I am home for the first time in two weeks having returned early evening Wednesday January 2013. It is Saturday afternoon as I watch Newcastle on their way to losing the FA third round tie to Brighton for the second year in succession, 1.0 down and with ten men on the field.
While this is a piece about my Christmas visit to Shoreham by the Sea and Brighton my priority is to ensure that my sleeping with the Apnoea treatment machine is more productive than recently despite maintaining a 7.3- 7-5 average a night. However I did fall asleep while watching the opening of the Hobbit and did not feel as fresh as expected on several days. The problem may have been the need to change the air filter where I forgot to bring the replacements and the different environments and absence of routine. The position has been good since return.
The second priority has been exercise to help weight reduction and improve fitness. The Wii Keep Fit coach commented that I had been absent for two weeks and the first day Was a struggle but the yesterday and today has been good. I have ordered the Wii sports disk having tried golf, boxing with an opponent who I knocked out three times and indoor bowling at which I was poor. However these games will be an addition to the current programme as I want to extend sessions of indoor activity to one hour.
I was encouraged while away with the scales showing half a stone less than anticipated but this I put down to the scales although despite some good eating which I shall report over the next two pieces I showed a small reduction on return which has been maintained and if anything improved.
I am going to undertake some catch up writing over the next few days and then concentrate on the artwork programme once more until March when I have three visits, two to the Midlands and one to London
The clothes were washed on return with two drying cycles but there is still some iron to do, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps Monday! I booked a seat for the Metropolitan Opera relay of Les Troyans later today at 5 and for the first performance of Les Misérables on the 11th at 11am.The outside plants have been watered noting the emergence of twelve Hyacinths bulbs which have been transferred to the outside window ledge. I have also sorted out the finances. Say no more, and replaced black ink cartridges having found I had purchased the wrong ones before setting off on the Christmas trip, There was no problem replacing them including the one where I had opened the pack before realising the mistake from the local shop where I am well known..
The walk into town was enlightening with the pub closest offering a sale with fish and chips at £2.45 and Sunday roast and sweet for £5.45, given some of the meals purchased while away including fish and chips, albeit hand cut chips for during my stay at the small but extraordinary town of Shoreham by the Sea over the Christmas period. The sales in South Shields are offering 50% reductions
Shoreham by the Sea is a town of under 20000 people, (2011 yet to become available) tends to overshadowed by neighbouring Brighton and Hove, Worthing and Littlehampton which forms one seaside conurbation along the south coast with some half million people. Yet in some ways it provides one of the best examples of quintessential England. It does have a seaside,
Shoreham Beach but is located in a separate area outside the town centre over the river Adur and across from the important port. The Seaside area is fashionable providing a home for the broadcasters Chris Evans and Mike Mendoza and former Spurs player Mel Hopkins and in fact a large number than average of personalities were born in the town or have become associated with the area, particularly writers, artists, musicians, photographers and professional sport including Leo Sayer, the band Absent Elk.Phyillis Peasall, Chris Bennett, Judy Upton, Ted Walker Marcus Tudgay Gemma Spotfirth.
The Trotskyite Irish writer Brian Behan lived in the town before moving to Brighton and to his credit he came to recognise what a dangerous man the Socialist Labour League head and Fourth International Committee Founder Gerry Healey became in terms of his destructive subversive impact on British Industry and associated trade unionism. (I have written about this before hence the repeated references whenever I get the opportunity but is mentioned for it is counter everything that Shoreham has been and remains)
Most people passing along the main coast road will only tend to note Shoreham as a large and important commercial port recorded by the Romans as Portus Adurni. According to one source the name Shoreham came into common use after the Saxon invasion in the fifth century AD. In Norman times, Shoreham was said to import wine and export wool and remained the greatest port on the south coast for almost three centuries. Trade expanded after King John landed at the port with a large army in 1199 and by the beginning of the 13th century, the port had become a Royal Arsenal.
