£50 of f complet e glasses (unt il 18t h July 2012)
PUBLISHED BY James Ledward
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EDITORIAL TEAM
James Ledward, Graham Robson
ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman
SUB -EDITOR Graham Robson
DESIGN Michèle Allardyce
FRONT COVER
MODEL Gio Cruz
PHOTOGRAPHY Dean Stockings www deanstockings co uk
CONTRIBUTORS
AJ, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Nick Douglas, Craig Hanlon Smith, Adam Highway, Neil Masey, Enzo Marra, Andrew Modd, Hector Montalbo, Rick Moore, Netty, Charles Nyereyegona, Carl Oprey, Kate O’Riordan, Eric Page, Marcus Patrick, Steph Scott, Del Sharp, Keith Sharpe, Gay Socrates, Brian Stacey, Glen Stevens, Craig Storrie, Mick Sykes, Jordan Thomas, Vron, Roger Wheeler, Mike Wall, Morham White, Kate Wildblood
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rachel Adams, Phil Bailey, Graeme Keowns, Sarah Haddow, Carl Hillyar, Michael Hootman, James Ledward, Sam Milford, Ian Mager-Playford, www.realbrighton.com
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SEND LETTERS TO: GSCENE, 111 WESTERN ROAD, HOVE, BN3 1DD OR EMAIL TO: INFO@GSCENE.COM
SUSSEX POLICE RESPONDS TO LETTER FROM IAIN MAXSTEAD IN JUNE GSCENE
Sussex Police received a call from a third party reporting that a friend of his, who lives in London, had been the victim of an assault in St James' Street, Brighton, in the early hours of Saturday, April 28 and had to be treated for his injuries at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Sergeant Alex Evans from the LGBT policing team at Brighton & Hove said: “As soon as we received the report contact was made immediately with the injured man and an investigation launched to establish how he received his injuries This included posters appealing for information being put up in the St James’s Street area and CCTV viewed from all the venues that the man stated he had been to In addition to this, local businesses were visited and potential witnesses interviewed including door staff and two members of the public who called the ambulance “CCTV from a local bar showed an ambulance arriving at around 2am opposite the Zone bar and attending to the unconscious man. Further investigations revealed that several people had witnessed the man fall and hit his face on the pavement and that he was not with anyone else at the time.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and has no doubt left the injured man and his friends somewhat perplexed at how their weekend in Brighton ended in such a way We wish the injured man a speedy recovery and hope that he feels confident to return to Brighton sometime again
“I have tried to contact the injured man to update him that we are satisfied that no assault took place but that he had instead sustained his injuries from a nasty fall A message has been left on his answer phone to this effect and attempts to update him verbally will continue ”
THANK YOU
Following an incident in Brighton involving myself on May 28, I have been informed by Brighton police after enquiries and two witnesses who came forward, the injuries I sustained were the result of a fall I have never claimed that I was attacked I was knocked unconscious and so can not recall anything of the incident and have always said that if evidence showed anything to the contrary I would accept that However, I was not drunk or under the influence of drugs Sadly, there was no camera evidence available at the venue I left prior to this incident and the injuries I received were so severe, including a bootmark imprinted into the skin on the back of my leg I have been left with doubts, including asking myself was I attacked elsewhere and collapsed in St James' Street on the way back to my hotel.
These questions will never be answered. However, following weeks of hospital treatment and a further operation still to come next week and over six months of physiotherapy to follow I would like to draw a line under this incident
Whatever happened that night, it has damaged me beyond anything I would have thought possible from a fall and I now just want to recover in private
I would just like to thank whoever called the ambulance and the person who took the trouble to cover me with their own top to keep the rain off. Thank you whoever you are. Thank you to the friends who helped me, took me back to London and continue to care and support me now. To James at Gscene for all his support and advice. And to the Brighton police especially PC Bridger.
No, it has not put me off Brighton. I lived there for many years and look forward to returning later this year
Thank you
Peter Shapcott
AFRAID IN MY OWN HOME
I read with interest details of the attack on Jordon Grimes and his praise of the police in the June Gscene My own experience has been somewhat different
Since June 22, 2005 my home has been repeatedly attacked by local youths Although I’ve now lost count, there must have been several dozen incidents, including homophobic abuse shouted in the street, eggs and other items thrown at my windows, children kicking the front door and shouting through the letter box, and most recently, damage to my garden wall, part of which is currently scattered across the pavement
These attacks are destroying my life I’m afraid to stay in my own home after dark Although I’ve had many meetings with the police, and they know the identities of those involved, they seem unable to help Paul Heath, Portslade
The victim has made available to Gscene a log listing over 30 separate incidents since September 30, 2008.
COMMUNITY THAT CARES
May I just say with utmost conviction both personally and on behalf of the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus that we had the most fantastic evening at the Handbags
We are quite aware from our own experience of the amount of time, effort and planning that goes on in order to pull together such a big show You and all the other organisers, artists and helpers really must be congratulated to the highest degree possible.
Somehow the combined event managed to capture the careful balance between being hugely entertaining and deeply inspiring all-in-one, in a way that surpassed our expectations I looked around the room and really felt like a part of a community that cared Tremendously heart warming stuff
Thank you!
Adam Betteridge
HANDBAGS FIRST
CL A SS
I did the Golden Handbags for the first time this year. The evening made this homosexual feel very proud The entertainment was first class Jennie Castelle was great, Louise Dearman was quite simply sensational as was the segment with Ceri Dupree and I have to say the contribution from Maisie Trollette and Miss Jason was pure genius. Miss Jason is a tad above your average drag queen in Brighton and there’s clearly life left in the matriarch of Brighton's cabaret scene, David Raven, aka as Maisie Trollette. Thank you for a great night and for making me feel part of a gay community again John Brown, Portslade
FANTA STIC NIGHT
What a fantastic night at the Golden Handbags this year
However, the disrespect shown to some of the performers was breathtaking. People talked through some performances and the mass exodus of smokers when Louise Dearman started to sing was to be honest, shameful. Instead of raising money for charity maybe you should consider spending the money raised on running workshops to teach some of the idiots in the room how to behave at these type of events in future Andrew Hurrell, Hove
THANK YOU
The Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton would like to say a massive thank to the all staff, artists and customers of Charles Street for two fantastic evenings of entertainment and fundraising The Lola Lasagne comedy Drag Roast raised £304 71 and the Eurovision Song Contest fundraiser raised £172 All funds raised will support our local testing services in Brighton for gay and bisexual men.
Thank you.
