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If you're unable to accept strange appearances of people, dress style and lifestyles, then don't come to Brighton. The reason is simple - it is full of different people all of whom have different outlooks on life, all in a small area. It has also been in various times of its history the gay capital of Europe. While this breeds an air of tolerance, the easiest way to get into trouble is to not think about what you're saying.
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Brighton is a University town having some 36,000 students at the two universities, and a further 30,000 at the English language colleges and private schools. It used to be a booming tourist town as well, but that's not nearly as true now as it was. It used to attract some 5 million visitors a year, but now its lucky to get about 1 million.
Brighton has always been involved in history, being home to many famous people, such as writers Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling to actors such as Sir Laurence Olivier, and sports people like Steve Ovett, Sally Gunnell and Chris Eubank.
On the 18th December, 2000, Brighton and Hove finally became the City of Brighton and Hove (actually).
Getting to Brighton is relatively easy. There are armoured trains every hour from the capital, and its not too difficult to get here from other major cities, although you generally end up at London, and then get a train from there.
Some of the major coach companies still come here, again though, most stop at London.
There are no airfields nearby that can handle large aircraft, but Shoreham Airport (just a few miles outside of Brighton) is suitable for light aircraft and frieghters, and indeed hosts a few aeroduel clubs.
A few firms have private helipads, But these aren't generally useable to the general public without some hefty fines paying first.
But of course the easiest and most exciting is by car. Remember to do those speed limits and restrict your duelling!
While Brighton is a non-duelling zone (as are most of England's towns), it is not brilliantly enforced here. This is because over the years the local council has always tried to cut down on congestion and the traffic that enters Brighton, with grand road schemes and one way systems, and the result has always been that the situation has always gotten worse. The upshot of this is that while it is difficult to get up to any decent speed in the town (hitting 20 mph for more than half a minute is considered fast), it is equally difficult for the local police to intervene in any duels that take place. Sure, they'll get the survivors (and probably only fine them), but by the time that they have managed to get through the traffic to stop the duel, it'll be all over.
So be warned, because if you start a duel you'll have almost no space to manoeuvre.
Because of the continual road improvement projects that the council seem to think are a good idea, they tend to dislike duellists that use dropped weapons on their wonderful schemes. As stated above, a typical duel will only get survivors a fine, a duel with dropped weapons that can damage the road or leave behind hazards will very likely result in a prison sentence, a hefty fine and possible suspension of your driving licence, although the prison sentence is nearly always suspended.
The roads are generally okay - they're rebuilt every few months in another of the councils grand road schemes. The main roads into and out of Brighton are two lane dual carriageways, the rest are single lane, but well cared for. Back streets are a completely different matter and generally full of speed bumps.
Traffic lights are common everywhere, and the unwary driver has to be alert for one way systems.
It should also be noted that the main roads are watched by cameras with IR sensors and police are able to note any offenders quite quickly (although fines will be sent out to the offenders, and unless a major duel is in progress the police won't actually come out). Having said that though, quite a lot of the cameras do not actually work. Some are dummies, a lot are vandalised, so their presence is more of a deterrent that anything.
Public transport is good. It consists of the Brighton and Hove Metro Bus Company and the local council run taxi service.
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Brighton and Hove Metro is a relatively new company, formed out of the combination of three companies. Back in the late 1990's, there were three companies that ran the public buses. These formed the Metro back in 1995 as an attempt to standardise routes, fares and concerns between the three companies, which was pretty successful.
With the upheavals in the early 21st Century, the companies were finding it hard to survive, and so did the logical thing and merged into one company - The Brighton and Hove Metro.
Since that time, the company has had it's ups and downs, but has managed to survive. The councils initiative about getting everyone over to public transport has helped, for while there is congestion for cars, there are special bus lanes in the middle of town which allow them free access. It might take half an hour for a car to get into town, but a bus will only take about 15 minutes!
The company runs a selection of buses and minibuses, the minibuses being used in the outskirts of town, while the large buses have the run of the town centre, and to and from the Universities.
Demand for buses is higher than is generally imagined but springs from several reasons.
Firstly, congestion and lack of many parking spaces in the town mean that a lot of people park outside of the town and either walk in, or get some other form of transport in. In the summer, the company runs a 'Park and Ride' service. This is for people from out of town who can leave their cars at the University of Brighton site, pay a security and travel fee, and then get free bus travel anywhere the Metro runs. Secondly, the student population is very large, what with two universities in the area, and students have to get around somehow. This is probably the largest source of revenue that the company gets.