In 1346 Shoreham supplied 26 warships for Edward III to fight against the French in battle and ships continued to be built at Shoreham Port until the mid-20th century.
King Charles II left from Shoreham port in 1651 when he made his great escape from Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads, fleeing to Fecamp in France after paying Nicholas Tattersell £60 to cross the Channel aboard his ship the ‘Surprise’. Shoreham Harbour (and later, Port) Authority was established as a trust by Act of Parliament in 1760 when the Harbour Commissioners met for the first time. The Act allowed a new harbour entrance to be built to overcome the problem of shingle blocking the old one. However the new entrance was built poorly and began to build up with shingle like its predecessor after only a couple of years. In 1816 a new Harbour Act allowed for the construction of an improved entrance at Kingston Buci in the location of the present day entrance.
During the second half of the 19th and for much of the 20th centuries trade flourished as first a coal gas production works and later two coal-fired power stations were built on the south side of the impounded basin, the Canal, together with new locks and harbour entrance breakwaters. However, as with many businesses the late 1980s and early 1990s were not kind to the port. The closure of the second power station in 1989 meant that coal was no longer imported in large quantities hit the port fairly hard.
However, in 1996 a change of management precipitated a new approach to the running of the Port, concentrating on the import and export of bulk cargoes such as aggregates, timber, steel, grain, oil and biomass. Shoreham has also developed as a major fishing port. Today, Shoreham Port boasts a first class suite of services and facilities meeting the needs of all port users including: 2,000 square metres of covered transit warehousing; Paved open storage areas in excess of 25 hectares; A bulk-handling terminal; A 50 metre long dry dock facility, and a range of maritime services including hydrographic survey, towage, diving inspections etc. Tenant companies operating at the Port include Tarmac Aggregates, Cemex, Arcelor Mittal, Stobart Biomass, Ahlmark Shipping, Parker Steel, Dudman Aggregates, and Valero Oil. Together with the number of out of town warehouse style stores and firms on the other side of the coast road it is not picturesque and therefore the casual visitor is likely not to stop to visit two of the oldest churches in the town or enjoy a meal at one of several quality restaurants.
I have written before that I am not a religious person in terms of the main religious belief systems and have major objections to organised religions in the way they have become political and state weapons, especially the absurd Church of England created by a fornicating murderous monarch with no redeeming characteristics and where we now have the ludicrous position with a woman as its official head but rejects women holding the position of Bishops. The Church of England also underpins the aristocracy in general and in the past white supremacy having allied itself to slavery, colonization, war and to capitalism all things which its the supporter of its Christian founder are reported to have said he condemned. While listening to the radio, Five Live, Friday afternoon film reviews, the news reported that homosexual men can become bishops if they are celibate which I find an absurd compromise.
So going to a Church of England service albeit a Christmas Carol service was a challenge, especially some of the aspects of the Christmas story which the C of E and other faiths now admit is in part a fairy story produced at a time to help the conversion of the uneducated from many cultures and tongues into adherents. My first visit was on Sunday evening to the now Anglican Church of St Nicolas, on a site of a building going back to the 5th century AD and founded by AngloSaxons in the 10th century, with additions in the 12 and 14 centuries followed by Victorian era restoration. The Church as the unusual aspect of two aisles facing the small central area with its altar and services as he parish church along with its larger neighbour in the Town centre known as the Town Church and both with the same Priest in charge The Reverend Ann Waizenenker.
It was an interesting juxtaposition that earlier in the day I had lunch in Brighton at the Japanese style restaurant chain of Wagamama where unlike in the UK the complex amalgamation of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism is reported to be followed by over 80% of the population with some estimating the figures as high as 96 %. Whereas in England there has been a reduction from 71.7 to 59.4% over the past decade with those declaring they posses no religious affiliation rising from 14.6 to 24.7%.
