West pier

The last time I experienced a sharp intake of breath was when I managed to stab my finger with a screwdriver trying to get the top off a bottle. That was the last time - until today when we entered the Banqueting hall of the Brighton Royal Pavilion. Similar sharp intakes of breath and exclamations of wonder and awe were also experienced upon entering the great kitchen and then the domed music room. I have never in my life seen anything so splendid!

Flick has now bumped this to the top of her "favourite places to visit" list even above Kettle's Yard which sat at the top for decades. The wonderful B&B folks allowed us to keep our car safely parked up for a good part of the day even though we had checked out, leaving us free to walk to the pavilion and explore a little more of Brighton and its tea shops before bringing Emily back home with us for a flying visit. We were able to pop in to see the grandchildren on the way back and finished the day zobbing out in front of a DVD of "Lovely Bones" - another great visual feast.

All in all, a good day.