THE sun was shining so I decided to join several thousand visitors on the pier for a pint or two.

It was hot, so my beady eye was on the lookout for lager in Victoria’s Bar.

The obvious choice was Pier Lager at 4.5 per cent. The barman informed this was a popular choice so I coughed up the rather hefty £4.90.

Sitting outside gazing at the sea I couldn’t argue that it was worth every penny. In fact, as I sat there listening to the waves, the idle chatter of tourists and the squawking of seagulls I couldn’t help thinking how lucky I am to be signed up by The Argus – there can’t be a better place than Brighton, period.

My idle musings were interrupted when a fire broke out. But it wasn’t anything major. A woman had set a bin on fire with her discarded cigarette.

Three members of staff rushed to the rescue with pints (of water) and the blaze was soon extinguished.

The smell of smoke was replaced by that of fish and chips, and I realised this haven on the pier backs directly onto a chippy.

To calm myself after the drama I ventured in for another pint of Pier; it’s actually a very tasty pint and reminded me of lager I had when I was student.

I overheard the same friendly barman telling his colleague they’d taken £2,100 in the two hours they’d been open – this is a little gold mine, believe me.

Back in the sunshine, on the very sensible and comfortable outdoor seating, I noticed signs saying children are welcome – well, they are as long as they’re accompanied by an adult and

arrive before 8pm.

Victoria’s Bar is open 364 days a year and while it won’t be coining it in on cloudy days, I can see why its owner decided to invest in this particular piece of seaside real estate.

There are plenty of signs telling you where you can’t take your drinks so everything seems well controlled. It might not be a “real local” but it is very tastefully decorated and feels like a proper pub.

The toilets are between the pub and the chippy and obviously serve both. They’re functional enough but personally I’m not a fan of all those black tiles. There’s a fair bit of stained glass around too, but I’ve no idea if it’s original.

This is a place which caters for everyone and when you think about the location it has to, of course.

There’s a glitter ball on the roof for some reason and the exterior decoration isn’t quite as good as the inside, though again, given the location, it’s hardly surprising.

You won’t find darts and pool as they’re elsewhere on the pier, but it does have three screens showing Sky TV for the sport lovers.

All in all, I can recommend this one for a very pleasant, if fairly expensive, pint.

It actually reminded me why I’m the luckiest guy in the world – the perfect job in the perfect city. Cheers.

Victoria’s Bar, Brighton Palace Pier, Madeira Drive, Brighton

Decor: ★★★

Eclectic, perfect for the pier

Drink: ★★★

Price: ★

Lager is £4.90 – you have to pay for that sea view

Atmosphere: ★★★★

Buzzing and friendly

Staff: ★★★★

Chatty and pleasant

Food: ★★★

All I had was a piece of chocolate cake, but the food looked good