Yeah, I know what people are saying:

“He’s always banging on about car boot sales”

But what of it – I am a fan!  We all know that!  I highly advocate other people selling their tat to me at knock down superstore prices.  In fact, that’s how I can afford to buy things, without boot sales and charity shops – I would be scuppered!

Anyway, in my previous posts: Brighton’s Sunday Market is moving! & Brighton Car Boot Sale / Sunday Market…The Facts I have shared various pieces of invaluable information about Brighton’s best market, but I thought it was about time for some more interesting images.

So here is a little photo story from a recent visit to the sale, which reflects some of the variety of brilliant items one can find.

Enjoy and go visit yourself (details of where, when and how here).

TECH INFO – All shot on Nikon FG-20 on Kodak Royal Supra 200 film.

A short while back – I got obsessed with reading George Orwell. The man is no doubt a genius – both his novels and essays are outstanding work.

Two passages really stuck with me, both during and after the Orwell-fest and I have wanted to share them for some time. However, I could not be bothered to type them all out until now.

The reasons being as follows:

Market Today Inside Mans Belly

1) I have been interested in starting a project that involves some form of comment on social position and British society – particularly how democratic our state is and where we might want to look at making changes.

2) The other week, we watched Che part 1 and 2. Lovely stuff – really powerful films, principally because Che is a very interesting chap indeed. Watching them lead onto a search to buy some of Che Guevara’s writings, and a lot of thinking has ensued since learning more about his life and political views. Namely – do we need our own revolution. Not in a Cuba style of course, but a revolution none the less against capitalism and the power of the state over the individual. This seemed to tie in with my Orwell-fest thinking.

3) I was at Brighton Marina the other day, utilising Asda’s facilities (without putting any money in their massive coffers of course) and I took the image shown above. This made me think about points 1 & 2 above leading to a new more exciting point 3! This final point is still not fully formed and is being gently caressed in a sketch book into the start of a new project.

DO WE NEED A REVOLUTION

So, with these three points rattling in my mind, and feeling a photographic project about a British revolution is approaching, I felt the time was Nigh to recount the wise words that Mr Orwell chatted, that struck a cord with my own thinking. So here goes…first passage is from 1984 and the second, from Down and Out in Paris & London. They are quite long, but I bothered to type them out, so you can ruddy well take the time to read them!!!

Incidentally, if you have not read either book – do it immediately. Especially Down & Out, which, is probably one of the best books my eyes have ever graced.

Behold the words of wisdom:

DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS & LONDON

It is worth saying something about the social position of beggars, for
when one has consorted with them, and found that they are ordinary human
beings, one cannot help being struck by the curious attitude that society
takes towards them. People seem to feel that there is some essential
difference between beggars and ordinary ‘working’ men. They are a race
apart–outcasts, like criminals and prostitutes. Working men ‘work’,
beggars do not ‘work’; they are parasites, worthless in their very nature.
It is taken for granted that a beggar does not ‘earn’ his living, as a
bricklayer or a literary critic ‘earns’ his. He is a mere social
excrescence, tolerated because we live in a humane age, but essentially
despicable.

Yet if one looks closely one sees that there is no ESSENTIAL
difference between a beggar’s livelihood and that of numberless respectable
people. Beggars do not work, it is said; but, then, what is WORK? A navvy
works by swinging a pick. An accountant works by adding up figures. A
beggar works by standing out of doors in all weathers and getting varicose
veins, chronic bronchitis, etc. It is a trade like any other; quite
useless, of course–but, then, many reputable trades are quite useless.
And as a social type a beggar compares well with scores of others. He is
honest compared with the sellers of most patent medicines, high-minded
compared with a Sunday newspaper proprietor, amiable compared with a
hire-purchase tout–in short, a parasite, but a fairly harmless parasite.
He seldom extracts more than a bare living from the community, and, what
should justify him according to our ethical ideas, he pays for it over and
over in suffering. I do not think there is anything about a beggar that
sets him in a different class from other people, or gives most modern men
the right to despise him.

Then the question arises, Why are beggars despised?–for they are
despised, universally. I believe it is for the simple reason that they fail
to earn a decent living. In practice nobody cares whether work is useful or
useless, productive or parasitic; the sole thing demanded is that it shall
be profitable. In all the modem talk about energy, efficiency, social
service and the rest of it, what meaning is there except ‘Get money, get it
legally, and get a lot of it’? Money has become the grand test of virtue.
By this test beggars fail, and for this they are despised. If one could
earn even ten pounds a week at begging, it would become a respectable
profession immediately. A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a
businessman, getting his living, like other businessmen, in the way that
comes to hand. He has not, more than most modem people, sold his honour; he
has merely made the mistake of choosing a trade at which it is impossible
to grow rich.

