used to do it loads in Ipswich because I had to move there in my mid 30s and basically make a load of new friends.
The events were perfectly fine as were the bulk of people I met there, the only dodgy bits were having to get there on foot and being around a town centre late at night but in reality the Police and CCTV actually did watch your back (and everyone elses) so geniuine trouble is rare provided to keep your wits about you and do not wander off with strangers into badly lit places. But I am a chap who is older than he looks, grew up in London and has learned some survival skills.
Today there is less nightlife in Ipswich because drunks and troublemakers were equally stubborn to the point they actually tipped the balance with regard to recovery of public sector costs so that with budget cutbacks it cost more to nanny the revellers than what they were bringing in in drinks revenue (I’ve seen the whole reports on our Council website, they are 12 MB and not very interesting reading and those what took drugs seemed to drink loads as well and keel over. I’ve checked this independently with some very right on people who would not support such a clampdown but they’ve reluctantly admitted the atmosphere in town was declining (BTW the exact same is happening over the water in Holland)
Ipswich is different from Brighton as although its a similar coastal town we use that wet stuff near us called the sea for big ships, bulk cargo and containers as well as small fishing vessels and yuppies yachts, and this daytime maritime economy is worth far more and less disruptive than the night time economy. You don’t even get pissed sailors on the dockside as they are foreign and the Border Force often won’t let them in off the ship so they have to stay there until they go back to wherever it came from (its not like a slave galley, they have Internet and satellite TV and plenty of room) but that means the locals get the benefit of the ships cargo without the risks of letting yet more foreigners in and any tensions they might cause (even though they are not bad guys)
Brighton however is economically dependent to some extent on the night time economy and the University crowd so the local Government has to put its hand in its pocket to keep young people participating in the night time economy safe, otherwise it would just be one big retirement home like Eastbourne etc (and even these aren’t as safe/well run as those in East anglia)