Given a choice of ethnic style restaurants Japanese follows French, Italian, Chinese, Indian. Spanish and Thai but precedes American USA although in practice my weekly diet covers a Thai sauce stir fry, an Indian curry, Italian Salami and Olives, and a pizza. This year I decided against buying in Spanish Turron and Spanish sweets, although I use dried figs on a regular basis and occasionally Greek Feta cheese and Greek black Olives. At Brighton Wagamama I enjoyed a Chicken tama rice main course -grilled chicken breast stir-fried with courgettes, mushroom, red and spring onions in an oyster, ginger, garlic and wine sauce. served on sticky white rice £8,45 and shared in side dishes of Pork ribs in barbecue sauce £6,45, Gyoza (steamed chicken and veg dumplings) £5.40, and negima yakitori (grilled chicken and spring onion skewers) £5.70. On top of this parking was £13 although included a shopping visit.
On the following day the order was reversed with attending the afternoon service at the extraordinary church of St Mary De Haura .My information is that it was founded at the end of the 11th century as a large cruciform church which, due to its original scale, has been described as a collegiate church—a reflection of the port of Shoreham's importance at the time. The former east end of that building survives to form the present church, and much 12th-century work remains, however the larger area which I was shown on the visit was destroyed through failure to maintain so that one wing on what would have been four remains, but is still a large building and functions as the church for major religious and social events, as well as serving its small town-centre parish. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.
As a measure of the importance of the service in the town calendar tickets enabled parishioners to get good seats in he central aisles but required queuing for up to an hour before the doors were opened to ensure placement and fortunate the weather was dry but chill. There was also reserved seating at the very front. Part of the reason why the rest of the church quickly filled with some standing at the back reminding of Christmas midnight mass of my Catholic childhood at St Elphege Wallington was because of the special choir drawn from St Mary’s and St Nicolas plus local singers of quality under the musical direction of Stuart Hutchinson( also organist). Barbara Sealy for Musical arrangements and the professional organist John March, whose playing before and after the service drew applause especially the Pastoral Symphony from the Messiah. Another of the five pieces of music noted was the Carillon de Westminster by Louis Vierne.
The service opened with O Little Town of Bethlehem in which the choir sang descant. After which there was the opening Prayer and Lord’s Prayer. The first reading was Genesis 3 8-15. The Choir sang a 15th century carol adapted by Peter Warlock. Followed by God Rest You Merry Gentlemen.. The second reading was from St Luke 1 26-38a with a Choir carol Joys Seven arranged by the Musical Director followed by the hymn Angels from the realms of glory.
The third reading was from St Matthew 1 18 to end and he Choir carol As Joseph was a walking Richard Terry, followed by I saw three ships. The fourth reading was from St Luke 2 1-7. With the choir singing the Holly and the Ivy and the Hymn In the Bleak midwinter then the choir once more The Truth from above. The Fifth reading St Luke 2 8-20 with the choir Oh leave you sheep and the hymn Nowell. The sixth reading St Matthew 2 1-12 with the Choir singing Starry night followed by We three Kings. The seventh and final reading was St John 1 1-14 with Elgar’s I sing the birth and after prayers His Praises We’ll sing followed by O come all ye faithful and the choir ended the service with Gaudete and the congregation Hark the Herald. The final piece of music was Symphony number 1 by Louis Vierne.
The plated collection was for the Worthing churches Homeless Project and the St Mary and St Nicholas Church school and which I would be surprise if each benefited by at least one thousand pounds. The cost of the service was met from other sources. The point needs to be made that the service was of the same order at that experienced at Durham Cathedral and witness on TV from other Cathedral at a regional and national level. One does not have to be religious to appreciate,
Afterwards an attempt was made to revisit La Galleria in East Street, having visited before and impressed with this intimate authentic Italian restaurant but was not surprised to find it booked out with a 90 minute wait for a table and which by good fortune meant being able to visit Brio, an Italian family run restaurant in Brunswick Road, where there was plenty of room.
