A trip to the South of England 10 days ago (I've been struggling with a new camera hence the delay) took me to two design classics a mile apart on the sea-front of Littlehampton, namely the award-winning East Beach Café (2007) and the Lighthouse (1948).
The café was designed by Heatherwick Studio (follow the link for their surprising web-site) and has gained international recognition. Inside I had mussels and razor-shells à la portugaise which was similarly classy.
The Lighthouse is not so well-known but it is surely a great example of design of its time - modernist lines and functionality during austerity which could only come from those years. It is a precursor of the Festival of Britain but it's more elegant (and useful) than the Skylon. It was designed and built by my grandfather Arthur Floyd FICE. Much later he conducted the public enquiry which sanctioned the Port Talbot flyover (now part of the M4) which dominates the local community rather oppressively. But where else could it go? Anyway, it's no use complaining to me.