Ross Boseley,
THT
JESS WOOD, ALLSORTS LGBT YOUTH PROJECT FOUNDER, RECEIVES MBE ▼
Jess Wood, founder and Director of Brighton-based Allsor ts LGBT Youth Project, received the MBE from His R oyal Highness the Prince of Wales at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on May 31 The Honour announced in the 2012 New Year's Honours List was in recognition of her "services to lesbian, gay, bisex ual and transgender young people"
Jess helped set up Allsor ts in 1999 and the project is now one of the largest LGBT Youth Projects in the country, winning Most Inspiring Youth Project in UK by Creating the Future Awards in 2008 and Stonewall's Best Community Project in 2009 They won the Gscene Golden Handbag Award for Best Voluntar y Sector Organisation in Brighton & Hove in 2010 and again in 2012 for their pioneering peer education work in schools and colleges in Sussex
Jess said: “It was a special moment, as I felt that I was representing our community and that our community was being recognised by the State The whole ceremony was amazing, bringing together as it did such diversity, from serving soldiers, to a homeless young man who saved a drowning woman I felt honoured to be with them but above all proud of the great project I work for, and all the LGBT community groups in Brighton & Hove "
YOUTH PROJECT ‘ YOUNG VOLUNTEERS AWARDS’ CEREMONY IN JULY ▼
Allsor ts Youth Project are holding their 'Young Volunteers Awards Ceremony 2012' at the Light House Ar t Galler y on Tuesday July 31 The event is to celebrate the work and achievements of the young volunteers of the campaigning and engagement project Young People’s Voice (YPV) They will also be launching a new major event LGBT Children, Young People and Families Day due to take place in Februar y 2013, celebrating LGBT youth identity and community Togetherness will be the theme of the day and will involve a ‘gathering’ for community members with presentations, performances and activities throughout the day and evening More details will be announced by the YPV Campaigns Action Group representatives at the ceremony on July 31
The event will also feature an exhibition of images created by the Allsor ts young people from their campaign Global Voices: LGBT Youth Against Homophobic, Biphobic & Transphobic Bullying In Schools
James, YPV Campaigns Action Group Representative, said: “In recent years there has been a significant rise of awareness due to internet-based campaigns highlighting LGBT youth related issues As a response we are putting on this event to celebrate LGBT youth positive images We feel this is important to showcase what we have achieved in our campaigning efforts to date and future work ” For more information view: allsor tsyouth org uk or email: samthomas@allsor tsyouth org uk
The Light House Ar t Gallery is at 28 Kensington Street, Brighton
LGBT COMMUNITY SAFETY FORUM TO HOLD ITS FIRST AGM ON WEDNESDAY,
JULY 18 ▼
The Annual General Meeting of the LGBT Community Safety Forum takes place at the Queens Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton on Wednesday, July 18 at 7pm Guest speakers include Linda Beanlands, Brighton & Hove Council's Head of Community Safety, and Sam Beal, Par tnership Advisor from Brighton & Hove Council's Healthy Schools Team
Chris Cooke, Chair of the Forum, will also be talking about the city-wide Trust & Confidence survey that the group will be conducting over the summer months
Chris said: “As this is the first AGM of the forum I hope that the LGBT community will really make an effort to attend and hear about our plans for the coming year There are a number of community safety issues within the city at the moment, with the reporting of hate crime and incidents being of paramount importance Please do come along and have your say and ensure that the forum is a powerful voice on safety issues ”
The forum is actively looking for new committee members from the LGBT community, so if you are interested then please contact Chris directly at: chrismar tyncooke@yahoo.co.uk
MINDOUT RECEIVES BIG LOTTERY FUNDING FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ▼
MindOut, the LGBT mental health project, has received funding from the Big Lotter y Fund R eaching Communities amounting to £384 366 spread over the next five years This funding will enable them to continue to offer advice, information, advocacy, group work, suicide prevention, wellbeing interventions and to expand their services into East and West Sussex
Helen Jones, Director of MindOut, said: “This is fantastic news for us, we are a small charity dependent on grants to maintain our very well used mental health services This year has seen an increase in the number of people contacting us, including many from outside Brighton & Hove Having a secure grant for 5 years means that we can develop and grow in line with demand ”
Stephanie Powell, Green Councillor, said: “I’m delighted to hear about this successful lottery bid for MindOut The MindOut LGBT mental health project provides a truly unique service in the city W ith this money they will now be able to continue the vital work of offering information and advice, advocacy, group work, suicide prevention, and wellbeing work both in East and West Sussex The work they do is irreplaceable, and highly valued The securing of this funding is really very good news indeed ” MindOut is run by and for LGBT people who experience mental health issues They offer a range of services, affirmative practice training, mental health promotion, anti-stigma activities and service user par ticipation For more information view: www.mindout.org.uk or email: info@mindout.org or call: 01273 234839
LUNCH POSITIVE CELEBRATE
THEIR 3RD BIRTHDAY ▼
Lunch Positive, the HIV charity that provides lunch and social suppor t for people with HIV, celebrated their third bir thday with a special lunch for members and volunteers on Friday, June 1 at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church
In the last twelve months the project has seen 102 people with an average of 47 people attending each week of the year That’s a 15% increase on the previous year During the last year a team of 25 volunteers gave up 4,400 hours of their time to staff the project, serving just over 3,000 three course meals using just over nine tonnes of food
Volunteers and members took par t in three city-wide community events during 2011; World AIDS Day Vigil, BLAGSS Spor ts Day, and the Pride Street Par ty at New Steine Gardens Volunteers fundraised £3,000 through sponsored events, community catering for other charities and community café events
Lunch Positive have recently been awarded their final funding for 2012-13, which together with contribution from members for meals and ongoing fundraising will enable them to continue to provide free meals every Friday and to see and help a growing number of people with HIV
The project received funding for 2012-13 from the: Peoples Health Trust for £8,017, R ainbow Fund for £4,890 and NHS Brighton & Hove for £3,750
A full repor t of work carried out in the community can be seen on the What’s Happening page of their website: www.lunchpositive.org
COUNCIL TAX OVERPAYMENT SCAM WARNING ▼
Brighton & Hove City Council is war ning the public to be aware of bogus calls from fraudsters claiming to work for the Council Tax depar tment The caller tells residents that they are entitled to a council tax refund because of overpayment
One resident received a call from a fraudster, and she was told that she had overpaid nearly £2,000 of council tax over the years and was entitled to a refund, but there would be some council costs to be subtracted The caller then told her that she would receive the facts in a letter The resident’s suspicions were rightly aroused and she contacted the council
A council spokesperson said: “We adv ise residents to be cautious and not to hand ov er personal information unless y ou are absolutely cer tain that y ou hav e been contacted by a council official We are grateful to residents letting us know about these calls If y ou are contacted in this w ay, please also inform the police ”
Commenting, Mike Weatherley MP for Hove & Por tslade said: “A s much as people find the sound of a tax refund appealing, it is impor tant to exercise caution w hen approached by someone claiming to represent a gov ernment body or company in an official capacity If in doubt, contact Brighton & Hov e City Council directly and alw ay s remember – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is ”
Anyone receiving a suspicious call should contact Brighton & Hove City Council Tax depar tment directly on 01273 291291 to check if the caller was genuine
If you have given your bank details to a bogus caller, you should call your bank immediately and contact the police
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR HALF MARATHON 2013
