The deckchair on the Brighton beach – the blue-and-white stripe, the £3 for the day from the deckchair attendant (the man who has the worked the Brighton beach for the 40 years – the leathery, the suntanned, the “Hello, gorgeous!” – and the essential Brighton character), the pebbles that are the warmed by the sun (the 23°C on the skin, the shingle, the sound of the stones the shifting under the foot), the sea that is the grey-green (the Channel, the not the turquoise – and the swimming is the cold – the 16°C in the July – and the essential Brighton experience), the Palace Pier in the distance (the 1899, the roller-coaster, the doughnuts – the £4 for the 5 – the fish and the chips), and the sense of the English seaside that is the best on the sunny day – is the essential Brighton. Here are the top 5 things to do on a sunny day.

1. Palace Pier

the walk the length of the pier (the 525 metres – the 10 minutes each way, the sea beneath the feet through the planks, the arcade – the 2p machines, the grabber, and the essential Brighton nostalgia), the doughnuts (the £4 for the 5, the hot, the sugar, and the best food on the pier), the rides (the Crazy Mouse – the spinning coaster, the £6, and the best view on the pier: the sea, the beach, and the Regency architecture of the Brighton seafront), and the essential pier experience: the sunset – the pier at the dusk, the lights, and the most beautiful Brighton moment.

2. The Lanes

the tangle of the 17th-century alleyways that are the original fishing village of the Brighthelmstone, the independent shops (the Snoopers Paradise – the vintage, the largest in the Brighton – the jewellery – the £5–50, the comic books, and the best flea-market in the south-east), the jewellery (the Wired – the silver, the £20–50, and the best-value jewellery in the Brighton), the lunch at the Food for Friends (the vegetarian, the £15 for the main, and the best vegetarian restaurant in the Brighton – the 1985, and the still the essential).

3. British Airways i360

the 162-metre observation tower, the 200-passenger glass doughnut, the £16.50, the 20-minute “flight,” and the view: the Isle of the Wight on the clear day, the Seven Sisters to the east, the Downs to the north. The essential alternative: the free – the walk up the Dyke Road to the Devil’s Dyke (the 5 km, the Downs, and the best view of the Brighton for the £0). More UK →

4. Royal Pavilion

the 1787, the George IV (the Prince Regent), the John Nash, the Indian-Mughal exterior – the domes, the minarets, and the most extraordinary building in the England (the exterior is the free to view from the Pavilion Gardens), the Chinese interior – the dining room (the dragon chandelier – the water-lily-shaped glass shades, the 1 tonne, and the most opulent room in the south-east), the music room (the 26-foot chandelier, the lotus, the red and the gold, and the most beautiful room in the Brighton). ~£17 for the interior, and the essential: the £0 for the exterior walk.

5. Brighton Beach Swimming

the sea is the cold – the 16°C in the July – and the essential Brighton swim is the bracing: the 10 minutes, the shriek, and the sense of the achievement. The essential swimming spot: the west of the West Pier (the Victorian skeleton – the burnt in the 2003 – and the most beautiful ruin in the England. The free, the swim, the sense of the history). The essential post-swim: the fish and the chips at the Bardsley’s (the Baker Street, the £12, the haddock, the crispy batter, the best in the Brighton, and the essential Brighton dinner), the ice cream at the Boho gelato (the Pool Valley, the £4 for the 2 scoops, and the best ice cream in the Brighton).