E

ver wondered where you can pick up a cool vintage suit, get a tattoo or find an out of print book? Well we’ve got just the place – and it happens to be in Brighton.

Head to the renowned The Lanes area, about five minutes’ walk from the seafront, and you’ll enter a rabbit warren of little streets full of fab retro shops, kooky boutiques and shops selling six different kinds of veggie burger.

It may only cover half a square mile in total, but these winding streets and alleyways contain over 300 independent shops, 37 cafes, 22 pubs, four theatres and two museums.

Stroll down Trafalgar Street, stopping off to admire the hand-blown, recycled glass chandeliers from One in the House, then make a right down Sydney Street.

Here you’ve got everything from graphic novels (Dave’s Comics) to Bonsai Trees (Bonsai Ko), guitars and three-floors of vintage fashion at Dirty Harry. And it only gets better as you meander your way past the myriad of quirky shops and stalls towards North Road, Brighton’s hectic high street.

If you feel like a dose of culture to go with all this rampant consumerism, however, why not head over to the Pavilion (it’s the building that looks like it took a wrong turn on the way to the Far East).

Built by the Prince Regent (who later became George IV) to host his fancy southern soirees, it houses a rather wonderful collection of chinoiserie. Aside from that, though, the Pavillion Gardens Café serves yummy fruit and coconut rock cakes…