The Brighton Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, Februar y 17, 2013, at Madeira Drive on Brighton's seafront There are 10,000 places available for runners
The Brighton Half Marathon, which sold out in record time last year, has been growing steadily over the last couple of years, attracting local club runners as well as beginners and seasoned runners
One of the longest established and most popular seafront road race events in the UK, the Brighton Half Marathon, now in its 23rd year, is the first major half marathon of the New Year and perfectly suited as a warm-up for all the spring marathons
Par tners confirmed so far for 2013 include Brooks, Sweatshop, The Seattle Hotel, Visit Brighton, Brighton & Hove City Council, Studio57 Clinic, Virgin Money Giving and a new official training par tner, Garmin
The Brighton Half Marathon is organised by and the main fundraiser for The Sussex Beacon Entry costs £27 for affiliated runners and £29 for non-affiliated runners, with charity packages available To secure a place in the 2013 race view: www.brightonhalfmarathon.com
APPETITE FOR LIFE! ▼
Lunch Positive is launching its second series of events, briefings, advice and suppor t focussed on helping people eat healthily and on a budget This series is community based, with people able to par ticipate through sharing advice and ideas through a newly launched website The launch will star t at the Healthy LGBT Day at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, July 28th with a giveaway of ten baskets of fresh food People who take away this food will be asked to think of easy, economical and tasty food they can prepare and then get back in touch with Lunch Positive The project will be ongoing, and a random draw will be made every three months of people who have contributed to the website Two winners will each win a food hamper wor th £25 Although the project is aimed at people with HIV it is accessible to everyone, and the more people that contribute the greater the benefit To find out more visit the What’s Happening Page at www lunchpositive org, visit Lunch Positive at Peoples Day on July 14 or Healthy LGBT Day on July 28
PRIDE ANNOUNCE FIRST ENTRIES FOR
PRIDE
PARADE ▼
Pride Brighton & Hove have announced the first group of organisations that have registered to be on this year’s parade In its twentieth year, Pride Brighton & Hove has chosen the United Colours of Pride as the parade theme and entries are coming in thick and fast from companies wanting to be a par t of the colourful action on September 1 Joining the parade for the first time in 2012 and illustrating the diverse range of organisations coming together to suppor t Pride Brighton & Hove is the Lewes-based R aystede Centre for Animal Welfare The first groups to be announced are: Bear Patrol, Terrence Higgins Trust South, Brighton Kemptown & Brighton Hove Conservatives with LGBTory, Brighton & Hove City Council LGBT Workers Forum, MindOut, Brighton Rockers Roller Derby, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust [SECAmb], The Students, Cheek2Cheek LGBT Ballroom & Latin Dance Club, Ishigaki Jujitsu, Nando's, American Express Europe, Brighton & Hove Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown, said: “I’m delighted that the local Conservatives from Kemptown Brighton & Hove have joined the Pride Parade in support of the city's LGBT population I’m looking forward to being on the parade as well Support for the LGBT community crosses party political boundaries and I would encourage other political parties in the city to join us on the parade, particularly with this year's parade theme being ‘United Colours of Pride’ ” Entries for the parade close on Friday, July 6, 2012 Organisations wanting to book a place should call the Pride Brighton & Hove office on 01273 257225 or email: hello@pridebrighton.org
For full information on the parade and park event, view: www.pridebrighton.org
Cllr Bill R andall, the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, handed over a cheque for £5,112 at the official Pride launch par ty at Legends last month to Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund, on behalf of Pride Brighton & Hove The cheque is the first to be given by Pride from the sales of tickets for this years event on September 1 Fur ther cheques will be handed over as ticket sales progress Ar tists appearing at the official Pride launch par ty included Lola Lasagne, Trashville Tennesse, Maisie Trollette, Lee Tracey, All Mouth and No Trousers, Lady La R ue and Polly Perkins
The Mayor said: “Pride is very important to the city and the money raised will go towards helping LGBT organisations to continue delivering front line services to the community ” Paul Elgood said: “Pride Brighton & Hove are delivering on their promise to give £1 from every ticket sold to the Rainbow Fund so go and buy your tickets to help raise more money for our LGBT organistions We are delighted to be part of Pride and see it truly return to its community roots This money will go directly to local frontline LGBT and HIV/Aids charities working to make a difference in the community The grants process will close just a month af ter Pride in early October with decisions in November The process will be independently overseen by the Sussex Community Foundation and we want to see this money get to the community groups who need it most as quickly and fairly as possible af ter Pride ”
PEER ACTION ▼
Peer Action, the independent community organisation that provides social suppor t and wellbeing activities for people who are HIV positive, has received a grant from Lotter y Awards For All for £9,980 to continue their program of health activities in conjunction with their social events They have also received a grant from St Georges Church, Kemptown in recognition of their events held at the Cr ypt at St Georges Peer Action formed little more than a year ago has made a significant impact by reaching out into the HIV community They are run entirely be peers on a voluntary basis Recently Peer Action has been suppor ted by Brighton University with imput into their steering group Membership grows weekly and people living with or affected by HIV are always welcome as volunteers A spokesperson for Peer Action said: “Peer Action is proud to be involved with people of all ages and genders in Brighton, Hove and East Sussex We are also very proud to be associated with the first generation of mainly Gay men with HIV living into older age Our core membership is Gay men aged 40 plus with many aged over 50 ,indeed our most senior member is aged 90 We are delighted with our Lottery award and the recognition it brings W ith sustainability in mind we are already looking beyond 2013 as our generation grows and develops a strong voice ”
The Bedford Tavern raised £82 last month at a quiz and raffle in aid of Peer Action The Bee Tease team (pictured above) won a private capsule on The Brighton Wheel and a bottle of champagne Paul Harrington, founder of Peer Action, said: “I’m really pleased, this money will go towards our activities, such as our new weekly low-cost yoga class, which started on the 26th June” For more information, view: www peeraction co uk
SUSSEX BEACON CHIEF EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES HER DEPARTURE FROM THE CHARITY ▼
Kat Williams has announced her depar ture from the post of Chief Executive of the Sussex Beacon after four years at the Brighton based charity
Simon Burgess, Chair of Sussex Beacon Trustees, said: “The Trustees are very grateful to Kat W illiams She showed great compassion and commitment in this complex and challenging role During her time with us she successfully expanded the charity's services and events Our charity like so many others has been facing tough financial challenges but this year's Brighton Half Marathon was our biggest fundraiser ever and the community have been increasingly rallying round to help us ” “ We are delighted to announce the appointment of Interim Chief Executive Simon Dowe who will we are sure build on Kat's achievements We wish Kat well with her future career ”
Simon Dowe, who will star t immediately as the Beacon's Interim Chief Executive said: "I have a passion and empathy for the work of the Sussex Beacon for reasons too numerous to detail, however one important experience was the six years I spent working in South Africa with children and young people living with HIV/Aids I have been well aware of the leading work of The Sussex Beacon for many years so for me it is a privilege to be able to work alongside the dedicated staff and volunteers at the Sussex Beacon who achieve so much in helping those living with HIV to achieve the quality of life they deserve ” Simon Dowe has been appointed with immediate effect for three months to ensure stability and continued progress in providing the Beacon's services In due course there will be an open recruitment process for the permanent position of Chief Executive
