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The south coast of England has clusters of quaint villages, queer landmarks, and welcoming locals. Here, we\u2019ve curated a guide for how to explore this lovely pocket of the UK, the GAY (TIMES) way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The obvious starting point. Many queer men were initially drawn to Brighton to visit the enormous numbers of soldiers garrisoned in the town during the Napoleonic Wars. This was the beginning of the place as a haven for the LGBTQ community, and today the city is often referred to as the LGBTQ+ capital of the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Naturally, it\u2019s an accommodating place to visit and live, with an accepting culture at large. It\u2019s also a great place for enjoying the sea, quirky independent shops, bars and eateries \u2013 many of which are clustered in The Lanes, and on Preston Street. Some of our favourites include Bincho Yakitori, The Hole in the Wall, Baby Bao, and Halisco. The new-ish Sea Lanes is also worth a visit for an outdoor pool, a whole host of health and wellness classes, and also cocktails in serene seaside surroundings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While a great place to visit at any time of the year, Brighton Pride attracts around half a million people across the weekend, this year\u2019s Pride takes place on August 2 and 3, which makes for a fun if busy time to check out what the city has to offer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For a Pride-esque feeling outside of that weekend, Centre Stage is an ideal place to visit. Open seven days a week, the LGTBQ+ cabaret and show venue is the heart of Brighton\u2019s \u201cgay village\u201d and general queer offerings \u2013 they do Sunday Roasts from 12-4 on Sundays also!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Kemptown, however, is the heart of Brighton\u2019s LGBTQIA+ community. Just east of the city centre, the area has a relaxed community feel, making it an ideal place to stay and a relaxing area to feel home in when you\u2019re feeling less inclined to be in the city proper. We\u2019d recommend the gorgeous Drakes Hotel, a four-star boutique right on the seafront in a pair of Regency townhouses. It\u2019s as good as it sounds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Brighton does have steep hills, but most of the things to explore are among the relatively flat seafront. The train station connects you to London, and is fairly central, though up a hill from the seafront.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to lovely south coast places to visit, Brighton does a good job of projecting a pavilion-shaped shadow over most other places. Hastings is well worth visiting though, and we\u2019re here to shed some light on why.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hastings is full of creative talent, it seems to be a place where many have flocked for a more peaceful time of things, and the space to simply make the things they want to make. Consequently, the place is a dream for window browsing, and generally has a lot of well-preserved beauty to admire, whether it\u2019s in the pubs (especially First Inn Last Out) or the exterior of old houses (including those opposite said pub).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hastings has two areas really, old town and \u2026 (well) new town but both are very charming. Trinity Street is the cute hub of the not old town, and is home to Stooge Coffee which is both a specialty coffee shop and a ramen restaurant, the beautiful homeware store Dyke & Dean, and bar\/venue The Printworks. There\u2019s often food markets, and a variety of independent shops to spend time browsing and discovering too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the more blatantly queer front, Hastings Queer History Collective is well worth your time. The group of dedicated volunteers formed in 2020, and is committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing the queer history of Hastings and the surrounding area. You can learn more about visiting <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n And for real tourist musts, there\u2019s the pier, Hastings Castle, Hastings Contemporary, and East Cliff Railway. They promise a variety of very gorgeous visual treats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hastings House B&B would be our pick. There\u2019s seaside views, calm and luxury decor. It\u2019s an ideal place to weather a storm, or to enjoy a coffee overlooking a beautiful sunny day on sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hastings is quite a sleepy spot, and most places aren\u2019t open early in the week. It\u2019s one to visit for a long weekend, for sure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Given the rickety old vibe of the place, some roads are narrow, and there are a few hills, but generally Hastings and its train station are accessible to get to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBrighton<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Essential for: those who like some seaside with their queer city (so everyone really\u2026)\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
To play<\/b><\/h4>\n
To stay<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
Accessibility<\/b><\/h4>\n
Hastings\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Essential for: <\/b>bougie trinket hoarders, relocating away from city life forever with your tiny impractical gorgeous dog\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
To play\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
To stay\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
Visiting Times <\/b><\/h4>\n
Accessibility <\/b><\/h4>\n
Dungeness <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Essential for:<\/b> the artist in you, feeling very profound feelings\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n