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Metro
24-05-2025
- Metro
A weekend in Brighton through the eyes of a child
It's not the Med, but Brighton was the perfect choice for introducing our children to the sea (Picture: Getty Images) Before they moved in with us, our children had never seen the sea. We had thought about taking them to somewhere in the Mediterranean, or even the Caribbean to give them an extra special memory. But realising that we would be setting ourselves up for a fall – they would expect white sands, warmer water and wall-to-wall sunshine every time we took them to the beach – we chose Brighton. It's not far from home and gave them a more realistic taste of the kind of coastline we're more likely to take them to. Pure joy We had spoken about what beaches look like, but nothing could prepare me for the look of joy and excitement when I told my four-year-old son that we were actually going to see the sea. Sign up to The Getaway newsletter Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. His face lit up and I could see he had a thousand questions to ask all at once. After a recent trip to a science show where he saw a life-size inflatable orca, the first thing he asked was: 'Will there be any whales?' Delivering the news to his older sister sparked equal excitement. Perhaps telling them just before bed wasn't the best idea – we still had three more sleeps to go before they actually got their first glimpse of the ocean blue. By this point, I had lost all feeling in my feet, but sometimes you've got to choose your battles (Picture: Richard Hartley-Parkinson) Spaceships and sunsets The excitement on our journey to the hotel peaked at their first sighting of the sea and the minutes on the satnav weren't counting down fast enough. As sunshine reflected off the sea and filled our car with light, my daughter told me that she understood where Brighton got its name. You can also get there by train; for our family (including children aged 10 and 4), the ticket would have cost £44.70. Meanwhile, my four-year-old complained several times as we drove along the beach hut-lined coastal road that he had spotted a whale. I didn't have the heart to tell him that this was very unlikely. In any case, he was easily distracted by the spaceship we could see from our room – aka the Brighton i360; a sky tower that takes you 450ft into the air with commanding views across Brighton and the sea (still no whales). Our children thoroughly approved of our hotel the DoubleTree Brighton Metropole and got their wish of a room with a balcony looking out to sea. (Double superior rooms start at £130, with breakfast.) We were even treated to an incredible sunset over the fast-disappearing Brighton West Pier. After a grey day, we were treated to a spectacular sunset (Picture: Richard Hartley-Parkinson) They were, however, a little disappointed by the lack of sharks and daddy's insistence that we wouldn't be swimming in the English Channel this time around. Looking out from our room, the water was too tempting for our kids. Despite the grey sky and drizzle that was slowly getting thicker, they were desperate to get closer. So we popped down to the beach and I battled in vain to prevent them getting their feet wet as we ran away from the waves. They were fascinated by the white foam left on the beach as the waves retreated and wanted to see what it felt like. So, finally, I relented and we whipped off our socks, rolled up our what my son calls 'trouser sleeves' and froze our feet off. They found it great fun, quickly learning to recognise which waves might reach them and running back up the steep stony beach before the water got them. Thankfully it didn't take too long before they also wanted to get back into the warmth – much more appealing was the swimming pool back at the Metropole and the promise of a slap-up meal in the hotel bar. They're not into fish and chips yet, but, in the spirit of teaching them about trips to British beaches, one step at a time. Brighton's best attractions We were only in town for a couple of days and will be sure to take the children back there as there's so much more to explore. But we packed a lot in. Here's a quickfire look at the things we did manage to do, in pictures: Sea Life Brighton: My youngest didn't quite understand why I wasn't too keen for him to go swimming with the sharks (Picture: Merlin Entertainments) Getting lost in The Lanes: I've always enjoyed visiting The Lanes, but it was a bit less attractive to the children who would much rather walk to and from our hotel along the Promenade (Picture: Visit Brighton) Brighton Palace Pier: You'll either need to be armed with a lot of money or the ability to say things like 'just choose one ride' or a flat out 'no' to some of the attractions along the pier (Picture: Visit Brighton) Richard Hartley-Parkinson was a guest of DoubleTree by Hilton. Arrow MORE: Move over Dubai – the Middle East's 'Pearl of the Gulf' is more interesting Arrow MORE: I visited the UK's best service station — couples even go on dates here Arrow MORE: Universal's Epic Universe theme park is finally open – the queue was my favourite part
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Brighton i360 owner Sarah Willingham reveals purchase price
The new owner of the Brighton i360 viewing tower says she paid £150,000 for the company Nightcap, run by ex-Dragons' Den judge Sarah Willingham, announced its purchase of the site in Willingham claims to have spent £400,000 to get the pod working again, in addition to £150,000 to take the attraction out of administration, a spokesman confirmed to the BBC, after The Argus first reported the story on & Hove City Council wrote off £51m worth of debt in January to facilitate the purchase. Brighton i360 entered administration in November 2024 before closing suddenly the following month, with the loss of over 100 reopened in March following Nightcap's company plans to invest an additional £1.5m in hospitality space at Brighton i360 by September 2026, according to a March trading city council agreed to finance construction of the observation tower in 2014 after planning permission was originally granted in 2006. The tower opened in 2016.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buyer confirms takeover of Brighton i360
A buyer has been found for the i360 viewing pod in Brighton. Hospitality group Nightcap Limited, which runs 46 venues in England and Wales, has taken on the remaining 115-year lease of the i360 for an as-yet undisclosed fee. Sarah Willingham, founder and CEO of Nightcap, said: "We couldn't be happier to welcome the i360 to the Nightcap family." The i360 went into administration in November. Brighton & Hove City Council then announced in January it would be writing off the attraction's £51m debt. Brighton-based Nightcap said clearing the debt and any "historic liabilities" would give the i360 a "fresh start" after significant investment from the new owners. "We pass the i360 every day and were as disappointed as everyone else when it went into administration and no buyer was found," said Ms Willingham, a former star of TV show Dragons' Den. "The impact of its closure would have been catastrophic to our local businesses and a blemish on this important part of the Brighton seafront. "We hope we will get the support of our tight-knit local community as we embark on this new chapter for the i360." Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the city council, said the sale was the "best option" for Brighton. "We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident," he said. Rachel Clark, chief executive officer of the West Pier Trust, said she was looking forward to a "fruitful and collaborative partnership" with Nightcap. Nightcap confirmed it would operate both the viewing tower and hospitality areas. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Brighton i360 £51m debt written off to secure sale Brighton's debt-hit i360 files for administration 'Financial disaster' Brighton i360 suddenly closes