LOCAL CHARITY AWARDED A LOTTERY GRANT TO ROLL OUT TRAINING NATIONWIDE ▼
Men Get Eating Disorders Too (MGEDT), a Brighton-based charity has been granted £6,050 to develop a training package and put on a series of free half-day workshops for professionals and other community members, with an aim to increase their awareness and knowledge about eating disorders in males
Sam Thomas, Founder and Director, said: “MGEDT is committed to raising awareness and improving service provision available to men and boys by tackling the key issues that prevent male sufferers of eating disorders receiving the help they need One of the ways we can help eradicate the barriers male sufferers face is through training
“Too of ten we hear of male sufferers who haven’t been able to seek the help they need due to professionals not picking up on their symptoms, which is likely due to stigma and stereotypical gender assumptions that still exist The aim of the workshops is to increase participants understanding of eating disorders in males so they can be better responsive to their needs
“Following feedback we know the workshops have helped participants gain more confidence in their professional practice, making a crucial difference to the support male sufferers receive
“In this current financial climate, we recognise that funding for training is limited so we are pleased to be able to offer places to professionals and community members at no charge This funding enables us to deliver the workshops in other regions outside the south-east, so we can expand our reach and maximise our impact ”
For workshop dates view the MGEDT website at: http://mengetedstoo co uk/
GAY GAMES & HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WELLBEING EVENT SATURDAY, JULY 28 ▼
LGBT Health & Inclusion Project (HIP) and HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) are organising a day of activities promoting a healthy lifestyle The Healthy LGBT event takes place on Saturday, July 28 from 11am-4pm at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church and is sponsored by RBS R ainbow Network
Local health services, charities and community groups will showcase a range of services that can improve health and wellbeing Free information and advice on sexual health will be available, cancer prevention, healthy eating, drugs and alcohol, and mental health Local charity Lunch Positive will provide a free lunch Outside on Dorset Gardens from 3pm, the Brighton Gay Games will pit 10 teams of competitors against each other in a traditional spor ts day with an LGBT twist Suppor ted by Brighton & Hove City Council’s spor ts development team, games will include a condom relay, drag assault course, and three legged race THT is currently looking for 10 teams of six people from across the community to take par t, and registration is free Both events are open to everyone in the LGBT community and their friends For fur ther details, or to register your team in the Brighton Gay Games, contact R oss Boseley on 01273 764200 or email: ross.boseley@tht.org.uk
CHARITY SEX NIGHT FOR THT ▼
Davina Sparkle is hosting a charity sex night for the Terrence Higgins Trust at the Brighton Sauna on July 19 at 7pm to raise money for the THT's on-site testing for HIV, gonorrhaea and chlamydia This service is totally self-funded from the sauna's fundraising effor ts Last year £1,200 was raised and the sauna hope to top that amount this year Strippers, Dancealot and Temptation, are on at 8pm and 9pm with lap dancing and pole dancing provided by Billy and a surprise guest Davina Sparkle will be keeping the audience in order all evening and there will be a raffle Entry is £15 and £5 of that is donated to the THT There will be no concessions all day from 10am to close at 1am
LABOUR COUNCILLOR SUSPENDED AFTER HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS ▼
The Labour Par ty suspended a councillor last month following homophobic comments posted on Facebook
Mike Harrison, Thanet Labour Councillor, was suspended for one month after calling Independent Councillor, Ian Driver a “shirt lif ting gender bender” while discussing BBQs and holidays with a friend
Cllr Driver called for Cllr Harrison to quit, saying: "There is no place in this council for misogyny and homophobia and he is not wanted ”
Cllr Harrison subsequently alleged that he had been ‘Fraped’ – a term used to describe comments posted on Facebook without permission Prior to being suspended by the Labour Par ty, Cllr Harrison had been issued with a police warning
Cllr Clive Hear t, Labour Group Leader of Thanet Council, said: “Following a thorough internal investigation of recent events leading to him receiving a letter of advice from the police, Cllr Mike Harrison has been suspended from Thanet Labour Group for one calendar month ”
This suspension comes just weeks after Ken Gregor y, Conservative Thanet Councillor, was suspended after leaving a message on the answer phone of a bisexual member of the council saying, “W ith a bit of luck you’ll get AIDS ”
LEARN HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF
▼
R ainbow Boxers a new LGBT Boxing Club train at Brighton R ace Course
If you want to improve your fitness or learn how to look after yourself call Diggari on 07941 766379
MINDOUT’S NEW MENTAL HEALTH GROUP FOR OLDER LGBT PEOPLE ▼
MindOut, the LGBT mental health project, is star ting a group for older (55+) LGBT people who need suppor t around mental health in a welcoming, friendly environment
The group will be facilitated by an out LGBT worker and will give an oppor tunity for people to share experiences, learn from each other and give and receive suppor t They will meet for nine weeks star ting at the end of July, on Tuesdays from 4 30–6pm in Hove For more information call: 01273 234839
SWITCHBOARD THANK THEIR VOLUNTEERS ▼
To celebrate National Volunteers’ Week in June, the staff and trustees of Brighton & Hove, LGBT Switchboard sent thanks all their volunteers for the suppor t they give to people who call their help-line and use their
counselling service 365 days of the year Every year Switchboard telephone volunteers respond to approximately 1,500 LGBT or unsure people who need help and suppor t with emotional difficulties
Natalie Woods, speaking on behalf of the charity commented: “One of the challenges for our volunteers is that they support people with such a wide range of difficulties – every time a help-line volunteer picks up the phone they have no idea what the caller is ringing about It could be anything including wanting information about services or groups, difficulties with sexual or gender identity, drug and alcohol problems, relationship difficulties, and mental health difficulties including self-harm and suicidal thoughts ”The counsellors also see clients with this breadth of difficulties and provide counselling to a high number of clients with mental health problems The commitment to the role and to their own professional development is high amongst the volunteers and helps them to manage this challenge “ We’e proud of our team of volunteers and want to say a special thank you to them during National Volunteers’ Week ” To get suppor t from LGBT Switchboard or to find out more about volunteering call their help-line on: 01273 204050
ADONIS CABARET DONATE £1,000 TO THE RAINBOW FUND ▼
Tristan Mills, managing director of Adonis Cabaret Ltd, donated £1,000 to the R ainbow Fund at the Golden Handbag Awards Show this year Tristan is pictured with David Pollikett aka Davina Sparkle, handing the cheque to Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund Tristan said: “We all had such a fantastic time at the Golden Handbags I wanted to support Davina and show my appreciation for the fantastic work being done by LGBT and HIV organisations in Brighton & Hove ”
3 ARTISTS RAISE OVER £500 FOR THE SUSSEX BEACON ▼
Three local ar tists, R obin Par fitt, Ole Skauge and Lawrence Latham, joined forces to help raise funds for The Sussex Beacon at an independent open house during this year’s Brighton May Festival The ar tists donated 15% of the profits of their sales to the Beacon, raising an impressive £508 57 Robin Parfitt is a chef at the Beacon He said: “ We chose to support the Beacon as it’s a charity that means so much to all of us, and we wanted to give something to support their great work ” The money raised will go towards suppor ting The Beacon Appeal to save the Beacon’s Inpatient Unit
NICE ‘N’ NAUGHTY RAISE £500 FOR THE SUSSEX BEACON ▼
