83-542: Radio Rentals was founded in 1930 by Percy Perring-Thoms in Brighton , Sussex, UK, to rent out radio sets, with a turnover in the first year of £780 (equivalent to £62,288 in 2023). It later offered televisions and videorecorders for rent. In 1964 it merged with RentaSet, Joseph Robinson's similarly formed company. Then, in 1968, it was acquired by Thorn Electrical Industries and joined with Thorn's DER chain (founded 1938) as part of Thorn Television Rentals (TTR), though
166-510: A parish church , a market and rudimentary law enforcement (the first town constable was elected in 1285). Sacked and burnt by French invaders in the early 16th century—the earliest depiction of Brighton, a painting of c. 1520, shows Admiral Pregent de Bidoux's attack of June 1514—the town recovered strongly based on a thriving mackerel -fishing industry. The grid of streets in the Old Town (the present Lanes area) were well developed and
249-526: A temperate climate: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb . It is characterised by cool summers and cool winters with frequent cloudy and rainy periods. Average rainfall levels increase as the land rises: the 1958–1990 mean was 740 mm (29 in) on the seafront and about 1,000 mm (39 in) at the top of the South Downs above Brighton. Storms caused serious damage in 1703 , 1806, 1824, 1836, 1848, 1850, 1896, 1910 and 1987 . Heavy snow
332-482: A 2014 estimate, 11–15 per cent of the city's population aged 16 or over is thought to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. The city also had the highest percentage of same-sex households in the UK in 2004 and the largest number of civil partnership registrations outside London in 2013. Brighton is identified as one of the least religious places in the UK, based upon analysis of the 2011 census which revealed that 42 per cent of
415-585: A declining fishing industry, and the emergence of nearby Shoreham as a significant port caused its economy to suffer. By 1708 other parishes in Sussex were charged rates to alleviate poverty in Brighton, and Daniel Defoe wrote that the expected £8,000 cost of providing sea defences was "more than the whole town was worth". The population declined to 2,000 in the early 18th century. From the 1730s, Brighton entered its second phase of development—one which brought
498-472: A mix of businesses dominated by cafés, bars, theatres, and over 400 shops independent and avant-garde shops including an erotic shop and indoor flea markets. The Lanes which is characterised by a labyrinth of narrow alleyways form a retail, leisure and residential area near the seafront, following the street pattern of the original fishing village. The Lanes contain predominantly clothing stores, jewellers, antique shops, restaurants and pubs. Churchill Square
581-455: A monthly rental price which was much more affordable. With the coming of colour services, initially only on BBC2 , a further opportunity for renting was created. On 15 November 1969 colour broadcasts on both BBC channels and the ITV network became available from the main transmitter sites around the UK. This led to a boom in rentals of TV sets. By the late 1970s videorecorders had appeared on
664-444: A population of 474,485 (2011 census). Brighton's location has made it a popular destination for tourists, renowned for its diverse communities, shopping areas, large and vibrant cultural, music and arts scene, and its large LGBT population , leading to its recognition as the "unofficial gay capital of the UK" and as of the 2021 census, 10.7% of the population of Brighton and Hove over the age of 18 identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual,
747-475: A rapid improvement in its fortunes. The contemporary fad for drinking and bathing in seawater as a purported cure for illnesses was enthusiastically encouraged by Richard Russell from nearby Lewes . He sent many patients to "take the cure" in the sea at Brighton, published a popular treatise on the subject, and moved to the town soon afterwards (the Royal Albion , one of Brighton's early hotels, occupies
830-678: A record high in the UK, with figures in Sussex , including Brighton and Hove, reported as being "high". At a meeting of the full B&H Council on 25 March 2021, Brighton and Hove became the first UK City to adopt the Homeless Bill of Rights . The bill was passed by 31 votes to 11, with 7 abstentions. Brighton lies between the South Downs and the English Channel to the north and south, respectively. The Sussex coast forms