The buses travel to almost all parts of Brighton, although the ones that venture onto the outskirts are more heavily armed and armoured (at the loss of passenger capacity).
There is an extensive bus and taxi system that use special bus and taxi lanes next to the main roads (warning for drivers - do not use these lanes, it is the quickest way to find yourself in a fatal duel with whatever buses are present there, although taxis tend to ignore 'trespassers' unless they're in a major hurry).
There are also cycle lanes on the major roads (for pedal cycles) and again, drivers are advised to ignore these lanes too. while cycles do not pose a threat to cars, the fact that the cyclists are usually members of the universities, and can assemble strike teams to track down offenders should be a deterrent. If you want to drive here, the trick is to kill any cyclists (and thus getting the police on your back very quickly) or do it when no-ones looking.
However the lanes are not used much these days.
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Police Motorcycles:
The motorcycle is the standard given to officers, although many have been customised or modified (mainly in the weaponry department). They are designed for survivability and manoeuvrability rather than speed or firepower, and the result is trade off with affordability too. Still, it's not too bad a vehicle, and does the job it was intended for, which is not to stand up and fight other vehicles, but as a means of getting the officer to the scene of the crime quickly and safely through whatever means is possible (which is often the pavements!).
Heavy cycle (w/ CA frame), improved suspension, large cycle plant, 2 FP PRR tyres, driver only (170 lbs), 67 lbs of cargo, 1 flechette gun (f), smokescreen (b),, 2 tear gas dischargers (l,r) 2 1/2 space carry boxes (w/ 5 pts FP armour each, l,r), no paint windshell (with 10 pts FP armour), LDR. Armour (FP): F23, B20 + 2 ten point FP wheelguards, HC 2, accel 10 mph, top speed 150 mph, weight 1,283 lbs., cost $12,890
Paramedic Bike:
Totally over powered for an inner city bike, the paramedic bike serves a similar function to the police bike in that it uses its power to get the paramedic to the scene of an accident quickly and safely. It mounts no weapons, instead relying on bright colours and medic symbols to keep it safe (be warned, anyone attacking these bikes WILL feel the wrath of the police if they are spotted), and the cargo is usually medical supplies.
Heavy cycle, hvy suspension, super trike plant (PF), 2 PRR tyres, driver (200 lbs), cargo 85 lbs, no weapons, 2 space carry box (b w/ five points armour), LDR, Armour: F15, B15 +2 ten point wheelguards, HC 3, accel 15 mph, top speed 205 mph, weight 1,215 lbs., cost $8,345
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The police are understaffed to deal with all the things that can happen in a modern town, and if anything major comes about they have to pull in reinforcements from other stations in the county. Luckily Brighton doesn't have many major problems these days - during the food riots of 2017 the town was hit hard and riot police were called in from miles around, but due to the country wide hardship, they were generally pulled back as soon as they got here.
The current force is quite well equipped despite being small. It has a couple of small spotter helicopters, one attack helicopter and one general purpose/rescue helicopter.
It is well funded with cars and riots vans, but the biggest surprise to most people is the amount of motorcycles that the force has. This is not so silly as most people think though - with the current level of congestion on the roads the best way to get to the scene of a crime quickly is with a smaller vehicle than a car, and something that has a better chance of weaving through traffic and taking advantage of the small cycle lanes (or even pavements!).
The police station is outwardly a normal building (keeping in line with the current police policy of being discreet), but inside is a different story, and the fact that the building is a small fortress becomes apparent. The station has all the normal facilities a station would have, and also training facilities, car repair and recharging, helicopter pad and storage facilities for sieges (a holdover from the siege of 2017 when the station was nearly destroyed completely).
Generally the police profile here is low, the bikes patrol semi-reguraly, but you generally have to look if you want to find a bobby. When they are located though, they are usually polite but firm, and one hand is always near the truncheon.
Brighton has always had its fair share of historical buildings, and today most are still standing, although these have been rebuilt, so strictly speaking they are not historical buildings anymore...
Chief amongst these is the Brighton Pavilion, which has been rebuilt so many times now that most people have lost count. The Pavilion was used by ... as his summer palace and is
Brighton boast two universities (although for some reason, the University of Brighton is still called a Polytechnic by the old hands), and these play an important role in the development of the Town.
The University of Brighton: The University of Brighton is one of the 'new' Universities of the late 1990's, and is spread over several sites, in two towns (Brighton and Eastbourne). This split of campuses has meant that it has no central areas, just scattered buildings which means that it never got a chance to protect itself fully from the riots. Being scattered means that a lot of the staff who have to travel do so by armed mini bus supplied by the University. It has a good reputation as a Business School, but today it is but a former shadow of its old self. The site outside Moulscoomb is also a haven for the local Moulscoomb inhabitants to practise their stone throwing and breaking and entry techniques.
