Littlehampton and Arundel

It seems my time in the UK is once again at an end. We've got a taxi coming at 7:15 AM for us, bright and early for our morning flight to Chicago and points onward.

Yesterday, before dad took off for another buisness trip, we spend the day in Guildford on the high street- dad had a haircut and we ate lunch at a pretty good Thai place off the main street called Sir and Madame. Actually, the best chicken penang I've ever had. I think there's something about the quality and freshness of the ingredients that just makes everything better. Dad took off in the afternoon, and we ordered pizza in and watched Flushed Away.


Today we drove down to the seaside town of Littlehampton, got incredibly lost, and finally made our way to the East Beach Cafe. The cafe caught my eye for a few reasons- it's right on the beach, with views out across the English channel, and because the architecture is very distinctive. It has a very contemporary design, by which I mean that is is a monocoque, or single shell, strucuture- the skin of the building is its own structure- there are no columns or other structural members, and the entire thing is created out of metal plates welded together. The form is low and oblong, and the back of the cafe is contoured in a series of stepping forms. The overall effect is a giant abstract oyster shell, opened to the sea.

The food was very good. We ordered steamed mussels, which were fresh and absolutely fantastic, and fish and chips. Everything was very fresh, and the breading on the fish, which seemed to have some ground corn meal as well, was light and crispy.

I took some pictures down by the shoreline, and then we drove on Arundel since the day was getting late. Arundel is a picturesque town with a quaint square and high street of pubs, inns, boutiques, sweets, wine shops, and antiques. The city is dominated by a massive castle complex which forms a picturesque backdrop, as well as a huge cathedral nearby. We walked around the town, visited the cathedral since the castle was closed, and got a pint of ale at a local pub.

I've really enjoyed the local cask ales, especially the bitters. They're not carbonated, which is different, and served "cellar cool" which is cool, but not cold. The taste is very nice, very mild. The other fun thing is the 'pub dogs,' which are dogs which actually live at the pubs, usually the pub owner's pet who lives upstairs. Seems to be mostly black labs, and they're a little inquisitive and always friendly. They don't beg and generally leave patrons alone who ignore them.

The UK is always an interesting visit for me since its such a sharp contrast to the US, illustrating what is possible and what is compromised. I walk around the high streets with their high levels of people and energy, the vibrancy, and I wish they had them in the US. We did, up until about 50 years ago, when the department stores, strip malls, and shopping centers put them out of business.

Americans got to save money on less expensive suburban strip malls, but at the cost of the urban experience. We exchanged a vibrant, historically rooted pedestrian-friendly street with a multitude of dining and shopping experiences for an ocean of asphalt and a giant, faceless box so we could save a buck.

Interestingly, since that time, there has been a slow, fumbling attempt to recapture it. Shopping malls with their atria, then outdoor malls, then 'districts' of outdoor malls with a stronger pedestrian experience and some attempts at dining and entertainment, even a few "lifestyle centers" which attempt to bring in some living and office spaces. The jury is still out, but all the demographic data points to a massive generational shift back to the cities. People in my generation want to live in exciting, vibrant, urban centers. The retiring boomers, empty nesters, also want to live someplace exciting and fun.


I'll get off my soap box. Time to put the soap back inside and pack it up for the long trip back home.