913-722: A small range of white goods , mainly from Philips/Whirlpool. Radio Rentals claimed that at its peak it had more than two million customers, more than 500 shops, 3,600 technicians, 2,700 skilled installers and a large ancillary staff. It had sales and service locations across the UK, the Radio Rentals logo being a common sight on many High Streets . The urge to rent instead of buy reduced as domestic electronics became cheaper and more reliable, with greater use of integrated circuits and improved design. The company went through many restructurings, shedding staff and rebranding itself. In common with other rental brands, it could not sustain
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#1732788052412996-460: A suffering economy and a declining population. Brighton began to attract more visitors following improved road transport to London and becoming a boarding point for boats travelling to France . The town also developed in popularity as a health resort for sea bathing as a purported cure for illnesses. In the Georgian era , Brighton developed as a highly fashionable seaside resort, encouraged by
1079-637: A viable business model and ceased to trade, merging with Granada Limited 's rental arm in 2000 to form Boxclever . Thorn operated over 90 Radio Rentals stores within Australia, and 28 stores in New Zealand under the name DTR. Radio Rentals stores in South Australia trade under the name RR Rentlo Reinvented due to an independent business trading as Radio Rentals. An independently owned chain operated 19 stores within South Australia ; however
1162-598: A wide, shallow bay between the headlands of Selsey Bill and Beachy Head ; Brighton developed near the centre of this bay around a seasonal river , the Wellesbourne (or Whalesbone), which flowed from the South Downs above Patcham . This emptied into the English Channel at the beach near the East Cliff, forming "the natural drainage point for Brighton". Behind the estuary was a stagnant pond called
1245-422: Is a shopping centre with a floor space of 470,000 sq ft (44,000 m ) and over 80 shops, several restaurants and 1,600 car-parking spaces. It was built in the 1960s as an open-air, multi-level pedestrianised shopping centre, but was rebuilt and enlarged in 1998 and is no longer open-air. Further retail areas include Western Road and London Road, the latter of which is undergoing extensive regeneration in
1328-661: Is common in Sussex, especially on the coast, although it occurs infrequently in combination with a personal name. An alternative etymology taken from the Old English words for "stony valley" is sometimes given but has less acceptance. Brighthelm gives its name to, among other things, a church, a pub in Brighton, some halls of residence at the University of Sussex . Writing in 1950, historian Antony Dale noted that unnamed antiquaries had suggested an Old English word "brist" or "briz", meaning "divided", could have contributed
1411-481: Is featured in paintings by both Turner and Constable . Due to the boundary changes, the land area of Brighton expanded from 1,640 acres (7 km ) in 1854 to 14,347 acres (58 km ) in 1952. New housing estates were established in the acquired areas, including Moulsecoomb , Bevendean , Coldean and Whitehawk . The major expansion of 1928 also incorporated the villages of Patcham , Ovingdean and Rottingdean , and much council housing
1494-458: Is not in any way related to Radio Rentals owned by Thorn Australia Pty Ltd, and was placed into administration in 2019 and closed its stores including areas like Queensland. Radio Rentals also closed all its stores in 2020 but continues to trade. The Australian branch of Radio Rentals began in 1937 with the opening of a single store on Market Street, Sydney. Since this date, Radio Rentals continued to expand and open stores across Australia, including
1577-433: Is one of the largest such facilities in Brighton; in its early days about 6,000 people were employed, principally in industrial jobs, but in the late 20th and early 21st centuries its focus has switched to commercial and retail development, limiting Brighton's potential for industrial growth. Brighton Corporation laid out the estate on 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land around Crowhurst Road in 1950. By 1956, large-scale employment
1660-588: Is rare, but particularly severe falls were recorded in 1881 and 1967. At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Brighton was in the Rape of Lewes and the Hundred of Welesmere. The new Hundred of Whalesbone, which covered the parishes of Brighton, West Blatchington , Preston and Hove , was formed in 1296. Parishes moved in and out several times, and by 1801 only Brighton and West Blatchington were included in
1743-446: Is still not in commercial use: it houses some administrative departments of the University of Brighton . It was Brighton's first ultramodern commercial property and was intended for mixed commercial and industrial use, but its completion coincided with a slump in demand for high-tech premises. Brighton is well known for its high number of independent shops, which add to the character of the city. Walking from Brighton station towards
