Where I left you last time on our walking tour, we had just finished our browse around the Brighton Antiques and Flea Market, ahh memories, anyway, let's get on with it shall we?
GARDNER STREET, BRIGHTON
As we leave the Flea Market, we head left, towards the Dorset Pub, on the corner of Gardner Street. You can almost guarantee that on any day with a 'Y' in it, there will be some amazing (or slightly less amazing) busker type, sitting next to the specs shop by Infinity Foods. Speaking of Infinity Foods, have you ever tried their Vegan Pizza? If you haven't, you should, it's out of this world. Seriously.
Anyway, as I dance merrily to an out of tune guitar played by a twenty-something with a tiny roll-up and a bottle of Diet Coke, I wonder to myself why I never learnt to play a musical instrument. I don't think the recorder when I was five really counts. Although I can still play one anonymous melody at the drop of a hat, saying that, I don't think it would make me much money on the streets.
Gardner Street has always been one of my favourite roads in Brighton. It probably has the most variety of trades, I think. There is the full to the brim fabric shop, (you know the one, with the peacock feathers outside), The Komedia, (the best comedy club ever), some beautiful baby clothes and toy shops, gorgeous independent cafes, a 'make your own perfume' store, a vintage clothes & indoor plants store (because, why not? I suppose) and lots, lots more.
GELATO GALORE
I also suppose that one of the best things about Gardner Street is the amazing gelato store on the corner, opposite Gresham Blake. They churn out some of the best flavours and textures of gelato ice creams and sorbets. The kind that you would eagerly and quickly lick off of your hand, arm and wristwatch, should it drip below the cone while you stand at the kerb, waiting for that fickle little man to turn green. Across we go, onto Bond Street, face smothered in Mint Choc Chip and smart watch malfunctioning slightly as they seem to be a bit funny with you if you get saliva on them. (If it were appropriate to use a rolling eye emoji in a blog I would do so here).
BOND STREET, BRIGHTON
The fabulous and unique, Gresham Blake is one of those places, in my opinion, where you wish you could afford the clothes, warrant wearing them and pull them off, all in one shiny, clean, polished glass box. I always think that if I were to get something tailored there, it would probably be a really out-there print, like the one with the goldfish or little poker chips on it. I would buy it, cry on it because I couldn't pay my rent, get over that pretty quickly, pop it on and head to London Road in my fresh new goldfish suit. I imagine I would gain some friends that day.
WHERE NEXT?
Part three of our wonder of the Brighton North Laine is underway and you'll have to wait until to see where it takes you. Lest we forget, we started our tour from our silver jewellery stall on Kensington Gardens where our silver collections still await our return. Why don't you take a browse while we wait?
Photo: credit to We Love Brighton