The University of Sussex: The Sussex Uni. is the classic example of a University, it has a walled perimeter, its own security firm, and is a complete haven for students with its own living facilities, sports areas, 3D cinema complex and of course, teaching areas. Long a staple of the area, it was instrumental in the Food Riot area of being a stable area, free from outside attack. Students and staff flocked to protect the site (and incidentally one of the main road areas into Brighton), and it was during this time that the wall was built around the campus and strict security measures were put in place. Today the University is a popular place, although access is for students, staff and families only unless passes are supplied.
The two universities have always had a slight rivalry, but somehow this has never turned violent, even though there has been plenty of opportunity for this. Instead they have always eagerly helped each other whenever the other was down, the chief reason seems to be that if they didn't, there wouldn't be any rivalry!
Despite the fact that the two universities bring in a lot of income for the town, there is always slight tension between the students and the town locals. Occasionally this turns nasty.
The Racetrack: Brighton has one autoduelling arena situated where the old horse racing track was. In fact it takes its name from that, and doesn't have anything to do with racing these days at all.
It is completely open inside, and has ample facilities both for duelling and crowd pleasing.
All usually events are catered for, with Sunday being a training and clean up day. Mondays is usually the equivalent of Amateur Night, although the cars that are supplied are generally old rebuilt models as the owners like to rake as much in as profit as possible. Betting is very common.
Some nights the arena runs special events such as grudge to the death matches which can be quite popular.
The Arena was one of the first dedicated duelling arenas in England, and it is very popular, with its own satellite television channel broadcasting the days events and commentaries across the country.
Cricket (Hove): Hove still has a cricket ground where games are played in the summer against local counties. The grounds are strictly a no-weapon zone (from experience when several members of the audience decided to help their team by gunning the opposition down), and sometimes when the weathers really nice, the grounds get more than half full.
No football ground: Since the Albion football team lost their grounds, there has been no replacement. Rumours of a new ground have been around since the late 90's, but so far nothing has been done.
If you wish to see the Albion play, then you'll have to found a pitch where they are playing. Maybe because of this, they have a bit of a reputation of being a bit offensive in their style of play.
Brighton has many features that welcome tourists. These include:
Shopping: Brighton has a brand new shopping complex (Churchill Square), built on the remnants of the old precinct that was destroyed in the Food Riots. It now bigger, and boasts three floors of shops covered by the latest in clear armour plastic. In the centre it has small restaurant facilities and is generally considered quite nice.
The Lanes: The Lanes is the elite expensive shopping area of Brighton, but that's about it. It used to be a tourist trap due to the old architecture and jewellery shops, but now just the rich and those that prey on them operate there.
The Seafront: The seafront is where the main tourists go, that's where the beach is and the main hotels. The beach itself is not very nice. Council plans to clean it up have once again been deflected elsewhere, so while the sea doesn't look bad, the advice given out by locals is not to swim there unless you're protected.
The hotels all along the front range from very nice and expensive to cheap and tacky. The architecture ranges from pre 1990's to ultra modern 2048, and all the way to decay and crumbling.
The Palace Pier: A place that thrives on tourists to make its money. features on the pier include all the latest in rides and computer games, and it has a large selection of rented stalls running up the centre. It has managed to enlarge itself further during the past years, and the owners regularly ignore council warnings about safety. It is rumoured that the owners are big time crooks of some sort, although nothings ever been proven. Still, if you want a low paid job, no questions asked, then the pier will accept you. If you're blonde and female then you just need to work up and you've got work (legitimate work, the pier is just very very sexist).
The West Pier: The West Pier was destroyed early on in the 20th Century, and plans to revive it went ahead (after years of planning) in the early 21st. However, since then it underwent disaster upon disaster, and when it was release that the owners of the Palace Pier were going to buy the West Pier, it underwent a huge bombing campaign, and today it lays wrecked again, for all to see, with large 'Danger, Unsafe Structure' warnings on it.
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Minis:
There is no such thing as a standard mini these days, but the following are common variants.
Reconditioned Mini:
Compact, standard chassis, improved suspension, medium plant, 4 HD tyres, driver only, 4 cargo (1390 lbs, 3 passenger seats, 1 space 'boot'), no weapons, no armour, HC 2, accel 5 mph, top speed 90 mph, weight 2,310 lbs. (empty), cost $2,200
Of course, this is then heavily modified by the owner. A couple of variants include the following. In nearly all cases, some cargo and the front passenger seat are retained.
