O perfil de Daavid

These serviced offices are not glamorous, but they are neat and perfectly functional and the support staff are truly excellent, which makes a real difference. Good working atmosphere and great location, five minutes easy walk from the town centre and ten from the station.

I have a real thing about customer service and this place gets it just SO right. I went in there to have two tyres changed last year and the guy, after a thorough inspection, sent me away to do a few thousand more miles. Similar story again this morning with Kim’s car where they didn’t try to sell me tyres although the tracking did need to be re-aligned.

Unlike the guy from the alarm company whose recent inspection was a seeming race against some imaginary clock, their approach is measured and professional and leaves you with the feeling that they’ve done the job properly.

They have a warm & comfortable seating area with a free coffee machine and a window that you can watch them working through… or they seem quite happy for you to watch more closely if there’s not too much going on.

If you decide to give them a try, bear in mind that the entrance is in the end of Lower Church Street. Also, Saturdays are often busy so I usually call ahead to book a slot.

Oh boy! If you’re in to musical instruments (well, guitars, amps & keyboards… & drums, further down the road), this is a veritable toy shop of a store. It may look small and very yellow on the outside, but it’s like a Tardis within.

GAK, as it’s known to those in the know, has a massive stock as, in addition to the physical shop, they are a significant and well respected on-line retailer.

I was lucky enough to go in with an avid guitarist who walked me through all the stock, pointing out those guitars that best fitted my requirements and honing my choice to two, only one of which I played… and bought! The staff are all enthusiasts too and I’m sure would have used the same experiential approach. I was certainly given plenty of time to play and there was no obvious sales pressure, which is something that’s worth extra points in my book.

So if you’re thinking about getting all musical, I can HIGHLY recommend GAK!

The Roundhouse is an architectural marvel, being a mix of nineteenth century engineering and bright, contemporary spaces... which simply means that in addition to a structure that is well worth looking up at, it has loads of flexible venue space, decent toilets and clean bars & cafes to relax in.

We went to see Danny's Last Dance (http://www.myspace.com/dannyslastdance) who were playing at Crisis Consequences Live, which was an awesome gig.

We also saw the Banksy on the wall outside that had returned after a brief, er... absence.

Parking around there on a Sunday is pretty good if you arrive early and the cafe's of Primrose Hill beckon just a few short minutes walk away.

Dating back to the 18th century, this pretty village pub has recently had the life breathed back into it. It is now a gastropub of some note. And judging by the sublimely delicious meal that we had last night, with good reason.

The menu is mouthwatering and the food actually manages to exceed expectations both in taste and in terms of its almost sculpted visual appearance.

I could go on about it, but it's probably better that you just jump in the car and go there! And at only five minutes off the main A23 to the north of Brighton, it's pretty handy for lunch stops, Sunday walks or early evening food & drinks on the way home.

Okay, so it has an odd name, but back in 1790 when they chose it, it probably made a lot more sense!

These guys are masters of leather and sheepskin, making everything from the warmest and most stylish hats, gilets and coats, to the kind of cutting edge, soft leather saddles that most horses only dream about.

They supply many of the top brands in London and around the world, but you can also buy direct either at their shop, by phone or on-line on their simple web-site, which has clear, elegant product shots.

Lovely village, warm welcome, beautiful sheepskins... well worth the trip! But do call ahead as they seem to have some unusual opening times!

Steamer Trading is a proper toyshop for chefs, cooks and people who just love to mess around in the kitchen. It has EVERYTHING that I can think you could ever want for preparing food & drink barring firewood! There are styles to suit every taste and wallet capacity and everything is so beautiful that we go in there just to have a look sometimes! The Brighton store has three floors in a very contemporary space and even has a coffee shop. Delicious!

I have often driven past and looked at the back of this centre from the A27, but I finally went there this week and it's FAB! I went to use the track, which is a floodlit, 400m, cushioned, all-weather surface... i was a joy to run on!

Looking in from the outside, the various pools and slides looked great fun, while people walking around looked warm and relaxed... no-one was scurrying around due to the temperature here!

Looking on the website, there is a gym and even a climbing wall tucked away in there... a real gem indeed!

Plenty of free parking, although Mountfield Road now has so many humps on it that you feel like you've done a workout getting the car there. It's only five minutes walk from the station though and ten from the centre of town... much less if you chose to run there, of course!

This is another gem, but this time for the folk who live in Sussex. Earthworks resides in an industrial unit on a business park and looks not at all like a shop UNTIL you have entered the front door and climbed the stairs to the first floor.

\As you step through the next door, you will be amazed to find a beautiful showroom stacked with all manner of contemporary hardwood furniture, crockery, linens, gifts and cards. The staff are delightful and you are welcomed to sit with a cup of real coffee while you ponder.

Earthworks is a manufacturer (downstairs) so your furniture can also be made to order if you wish.

This place is so amazing that it's worth a visit on its own and you'll find ideas in abundance!

Fiona was introduced to me by a friend and I would love to pass on the favour to you!

Old Ginger has a magnificent showroom, full of beautiful reclaimed-teakwood furniture, each piece designed for modern living. You can get a feel at oldginger.co.uk. I would suggest that there's something for everyone here with a range of stain colours from dark to light according to your taste.

The really cool point of difference here is Fiona herself, who will design from scratch or modify pieces especially for your living space. The bed I bought from her was designed to fit elegantly under a windowsill whislt retaining the MacIntosh tall headboard, while the contemporary side tables incorporate hidden drawers and echo the headboard design. Her fitters even delivered, carried in and assembled everthing with no fuss.

This is Conran quality, with personal service at Habitat prices!

If you're considering buying furniture in the near future, even if you live way out in the sticks like me, make a note to visit Old Ginger. Well worth the trip!