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#17327880524121826-504: Is suggested to have been the tribal "capital". Later, there was a Roman villa at Preston Village , a Roman road from London ran nearby, and much physical evidence of Roman occupation has been discovered locally. From the 1st century AD, the Romans built a number of villas in Brighton and Romano-British Brythonic Celts formed farming settlements in the area. After the Romans left in
1909-632: The Hilton Brighton Metropole , the Palace Pier and the West Pier . The town continued to grow into the 20th century, expanding to incorporate more areas into the town's boundaries before joining Hove to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove in 1997, which was granted city status in 2000. Today, Brighton and Hove district has a resident population of about 277,965 and the wider Brighton and Hove conurbation has
1992-701: The London and Brighton Railway in 1841 brought Brighton within the reach of day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built during the Victorian era , such as the Grand Hotel (1864), the West Pier (1866), and the Palace Pier (1899). Prior to either of these structures, the famous Royal Suspension Chain Pier was built, to the designs of Captain Samuel Brown. It lasted from 1823 to 1896 and
2075-521: The Royal Pavilion showing "quite a pool of water across the Steyne". Despite 16th-century writer Andrew Boorde 's claim that "Bryght-Hempston [is] among the noble ports and havens of the realm", Brighton never developed as a significant port: rather, it was considered as part of Shoreham . Nevertheless, the descriptions "Port of Brighthelmston" or "Port of Brighton" were sometimes used between
2158-410: The 14th and 19th centuries, as for example in 1766 when its notional limits were defined for customs purposes. The East Cliff runs for several miles from Pool Valley towards Rottingdean and Saltdean , reaching 24 m (80 ft) above sea level. The soil beneath it, a mixture of alluvium and clay with some flint and chalk rubble , has experienced erosion for many years. The cliff itself, like
2241-441: The 18th century. It is home to several major companies, some of which employ thousands of people locally; as a retail centre it is of regional importance; creative, digital and new media businesses are increasingly significant; and, although Brighton was never a major industrial centre, its railway works contributed to Britain's rail industry in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the manufacture of steam locomotives. Since
2324-487: The 1990s has been referred to as "Silicon Beach". By 2007, over 250 new media business had been founded in Brighton. Brandwatch is a social media monitoring company based in offices near Brighton station. Computer game design company Black Rock Studio was founded in 1998 and was taken over by Disney Interactive Studios , who closed it down in 2011. The Gamer Network, whose portfolio of websites relating to computer gaming (including Eurogamer ) and creative industries
2407-491: The 1990s. Two large headquarters buildings were vacated in quick succession when British Bookshops left in March 2011 and The Argus newspaper moved out of its headquarters in 2012—although the Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company signed a contract to move its 1,250 employees into the latter building. Brighton has a high density of businesses involved in the media sector, particularly digital or " new media ", and since
2490-577: The Brighton Town Commissioners (of which he was a member). Brighton Corporation spent £40,000 to extend it in 1897–99 to the Classical design of Brighton Borough Surveyor Francis May. Despite this, the building was too small for municipal requirements by the mid-20th century, and extra council buildings were built in locations throughout Brighton Borough Council's existence: the most recent, Bartholomew House and Priory House next to
2573-691: The British High Street but have long since vanished along with Radio Rentals. The last Baird TV models that were supplied by Radio Rentals to contain a genuine Baird (rather than a Thorn)-manufactured chassis was the dual-standard (405 and 625-line) 710 series. Legend has it that in the 1970s, Radio Rentals was the only TV rental company under the TTR umbrella who were allowed to produce full (from floor to waist) height cabinets on castors. The other companies had to use more squat cabinets placed on stands. In 1980 TTR and thus Radio Rentals became part of
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2656-540: The COVID-19 induced retail downturn, Radio Rentals announced the permanent closure of its 62 bricks-and-mortar stores and selected warehouses, continuing as a purely online business. In 2008, the Thorn Group, who operates Radio Rentals, launched Big Brown Box ; an online retailer of brown goods and consumer technology gadgets. The site later expanded to include computers and whitegoods. Thorn Group decided to offload