Street Mini:
Compact, xhvy chassis, hvy suspension, medium plant (PC,SC), 4 PRR tyres, driver (200 lbs), passenger and 1 cargo (505 lbs total), 2 linked MGs (f), sunroof. Armour: F35, B25, L30, R30, T25, U20 + 2 five point hubguards, 2 five point wheelguards, HC 4, accel 5 mph, top speed 102.5 mph, weight 3,935 lbs (empty), cost $10,830
Rally Mini:
Compact, xhvy chassis, hvy suspension, large plant (PC,SC), 4 PRR tyres, driver (200 lbs), passenger and 1 cargo (302 lbs total), MG (turret), Armour: F30, B25, L29, R29, T25, U20 + 2 five point hubguards, 2 five point wheelguards, HC 4, accel 10 mph, top speed 125 mph, weight 4,138 lbs. (empty), cost $11,996
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There are many events that happen in the middle summer months, and most of these events trace their history back to pre duelling days.
Gay Pride: This is an event sponsored by the gay and lesbian societies, and are held annually. However they are great fun, with participation allowed for anyone. They are a great excuse for floats, parades, parties and generally fun.
They are also the worst place to start trouble. This is because not only will the more extreme gay rights activists target you, but everyone having fun will turn on you for ruining the atmosphere.
This is a day that you seldom hear gunfire, and if you do it will be closely followed by a long burst from several weapons silencing the first.
London to Brighton cycle rally: Not a great hit these days, with a turn out of only thirty people in 2047 due to the fact that it is a non-duelling cycle ride. Some security is provided by the organisers, but if anyone wants to disrupt the event then the cyclists start dropping a bit too quickly.
There are rumours that the event will soon be turning into a peddle-duelling event with increased security to protect the spectators. This is deemed a move to increase the ratings!
Mini Rally: The English have always loved their minis, and every year a huge amount of old and reconditioned vehicles make their way to Brighton where they then assemble, the drivers get merry and they all go off on a rally. It's a testament to the fanatism of the drivers that there are so many of these vehicles left these days, although bewarned, they are about as many mini variants as there are minis, including subcompact versions that have the middle cut out, to trike versions, to tracked versions, and so on... Most even have the old ICE engines, although it seems that these are placed in the vehicle for the event only, or the mini is locked away until the event for the obvious reason that fuel is scarce.
Classic Car Rally: Another London to Brighton event, but this time featuring the really old vehicles (from pre 1980's only). Provided the vehicle looks and has at a few features of the old vehicle left in it, then the car is allowed in the race, although cars aren't the only vehicles that enter the event. Old surplus trucks and bikes and so on appear.
Due to the amount of money that these vehicles are worth, security is tight.
With all London to Brighton races, no special rules are in force. The cars enter the normal traffic (thus making security quite difficult) and all follow the same route.
[On the map. Hove is the whole area just to the left of the main shopping area (8)]
Hove is generally considered the Rich Posh end of Brighton. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but the opinion is there, and so are the larger houses with the more expensive security systems and private security firms. In reality it seems to be more of the retirement area, but again, that maybe just because all the old people live there.
There are some places in every town where you don't go, and Brighton is no exception. Here it is the Mouslcoomb estate, an experiment in council housing gone array.
Well, not really. The people who live here have a strong sense of loyalty to each other, and will go to great lengths to protect their homes.
Students are the curse of the area, but strangely the most protected. The estate people tend to dislike students, but ironically are the largest place for cheap rooms for students, and once a student has been there for a few weeks they are 'part of the area'.
For other people, passing through is generally okay (although unless you visit the area there is no reason to pass through as it leads nowhere), and visiting is okay (although make sure your car is equipped with NON-lethal security systems), but security forces and 'officials' are prime targets for abuse (both verbal and physical). Caution is the word here as these people are quick to take offence.
Supposedly the gay area of Brighton, and while it is true that there are many gay clubs and pubs here, its not really true that many more gay people live here than in other areas of Brighton. It's a very nice area, one of the few that has managed to keep its character through all the thick and thin, although Sussex Square slap bang in the middle has turned itself into a fortress zone around the homes and gardens there. Access is via toll only.
Home of the Very rich and wealthy, and also to the main port of Brighton (although its not very large, and can't handle large ships of any description).
This has turned into a fortress area. As such, security is high...
The Crimson Shipyard (manufacturers of mini submarines) have their main offices here.
Surrounding Brighton is some very lovely country side, with the South Downs around the area, and what used to be prime farm land. Today the area is still nice, for some nice works, although protection is recommended.
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