Brilliant Brighton

Pat Coulter soaks up some festive spirit in Sussex and makes merry in the Georgians' favourite seaside getaway.

Factfile

George IV's presence at the Pavilion was a big contributor to Brighton's growth as a town. The population rose from around 3,500 inhabitants in 1780 to around 40,500 in the 1830s.

Queen Victoria sold the palace to the town of Brighton for £50,000 in 1846 after deciding it wasn't large enough for her family, or to her

Nearly 50 years ago it was in Brighton that Swedish supergroup ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with their now legendary song, "Waterloo".

There are tunnels underneath the Royal Pavilion that allowed George IV to move around and out of the city without letting the public see him as he grew increasingly overweight.

BRIGHTON is one of the world's most cosmopolitan seaside destinations.

From Regency dandies to royalty, scooter-riding mods to leather-clad rockers, there's always been an eclectic mix of people flocking to vibrant, trendy Brighton.

They descend yearly, as surely as the local seagulls swoop in to snatch ice-cream or takeaway fish and chips from unsuspecting visitors! In summertime, sizzling bodies are crammed like sardines on the beach.

Today it's more "brrr" than bikini, as we've come in the depths of winter to experience Brighton in festive mood.

A walk along the prom offers the opportunity to leisurely take in the sights, from grand Regency properties with glorious sea views to the wrought-iron relic that's Brighton's West Pier.

I always think it looks like a huge, ornate Victorian birdcage.

Starlings descend on its structure to roost in their thousands. The sight of the murmuration moving as one, glistening like a shoal of fish in the sky, is one of nature's wonders.

The i360 observation tower is Brighton's latest modern landmark, soaring an impressive 450 feet up for panoramic views of the coast and South Downs.