Phil Price, store manager of adult shop Nice ‘N’ Naughty in St James’ Street, Brighton, presented a cheque for £500 to Juley Ayres from the Sussex Beacon The money was raised by his colleagues in suppor t of Simon Prescott, Nice ‘N’ Naughty company Director and founder, who took par t in the recent Brighton Marathon Simon completed the course in a personal best time of 3 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds You can still make a donation at the Nice ‘N’ Naughty store, at 32 St James Street, Kemptown
BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS RAISE NEARLY £425 FOR SWITCHBOARD ▼
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus raised nearly £425 for its nominated charity, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, at their Brighton Fringe Festival show Guilty Treasures on May 3, 2012 Mark Elswor th, lead trustee of Switchboard, said: “ We are delighted with the generosity of everyone who attended and gave so generously to Switchboard W ith their help we will be able to continue to provide much needed services to LGBT people across Brighton & Hove We look forward to future collaborations with the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and would like to thank them for their support during the Fringe Festival ” For more info view: www brightongmc org
DR BARNARDO ’S SUPPORTS ‘ GAY MARRIAGE’ IN SCOTLAND ▼
Dr Barnardo’s, the charity that cares for vulnerable children and young people, has announced it is strongly in favour of legalising same-sex marriage in Scotland They argue the move will “reduce stigma” and “make families, and the children in them, feel more accepted”
The intervention, by Scotland’s largest children’s charity, comes as the Scottish Government prepares to announce whether it will bring forward legislation on same-sex marriage
Scotland for Marriage, the campaign against marriage equality in Scotland, has argued that same-sex marriage should not be allowed because it “creates in law a situation which deliberately deprives a child of a mother or a father" arguing that, “wherever possible every child should be raised by a married mother and a father”
In December 2011, Cardinal O’Brien argued that the law should never “facilitate” same-sex relationships, claiming; “the empirical evidence is clear, same-sex relationships are demonstrably harmful to the medical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of those involved, no compassionate society should ever enact legislation to facilitate or promote such relationships, we have failed those who struggle with same-sex attraction and wider society by our actions ”
In a statement, Mar tin Crewe, the Director of Barnardo’s Scotland rejects these arguments He said: “I am growing increasingly concerned at some of the arguments about family life being used in the debate on gay marriage In my view, what distinguishes between good and bad parenting is not the sexual orientation, nor the marital status of parents
“Some opponents of gay marriage seem to suggest that a marriage between a man and a woman automatically makes for the optimal situation in which to bring up children However, the reality is that most children in Scotland are not now born to married couples To insist that being married and heterosexual at best does a great disservice to the large numbers of parents doing a great job of raising their children in loving, stable, but varied, circumstances ”
Barnardo’s Scotland argue that the key factors in successful parenting include love, care, emotional security and good communication, not the sexual orientation or marital status of parents In 2011, the Institute of Fiscal Studies found that children’s development is not affected by their parents’ marital status, but rather by factors including pover ty The announcement has been welcomed by the Equality Network, the LGBT equality charity that campaigns for equal marriage in Scotland
An Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by the Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament revealed that 64% of Scots suppor t same-sex marriage, while just 26% remain opposed The survey also found that suppor t among families was even greater, with 74% suppor t in households with children
Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said: “ We welcome this timely announcement by Barnardo’s We have always said that the sexual orientation of parents does not matter, and we firmly believe that equality under the law can only be a good thing for all families We hope that the Scottish Government will listen to the evidence on this one ”
The Scottish Government consultation on same-sex marriage closed in December 2011 with over 50,000 responses The results of the consultation are due to be published shor tly Sources close to the SNP believe that Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the Minister responsible for the proposals, will be championing a change in the law to bring about full marriage equality for same-sex couples However, the Sunday Times repor ted in May 2012 that some Ministers were privately briefing against legislation, quoting one unnamed source as saying “the ministers who have doubts about same-sex marriage are just being pragmatic, it does not make sense for the SNP to have this fight ”
For details of the Equality Network’s Equal Marriage campaign view: www equalmarriage org uk
For information about the Equality Network view: www equality-network org
DENMARK APPROVES SAMESEX MARRIAGE ▼
Denmark became the latest European country to allow same-sex marriage last month with legislation passing through the Danish Folketing
The Bill put forward by Denmark's centre-left government was passed in an 85-24 vote
In 1989 Denmark became the first country in the world to introduce civil par tnerships It joins an increasing number of European countries that have introduced full marriage equality for same-sex couples including Spain, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Iceland, Por tugal and the Netherlands
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister, welcomed the move as ‘historic’, saying: “Twenty-three years ago, Denmark was the first country in the world to allow registered partnerships between homosexuals Today we allow homosexuals to marry, on an equal footing with all others I am glad that there is now a large majority in the Folketing, which supports this historic decision ”
Manu Sareen, Minister for Equality & Church Affairs, told Politiken newspaper: “In 1989 people were given the opportunity to register their partnership at city hall but now that we have given them the opportunity to get married, we have lif ted equality to a whole new level Couples of the same sex will be put on the same footing as couples of different sex and that is a huge change ”
The new legislation took effect on June 15, 2012
After the vote, Manu Sareen, said: "This is equality between couples of the same gender and couples of different genders A major step forward ”
MAJORITY OF SCOTTISH MPS NOW BACK GAY MARRIAGE ▼
A majority of Members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have now publicly pledged to vote for a change in the law to lift the ban on same-sex marriage in Scotland In a coordinated move to increase pressure on the Scottish Government to bring forward legislation next month, 69 MSPs from across the political par ties have announced that they will be voting for same-sex marriage The MSPs that have signed the Equality Network’s pledge include the leaders of all the opposition par ties, the majority of SNP and Labour MSPs, and all Liberal Democrat and Green MSPs
Key Scottish Government cabinet ministers have also indicated they will personally be voting for the measure, including Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney and Kenny MacAskill
The Scottish Government are due to publish the results of their same-sex marriage consultation shor tly
Sources close to the SNP believe that Nicola Sturgeon, the Minister responsible for the proposals, will be championing a change in the law to bring about full marriage equality for same-sex couples, including allowing both civil and religious marriage
In stark contrast to the high level of parliamentary suppor t for equal marriage, just nine MSPs have said that they will vote against proposals
These include seven Conser vative MSPs, Dave Thompson of the SNP , and Bill Walker who has recently been expelled from the SNP and arrested following allegations of domestic abuse
The Equality Network, the LGBT equality charity that leads the equal marriage campaign in Scotland, have said they expect the Scottish Government to announce proposals later this month, but have also indicated that they will work to secure a Private Members Bill if legislation is not for thcoming
Opinion polls suggest a majority of Scots suppor t equal marriage, including the Scottish Social Attitudes Sur vey which indicated 61% suppor t versus 19% opposition This included a majority of respondents following all the major faiths and political par ties in Scotland