I had a large glass of Volpicella £5.45 while waiting for a delicious Ravioli al granchio allo zafferano £9.95 where the pasta was filled with crab and cheese in a saffron and cream sauce. I savoured each morsel and would have enjoyed twice as much. Unfortunately the chosen pudding special is not listed on site and comprised a warm concoction with a side dish of home made ice cream which was extraordinary and one of a dozen choices I wanted to taste at £5.50. I ended the meal with a white coffee although I added little of the milk.
There are 23 places to chose to eat out in the area and on Boxing Day many were open and booked but a place was secured at Chambers Bistro in the Old Town Hall and former Custom’s House on the basis of vacating in 75 minutes which provided for a glass of wine, a main course and coffee although a pudding would have been possible. The bistro is highly regarded by visitors recording their impressions on the Trip Advisor and although pricey on eh day it offers an exceptionally value one to three course special menu 12 to 3 and 6 to 10 £7 to £13 and which I will partake on my next visit if they continue with a starter of half a pint of shell on prawns. A main course of coq au vin with buttered new potatoes followed by a carrot cake with orange and mascarpone icing or Tiramisu. On the day I enjoyed and Italian Merlot Castelbello del Veneto £ 5.45 and line caught Haddock in Harvey’s beer batter, hand cut chips £10.95 plus a shared side order of petite pois and a house made Tartare sauce followed by a neat Americano.
There was roast duck on Christmas Day and an excellent home made Christmas cake with lots other goodies including a new treat of peppered nuts. Before leaving there was a midday visit to Brighton Marina where there is free parking for a Cineworld showing of the Hobbit followed by a meal at Nando’s. Brighton Marina was created between 1971 and 1979 and has the look of a compromise which in fairness there were plans for extensive modernization and development rejected by the local authority with an alliance of the Conservatives and Greens. The result is a mismatch of style and buildings. The present supermarket has no cafe with the only choice for a cuppa appeared to be McDonalds and a Wetherspoons although there is also a Subway and a coffee shop listed. Admittedly on a drizzly day in Winter is not the best time to make a judgements but I came away with the impression of an unattractive mess compared to developments I know in France and Gibraltar.
I did not enjoy the Hobbit because the seats and seating layout was old fashioned so that when a tall man sat upright throughout in from of me part of the screen was blocked out. I will view the film in cinema again and then comment after finishing the reading of the story as one of my Christmas gifts. I enjoyed more the visit to Nando’s based on the Portuguese flamed grilled Peri Peri chicken where you are invited to chose from plain, Lemon Grass, medium hot and hot. I had a quarter chicken medium hot with chips and coleslaw which was good rather than outstanding. As soon as I saw the Mediterranean salad of one companion I knew I had made a mistake as the large bowl contained large olives and Feta cheese celery and cucumber as well as splashed with olive oil and garlic with the chicken peri peri to taste. As the companion found the mixture too seasoned and hot I was able to make short time of the cheese, the Olives and much else.
Before leaving Shoreham I visited the huge Marks and Spencer’s on the road on a site with a supermarket and McDonald’s plus a garage in the midst of what can be described as the residential new Shoreham sandwiched between the Coast the Old Town and the A 27 dual carriage way. I purchased two pack packs of four single coloured handkerchiefs using part of a Christmas gift card.
When visiting Worthing several year before I found a traditional jazz playing in a square on a Sunday morning and then found they played gigs at the Shoreham Airport Restaurant and bar part of the outstanding Art Deco building which is worth a visit yet to be made. The now private airport is supported by the restaurant which include 20 piece big band nights which are free to attend, passing the hat round with free entry after the food closes at 17.30. A visit here and to the Chambers restaurant is a must for the future.
