Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 July 2003 15:32:24
Day One...Brighton Leader's Conference...Brighton, England
I check into the four star Belgrave and make my way up to the third floor. That's where my room is.
I struggle a bit with the keycard thingy and eventually get into my room, relieved that I don't need to ask a chuckling member of staff how to open the door.
I dump my bag on the floor, look out of the large bay window and lo and behold! Just a touch to my right stands the crumbling remains of the once-glorious West Pier. I could eulogise about how it's a metaphor for life, or the state of the nation, or how Things Used To Be. I won't, though, as it's far too mesmeric a sight to ruin with pedestrian analogies. Instead, I enjoy the feast to my eyes that is the sparkling blue sea, hot sunshine, happy people and crumbling leviathan silhouetted against it all.