in this fair town, well, you need never
pay to be entertained again. A whiff of what's on will
give you the gist: Sunday acoustic afternoon at the Candy
Bar (4-7pm); Slouch downtempo DJ's every Sunday at the
Prince Albert on Trafalgar Street from 5pm; free gigs
on Sunday and Monday nights at the Evening Star in Surrey
Street; Monday night acoustic blues at Mrs Fitzherberts
on New Road; and there's Creative Liquid at the Sanctuary
Cella Bar for open mic and original music. Even The Sussex
Arts Club has got on the free trip, with Exposure - a
film forum showing short films with discussion etc - which
is free every second Wednesday and the monthly Brighton
Music Underground where record producers come down to
listen to CDs by local aspirants and give them a bit of
sound advice. Look out for free parties in Shoreham or
Ovingdean, while Radio 4A provide top local coverage every
other w/end on 107.8FM.
Free
Club Nights
Believe it or not, you can get in to clubs for free on
some nights, especially during the week when it can be
quieter in town. Try the Volks, Revenge, Gloucester, Event2,
and Escape.
Miscellaneous
If you're still stuck for things to do for free, check
out these:
Free fireworks on Saturdays during the summer over the
Brighton Pier. Free samples of chocolate from Montezuma
in Duke Street & Thorntons in Churchill Square.
You
see, the best things in life are free, just like the song
says, and just like The Insight. Hooray for the shameless
plug, but you get my point, no?
copyright New Insight 2002
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