Another aspect of the town worth mentioning is that the most expensive of roads of private housing leads from the station with its level crossing and view of Brio and Galleria and where the station takes commuters into London as well as Brighton and other coastal towns. There is also a bus service from Brighton to Portsmouth along the coast road. all of which makes Shoreham an exceptional small town where in the High Street and there was no sign of the economic destruction by the coalition of South Shields town centre. It was back to the Midlands for the New Year
While this is a piece about my Christmas visit to Shoreham by the Sea and Brighton my priority is to ensure that my sleeping with the Apnoea treatment machine is more productive than recently despite maintaining a 7.3- 7-5 average a night. However I did fall asleep while watching the opening of the Hobbit and did not feel as fresh as expected on several days. The problem may have been the need to change the air filter where I forgot to bring the replacements and the different environments and absence of routine. The position has been good since return.
The second priority has been exercise to help weight reduction and improve fitness. The Wii Keep Fit coach commented that I had been absent for two weeks and the first day Was a struggle but the yesterday and today has been good. I have ordered the Wii sports disk having tried golf, boxing with an opponent who I knocked out three times and indoor bowling at which I was poor. However these games will be an addition to the current programme as I want to extend sessions of indoor activity to one hour.
I was encouraged while away with the scales showing half a stone less than anticipated but this I put down to the scales although despite some good eating which I shall report over the next two pieces I showed a small reduction on return which has been maintained and if anything improved.
I am going to undertake some catch up writing over the next few days and then concentrate on the artwork programme once more until March when I have three visits, two to the Midlands and one to London
The clothes were washed on return with two drying cycles but there is still some iron to do, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps Monday! I booked a seat for the Metropolitan Opera relay of Les Troyans later today at 5 and for the first performance of Les Misérables on the 11th at 11am.The outside plants have been watered noting the emergence of twelve Hyacinths bulbs which have been transferred to the outside window ledge. I have also sorted out the finances. Say no more, and replaced black ink cartridges having found I had purchased the wrong ones before setting off on the Christmas trip, There was no problem replacing them including the one where I had opened the pack before realising the mistake from the local shop where I am well known..
The walk into town was enlightening with the pub closest offering a sale with fish and chips at £2.45 and Sunday roast and sweet for £5.45, given some of the meals purchased while away including fish and chips, albeit hand cut chips for during my stay at the small but extraordinary town of Shoreham by the Sea over the Christmas period. The sales in South Shields are offering 50% reductions
Shoreham by the Sea is a town of under 20000 people, (2011 yet to become available) tends to overshadowed by neighbouring Brighton and Hove, Worthing and Littlehampton which forms one seaside conurbation along the south coast with some half million people. Yet in some ways it provides one of the best examples of quintessential England. It does have a seaside,
Shoreham Beach but is located in a separate area outside the town centre over the river Adur and across from the important port. The Seaside area is fashionable providing a home for the broadcasters Chris Evans and Mike Mendoza and former Spurs player Mel Hopkins and in fact a large number than average of personalities were born in the town or have become associated with the area, particularly writers, artists, musicians, photographers and professional sport including Leo Sayer, the band Absent Elk.Phyillis Peasall, Chris Bennett, Judy Upton, Ted Walker Marcus Tudgay Gemma Spotfirth.
The Trotskyite Irish writer Brian Behan lived in the town before moving to Brighton and to his credit he came to recognise what a dangerous man the Socialist Labour League head and Fourth International Committee Founder Gerry Healey became in terms of his destructive subversive impact on British Industry and associated trade unionism. (I have written about this before hence the repeated references whenever I get the opportunity but is mentioned for it is counter everything that Shoreham has been and remains)
Most people passing along the main coast road will only tend to note Shoreham as a large and important commercial port recorded by the Romans as Portus Adurni. According to one source the name Shoreham came into common use after the Saxon invasion in the fifth century AD. In Norman times, Shoreham was said to import wine and export wool and remained the greatest port on the south coast for almost three centuries. Trade expanded after King John landed at the port with a large army in 1199 and by the beginning of the 13th century, the port had become a Royal Arsenal.
In 1346 Shoreham supplied 26 warships for Edward III to fight against the French in battle and ships continued to be built at Shoreham Port until the mid-20th century.
