Welcome to Brighton, a vibrant and bustling seaside city on the southern coast of England. Known for its diverse communities, rich history, and an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, Brighton is not just a city but a thriving hub of creativity, tolerance, and liberalism. This article serves as a preface to a series exploring the many facets of Brighton—from its historical roots to its modern-day allure. Brighton is uniquely characterized by its iconic pebble beach, historic Brighton Pier, and the flamboyant Royal Pavilion. It's a city that effortlessly combines old-world charm with contemporary energy. Events like the Brighton Festival and Brighton Pride are testament to its dynamic cultural scene, drawing visitors and artists from around the globe. The city's progressive spirit is also evident in its approach to community and inclusivity, making it a welcoming place for all. Whether you're interested in arts, food, politics, or nightlife, Brighton offers a little something for everyone. As we delve deeper into the specifics in the upcoming articles, you'll discover just what makes Brighton a cherished gem in England's crown.

In 1867, with a clear vision, steady growth, and prosperity, the village of Brighton was forged in the freshly cut tracks of wagon wheels. Eager settlers poured in from the East, and the Brighton area exploded with fertile farms and bustling businesses, quickly necessitating a train station, electricity, paved roads, and freeways. Rich in its farming roots and unique in its journey, Brighton has emerged as one of the most desirable Michigan communities to live in today. Follow the visual transformation from its humble yet arduous beginnings to the thriving modern business town it has become. This treasured collection of photographs provides a fascinating historical record of the people, farms, and businesses that drove the unstoppable development of Brighton through the 19th and 20th centuries. The architecture, landscape, and cherished character of Brighton tell the stories that embody the foundation of the community today.

Ordinary in Brighton? offers the first large scale examination of the impact of the UK equalities legislation on lesbian, gay, bi- and trans (LGBT) lives, and the effects of these changes on LGBT political activism. Using the participatory research project, Count Me In Too, this book investigates the material issues of social/spatial injustice that were pertinent for some - but not all- LGBT people, and explores activisms working in partnership that operated with/within the state. Ordinary in Brighton? explores the unevenly felt consequences of assimilation and inclusion in a city that was compelled to provide a place (literally and figuratively) for LGBT people. Brighton itself is understood to be exceptional, and exploring this specific location provides insights into how place operates as constitutive of lives and activisms. Despite its placing as ’the gay capital’ and its long history as a favoured location of LGBT people, there is very little academic or popular literature published about this city. This book offers insights into the first decade of the 21st century when sexual and gender dissidents supposedly became ordinary here, rather than exceptional and transgressive. It argues that geographical imaginings of this city as the ’gay capital’ formed activisms that sought positive social change for LGBT people. The possibilities of legislative change and urban inclusivities enabled some LGBT people to live ordinary lives, but this potential existed in tension with normalisations and exclusions. Alongside the necessary critiques, Ordinary in Brighton? asks for conceptualisations of the creative and co-operative possibilities of ordinariness. The book concludes by differentiating the exclusionary ideals of normalisation from the possibilities of ordinariness, which has the potential to render a range of people not only in-place, but commonplace. All royalties from this book will be donated to Allsorts Youth Project, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboa

Long before war was declared on 3 September 1939, Brighton had steadily and carefully prepared for the coming conflict by building shelters, organising defence and rescue services, and providing the population with advice of its own or from government sources. These precautions stood the town in good stead when the first bombs fell on it in mid-1940 and during the many subsequent attacks. The resort did not, admittedly, suffer as grievously as some others on the South Coast, yet civilian casualties totalled nearly 1,000, of whom over 200 were killed, 357 were seriously injured and 433 slightly injured. This is not the first book to reveal the toll of the bombs locally, but it is the first to describe, in parallel, day-to-day events and societal responses during the nearly six years of conflict. As elsewhere, restrictions often made life arduous for residents. Yet despite the hardship, the town’s citizens even marshalled sufficient resources to ‘adopt’ two battleships and generously saved towards assisting with other wartime causes, such as help to our ally, Russia. The hospitality trade and resort-related services suffered greatly during the periods when the defence ban on entering the town was enforced. In many respects, however, life went on largely as before, particularly in the spheres of entertainment, leisure and some sports. Douglas d’Enno, an authority on the history of Brighton and environs, shows in meticulous detail, in absorbing text and numerous pictures, how life in wartime Brighton was a struggle for many, but never dull.

This fascinating second selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Brighton has changed and developed over the last century.