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Welcome to Hove

Breaking the Law of Hove

A stroll along Hove seafront

Hove is Continental!


Hove-ites' likes & dislikes

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"The beaches by the Brunswick & Palmeira Square are my particular favourites. " "Forgot to mention one of the coolest things about Hove, its slogan: 'Hove, actually'. That's so wonderful!" "A plus is that some roads are wider and a minus is that its boring..."

 
 

"WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT HOVE  Hove Museum & Art Gallery:  Super-friendly staff, manageable size, (sometimes) excellent shows.  Hove Streets:  Make me feel really spacey and stoned.  Beach Huts. " "Brighton & Hove Gymnasium is in Hove. Excellent (and has a toddler session, which is brilliant).  Good restaurants ( Church Road)  Seafront lawns.  Hove Park." "Quiet  King Alfred Leisure Centre  Very good public transport. Fast train service to London.  Engineerium.  Foredown Tower.  Very quick & easy to get to from the By-pass "

 

"Crap for entertainment.  No pubs.  No atmosphere whatsoever.  Too many retirement homes." "quieter, friendlier, though not as many shops.  Roads tend to be wider too,  less traffic, more space to park, no parking charges,  easy access to the bypass,  better and quieter beaches..." "Hove's a lot cleaner than Brighton, much cleaner and it's not as violent. There's not as much trouble out here as there is there."

 

  "beaches fairly quiet in summer (and winter, for  that matter!)  The best thing:   wonderful cycle lane along seafront  into Brighton."

 

"Hove museum & Art Gallery is a wonderful place for peace and quiet, some good exhibitions, tea room, and a TREMENDOUS room dedicated to childhood (traditional toys etc.). " 

The childhood room is wonderful - and the museum hasn't ignored the fact that for many children - childhood was about earning a living........ 

Upstairs in the local history rooms, is a  display about the early film industry in Hove. In a great little viewing theatre, various early films made by Hove film makers are shown daily.


Hove Museum & Art Gallery

   


I first discovered I might be a little bit patriotic (I grew up in Ireland) upstairs in the museum's local history room. There was a little model of Charles Stuart Parnell supposedly escaping from a house in Medina Villas by shinning down the drainpipe..... To a British audience, the thought that this eminent Irish politician who sought liberty and self-governance for his own long-subjugated people, might be caught in such a ridiculous position could raise a smirk. In reality, the discovery of his affair with a married woman damaged his political career and the cause he supported. But I felt a little stab in a place I didn't know I had but it's nice to think that politicians can retain their physical prowess!

For more information on Brighton's and Hove's Museums follow this link.....


     

I have recently moved very near to Blatchington Mill. I really like living there as it is close to schools, shops, a little bit of history (with the windmill nearby), local transport, easy access to the bypass. Hove Park is within walking distance and a short bus ride takes you down to the sea.  You can shop for everything in George Street, Blatchington Road area without having to go into the centre of Brighton.  We have the Town Hall which offers many different forms of daytime and evening entertainment.  There are many restaurants to try from Indian to Italian to good old' fish and chips.

   

I live in Hove... what can one say about it! Well, it is a much younger town than Brighton. Its layout is much better than Brighton's which is based on old farming tracks and stagecoach routes! It has a high proportion of elderly people and is generally a quiet and sedate place contrasted with Brighton's rather loud and raffish image. Hove is a sort of Dr Jekyll to Brighton's Mr. Hyde! A lot of this is undoubtedly tied up with the Prince Regent. Is there any difference between Hovarians and Brightonians? This is a difficult one! Brightonians are a bit brash I think but this could be my prejudice!

     

I live just off the seven dials and I suppose I feel I live in a part of Brighton (I am only 7  minutes walk from Brighton station). One of the things that differentiates Hove from Brighton is the roads, they are very wide, it's really strange but when you get into darkest Hove the roads just widen. Hove also to me is also very low key, it is quieter than Brighton and the town centre and the people wandering around it are so different to those mooching round the North Laines. I used to think Hove was very dull and that there was very little to do, till I started a course at the Corner Stone Community Centre which is a superb building. After the course we always went out to eat and there are some fab restaurants such as Harry's and the Hove Cafe Rouge. Yet there are drawbacks to living in Hove if one likes to go out at night, it is very sedate and the pubs are either very local and drab or just down right peculiar, peculiar people acting in a peculiar manner. Once I went to the Farm pub, we walked in and the place was totally silent as they were all playing chess when we sat down with our beers we started talking and were told to shut up as they were concentrating!!  I could understand if it was an official chess tournament but in a pub it was a bit much. I suppose that sums Hove up - really it is full of eccentrics. I think also one of the best parts of Hove is the promenade, It still has an aura of the past about it, if you go along on the summer old dears are still out sunning their legs outside their beach huts and taking in the ozone. Where as Brighton is full of glitz and the pier which are a bit gaudy, Hove is the perfect place for a constitutional especially in the winter when you can walk facing the cold sea air and not see another person for ages and then finish it off with a hot chocolate at Marrocco's cafe (a really tacky 50's style cafe with genuine melamine tables!)

     

As a Hove resident I have always thought of myself as living in Brighton-and-Hove. When I am elsewhere in the country I don't bother with the "-and-Hove". In normal life, the border does not exist. There can be few residents of either part of this "Greater Brighton" whole who do not use the facilities of the other - probably without considering any such distinction. I hate to hear Brightonians knocking Hove, or Hove people who really do believe in the "Actually". I think it's great that we are now one unitary authority and would be quite happy if the name of Hove came to used only in the same sense as Kemp Town.

   

 

What makes Portslade different is the community spirit and the sense of belonging. This year we will be having the 2nd 9 day Portslade Festival which encompasses all community groups organisations churches  schools  libraries and individuals. There are two community newspapers produced and run by volunteers delivered free to every resident and business. Paid for by local businesses advertising. Not only does it give the community news of events it also has  articles on the local history. We have a Community College which is open to everyone and a sports centre which has just got funding from the lottery to build an extra hall and squash courts to be open all day to the local community. We have our own professional theatre production company who produced a variety show last year with local talent for the festival. There is something for everyone and even on Christmas day meals were provided for those on their own. Perhaps Portslade is different because it has well defined boundaries (the downs (now the bypass) and the sea) and tacked on to the end of Hove we have to rally together so that we won't be forgotten. We also of course have the local MP for Hove living in Portslade

  Peace Statue    



Welcome to Hove

Breaking the Law of Hove

A stroll along Hove seafront

Hove is Continental!