King Charles II left from Shoreham port in 1651 when he made his great escape from Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads, fleeing to Fecamp in France after paying Nicholas Tattersell £60 to cross the Channel aboard his ship the ‘Surprise’. Shoreham Harbour (and later, Port) Authority was established as a trust by Act of Parliament in 1760 when the Harbour Commissioners met for the first time. The Act allowed a new harbour entrance to be built to overcome the problem of shingle blocking the old one. However the new entrance was built poorly and began to build up with shingle like its predecessor after only a couple of years. In 1816 a new Harbour Act allowed for the construction of an improved entrance at Kingston Buci in the location of the present day entrance.
During the second half of the 19th and for much of the 20th centuries trade flourished as first a coal gas production works and later two coal-fired power stations were built on the south side of the impounded basin, the Canal, together with new locks and harbour entrance breakwaters. However, as with many businesses the late 1980s and early 1990s were not kind to the port. The closure of the second power station in 1989 meant that coal was no longer imported in large quantities hit the port fairly hard.
However, in 1996 a change of management precipitated a new approach to the running of the Port, concentrating on the import and export of bulk cargoes such as aggregates, timber, steel, grain, oil and biomass. Shoreham has also developed as a major fishing port. Today, Shoreham Port boasts a first class suite of services and facilities meeting the needs of all port users including: 2,000 square metres of covered transit warehousing; Paved open storage areas in excess of 25 hectares; A bulk-handling terminal; A 50 metre long dry dock facility, and a range of maritime services including hydrographic survey, towage, diving inspections etc. Tenant companies operating at the Port include Tarmac Aggregates, Cemex, Arcelor Mittal, Stobart Biomass, Ahlmark Shipping, Parker Steel, Dudman Aggregates, and Valero Oil. Together with the number of out of town warehouse style stores and firms on the other side of the coast road it is not picturesque and therefore the casual visitor is likely not to stop to visit two of the oldest churches in the town or enjoy a meal at one of several quality restaurants.
I have written before that I am not a religious person in terms of the main religious belief systems and have major objections to organised religions in the way they have become political and state weapons, especially the absurd Church of England created by a fornicating murderous monarch with no redeeming characteristics and where we now have the ludicrous position with a woman as its official head but rejects women holding the position of Bishops. The Church of England also underpins the aristocracy in general and in the past white supremacy having allied itself to slavery, colonization, war and to capitalism all things which its the supporter of its Christian founder are reported to have said he condemned. While listening to the radio, Five Live, Friday afternoon film reviews, the news reported that homosexual men can become bishops if they are celibate which I find an absurd compromise.
So going to a Church of England service albeit a Christmas Carol service was a challenge, especially some of the aspects of the Christmas story which the C of E and other faiths now admit is in part a fairy story produced at a time to help the conversion of the uneducated from many cultures and tongues into adherents. My first visit was on Sunday evening to the now Anglican Church of St Nicolas, on a site of a building going back to the 5th century AD and founded by AngloSaxons in the 10th century, with additions in the 12 and 14 centuries followed by Victorian era restoration. The Church as the unusual aspect of two aisles facing the small central area with its altar and services as he parish church along with its larger neighbour in the Town centre known as the Town Church and both with the same Priest in charge The Reverend Ann Waizenenker.
It was an interesting juxtaposition that earlier in the day I had lunch in Brighton at the Japanese style restaurant chain of Wagamama where unlike in the UK the complex amalgamation of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism is reported to be followed by over 80% of the population with some estimating the figures as high as 96 %. Whereas in England there has been a reduction from 71.7 to 59.4% over the past decade with those declaring they posses no religious affiliation rising from 14.6 to 24.7%.
