For the love of Brighton

Valentines day is the time of year for expressing and appreciating the love in our lives. Whether that means spoiling a loved one, writing an anonymous love letter to somebody you secretly admire, or buying your cat a special tin of catfood - we are all for sharing and spreading the love.

At Nexus, we're incredibly lucky to be situated in the heart of one of Britain’s most glorious cities - Brighton.

In the spirit of Valentines day, we thought we'd share our team's thoughts & feelings on what it is that makes us love Brighton as much as we do.

Claudine Young - General Manager

Claudine was born and raised in and around Brighton, and although she's settled in nearby Worthing, she still appreciates the city's colourful personality. "I love the diversity of Brighton. The way that the weird and wonderful merge into one and no-one takes any notice! One of my new favourite venues has to be the Jolly Poacher, where I was recently treated to lunch to celebrate Nexus's 23rd birthday. Lovely duck & squid!"

James Morrison - Head of Design

James likes the familiar, cosy corners he’s discovered from his time as a Brighton resident: "It’s my hometown so will always be the place I feel the most comfortable in. I haven’t lived here for about 8 years now but it always feels like I’m coming home when I get off the train and see the Bystander Café opposite the station. Favourite pub is probably the Lion and Lobster! It’s got character and still feels like a proper pub! It covers several floors so you can always find a place to settle in for the night. Favourite Café is the Kensington Café on the corner of Kensington Gardens. The balcony is a great place to sit and watch the world go by over a cup of coffee."

Fiona Edmunds-Prosser - Graphic Designer

For Fiona, it's the creative buzz: "I love that Brighton hosts so many creative events, it’s a constant source of inspiration. I’m particularly looking forward to the Digital Festival this year. I took a week off last year during the festival and attended as many events as I could and ended up writing a blog about it. Venues such as the Brighton Centre, which attract large shows and acts are great. I’ve seen a whole range of shows at the Brighton Centre from WWE wrestling (my husband is a huge fan!) to theatrical acts during their world wide tours! They are now selling tickets for War Horse which will be showing in 2018! Now that’s forward planning!"

Steve Elford - Head of Development

Eccentricity is what Brighton is somewhat notorious for, techie Steve concurs: "It's things like this that do it for me. Pubwise, I like the Dorset. One of my favourite Cafés is Si Signore in the Lanes because the guy who runs it has a tremendous moustache and they do very good coffee."

Suzanne Ford - Account Coordinator

Another Brighton-raised girl, Suzanne said "I love the fact that I was born here – and my family and friends live here... and the sea! I've seen many of my favourite restaurants close over the years, but special places still include Paris House, Bottoms Rest, Food for Friends and the Ginger Pig. I also love i Gigi and Florian for shopping."

Robyn Dawson - Digital Marketing Developer

Robyn agrees with Suzanne about the Bottoms Rest pub - adding "Saying that, I went to The Hope & Ruin recently which is full of an eclectic mix of random stuff. We sat in a bath that had been sawn in half, with a pac-man table and a washing machine. It has lovely craft beers and American trash food like chilli cheese fries and fried Gherkins, all served from a kitchen made out of retro caravan. I moved to Brighton 7 years ago and and remain in love with the place - I now reside in Hove 'Actually' and since then have spent a lot of my time on the seafront – taking too many photos of the sunsets and the old pier."

Monica Jackson - New Business Developer

Having moved down a couple of years ago, the seaside is still a huge novelty for Mon: "Although we don’t get the weather, Brighton beach is amazing when it is sunny! I love Brighton Watersports – you can have great fun paddle boarding in the summer. Favourite place to eat is Riddle & Finns. Both the restaurant in the lanes and the seafront have so much to offer and the seafood is amazing."

Elizabeth Nicholls - Accounts & Marketing Coordinator

Myself, I am a Brighton newbie having moved to the city in the spring last year. It's the vibrant culture that's made me fall in love - from the food to the bars, and the galleries to the street art, I'm besotted. In my spare time I have been lucky enough to be involved with supporting the Brighton Women's Centre, who are a key resource for many women in the city and the surrounding areas – the incredible work they do and the sense of community throughout Brighton to me is what makes it such a special place.