I love a good audio guide.
It leaves me free to wander at will, listening to stories which bring places alive.
I have a good auditory memory while Pork Belly’s more visual so it suits both of us – I listen while he seeks out the best viewpoints. I can always tell him the tales later.
The best audio guide I’ve ever experienced is actor Steve Buscemi’s narration for the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia – the perfect voice for a blend of chilling facts and stories of human desperation.
• Eastern State Penitentiary – if walls could talk
Having lived in and around Brighton for most of my life I’m pretty familiar with its history, but there’s always something new to discover even in your own hometown.
Discover Brighton with QueensPark Books
So I was delighted with the launch of QueensPark Books’ Discover Brighton project – a series of guided walks, narrated by volunteers using memories of local people drawn from the dozens of books they’ve published since the 1970s.
There’s a history walk for almost everyone.
You can stroll through Brighton’s shops past and present, get all theatrical with backstage anecdotes, discover the bravery of the early gays and lesbians who made Brighton their home and explore the city’s historic hinterland.
And best of all, these audio guides are FREE!
For our first exploration, we chose to follow the Seaside Stories route all along the seafront from the iconic West Pier to the Banjo Groyne, just shy of the Marina.
The walk is mostly flat, accessible and not too crowded in winter.
Of course, it takes in all the usual points of interest – the piers, the aquarium, the Volks railway – but it also uncovers things long-gone and almost forgotten.
And it’s the personal stories that really make it come alive.
Discovering the city
I have my own childhood memories of the Palace Pier – all noise and penny arcade games – but never set foot on the more elegant and refined West Pier, where there were tea dances and less raucous end-of-the-pier shows.
I grew up with my parents’ and grandparents’ tales of the wartime years – the fear, the hard work and the laughter – but this audio guide brought something new.
Standing on the shore looking at the ruins of the West Pier at the start of our walk, the eyewitness accounts of the famous fire that pretty much destroyed it filled my ears.
Brighton’s Fishing Quarter
A little further along the seafront, on what was once the site of the open fish market, I could almost smell the salty, slippery scales, hear the slap of wet fish hitting the slab and listen to the cries of the squabbling seagulls eager for scraps.
Although the market closed in 1960 on hygiene grounds, those seagulls are still here, wheeling and screaming as they snatch chips and donuts from the unwary.
Today the Kings Arches are occupied by a small museum dedicated to Sussex seafarers and stalls selling whelks, winkles, oysters and smoked fish.
Brighton’s piers
Strolling on towards the Palace Pier, the guide talks of the pleasure boat trips that used to leave from the end of the pier for the Isle of Wight or those with really good sea-legs could take a bouncy trip to Boulogne.
There are first-hand accounts of The Great Omani stuntman and illusionist who would dive through flames in chains before freeing himself in the sea below.
And of course there were the noisy slot machines and What The Butler Saw moving picture shows – the precursors of today’s hi-tech games and Virtual Reality Dome.
Some things never change – they just get a re-boot!
During the war years the middle sections of both piers were blown up to prevent enemy landings, and the walkway by the SeaLife Centre (the world’s oldest aquarium) housed massive tanks of petrol, ready to roll into the sea and set it alight in case the town was invaded.
Wartime threats
The threat of invasion was very real for the people of Brighton and Hove. If the church bells rang, everyone was under strict instructions to walk towards London wearing bright-coloured clothes, so they weren’t mistaken for the enemy.
Bank staff were told if the Germans came during office hours they could not hope to see their families, instead they, and their precious papers and money, would be whisked away to London on a specially chartered train.
Volks Railway
A ride on the Volks railway was a real childhood treat, but I didn’t realise the original track ran above the sunbathers, as the beach level was way lower then. Today the restored line still runs, weather permitting, thanks to the hard work of enthusiasts and volunteers.
I knew inventor Magnus Volk was the first man in Brighton to have electricity in his house, but not that he tried to sell the idea to the Council who turned it down! Or that the sleepers from his other, ill-fated railway nicknamed the Daddy-Long-Legs can still be seen at low tide.
Madeira Lift
Looking down from Marine Parade you can see how much the coastline has changed.
Here’s where the walk ends with a view of the Madeira Lift. Opened in 1890 the lift linked Marine Parade and Maderia Drive and in its heyday carried thousands of visitors to and from the beach.
The original cage was powered by hydraulics and decorated with mirrors and gilt – typical Brighton! It descended into an elegant room (now the Concorde2 music venue) which provided shelter if the weather was bad.
Today the lift is closed indefinitely so you are unable to take that short trip through history. However, this year (2025) as part of the Madeira Terrace renovation project Brighton & Hove council plan to open a new fully accessible lift at the Royal Crescent Steps, west of the Madeira Lift site.
That’s just a few of the snippets from Seaside Stories, a walk that will take you one and a half miles and more than 100 years!
It’s easy to use – just head to their website, and you can listen on your phone as you walk. It’s free and if you want to discover more they have a whole range of local history books to buy or download.
Not sure which one we’ll tackle next, but if you see me wandering the streets of Brighton, earphones plugged in with Pork Belly in tow, you’ll know that I’m continuing to Discover Brighton.
More about QueensPark Books Discover Brighton Project
Launched in summer 2020 the audio guide takes you in and around the city, using real people’s memories to focus on a specific theme.
The full range of audio guided walks is here
Black and white photographs reproduced by kind permission of QueensPark Books and Brighton Museums.
All other images ©rosemaryandporkbelly
Where to next?
• Brighton Tomb Trail
• Ghost towns of Britain
• Vegan jumbleberry chocolate cake