Given a choice of ethnic style restaurants Japanese follows French, Italian, Chinese, Indian. Spanish and Thai but precedes American USA although in practice my weekly diet covers a Thai sauce stir fry, an Indian curry, Italian Salami and Olives, and a pizza. This year I decided against buying in Spanish Turron and Spanish sweets, although I use dried figs on a regular basis and occasionally Greek Feta cheese and Greek black Olives. At Brighton Wagamama I enjoyed a Chicken tama rice main course -grilled chicken breast stir-fried with courgettes, mushroom, red and spring onions in an oyster, ginger, garlic and wine sauce. served on sticky white rice £8,45 and shared in side dishes of Pork ribs in barbecue sauce £6,45, Gyoza (steamed chicken and veg dumplings) £5.40, and negima yakitori (grilled chicken and spring onion skewers) £5.70. On top of this parking was £13 although included a shopping visit.
On the following day the order was reversed with attending the afternoon service at the extraordinary church of St Mary De Haura .My information is that it was founded at the end of the 11th century as a large cruciform church which, due to its original scale, has been described as a collegiate church—a reflection of the port of Shoreham's importance at the time. The former east end of that building survives to form the present church, and much 12th-century work remains, however the larger area which I was shown on the visit was destroyed through failure to maintain so that one wing on what would have been four remains, but is still a large building and functions as the church for major religious and social events, as well as serving its small town-centre parish. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.
As a measure of the importance of the service in the town calendar tickets enabled parishioners to get good seats in he central aisles but required queuing for up to an hour before the doors were opened to ensure placement and fortunate the weather was dry but chill. There was also reserved seating at the very front. Part of the reason why the rest of the church quickly filled with some standing at the back reminding of Christmas midnight mass of my Catholic childhood at St Elphege Wallington was because of the special choir drawn from St Mary’s and St Nicolas plus local singers of quality under the musical direction of Stuart Hutchinson( also organist). Barbara Sealy for Musical arrangements and the professional organist John March, whose playing before and after the service drew applause especially the Pastoral Symphony from the Messiah. Another of the five pieces of music noted was the Carillon de Westminster by Louis Vierne.
The service opened with O Little Town of Bethlehem in which the choir sang descant. After which there was the opening Prayer and Lord’s Prayer. The first reading was Genesis 3 8-15. The Choir sang a 15th century carol adapted by Peter Warlock. Followed by God Rest You Merry Gentlemen.. The second reading was from St Luke 1 26-38a with a Choir carol Joys Seven arranged by the Musical Director followed by the hymn Angels from the realms of glory.
The third reading was from St Matthew 1 18 to end and he Choir carol As Joseph was a walking Richard Terry, followed by I saw three ships. The fourth reading was from St Luke 2 1-7. With the choir singing the Holly and the Ivy and the Hymn In the Bleak midwinter then the choir once more The Truth from above. The Fifth reading St Luke 2 8-20 with the choir Oh leave you sheep and the hymn Nowell. The sixth reading St Matthew 2 1-12 with the Choir singing Starry night followed by We three Kings. The seventh and final reading was St John 1 1-14 with Elgar’s I sing the birth and after prayers His Praises We’ll sing followed by O come all ye faithful and the choir ended the service with Gaudete and the congregation Hark the Herald. The final piece of music was Symphony number 1 by Louis Vierne.
The plated collection was for the Worthing churches Homeless Project and the St Mary and St Nicholas Church school and which I would be surprise if each benefited by at least one thousand pounds. The cost of the service was met from other sources. The point needs to be made that the service was of the same order at that experienced at Durham Cathedral and witness on TV from other Cathedral at a regional and national level. One does not have to be religious to appreciate,
Afterwards an attempt was made to revisit La Galleria in East Street, having visited before and impressed with this intimate authentic Italian restaurant but was not surprised to find it booked out with a 90 minute wait for a table and which by good fortune meant being able to visit Brio, an Italian family run restaurant in Brunswick Road, where there was plenty of room.
