The Students’ Union Buddy Scheme event held on Saturday, the 22nd of October, was planned as a tour to the magnificent and luxurious Royal Pavilion, regarded as a valuable and symbolic venue of Brighton, as well as a legacy of the prestige of a British royal family. Although I can certainly admit that the interior of the palace fulfilled my expectations, what I couldn’t expect at all was the overall organisation of this event. Secrets are hard to keep and the element of surprise was fundamental for the outcome of the event. Only two people knew everything of what was happening: Jane and Tomas, the organisers of the visit to the Pavilion. Indeed, the involvement of a special person turned this event into a truly inspirational and exciting visit. I am referring, of course, to the Curator of the Royal Pavilion, a woman with lots of charisma and passion for her job. As a previous luminary of Sussex University within the artistic study field, she now devotes her life to preserve and renovate the Royal Pavilion. Her presentation through the meandering of the entrance to the Royal Pavilion was totally worthy to listen. Just to mention one striking aspect that I would never forget from her guide is that the Brighton Dome, the adjacent building to the Royal Pavilion, was previously used as the stables of the royal family of King George IV.  Something very different from its present function of theatre for excellent shows and plays. Tomas was also more than equal to the Curator’s complicated task of describing to us some historical background information and the artistic details of the venue. His excellent native British accent and the study that he committed to in order to have an overall knowledge of the artistic and architectural  features of the building made me proud of my country! The group of students I joined with was also an element of success for the visit, as everyone silently and politely listened to the Curator and Tomas’ presentation. Very nice bunch of students. The only regret maybe was that my buddy couldn’t be present on that day. In conclusion I definitely recommend this event to the incoming students of next year and to the current students who perhaps will have the privilege of having another visit organised by the Student’s Union. Well done!

Thank you to Riccardo Nastasi for this article.

Photo credit: Charlie Temperton