Finally after years of being a little glimmer, pie in the sky, but often spoken about, it actually happened, we opened a small office in Brighton, last August. Brighton has become the cultural arts city with so much to offer and we are now part of it. A few minutes walk away from our office, we are at 95 Ditchling Road, is Preston Manor, which belonged to the Stanford Family for over 200 years, before being bequeathed to the town, history on our doorstep.
It became the talk of the office. Everyone full of ideas and not wanting to be the first to suggest them – “The British Reserve”. The regular staff meetings were looked forward to, they over-ran, it was exciting, this has now culminated in us having two staff meetings every month, one for usual more mundane things and the other one about Brighton.
The first major obstacle out of the way – opening the office. Now we had to tackle the second major obstacle bringing in the clients – advertising. We had always gained clients by word of mouth, advertising was a whole new ballgame.
Obviously, we had to visit the office and investigate Brighton before we could tackle the advertising, so on Thursday 29 September 2011, we had a staff outing. A fabulous day and glorious weather, who could ask for more. Visiting the office in the morning, lunch on the Pier and then walking around Brighton in the afternoon. Advertising was the last thing on our mind. But the ideas started to flow thick and fast on the train home.
Brighton is so vibrant and welcoming. Every year in May it hosts the Brighton Festival (second largest festival in UK after Edinburgh) and the Brighton Fringe Festival which run along side by side.
Brighton also has a football team “Brighton and Hove Albion”, so something to keep the football fanatics in the company happy.
A wealth of history and entertainment on our doorstep. The Lanes a maze of busy streets, which follow the pattern of the original fishing village full of antique shops and boutiques, The Royal Pavilion, The Grand Hotel, Brighton Pier, Sea Life Centre, Brighton Racecourse, London to Brighton car rally and of course not forgetting Beachy Head. Gone is the question what shall we do at lunchtime, so much to do and see but where to start?
A host of theatres Brighton Dome, Pavilion Theatre, Komedia (a comedy & music venue), Theatre Royal, and smaller theatres the Marlborough and the Nightingale, both above pubs and not forgetting the Brighton Little Theatre.
Brighton which has been referred to as London by the sea and has been a fashionable resort since the 1700s, followed by the arrival of the London and Brighton railway in the 1800s, made it a must for day-trippers. Commuting is not a problem as there are regular fast trains from London.
We are proud to become a part of this beautiful seaside town, (institution) and become a member of this special club on the South Coast which captures the essence of England.
We might only be a small company but hopefully over the years we can grow and become an integral part of this vibrant community. Hopefully, long may our participation endure. Brighton we have arrived!
Linda Jones