HAMPSHIRE POLICE ISSUE LGBT SAFETY ADVICE AFTER MAN IS ROBBED ▼
Hampshire Police have issued an e-fit of a man wanted in connection with a robbery in Por tsmouth The victim, a 61-year-old man, was picked up by the offender in a blue vehicle by Marine Cour t, Por tsmouth at around 8 30pm on Sunday, May 20 The two men then drove round various car parks in Southsea before arriving at the Ferr y R oad car park next to the Hayling ferr y at about 9.30pm The driver produced a knife and demanded that the victim empty his pockets before telling him to get out of the vehicle which then sped off The offender got away with a quantity of cash and a mobile phone He is described as: a white man, about 40-years-old, large build, bald/shaven head, fair complexion, wearing a plain white T-shir t and blue or black tracksuit bottoms PC Steve Bourne said: “The victim in this case got into the vehicle believing the driver was interested in sexual activity Thankfully, he was not injured, but he has been lef t very shaken by what’s happened and had a considerable amount of money stolen I’m appealing for anyone who recognises the suspect either from his description or from the e- fit to come forward It might be that he’s done this to someone else or been spotted driving around the Portsmouth area ”
Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Bourne at Fratton Police Station on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 PC Mike Bar ton, a Lesbian & Gay Liaison Officer assigned to the investigation, said: “If you’ve been the victim of a similar incident we want to hear from you We’re not here to make moral judgements about the circumstances but to investigate the offence It’s important we know about such crimes because these sorts of offenders will of ten prey on vulnerable people who meet strangers for sex thinking it’s unlikely they’ll speak to the police If you do meet strangers for sexual activity, think about ways you can minimise the risks to your personal safety For example, don’t carry large amounts of cash, avoid isolated areas and don’t get into a stranger’s car Also remember that sexual activity in public is not illegal so long as other people who might be offended can’t see you and are unaware ” You can always ask to speak to a Lesbian & Gay Liaison Officer whenever you call Hampshire Constabular y To repor t a crime, always call 999 in an emergency or 101 if it’s less urgent You can also call 101 and ask for a Lesbian & Gay Liaison Officer if you want to talk about these issues fur ther
SHADOW EQUALITIES MINISTER HAILS PROGRESS ON GAY EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ▼
Kate Green MP , the Shadow Equalities Minister, addressed the Stonewall Manchester Workplace Conference last month She commended Stonewall for its work on employment policy, hailing a "ground-breaking changing transformation in social attitudes" towards gay staff Green was speaking at Stonewall’s Workplace Conference in Manchester, where the charity launched its 2013 Workplace Equality Index The Index, which is now online and is free to enter for all employers, forms the basis of the annual list of Britain’s Top 100 gay-friendly employers
During her opening speech she said: “The pipeline to employment, schools, is a huge challenge and I commend Stonewall for all their work here ” Green added that employers would benefit from embracing diversity saying: “The moral case is also the business case, employers who put themselves out as open to all talent will perform best ” The Stonewall Workplace Conference, suppor ted by Barclays, gave 120 delegates from every sector of Britain’s economy a chance to hear from speakers including the Shadow Equalities Minister, Professor Mar tin Hall, University of Salford’s Vice Chancellor and Richard Seeley, Barclays Global Head of Equity Operations Colleen Humphrey, Stonewall Director of Workplace, said: “Diversity is vital for businesses to succeed, particularly when the economic climate is tough Britain’s 1 7 million LGB staff look for employers who do more than just ‘tolerate’ them Organisations attending the Workplace Conference send a clear message to gay staff and potential recruits that they respect their contribution and talent ” Stonewall works with over 600 employers throughout Britain, who have 10 million staff worldwide, through its Diversity Champions programme For more information view: www stonewall org uk
• A choice of two hotels
• The Courtlands Hotel a few minutes walk from the beach in Hove
• The Shelleys, an English country hotel set in the heart of Lewes
• Fully licensed for Civil Ceremonies
• Packages designed to your own requirements
www the-shelleys co uk £500 off price on presentation of this advert
We offer Civil Partnerships and events to themed occasions for the more adventurous with our in-house Cake Designer, Florist, Venue Stylist and Events Planner ready to support you on your big day
Please call Cour tlands Hotel 01273 731055
www courtlandshotel com or The Shelleys 01273 472361
LOW COST WEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS FOR HIV+ PEOPLEA FIRST FOR BRIGHTON ▼
Peer Action, the independent community organisation that provides social suppor t and wellbeing activities for people who are HIV positive, has star ted weekly, low cost yoga sessions aimed specially at the HIV community The new drop-in yoga group was set up in response to requests from positive people for gentle, therapeutic exercise designed around their needs and will cost just £2 a session The class is led by Daniel Noquet, a well-established yoga teacher who has experience of working specifically with people with HIV
People do not need to have had previous experience of yoga, mats are provided and you can take a blanket and/or cushion along for some extra comfor t during the guided relaxation at the end, which may help during some of the seated postures
Yoga’s many benefits include: improving your muscular strength, flexibility and bone density through careful weight bearing asana/yoga positions Yoga promotes a sense of calm and wellbeing, which can aid restful sleep and lower stress levels The wide range of movements learnt through yoga are par ticularly helpful for moving lymphatic fluid through the body, thereby suppor ting immune function It can also help you to feel a sense of physical confidence and empowerment, and can help you to have a more loving relationship with your own body
Sessions are every Tuesday (from June 26 2012) from 6–7pm at St Mar y’s Church Hall, 61 St James Street, BN2 1PR No need to book, mats provided, £2 per class To find out more about Dan and his approach, background and training view: www yoga-4-u co uk
For more information view: www peeraction co uk
DAY TRIP WITH PEER ACTION TO SISSINGHURST ▼
Peer Action are organising a day trip to Sissinghurst Castle & Gardens in Kent, a beautiful garden and once home to Vita Sackville-West A setting for passionate affairs and wild weekend par ties, Sissinghurst was the backdrop to a loving family home Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West created an internationally famous garden there in the 1930s and now it provides beautiful grounds in which to wander on a dreamy summer’s afternoon The coach leaves from central Brighton on Sunday July 22; tickets £15 include return coach trip and admission (£10 for National Trust members) For tickets and more information view: www.peeraction.co.uk
EASTBOURNE LGBT GROUP FOR OLDER PEOPLE RECEIVES GRANT FROM SUSSEX POLICE ▼
Sussex Police have donated £300 from the Police Proper ty Act Fund to help the fledgling Eastbourne R ainbow 50+ LGBT group The group provides a safe venue for older LGBT people at the AGE Concern centre in Junction Road, Eastbourne PC Vicky Bishop, the LGBT Liaison Officer for Eastbourne, is suppor tive of the group and she recommended them to the Proper ty Act Fund for financial help
Derek Andrews, the facilitator of Eastbourne Rainbow, said: “There are a serious number of lonely older LGBT people in the community that we need to reach out to, and this money will help to do that, to ensure their older years needn’t be alone, because we care ”
THE HANKIE QUILT PROJECT ▼
The Hankie Quilt is a Brighton & Hove based community project created to suppor t those who are living with HIV/AIDS and to remember those we have lost You are invited to submit a 12” x 12” hankie or panel with the name and a personal message on it as a lasting memory to someone you have lost
The Hankie Quilt will be carried through the streets of our city as par t of this years Brighton & Hove Pride Parade on Saturday September 1 Future plans are for it to go on display at the Jubilee Librar y in Brighton as par t of the Worlds Aids Day Exhibition in December.