I had a large glass of Volpicella £5.45 while waiting for a delicious Ravioli al granchio allo zafferano £9.95 where the pasta was filled with crab and cheese in a saffron and cream sauce. I savoured each morsel and would have enjoyed twice as much. Unfortunately the chosen pudding special is not listed on site and comprised a warm concoction with a side dish of home made ice cream which was extraordinary and one of a dozen choices I wanted to taste at £5.50. I ended the meal with a white coffee although I added little of the milk.
There are 23 places to chose to eat out in the area and on Boxing Day many were open and booked but a place was secured at Chambers Bistro in the Old Town Hall and former Custom’s House on the basis of vacating in 75 minutes which provided for a glass of wine, a main course and coffee although a pudding would have been possible. The bistro is highly regarded by visitors recording their impressions on the Trip Advisor and although pricey on eh day it offers an exceptionally value one to three course special menu 12 to 3 and 6 to 10 £7 to £13 and which I will partake on my next visit if they continue with a starter of half a pint of shell on prawns. A main course of coq au vin with buttered new potatoes followed by a carrot cake with orange and mascarpone icing or Tiramisu. On the day I enjoyed and Italian Merlot Castelbello del Veneto £ 5.45 and line caught Haddock in Harvey’s beer batter, hand cut chips £10.95 plus a shared side order of petite pois and a house made Tartare sauce followed by a neat Americano.
There was roast duck on Christmas Day and an excellent home made Christmas cake with lots other goodies including a new treat of peppered nuts. Before leaving there was a midday visit to Brighton Marina where there is free parking for a Cineworld showing of the Hobbit followed by a meal at Nando’s. Brighton Marina was created between 1971 and 1979 and has the look of a compromise which in fairness there were plans for extensive modernization and development rejected by the local authority with an alliance of the Conservatives and Greens. The result is a mismatch of style and buildings. The present supermarket has no cafe with the only choice for a cuppa appeared to be McDonalds and a Wetherspoons although there is also a Subway and a coffee shop listed. Admittedly on a drizzly day in Winter is not the best time to make a judgements but I came away with the impression of an unattractive mess compared to developments I know in France and Gibraltar.
I did not enjoy the Hobbit because the seats and seating layout was old fashioned so that when a tall man sat upright throughout in from of me part of the screen was blocked out. I will view the film in cinema again and then comment after finishing the reading of the story as one of my Christmas gifts. I enjoyed more the visit to Nando’s based on the Portuguese flamed grilled Peri Peri chicken where you are invited to chose from plain, Lemon Grass, medium hot and hot. I had a quarter chicken medium hot with chips and coleslaw which was good rather than outstanding. As soon as I saw the Mediterranean salad of one companion I knew I had made a mistake as the large bowl contained large olives and Feta cheese celery and cucumber as well as splashed with olive oil and garlic with the chicken peri peri to taste. As the companion found the mixture too seasoned and hot I was able to make short time of the cheese, the Olives and much else.
Before leaving Shoreham I visited the huge Marks and Spencer’s on the road on a site with a supermarket and McDonald’s plus a garage in the midst of what can be described as the residential new Shoreham sandwiched between the Coast the Old Town and the A 27 dual carriage way. I purchased two pack packs of four single coloured handkerchiefs using part of a Christmas gift card.
When visiting Worthing several year before I found a traditional jazz playing in a square on a Sunday morning and then found they played gigs at the Shoreham Airport Restaurant and bar part of the outstanding Art Deco building which is worth a visit yet to be made. The now private airport is supported by the restaurant which include 20 piece big band nights which are free to attend, passing the hat round with free entry after the food closes at 17.30. A visit here and to the Chambers restaurant is a must for the future.
Another aspect of the town worth mentioning is that the most expensive of roads of private housing leads from the station with its level crossing and view of Brio and Galleria and where the station takes commuters into London as well as Brighton and other coastal towns. There is also a bus service from Brighton to Portsmouth along the coast road. all of which makes Shoreham an exceptional small town where in the High Street and there was no sign of the economic destruction by the coalition of South Shields town centre. It was back to the Midlands for the New Year
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