1984

Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle, and the Low. They have been subdivided in many ways, they have borne countless different names, and their relative numbers, as well as their attitude towards one another, have varied from age to age: but the essential structure of society has never altered.

Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself, just as a gyroscope will always return to equilibrium, however far it is pushed one way or the other. The aims of these three groups are entirely irreconcilable. The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have an aim — for it is an abiding characteristic of the Low that they are too much crushed by drudgery to be more than intermittently conscious of anything outside their daily lives — is to abolish all distinctions and create a society in which all men shall be equal.

Thus throughout history a struggle which is the same in its main outlines recurs over and over again. For long periods the High seem to be securely in power, but sooner or later there always comes a moment when they lose either their belief in themselves or their capacity to govern efficiently, or both. They are then overthrown by the Middle, who enlist the Low on their side by pretending to them that they are fighting for liberty and justice. As soon as they have reached their objective, the Middle thrust the Low back into their old position of servitude, and themselves become the High. Presently a new Middle group splits off from one of the other groups, or from both of them, and the struggle begins over again.

Of the three groups, only the Low are never even temporarily successful in achieving their aims. It would be an exaggeration to say that throughout history there has been no progress of a material kind. Even today, in a period of decline, the average human being is physically better off than he was a few centuries ago. But no advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimetre nearer. From the point of view of the Low, no historic change has ever meant much more than a change in the name of their masters.

Lovely Stuff. Think on.

Well, it seems that quite a few people each week are stumbling accross this blog via a google search, trying to find some information about Brighton’s car boot sale a.k.a Sunday Market.  I think they find there way here due to my previous post ‘Brighton’s Sunday Market is Moving’.

That post contains no relevant information – so I thought I would do a new post which will actually tell you what you need and want to know!

BUT…before we proceed with the juicy details you have been searching for, I feel this should be a two way street.  I give you this information, which is essentially a rather boring blog post – so you should give me something in return.  Therefore, the charge for my services is that you must click the link below, which will take you to a random post on this blog.  Read, enjoy or hate that post and consider your debt paid.  Now that really is a bargain!

CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO YOUR RANDOM POST…(it will open in a new window so this information will not be lost).

Of course, I can’t stop you just gleening the information you require from the post below without a bye or leave and then never looking at my blog – but that would just make you a free loader…and you don’t want that, do you?

Brighton Sunday Market 1 (2008)

A (VERY VERY) BRIEF HISTORY

The Sunday Market first started around 27 years ago and was always held at Brighton Train Station car park.  However, recently, the organisers were forced to move location because they were only getting to open once a month.  This was apparantly due to engineering works on the railway lines, but most of us suspect its more to do with the new hotel opposite not wanting to be woken up at 5am on a Sunday morning.

LOCATION:

So the boot sale is now held at Brighton marina – on the top floor of the multistory car park.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A MAP OF THE LOCATION ON MULTIMAP

OPENING TIMES:

It is open from about 7am until midday.  However, traders usually arrive very early and so keen buyers are there any time from about 6am.

COST:

I believe the cost is £12 per pitch for traders.  Buyers and browsers are free.

WHAT WILL I BE ABLE TO BUY?:

You can expect to find a whole host of brilliant things for sale – ranging from clothes, vintage items, bric a brac, house clearance items, books, records, furniture, fruit & veg…the list goes on.

I would say it is more of a professional traders market these days – much more of a market than a classic boot sale.  As such, prices are not really cheap – generally, traders are aware of what things are worth, so whilst not unheard of, its rare to get super cheap bargains.

There are always a number of private sellers doing the tadtional boot sale thing of selling all their old tat they no longer want, but the majority of stalls are traders who are there everyweek.

I would certainly recommend attending if you haven’t done so before.  The new location is a bit smaller than where it used to be held and a bit further out of the centre of Brighton – but it looks out over the sea and the marina – so the views are great!

Yarn & thread

Dolls House

Brighton Sunday Market 4 (2008)

WILL I MAKE FRIENDS?:

All sorts of people go to the market, which is one of its great appeals for me.  Its quite inclusive, always busy and has a great atmosphere about it.

It can take some time to get round the whole thing (if you want to properly rummage for hidden treasures) – so make sure you go early enough to get a few hours browsing time.

Of course – Brighton is not the only car boot sale in the local area – there are plenty of others to choose from.

Boot Sale Entrails (2009)

OTHER BOOT SALE OPTIONS – OUT OF TOWN SALES:

Perhaps my favourate of all the local sales is run by Mega Car Boot Sales – visit their website here at http://www.megacarbootsale.co.uk/.