2739-498: The Commonwealth Department of Human Services direct debit Centrepay system. The report also stated that around half of this amount, approximately A$ 45 million, related to the purchase of entertainment items such as smart phones and televisions. Brighton Brighton ( / ˈ b r aɪ t ən / BRY -tən ) is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the city of Brighton and Hove in
2822-480: The Hundred. In its original form, Brighton parish covered about 1,640 acres (660 ha) between the English Channel, Hove, Preston, Ovingdean and Rottingdean . The borough (but not the civil parish) was first extended from 31 October 1873, when 905 acres (366 ha) was annexed from Preston civil parish. In 1894 the part outside the borough became Preston Rural civil parish and Preston civil parish continued in
2905-713: The Pool or Poole, so named since the medieval era. This was built over with houses and shops from 1793, when the Wellesbourne was culverted to prevent flooding, and only the name of the road (Pool Valley, originally Pool Lane) marks its site. One original house survives from the time of the pool's enclosure. Behind Pool Valley is Old Steine (historically The Steyne ), originally a flat and marshy area where fishermen dried their nets. The Wellesbourne occasionally reappears during times of prolonged heavy rain; author Mark Antony Lower referred to an early 19th-century drawing of
2988-579: The amalgamation of Brighton and Hove, economic and retail data has been produced at a citywide level only. Examples of statistics include: Brighton and Hove's tourism industry contributes £380m to the economy and employs 20,000 people directly or indirectly; the city has 9,600 registered companies; and a 2001 report identified it as one of five "supercities for the future". In the past couple of years tourists to Brighton and Hove have fallen in numbers. Over 2016, day visitors to Brighton and Hove dropped by an average of 2,400 per day. In August 2017, new figures for
3071-416: The areas added to the borough became part of Brighton civil parish. From 1 April 1952, more of Falmer and part of the adjacent Stanmer parish were added; 20 years later, land and marine territory associated with the new Brighton Marina development also became part of Brighton. Except for a small addition of rural land in 1993 (from Pyecombe parish), Brighton Borough's boundaries remained the same until it
3154-469: The beach at the bottom of the valley, which was partly protected from erosion by an underwater sandbar . Changes in sea level affected the foreshore several times: 40 acres (16 ha) disappeared in the first half of the 14th century, and the Great Storm of 1703 caused widespread destruction. The first sea defences were erected in 1723, and a century later a long sea wall was built. Brighton has
3237-499: The borough from Patcham parish in 1923 for the construction of the Moulsecoomb estate, and in 1928 the ward was divided into four: Hollingbury, Moulsecoomb, Preston and Preston Park. Elm Grove and Patcham wards were created at the same time, bringing the total to 19. There were further changes in 1952, 1955 and 1983, at which time there were 16 wards. This situation continued until 1 April 1997, when Hove and its wards became part of
3320-646: The borough. On 1 April 1889 Brighton became a county borough. On 1 October 1923, 94 acres (38 ha) were added to Brighton borough and to Preston civil parish from Patcham parish: Brighton Corporation was developing the Moulsecoomb estate there at the time. On 1 April 1928, Brighton civil parish was extended to include Preston civil parish. On the same date the borough grew by nearly five times by adding Ovingdean and Rottingdean parishes in their entirety and parts of Falmer , Patcham and West Blatchington; it also exchanged small parts with Hove municipal borough. All
3403-691: The business in November 2010, with the CEO, John Hughes, saying that while Thorn Group "still believes strategically in online and the potential of BigBrownBox.com.au" the company had to take a pragmatic view on the business given the group's limited resources. Big Brown Box was later purchased and relaunched by Appliances Online . In 2015, a report by Credit Suisse found that for the financial year 2014/15, A$ 90 million of Radio Rentals and RR Rentlo Reinvented Australia's total revenue of A$ 197 million came from payments made by government benefit recipients using
