Hello from Brighton! I sincerely apologise for the silence over the last two weeks. Since leaving London things have been predictably hectic what with: tech week; too little partying; Christmas which passed in a blur of naps and food (in recovery from my 80+ hour week) and the odd hangover. As well as some significant unpleasantness from a landlady that turned out to be, in actual fact, a psychopath; resulting in  me doing a runner during the night complete with leopard print coat, huge suitcase and ukulele in hand, and relocating on Boxing Day to Legends, Brighton’s best gay hotel on the seafront.

Yes it was a busy first week, the various dramas pepped up by meeting and spending time with lots of very fabulous people. Nonetheless, to top things off I have managed to catch a vile viral infection and was sent to bed for the last two days by my bosses. Dear me! I must iterate that my room is a cupboard (with ensuite) over the bar – currently hosting a Sunday evening drag cabaret show. With a view over the bins rather than the ocean and a constant serenade of extractor fans, the thudding addition of the beats from the basement club wafts upwards after 1.30m and nothing, not even those waxy earplugs that mould to your head, blocks that out. It was a last minute booking so I had little choice. But the proprietor is not a neurotic, maniacal freak and has not made me cry – so I am very happy here!

Even so, being cooped up for the last two days has caused definite cabin fever, and weak though I felt, I just had to drag myself outside for a few strolls along the sea. Today was one of the only days so far when it hasn’t rained. The temperature here is very mild for December, but it was extremely windy by the coast. The sea was very rough and I was quite amused to watch a few seagulls being blown off their planned course by great gusts of wind. I bought a packet of fish and chips and made my way along to the pier to eat it, staring up at the moody sky and as always enjoying watching out for tourists being silly, and small fluffy dogs. The pebble beach proved to be full of treasures: seaweed, kelp, cuttlefish bones, feather spines and even half a bird skull.  I was soon tired out, but something about the sea air was so alluring that I found myself joining the beachcombers and kiddies collecting stones in ice cream tubs, standing atop the pebbles and staring as the sun began setting just as the sky started to clear.

Here’s to feeling better soon!

My job:

That place we call home:

-Anushka