COOL AND CONTEMPORARY CHICHESTER

COOL AND CONTEMPORARY CHICHESTER with Coastal and City appeal 

Excellent events and celebrity kudos

Away from the paparazzi glare, Chichester's upmarket hinterland is fast attracting celebrity appeal. Last summer celebrity spots included Kate Moss and Sharon Osbourne, seen out on the sands of Selsey and West Wittering beaches - which is also home to rocker Keith Richards, who owns a beach hut on the privately owned blue flag beach. However, for the ultimate in star spotting, Goodwood's celebrated annual events - motor sport at the Festival of Speed in July, horseracing at ‘Glorious Goodwood' during August and at the Goodwood Revival in September - all offer the perfect celebrity twitcher opportunities. Previous events have seen Star Wars' Executive Producer, George Lucas and F1 racing Driver, Jenson Button to Hollywood actress, Ashley Judd and Supermodel, Jodie Kidd. In fact the legendary events attract the who's who of celebrity glitz and glamour.

 

Have art

Chichester in West Sussex is the South Coast's cultural arts hub, with venues such as the Chichester Festival Theatre, Pallant House Gallery and West Dean - The Edward James Foundation - all of which are showcasing a series of high profile events and exhibitions in 2008 cementing the area's rich cultural arts offering. Pallant House Gallery is the winner of the prestigious 2007 Gulbenkian prize for museums and galleries and offers the finest collection of modern British art outside of the Tate, including works by Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield, Lucian Freud and Graham Sutherland. Chichester Festival Theatre is well recognised as one of the UK's flagship theatres, with a dazzling international reputation for producing a wide range of high quality theatrical productions. Festival 07 included Patrick Stewart in the critically acclaimed production of Macbeth which transferred to London's West End and New York's Broadway.Meanwhile, West Dean is hosting another summer series of events, from exhibitions, garden tours and creative art courses.

 

 

Making waves

We've had kite, wind and plain old surfing - for the latest wave catching craze, it's time to try stand-up paddle surfing. Popular in the 1960's with the beach boys of Hawaii, more recently it has been picked up as an alternative way to ride surf and as a means of staying in shape. To add kudos, world champion surfers such as Archie Kalepa and Laird Hamilton are enthusiastic fans of the sport. Based on the Chichester coast at West Wittering, specialist watersports operator X-train offers group and private coaching. Meanwhile, the spectacular Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is busy with dinghies, sleek yachts and gleaming motorboats.

 

Cool beds

Last year the Crab & Lobster opened the doors to its new restaurant and luxuriously styled guest rooms following a total refurbishment and this year sees another exciting development with their new two bedroom self catering Crab cottage - the ideal cool retreat whilst staying in Chichester. Positioned on the banks of Pagham Harbour, the cottage is adjacent to the Crab & Lobster so only a stone's throw from the restaurant whose menu features a host of delicious dishes with an emphasis on locally caught fish and seafood locally grown fruit and vegetables plus meats and more from the Sussex Downs. The cottage is stylistically cool in design and offers comfort and value for friends, families or couples. Cottage rates start from £180 for two per night.

 

For further information regarding Chichester http://www.visitchichester.org/