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3486-663: The cause of protests since 2004. The premises were significantly damaged in January 2009 when protesters broke in. In 1985, the Borough Council described three "myths" about Brighton's economy. Common beliefs were that most of the working population commuted to London every day; that tourism provided most of Brighton's jobs and income; or that the borough's residents were "composed entirely of wealthy theatricals and retired business people" rather than workers. Brighton has been an important centre for commerce and employment since
3569-646: The city of Brighton and Hove, of which 12 are in Brighton. Regency, St Peter's & North Laine, Preston Park, Withdean, Patcham, Hollingdean & Stanmer and Hanover & Elm Grove are part of the Brighton Pavilion constituency; Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, East Brighton, Woodingdean and Rottingdean Coastal are covered by the Brighton Kemptown constituency. The newly created Borough of Brighton consisted of six wards in 1854: St Nicholas, St Peter, Pier, Park, Pavilion and West. When
3652-640: The county of East Sussex , England. It is located 47 miles (76 km) south of London . Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age , Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. The ancient settlement of "Brighthelmstone" was documented in the Domesday Book (1086). The town's importance grew in the Middle Ages as the Old Town developed, but it languished in the early modern period , affected by foreign attacks, storms,
3735-463: The early 4th century AD, the Brighton area returned to the control of the native Celts. Anglo-Saxons then invaded in the late 5th century AD, and the region became part of the Kingdom of Sussex , founded in 477 AD by king Ælle . Anthony Seldon identified five phases of development in pre-20th century Brighton. The village of Bristelmestune was founded by these Anglo-Saxon invaders, probably in
3818-399: The early Saxon period. They were attracted by the easy access for boats, sheltered areas of raised land for building and better conditions compared to the damp, cold and misty Weald to the north. By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086 it was a fishing and agricultural settlement, a rent of 4,000 herring was established, and its population was about 400. By the 14th century there was
3901-417: The early part of his Regency . In this period the modern form of the name Brighton came into common use. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Preston Barracks in 1793. It was rebuilt in 1830. The population increased rapidly throughout the 19th century from 7,339 in 1801 to 46,661 in 1841, and by 1901 the population had reached more than 120,000. The arrival of
3984-604: The east towards St James's Street in Kemptown is the seventh-worst living environment in England. On 19 January 2017, Brighton council announced they were looking at certain initiatives to try to alleviate some of the increasing homelessness seen on Brighton's streets and were hoping to open the first in-house temporary housing for homeless people in the city. Homelessness figures released by Crisis in December 2018 reported
4067-413: The first part of the historic name Brighthelmstone. The town was originally split in half by the Wellesbourne , a winterbourne which was culverted and buried in the 18th century. Brighton has several nicknames. Poet Horace Smith called it "The Queen of Watering Places", which is still widely used, and "Old Ocean's Bauble". Novelist William Makepeace Thackeray referred to "Doctor Brighton", calling
4150-740: The form of new housing and commercial properties. There are two weekly flea market / bootfairs in Brighton on Sunday mornings, one at Brighton Marina on the top open-air level of the carpark, and another at Brighton Racecourse . Big Brown Box Big Brown Box was an online retailer of audio visual products, based in Sydney. An online retail site trading as Big Brown Box was launched by Thorn Group Limited (owners of brands including Radio Rentals and Rentlo) in November 2008. It offered whitegoods , small appliances, and electronic products. The site allowed customers to order goods online with Radio Rentals stores facilitating delivery and service of
4233-548: The goods. At the time, company leaders were confident of its success in the competitive online market, but made it clear they were not pursuing a discounting war strategy, and would take a "sensible and easy approach". In the same report, Thorn Group managing director, John Hughes, was quoted as saying: "Big Brown Box is really starting to gain some momentum and it is great to see a good steady increase in sales together with very positive customer feedback, particularly from those people in regional areas."Big Brown Box's eBay store
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#17327880524124316-414: The highest percentage in the entire UK. Brighton has been called the UK's " hippest city" and "the happiest place to live in the UK". The earliest attestation of Brighton's name is Bristelmestune , recorded in the Domesday Book . Although more than 40 variations have been documented, Brighthelmstone (or Brighthelmston ) was the standard rendering between the 14th and 18th centuries. "Brighton"
