272 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



the King across to Fecamp, to sail in the early hours 

 of the following morning, October 14th. How they 

 sailed, and the account of their wanderings, are fully 

 set forth in the " narrative " of Colonel Gunter. 



XXXVII 



A new era for Brighton and the Brighton Road opened 

 in November, 1896, with the coming of the motor-car. 

 Already the old period of the coaching inns had waned, 

 and that of gigantic and palatial hotels, much more 

 luxurious than anything ever imagined by the builders 

 of the Pavilion, had dawned ; and then, as though to 

 fitly emphasize the transition, the old Chain Pier made 

 a dramatic end. 



The Chain Pier just missed belonging to the Georgian 

 era, for it was not begun until October, 1822, but, 

 opened the following year, it had so long been a feature 

 of Brighton — and so peculiar a feature — that it had 

 come, with many, to typify the town, quite as much as 

 the Pavilion itself. It was, moreover, additionally 

 remarkable as being the first pleasure-pier built in 

 England. It had long been failing and, condemned 

 as dangerous, would soon have been demolished : but 

 the storm of December 4th, 1896, spared that trouble. 

 It was standing when day closed in, but when the 

 next morning dawned, its place was vacant. 



Since then, those who have long known Brighton 

 have never visited it without a sense of loss ; and the 

 Palace Pier, opposite the Aquarium, does not fill the 

 void. It is a vulgarity for one thing, and for another 

 typifies the Hebraic week-end, when the sons and 

 daughters of Judah descend upon the town. More- 

 over, it is absolutely uncharacteristic, and has its 

 counterparts in many other places. 



But Brighton itself is eternal. It suffers change, 

 it grows continually ; but while the sea remains and 

 the air is clean and the sun shines, it, and the road to it, 

 will be the most popular resorts in England. 



