Kaz and I took a couple of days off and had a night in the Grand Hotel (Argus offer £80!). We left home and were able to book in around midday. We sat in our double room drinking vodka and tonic, getting pissed really quickly...neither of us are lunch time drinkers. We went out and pottered around Brighton like tourists. Its a sad but true fact that Brightonians generally do not take advantage of what our city has to offer.
We had a drink at the Druid's Head in the Lanes. Its been years since I was in there last. New, brighter decor has transformed it into a space light and breezy... and they sell fair trade coffee. Way to go!
We used the Grand's facilities- pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room etc and drank a cocktail in the bar- a mudslide at £7 a go. Still they were pretty nice.
In the evening we ate out in a restaurant called Indian Summer. I was a little disappointed in the food. It had a fusion menu, but I thought the sauce on the curry dish I ate was too thin. We were so busy in the day that we crashed out about 11pm (fucking lightweights or what?)
The next day we packed and left. The Grand lived up to its name and Kaz loved it. In the afternoon we went for a 6 mile walk on the Down above the Long Man of Wilmington. The walk can be downloaded from the Argus website at: http://www.theargus.co.uk/whatson/walks/eastsussex/wilmingtonlitlingtonandalfriston/
The Long Man is more impressive viewed from the village than from the road. No one knows how old the figure is. The earliest drawing of it dates from 1710, or there abouts. Some say he's roman, some celtic, some medieval. The 1710 drawing has confirmed some theories and dispelled others. It suggests that the original figure was a shadow or indentation in the grass rather than a solid line; there were facial features that are no longer visible; the staffs being held were not a rake and a scythe as once described and the head was once a distinctive helmet shape, giving credence to the idea of the figure as a helmeted war-god.
The walking was initially difficult, up a muddy, pitted track, climbing steeply through woods and then onto the Down beyond. But the views more than repaid the effort. The walk then headed along the crest and came down into the river valley around Alfriston (we went a bit wrong and cut off a corner of the walk!)
We were home by five and recommensed our parental responsibilities... oh but for a short time WE WERE FREE!
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