4399-533: The launch of 'Rentlo' in South Australia. In April 2015 Rentlo was rebranded to RR Rentlo Reinvented. Radio Rentals is a household appliance, technology and furniture rental service. Today, Radio Rentals and RR Rentlo Reinvented have more than 90 stores Australia wide and more than 500 employees. The Australian stores continued to trade under the Thorn Group, with James Marshall as the current CEO and managing director, appointed in 2014. On 23 April 2020, due to
4482-499: The market, but at first they were expensive. Only 5% of UK households had videorecorders in 1980. Radio Rentals elected to offer Baird branded JVC VHS machines from 1977 onwards. With the advent of satellite broadcasting in the 1980s Radio Rentals offered a range of equipment for rent, enabling more viewers to watch both Sky Television services and British Satellite Broadcasting services (these broadcasters later merged to form British Sky Broadcasting ). Radio Rentals also offered
4565-603: The merged Thorn EMI , and in 2000 it merged with Granada Limited to form Boxclever . The company still trades as Radio Rentals in Australia. Radio Rentals operated mainly in the UK, having started life in Boyces Street, Brighton , Sussex, England. The growth of BBC Television and then ITV after the Second World War encouraged more people to want TV sets, but they were expensive, creating an opportunity for Radio Rentals and its competitors to offer them at
4648-467: The move was in the best interest of shareholders . The strength of the Australian Dollar, leading to price deflation , aggressive price competition and softening consumer demand were also identified as reasons for the closure. The move was completed by March 2011. John Winning, CEO of white goods retailer Appliances Online , purchased the digital asset for Big Brown Box. Big Brown Box
4731-624: The new unitary authority of Brighton and Hove . Brighton Town Hall occupies a large site in the Lanes . Medieval Brighthelmston had a town hall, although it was called the Townhouse and functioned more like a market hall. A later building (1727) known as the Town Hall was principally used as a workhouse . Work on the first purpose-built town hall began in 1830; Thomas Read Kemp laid the first stone, and Thomas Cooper designed it on behalf of
4814-525: The patronage of the Prince Regent, later King George IV , who spent much time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion in the Regency era . Brighton continued to grow as a major centre of tourism following the arrival of the railways in 1841, becoming a popular destination for day-trippers from London. Many of the major attractions were built in the Victorian era , including the Grand Hotel ,
4897-496: The population profess no religion , far higher than the national average of 25 per cent. Brighton has been described as the UK's most "Godless" city. The largest religion is Christianity , with 43 per cent reporting an affiliation. The second-largest religion is Islam , with 2.2 per cent, which is lower than the national average. As part of the Jedi census phenomenon in 2001, 2.6 per cent claimed their religion
4980-424: The remarkable number of boarding, charity and church schools in the town at the time. The first settlement in the Brighton area was Whitehawk Camp , a Neolithic encampment on Whitehawk Hill which has been dated to between 3500 BC and 2700 BC. It is one of six causewayed enclosures in Sussex. Archaeologists have only partially explored it, but have found numerous burial mounds , tools and bones, suggesting it
5063-455: The rest of Brighton's soil, is chalk. Below this are thin layers of Upper and Lower Greensand separated by a thicker band of Gault clay . The land slopes upwards gradually from south to north towards the top of the Downs. Main transport links developed along the floor of the Wellesbourne valley, from which the land climbs steeply—particularly on the east side. The earliest settlement was by
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#17327880524125146-539: The seafront, first, is the North Laine area, stretching from Trafalgar Street, Kensington Gardens, Sydney Street, Gardner Street and Bond Street and is mostly pedestrianised. It is a retail, leisure and the residential area immediately north of the Lanes. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon "Laine" meaning "fields", although the misnomer "North Lanes" is often used to describe the area. The North Laine contains