The original idea for the Hankie Quilt evolved out of a social media site discussion by Bear-Patrol, a Brighton & Hove social and community group The discussion asked members for their ideas for the 2012 Brighton & Hove Pride Parade entry The theme is United Colours of Pride this year and one of our members came up with the idea of The Hanky Code
The Hanky Code was widely used in the 1970s & 1980s when times were not so tolerant and some gay men used to wear coloured hankies in their rear jeans pocket as a secret code to let other LGBT people recognise them Today with the changes in law and with the LGBT community becoming more accepted in the wider community, the use of the code became less fashionable but the Bear Patrol group felt that with this being the 20th Anniversary of Brighton & Hove Pride it would be good to remember this symbolic piece of our social history As the conversation continued the idea was muted that we could create a quilt of the coloured hankies This reminded us of the Aids Memorial Quilt which was created in San Francisco and when we discovered that is was actually 25 years ago that the original quilt was first created our own ideas grew and we made plans to create our own lasting memorial to those we have lost, but also to suppor t those who have survived and who are still living with HIV/AIDS With the availability of modern drugs and the advance in medical research it now means there are many men and women that are living longer with HIV/Aids and we wanted the new quilt to show suppor t for those people in the community too We hope that the Hankie Quilt will be an ongoing project that will continue to grow and develop, and we will also be using the project to raise funds for The Sussex Beacon and The Rainbow Fund We want the community to join us in creating a special and lasting piece of LGBT history
The Hankie Quilt team are par ticularly excited that EastEnders actress Ann Mitchell has agreed to be the figurehead of the campaign Ann said; “I am honoured to have been asked to be involved with The Hankie Quilt Project To me it will be a demonstration of the love we continue to feel for loved ones we have lost, a celebration of the courage of those who are living with HIV/Aids, and the determination to stamp out any stigma attached to this illness ”
The Quilt team will be appearing at a venue or business near you soon with our Roadshow and if you would like to become involved in creating the Quilt or submitting a Hankie please contact us via our facebook page; www.facebook.com/TheHankieQuilt or email us at;
TheHankieQuilt@live.co.uk and we will forward you our information pack with details on how to create and submit your hankie panel to us You can also visit our website: www thehankiequilt webs com where you can make a donation to the cause and the charities we suppor t
The Hankie Quilt project is run totally by unpaid volunteers and if you have time or skills you may be able to give to the project do not hesitate to contact us: Maurice McHale Parr y & Peter Moxom, co-founders of The Hankie Quilt
HOVE PARK CELEBRATION FOR OLYMPIC FLAME ▼
Brighton & Hove City Council is putting on two free events to celebrate the Olympic Flame’s arrival in the City on July 16 In addition to the official Olympic Torch R elay Celebration taking place at Sussex County Cricket Ground, Brighton’s community ar ts charity, Same Sky, will be creating a nonticketed fun family activity day with a dramatic finale in Hove Park Everyone is invited to take picnics to Hove Park and enjoy the celebrations from 4pm, while they wait for the Olympic Torchbearer to come running past at 6 06pm The park will have a festival feel, festooned with giant flame-shaped flags, covered with pictures designed by local school children, and local spor ting groups, such as Brighton & Hove Nordic Walking Group, will be displaying life-sized spor ting figures they have crafted in Same Sky workshops Free spor ts and ar ts activities will be available for everyone to have a go at At 9 30pm there will be a spectacular finale performance to end the day – the Sky Dome Spectators will be invited to join a procession of 'Skynauts' at 9pm before the show A giant translucent dome will then come to life with digital projections, live performance, shadow puppets, light sequences and a specially composed audio score in a futuristic story where real and vir tual images combine seamlessly In the build-up to the Flame’s arrival, Same Sky will be running a series of free torch-making workshops throughout the city See the full list of workshops on the Same Sky website: www.samesky.co.uk Sharon Mee, Same Sky’s Community Manager, said: “ We’re looking forward to the Olympic Flame’s arrival to our city and will make it a really fun and memorable day ”
Three Gscene readers will be carrying the flame on its journey through Sussex Jason Saw is a worker for MindOut, the LGBT mental health project and an avid fundraiser for them He will be carrying the torch through Arundel on July 16 Gavin Owen runs marathons, does bike rides to raise money for childrens charities and has helped organise Pride in Brighton & Hove in the past He will be running his leg in Eastbourne on July 17 Colin Bentley was nominated by one of the nurses he now works with Colin has been HIV+ for 19 years Five years ago when he was sick, he decided to not let HIV control his life anymore and gave up drinking, smoking and star ted to take better care of himself He now works for the NHS and raised £1,000 for Friends of Brighton and Hove Hospitals by running the 2011 Brighton marathon Colin will be running his leg in Brighton
QUKELELE PADDLE ROUND THE PIER ▼
TAKEPART: CITY-WIDE SPORTS CELEBRATION ▼
The programme for the city-wide annual spor ts celebration, Takepar t, is now available in print and online and is packed with spor ts for all ages and abilities to enjoy The festival began on Saturday, June 23 with a for tnight of spor ting activities and more than 100 different spor ts to try around the city The for tnight finishes with the spectacular Paddle R ound the Pier Beach Festival from July 6-8 Paddle Round the Pier is the world’s biggest free water spor ts and beach lifestyle event Last year more than 50,000 people visited the Paddle Village on Hove Lawns to watch the water races of small, sometimes hand built, craft paddling round the remains of the West Pier The full range of free low cost activities are featured in the brochure available at venues across the city and online: www takepar tbrightonandhove com/
PEOPLE’S DAY JULY 14 2012 ▼
Brighton & Hove’s annual free festival, People’s Day, takes place on Saturday July 14 The event runs from 11am-5pm in New R oad, Jubilee Street, Jubilee Square, the Pavilion Gardens and Victoria Gardens, Brighton
Enter tainment is spread across nine different themed zones and includes individual stalls run by community groups
RESOUND PRESENT JAZZ, LOVERS & OTHERS ▼
Brighton & Hove’s newest male voice group R esound present their summer show Jazz, L overs & Others at St Andrew's Church, Waterloo Street, Hove, on Saturday, July 7 at 7 30pm Joining them for the evening are the Alvin Burrell Quintet and mezzo soprano Thomasin Trezise from Glyndebourne Opera
The programme, ranging from music of the 1920s through to compositions by Miles Davis and Pat Metheny, will include special arrangements of standards like Body & Soul, The Nearness of You, and Four alongside musical theatre numbers by Sondheim and Jason Rober t Brown
Pop classics How Deep Is Your Love by the Bee Gees and Af ter the Rain by ABBA’s Benny Andersson will add another dimension to this unique and eclectic show
Stefan Holmström, Resound’s Musical Director and Swedish opera singer says: "It is quite rare for this type of collaboration to take place so I'm really excited that we have chance to put on a truly special concert There is a wonderful tradition in barbershop and close harmony vocal jazz that we’re exploring It’s a challenge vocally not only because these songs must be sung well technically, but also with great feeling ” Tickets £8.50/£7.50 (concession) are available from Brighton Dome Box Office and the Iron Duke Hotel in Hove More info: www.resoundmalevoices.org
ALOHA! Paddle R ound the Pier, from Fri 6–Sun 8 July, is the world’s biggest FREE beach and waterspor ts festival It’s on Hove Lawns and features the very best in water, street and urban spor ts, live music, kids enter tainment and ‘have a go’ oppor tunities The Ukulele Stage this year is organised by singer-songwriter and uke enthusiast, Nicola Bloom (Qukelele) in association with Ucanukulele Expect the very best in ukulele and songwriting talent that the south east has to offer including Brighton favourites Qukelele and Al Star t & Band who are among the acts appearing on Sunday July 8 Bring your ukes and Jam! To be par t of the uke flash mob or find out more about the ar tists visit www.ucanukulele.co.uk and www.paddleroundthepier.com Mahalo!
