Is Brighton and Hove PROVINCIAL?

[AlbionPics&SouthCoastTwit]

Is it really cosmopolitan? I disagree. Lincoln has a much greater diverse population than Brighton and its far from 'cosmopolitan'.

Demographics of Brighton don't paint a 'cosmopolitan' city either http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sit...icdevelopment/Demography_and_Geog_Context.pdf

It's a myth to call Brighton cosmopolitan, often by the pretentious section of the city who believe Brighton is a unique place. It isn't, it doesn't have this 'identity' people claim it has.

This

 

[Chicken Run]

Having visited many a town and city in this country, like many others here, I have much concluded that Brighton has a different standing where attitudes and outlooks are concerned. This is experience and not judgement.

The word 'diverse' is much abused, and Brighton is more about acceptance than toleration. The atmosphere of the town is different, people who might be seen as 'different' or on the margins of society are comfortable in their lives. The area holds a wide range of political views, religions, an acceptance that sexuality is fluid. There are so many different arts, creative pursuits and musical themes. The block of flats I live in is full of different nationalities, it encourages me, it does not disturb me in the slightest. Somehow Brighton makes me feel more 'international'. Clearly it's not for everyone, but it will remain.

For me, it's all summed up by a visit to a bar a friend took me to many years ago. At first it seemed like an unusual place. There were straight couples having a drink before heading on for the evening, a few individuals just having a drink with their mates, and some gay folk either staying for the night or pre-clubbing-there was a huge mix, not at all polarized. I was chatting at the bar when a transvestite, about 70, who looked like Norman Wisdom in a wig and satin number. introduced himself, explaining that he hadn't seen me before. I told him it was my first time in this bar and said how everyone in the place seemed comfortable with themselves and the environment. "I love coming here", he said, "It's the only place I feel I can be myself". It was when he walked away that I realised how proud I was to be a Brightonian.

What schools did you go too?

 

[Hampster Gull]

I used to live in Reigate and took in German foreign language students to earn a bit of extra cash. I recall one of them asking "which is the best opera house in Reigate?" By her standards, just about every city in the world provincial, I suspect.

 

[el punal]

For those of us who live in a provincial area/city/town we may be described as the following : country cousin, yokel, village idiot, rustic, churl, boor, barbarian, yahoo, oaf, clown, culchie, clod-hopper, plonker, schlub, bogman, hick, rube, bucolic.

Take your pick, for me, I choose to be called a yahoo, it has a certain ring of quality about it.

 

[Brovion]

Brighton's certainly incredibly parochial, very much a 'local place for local people'. We don't like visitors here, this is despite the fact that a lot of people's jobs depend on them.

 

[Mackenzie]

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Well that's wrong for a start, I'm neither gay, a hipster or arty!

 

[BLOCK F]

I used to live in Reigate and took in German foreign language students to earn a bit of extra cash. I recall one of them asking "which is the best opera house in Reigate?" By her standards, just about every city in the world provincial, I suspect.

Ha-ha; I lived in Reigate for 26 years and I must admit that I never heard the words Reigate and opera house used in the same sentence.
Whore house maybe, but I reckon I would still have drawn a blank!

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

If Brighton is provincial, I'd like to know what Portsmouth is. Blimey, spending 3 years at uni there you really REALLY see how wonderful our city really is.

 

[oneillco]

Brighton's certainly incredibly parochial, very much a 'local place for local people'. We don't like visitors here, this is despite the fact that a lot of people's jobs depend on them.

That's news to me...maybe that's just how you feel.

 

[Eeyore]

What schools did you go too?

St Luke's, and that bastion of cultural inclusion, Stanley Deason.

 

[neilbard]

 

[wsupp]

I would say yes, it is. But then isn't pretty much everywhere outside of the UK's major cities?