5229-635: The seafront, the boundary runs up Little Western Street (pavement on eastern side, in Brighton), but it is not visible. Northwards from Western Road, it runs to the west of Norfolk Road, Norfolk Terrace, Windlesham Road and Windlesham Gardens in the Montpelier area, then along the south side of Davigdor Road to Seven Dials . From there it runs along the west side of Dyke Road as far as Withdean Road in Withdean , at which point it crosses Dyke Road so that
5312-569: The section north of that is part of Hove parish. The boundary continues to follow Dyke Road towards Devil's Dyke on the South Downs. Brighton is covered by two constituencies in the Parliament of the United Kingdom : Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven and Brighton Pavilion . In the 2024 general election , Brighton Kemptown elected Chris Ward , Labour ; Brighton Pavilion elected Siân Berry , Green Party . There are 21 wards in
5395-525: The site of his house). Others were already visiting the town for recreational purposes before Russell became famous, and his actions coincided with other developments which made Brighton more attractive to visitors. From the 1760s it was a boarding point for boats travelling to France; road transport to London was improved when the main road via Crawley was turnpiked in 1770; and spas and indoor baths were opened by other entrepreneurial physicians such as Sake Dean Mahomed and Anthony Relhan (who also wrote
5478-407: The territory was extended to include part of Preston parish in 1873, the new area became a seventh ward named Preston. The seven were split into 14 in 1894: Hanover, Kemp Town (renamed King's Cliff in 1908), Lewes Road, Montpelier, Pavilion, Pier, Preston, Preston Park, Queen's Park, Regency, St John, St Nicholas, St Peter, and West. Preston ward was extended in 1923 to incorporate the area taken into
5561-513: The top ten per cent nationally for deprivation. Although deprivation in Brighton is distributed across the city, it is more concentrated in some areas. The highest concentration is in the Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb, and Hollingbury areas but is also found around the St. James's Street and Eastern Road areas. A 2015 government statistic showed that the area around Brighton's Palace Pier roundabout and to
5644-461: The town "one of the best of Physicians". "London-by-the-Sea" is well-known, reflecting Brighton's popularity with Londoners as a day-trip resort, a commuter dormitory and a desirable destination for those wanting to move out of the metropolis. "The Queen of Slaughtering Places", a pun on Smith's description, became popular when the Brighton trunk murders came to the public's attention in the 1930s. The mid-19th-century nickname "School Town" referred to
5727-416: The town grew quickly: the population rose from c. 1,500 in 1600 to c. 4,000 in the 1640s. By that time Brighton was Sussex's most populous and important town. Over the next few decades, though, events severely affected its local and national standing, such that by 1730 "it was a forlorn town decidedly down on its luck". More foreign attacks, storms (especially the devastating Great Storm of 1703 ),
5810-556: The town hall, were finished in 1987. The town hall ceased to be responsible solely for Brighton's affairs when Brighton and Hove were united in 1997, but it is still used by Brighton & Hove City Council—particularly for weddings and civil partnerships. The presence of a British subsidiary of the United States arms company EDO Corporation on the Home Farm Industrial Estate in Moulsecoomb has been
5893-402: The town's first guidebook). From 1780, the development of the Georgian terraces had started, and the fishing village developed as the fashionable resort of Brighton. The growth of the town was further encouraged by the patronage of the Prince Regent (later King George IV ) after his first visit in 1783. He spent much of his leisure time in the town and constructed the Royal Pavilion during
5976-496: The two companies were run completely separately, with different staff and vehicles. Two other, smaller High Street TV rental companies were also acquired/established by the Thorn Television Rentals group: these being Multi-Broadcast and the even smaller company Vistavison (not to be confused with Visionhire). Very little is known today about these two rental companies: in the 1970s they were well-known names on
6059-618: The year showed Brighton's tourism had fallen by a further 1 per cent on the previous year. Brighton's largest private sector employer is American Express , whose European headquarters are at John Street. As of 2012, about 3,000 people work there. Planning permission to demolish the old Amex offices and build a replacement was granted in 2009, and work started in March 2010. Other major employers include Lloyds Bank , Legal & General , Asda (which has hypermarkets at Hollingbury and Brighton Marina ), Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company and call-centre operator Inkfish. In 2012, it
