Cafe advertising in Brighton

The picture set this week looks at the subject of contemporary cafe advertising as seen in the streets of Brighton in June 2007. There are a lot of cafes in Brighton, especially in the North Laine district where most of these pictures were taken. A stranger might be forgiven for wondering what else the citizens of the South Coast's pleasuredrome do apart from sit about sipping lattes. Nonetheless, the Brighton cafes have to attract customers and one of the ways they do this is by colourful and idiosynchratic signs and menu boards. A sustainable economy may well be impossible on a foundation of frothy cappucinos and vegetarian breakfasts, but the cafes of Brighton do look great. Better still, although the corporate coffee chains are also there in strength, all the places pictured here are independent and proud of it.

Last week's pictures came from Pimlico

Last week's pictures featured Pimlico in London. Adjacent to Westminster and between Victoria and the river, Pimlico could hardly be more central, yet most of its streets are remarkably quiet and empty. Many famous people have lived here and, on the day in May 2007 when these pictures were taken, it was not surprising to see Tony Blair emerging from a health centre in Tachbrook Street. The history of the district, however, is by no means all about the rich and famous. Two hundred years ago, the public gardens of Pimlico were known for drunkenness and in the 1960s the area was rundown and full of brothels. Even now, though the elegant streets built by Thomas Cubitt are filled with exorbitantly priced apartments, there are also housing estates lived in by ordinary Londoners. Shirley Porter did her worst in the 1980s to winkle them out of the Churchill Gardens estate, but Pimlico today still has a proper London mixture, and long may this remain so.

Other recent pictures of the week

The pictures a fortnight ago came from the seaside town of Worthing in West Sussex. As seen on an overcast weekday in May 2007, it was not expected to be a vibrant and bustling place. But even so, the contrast with Brighton (just 15 miles to the east) is extraordinarily marked. For a start, everyone in Worthing seems at least 20-30 years older. The pier is almost empty of both visitors and attractions. The Dome cinema on the seafront appears to have been under repair for several years. Worthing has always looked rather nervously over its shoulder at Brighton, seeking to protect itself with a mantle of respectability. The current map and guide describes the resort, in a somewhat desperate tautology, as "uniquely flat". But I am sure there is life in Worthing and - judging from the local news billboard in the first picture in this set - maybe it's not all that respectable either. 

Three weeks ago the picture set took a look at ghost trains and similar so-called "dark rides". The first picture shows parts of the old ghost train from Brighton's Palace Pier being loaded onto a lorry to be taken away to a yard in South Wales. This might suggest that ghost trains, like so many other much-loved traditional attractions, have had their day and are being replaced by glitzier gadgetry. This is indeed the general trend, but the pier's old ride is in fact to be restored and sold on to another site, while a new ghost train will take its place in Brighton within a few weeks. Ghost trains and similar scary houses of horror are collectively known as "dark rides" and they remain popular at funfairs around the world. Their origins lie in Victorian "tunnels of love", which used boats rather than trains. The first ride on rails to be actually called a ghost train was built for the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company in New York in the 1920s. So many dark rides remain in operation that conventions for enthusiasts are held regularly in the United States and new, scarier attractions are being developed all the time. There is life in the old ghosts yet.

Whatever happened to April showers this year ? In Southern England, at least, there wasn't any significant rain for weeks and the ground became as baked as you'd expect in August, not early May. The picture feature four weeks ago looked nostalgically at the subject of  wet weather. Of course it'll probably be pouring down by the time anyone is reading this (and it did !), but the remarkable spring of 2007 must have added further evidence of man-made climate change. If April was like July, what on earth will August be like ? The classic English summer used to be described as "three hot days and a thunderstorm". We'd better prepare for six hot months and a drought.

About this site and picture library

There are now over 49000 images in the library and they can all be keyword searched from the picture search page. New or updated subjects include cafe advertising, Pimlico, Worthing, ghost trains, wet weather, Lewes and Brighton's Preston Park. The site has several ways to help make relevant and fruitful searches, including index pages for both subjects and events & places.  There is also a useful search guide and information page.

A good showcase of the type and range of photography available can be explored in the pictures of the week series. Published on the site since December 2001, this now totals more than 2600 images. Every week there is a set of ten pictures about a particular place, event or theme. Almost all the library's pictures are available for personal or commercial reproduction. Digital files can be delivered by email or CD, prices start from as little as £8 and there is further information on the prices and terms & conditions pages. You can also contact David Gray for quotations and availability for new photography commissions.