They run one every Sunday during the hotter months at either Poyningsor Sayers Common.  They are now shut for 2009 and will start again in 2010.

Their website contains the dates, times and maps on how to get there.

These sales are more in the country outside Brighton and as such you get the added delight of seeing some Sussex senery, with all it has to offer, including an impressive array of animal entrails!

The benefit of these sales is they are much more traditional – almost entirely private sellers and real bargains to be had.  Most things seems to be 50p – £5, haggling is mroe than accepted and you can come away with bag fulls of joyous bargains.

Boot Sale Hot Dogs (2009)

WHAT IF I WANT A BURGER?:

Not a problem.

The food is perhaps a bit more questionable – not so much fruit and veg stalls or olive’s – but more greasy burgers and hot dogs.

This food van always makes me laugh whenever I go there.  Why one earth would anyone thing that having a 8ft tall hot dog man pouring sources over himself ready to be eaten would make anyone actually desire a hot dog is beyond me.  If I was a child I would be disturbed at the prospect that I was about to chomp down on a friendly hot dog man.

The illustration is pure genius!

Giant Car Boots are what they say – giant.  I mean massive.  Big fields with rows upon rows of sellers.  They take a good 3 hours to properly look round – but its more than worth investing the time as you can get virtually anything and at prices you would never get offered in brighton.

ANYTHING ELSE?:

So…that’s about all you need to know.  For a full list of the boot sales and jumble sales happening each week, visit this link for the Friday Ad as most of the ones that are definately happening each week are listed there.

I emplore you to embrace the joy of the boot sale – go seek bargains and they fill find you.

HOW CAN I REPAY THE HUGE DEBT TO YOU FOR HAVING PROVIDED ME WITH SO MUCH GREAT INFORMATION?:

Good question, thanks for asking.

Remember…if you haven’t done so already, why not return the favour I have done you above by visiting another post on this blog.  CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO A RANDOMLY SELECTED POST.

New England Quarter Scaffolding, Brighton (2009)

I am a massive fan of Car Boots – both buying and selling, they are an ideal way to start a Sunday!

Brighton’s Sunday Market has been held at the railway station car park for 27 years and is generally considered to be one of the best markets in the area.  It’s been a regular activity of mine since moving to Brighton as was held every week…in almost any weather conditions!

However, in the past year or so, the market has been happening less and less frequently.  This change occurred suspiciously around the same time the massive development of the New England area of Brighton began.  At first, after the new station car park was built, the market continued to flourish.  However, it then began to be cancelled due to engineering works on the railway lines.

Southern Rail claim it is because the market’s traffic causes problems for their replacement rail bus service.  Plausible I guess.

However – I can’t help being suspicious that this all coincides with the majority of the New England development has been complete – with hundreds of new homes, flats and a massive Jury’s Inn hotel – all of which overlook the market.  I cannot imagine the hotel management enjoy their ‘guests’ being disturbed by the 5am set up, let alone the new residents of the area.

A few days ago, I noticed a headline in the local paper stating the market was moving to the Marina car park as of next week.  This is a massive disappointment.  The station location was perfectly central and gave way to a good boot sale rummage followed by a fry up in town!  The Marina site will mean its a drive away and they have to have the site cleared by 12pm.

Anyway, wanting to mark the last week the market would happen at the station, I went along yesterday (12th April 2009) to pay my respects.  Sadly – I came home empty handed…but was pleased to hear many of the traders were keen to try and make the market work at the new location.  Time will tell I guess.

I took a few images of the last remaining building site, which is apparently a load of Eco-homes.  I will confess I am slightly obsessed with building sites and particularly cranes.  I find it hard to pass one without having a good look and taking a few pictures.  Not sure what the appeal is – a child like excitement of heavy machinery and hard hats perhaps!

It also reminded me of a few snap shots I took whilst in Marrakech a couple of years ago – where the building sites were a remarked contrast to the ones I find in the UK.

Building site, Marrakech (2005)

Wooden Scaffolding, Marrakech (2005)

Click the images for a bigger view as the scaffolding is truly amazing!  Rather rickety and bent looking logs are basically holding the building up!  That’s proper building, I wish sites in the UK would adopt this far more exciting method of construction!

The New England Quarter is a disturbing place.  As with much of the new development in Brighton – it lacks any form of character, appeal or continuity with the city.  They seem to have adopted the approach of so many UK towns, where they design buildings in a uniform fashion that results in them looking cheap and tacky.  The whole area feels like you have stepped into another town and could be any suburban location – characterless, featureless and intrusive.

New England Quarter (2009)