6142-493: Was 'Jedi Knight', the largest percentage in the country. In December 2021, new data released by Shelter , revealed that "one in 78 people in Brighton and Hove are homeless". The report also records the city as having the third highest rate of homelessness in England, with London claiming the top spot followed by Luton . In a previous charity report issued in November 2016, three areas in Brighton & Hove, East Brighton, Queen's Park, and Moulsecoomb & Bevendean ranked in
6225-546: Was a place of some importance. There was also a Bronze Age settlement at Coldean . Brythonic Celts arrived in Britain in the 7th century BC, and an important Brythonic settlement existed at Hollingbury Castle on Hollingbury Hill. This Celtic Iron Age encampment dates from the 3rd or 2nd century BC and is circumscribed by substantial earthwork outer walls with a diameter of c. 1,000 ft (300 m). Cissbury Ring , roughly 10 mi (16 km) from Hollingbury,
6308-499: Was built in parts of Woodingdean after the Second World War. By the 1970s, the town had acquired a reputation as a retirement destination, with an elderly population. However, this was reversed in the 1990s, as Brighton regained the fashionable status it held in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1997, the town of Brighton and its neighbouring town Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove , which
6391-541: Was founded in 1999, is based in Brighton. By the early 21st century, the market for office accommodation in the city was characterised by fluctuating demand and a lack of supply of high-quality buildings. As an example, the Trafalgar Place development ( c. 1990), "now considered a prime office location", stood partly empty for a decade. Exion 27 (built in 2001), a high-tech, energy-efficient office development at Hollingbury , remained empty for several years and
6474-488: Was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000. As of 2017 , the Brighton and Hove district, of which Brighton is the largest area, has an estimated resident population of 277,965 residents. It is ranked the 59th most populous district in England. Compared to the national average, Brighton has fewer children and old residents but a large proportion of adults aged 20–44. Brighton has long had an LGBT-friendly history . In
6557-521: Was joined to Hove Borough in 1997 to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove. The old boundary between Brighton and Hove is most clearly seen on the seafront, where the King Edward Peace Statue (1912) straddles the border, and in a twitten called Boundary Passage which runs northwards from Western Road to Montpelier Road. There is a Grade II-listed parish boundary marker stone in this passageway. Between Western Road and
6640-578: Was launched in July 2010. In November 2010, the Thorn Group announced it would exit the online venture BigBrownBox.com.au in early 2011 due to difficult trading conditions and the poor state of the retail market. A statement on the Australian Securities Exchange said the group expected minimal impact on profitability for FY11 and there was potential for far better returns from an alternative investment. John Hughes told Retailbiz
6723-451: Was originally an informal shortened form, first seen in 1660; it gradually supplanted the longer name and was in general use from the late 18th century, although Brighthelmstone remained the town's official name until 1810. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Most scholars believe that it derives from Beorthelm + tūn —the homestead of Beorthelm , a common Old English name associated with villages elsewhere in England. The tūn element
6806-615: Was provided at a bakery, a typewriter factory and a machine tools manufacturer among others. Most of the large factories closed during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, employment fell to 1,000, and structural changes started in the mid-1980s with a move towards small-scale industrial units (the Enterprise Estate was finished in October 1985) and then retail warehouses. Asda 's superstore opened in November 1987, MFI followed two years later, and other retail units were built in
6889-678: Was reported that about 1,500 of Gatwick Airport 's 21,000 workers lived in the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighton is a popular destination for conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, and has had a purpose-built conference centre—the Brighton Centre —since 1977. Direct income from the Brighton Centre's 160 events per year is £8 million, and a further £50 million is generated indirectly by visitors spending money during their stay. Events range from political party conferences to concerts. The Hollingbury Industrial Estate
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