BRING YOUR BONGOS AND BEAT THE DRUM
News is that on Saturday 2.00pm onwards there is a Bring Your Own Family Day for all Zimbabweans and Friends on Peace Angel Beach, opposite Ramada Hotel, 146 Kings Road, Brighton. Brighton Council will not allow fires before 6.00 pm and have stipulated this is not to be a political rally and no politicking aloud!
Coming by train?
Jump on train from London Bridge - Brighton. Bus stop is right outside Brighton Station. Catch Bus No. 6 to Waitrose. It runs every 20 minutes. £1.20 pp. Get off at Waitrose, opposite Jag, an amazing Arab Supermarket of note! A block before Waitrose is Sainsbury - who have stocked up with mini portable braais for us! A block before Sainsbury is the £1 shop. Then walk straight down to your own Zimbabwe-allocated beach. It is to the right of the burned out West Pier, with its mini clothes market there. Arpur and his brother from Senegal has a stand here and will be joining us at the end of the day with their drums!
Western Road, wherein Waitrose bus stop is, is the High Street for Brighton so if you want to shop, walk back slowly. You can buy everything you need for a braai in the good old High Street with familiar shops that will sell you everything you need. Churchill Square is the centre of the shopping mall with its 3 floors and escalators. Such fun!
Nothing is being supplied as Permits for selling these would have been dear, so its a FREE BEACH DAY – all at your own cost. Typically Zimbabwean!
Peace Angel Beach is on the left hand side of The Meeting Place take away Restaurant. Toilets here 20p/pp. Brighton-Hove Council has kindly allocated this area for Zimbabweans & Friends at no charge.
It is a Bring Your Own Bryze, drinks, meat and portable fires - fires cannot be lit before 6.00 pm otherwise bathers might step on them by mistake.
Coming by car?
Follow the A27 Eastbound towards Brighton.
Leave A27 at junction with A2023 join A2023 towards Hove. Go straight down Shirley Drive which changes its name to THE DRIVE and then changes its name to GRAND AVENUE. At Queen Victoria statue turn left for 1/2 mile and find parking. You should see RAMADA HOTEL, PEACE ANGEL STATUE and THE MEETING PLACE restaurant.
This is where we will be camped for our 6.00 pm bryze! brize? braais... bbq.
Parking along this area is £1.20/hr until 6.00 pm and the later you arrive in the afternoon, the more chance you may have of a parking bay.
Deck Chairs are £1.50 /- so bring your own. The pebbles are no fun to walk on so bring good walking shoes. Remember shades and sunglasses!
Friday's weather is Good - 19 Degrees. But it means nothing really for Saturday, eh, except Brighton is usually sheltered weather. The clouds blow inland mostly.
I stressed to Brighton Council that Zimbabweans are a clean living bunch and we will certainly clear up our cans and rubbish as we go along. Save your plastic bags for this purpose. Take home your rubbish in your car if you can’t find a bin.
No dogs allowed on Brighton Beach please. You can even swim there or fish off our own concrete pier. One fisherman I know caught a 10kg sea bass recently using spinners!
There is a Mini Market on West Pier Beach close by.
Coming by Natxpress Coach? It takes 3 hours (with traffic delays). Book now as it can get busy on a Saturday! Come out of Pool Valley Coach Stop and turn right. Walk for half a mile down past the Odeon and the Burned Out West Pier to Al Fesco Restaurant at the beach. Keep walking!
Shops are 2 blocks up the hill from Peace Angel Beach in Western Road.
At 5.45pm please can we all hold hands for The Grace (Volunteers needed to say Grace please!) and then at 6.00 pm all Light Your Fires!
Bring cameras! Will be making a video so anyone who wants to say a few words, please feel free. I would be delighted your show familiar faces on TV!
You are most welcome, so please come along!