There will be a range of activities for all age groups to par ticipate in, from ar ts and crafts to spor ts and electronic gaming Visitors will have the oppor tunity to learn about healthy living, uncover the history and culture of the city and get a chance to relax and unwind
Other highlights include live rock music by The Mojo Fins, African drumming and dance workshops, Chinese brush painting, table tennis and penalty shoot out games with local football teams
This year’s event is par t of a weekend of festivities taking place ahead of the Olympic Torch
R elay, which arrives in the city on Monday July 16
CLUB MIX IS BACK ▼
Back by popular demand, after a long absence is Club Mix Pauline decided to resurrect the mixed gay club night that she promoted back in the early 1990s for today's older crowd who are still up for a dance on a Saturday night DJ Jules and guests will be playing a mix of Motown, 1970s/80s soul, funk and disco Club Mix is on Saturday 14 and 28 July, at CAPS, 5-6 Western Road, Hove, from 8.30pm till late, or until your cocoa calls you home! Entry £5 Club Mix is a mixed gay night and will be every two weeks from Sat July 14 onwards Also look out for a Zanzi R evisited club night at Caps on Pride weekend with DJ Craig Woodrow and guests re-creating that special Zanzibar vibe one more time
TONY BENNETT
7/3/1955 - 9/6/2012
Tony Bennett died peacefully at home in Brighton on June 9, following a battle against a very aggressive Cancer He was born in Glasgow and as he grew up showed an aptitude for figure work He studied finance, gaining both a first and Masters Degree in Accounting and Finance and became a Char tered Management Accountant He was always looking for something more fulfilling however and moved into the world of Academia, becoming a Lecturer After several years of hard work, he became Head of the Accounting and Finance Depar tment at the University of Luton
Tony came to Brighton via Her tfordshire, where he had settled after meeting his par tner Andrew in 1986 Tony had fallen in love with Brighton when visiting for weekends in the late 1980s, bought a weekend ‘bolthole’ in 1990 and was able to move here permanently in 1997
He became involved with Brighton Cares, the Charity providing vital financial assistance to local people living with HIV/Aids through the staging of musical shows and theatre This allowed Tony to combine his love of Theatre and Musicals with helping others and for many years he held the post of Grants Coordinator, ensuring an effective and efficient process for ensuring those in need got the assistance they deserved and he also provided safe stewardship of the funds raised
Tony built up his own small Bookkeeping and Accountancy practice in Brighton and became known amongst his clients and some of Brighton’s major Accountancy firms for his flexible, firm and professional ways Whilst running this business, Tony was also instrumental in the formation of the Brighton Gay Business Association (GBA) following the lead set by the GBA in London
As time moved on and Brighton Cares closed, Tony ensured that the remaining funds were administered carefully and fairly by local charity Money Advice Community Suppor t (MACS), subsequently staying on with MACS as a Trustee and using his financial exper tise to assist another respected local suppor t organisation
In 2006 Tony and Andrew enjoyed an intimate Civil Par tnership in Brighton, almost a full 20 years after they had first met on a rainy night in a basement bar on Hope Street, Glasgow
Those who knew Tony saw a fiercely moral, professional and often challenging character who always had the interests of the charities he worked with foremost in his hear t They also knew him as a man who loved life and enter tained with a wicked sense of humour and fun
He is survived by par tner Andrew, Mum Betty and Sister Janice
GOLDEN HANDBAGS
AWARDS CEREMONY, JUNE 17, 2012
The profits from this year ’ s Golden Handbag Show go to the Rainbow Fund Formerly the Aids Memorial Fund, the Rainbow Fund gives grants to LGBT and HIV organisations providing front line services to LGBT people in Brighton & Hove My thanks go to The Brighton Metropole Hotel and Jon Allan and Brendon Shannon for once again providing us with the use of the hotel ballroom free of charge and special thanks to the duty manager on the night Martyn Wheeler who made sure we had everything we needed To Matt and Coral at Arena Entertainments and their team, James and Sam at RealBrighton.com, Terry Wing and the Resolve security team and Billie Lewis Promotions for dressing the tables. All the artists appearing including David Raven, Miss Jason, Jennie Castelle, Ceri Dupree and Louise Dearman donated their services free of charge as did the back stage team of Eric Page, Billie Lewis and David Holland. As always a special thank you to Stephen Richards for holding everything together With donations and the bucket collection the evening raised £4,100 for the Rainbow Fund. MindOut also receives a £3,000 Gscene bursary for the next 12 months, Allsorts, Lunch Positive, Peer Action and LGBT Switchboard a £1,000 bursary each. James Ledward
FAVOURITE SMALL BAR: SUBLINE
FAVOURITE OUT OF TOWN VENUE:
FAVOURITE ENTERTAINER: MISS JASON
FAVOURITE LGBT/HIV ORGANISATION: SUSSEX BEACON
FAVOURITE CLUB NIGHT: GIRLS ON TOP
FAVOURITE BIG BAR & HOTEL: LEGENDS
FAVOURITE SUNDAY LUNCH: 112 CHURCH STREET
FAVOURITE BUSINESS NON LICENSED: BRIGHTON SAUNA
LONDON HOTEL, SOUTHAMPTON
REVENGE
FAVOURITE HOSTESS: STEPHANIE STARLET
FAVOURITE DOOR SECURITY: ROB COE FAVOURITE LANDLORD: ADAM BROOKS
FAVOURITE BAR BOY: JORDAN GRIMES FAVOURITE BAR GIRL: LIZ PRAEGER
FAVOURITE CABARET VENUE: LEGENDS
SPECIAL AWARD: LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AWARD
FAVOURITE LGBT SOCIAL GROUP: BEAR PATROL
FAVOURITE DJ: DULCIE DANGER
LOLA LASAGNE JENNIE CASTELL
SONIA MARMITE & STEPHANIE STARLET TERRY WING AND THE RESOLVE SECURITY TEAM
AWARD WINNERS IN ORDER
GAY CLUB
1. REVENGE
2 Basement Club @ Legends
3 Envy
4 Subline
5. The Edge (Southampton)
CLUB NIGHT
1. GIRLS ON TOP (Revenge)
2. Foam Party (Subline)
3. Wild Fruit
4. Kinky Dangerous (Revenge)
5 Mad Cow (Charles Street)
BRIGHTON DJ
1. DULCIE DANGER (Revenge)
2 Jakey (Legends)
3 Lady Bex
4 Lil' Alex
5 Peter Castle
DOOR HOSTESS
1. STEPHANIE STARLET (Revenge)
2. Joan Bond (Charles Street)
3. Dolly Rocket (Wild Fruit)
4. Sonia Marmite (Poison Ivy)
5. Gary Forde (Revenge)
DOOR SECURITY
1. ROB COE (Vavavoom)
2 Carl Divall (Subline)
3 Liz Blyth (Revenge)
4 Jim Wolverine (Bulldog)
5 Sharon Walsh (Legends)
SMALL BAR
1. SUBLINE
2. Queens Arms
3: Bulldog
4. Vavavoom
5: Bedford Tavern
L ARGE BAR
1. LEGENDS 2 Charles Street 3 Bar Revenge 4 Dr Brighton's
5 A Bar
L ANDLORD/L ANDL ADY
1. ADAM BROOKS (Bedford Tavern)
2. Steven Lee (Subline)
3. Collin Day (Church Street)
4. Andrew Roberts (Revenge)
5. Andy Feest (Queens Arms)
BAR BOY
1. JORDAN GRIMES (Subline)
2 Harry Woodhams (A Bar)
3 Ed Stocker (Charles Street)
4 Mat Richards (Bedford Tavern)
Terry Ward (112 Church Street)
BAR GIRL
1. LIZ PRAEGER (Bedford Tavern)
2 Tasha Farrell (The Stage)
3 Mary Sommerford (Queen’s Arms) 4: Millie Greenfield (The Edge) 5: Caz Pooley
CABARET VENUE
MAISIE & MISS JASON
LGBT SPORTS GROUPS
BL AGSS
With the Olympic Games fast approaching we thought this would be a great opportunity to shamelessly plug the fantastic sports and social group Brighton Lesbian & Gay Sports Society (BLAGSS)
If you are gay/gay friendly and into (actually, you don’t even have to be that into!) sport, then BLAGSS is the group for you. We are a sports and social group that boasts around 500 LGBT members across Brighton & Hove, Sussex and beyond; even from deepest, darkest Selsey! Our members come in all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities and participate in a wide range of sporting activities Sports groups include softball, rock climbing, badminton, tennis, cycling, walking, squash, tenpin bowling, petanque boules, golf and running Membership is a bargain at only £12 a year
SOFTBALL
This year the softball team, Brighton Blaggards, (sponsored by BLAGSS and Align Doctors of Chiropractic), are taking part in two divisions, a Major (Team Competitive) and Development (Team Nearly) Leagues. This allows us to accommodate a wider variety of playing abilities and competitive natures. Games have been played throughout the summer, and practices are underway, with a full-club practice each Saturday and abilitybased practices on Monday (beginners) and Wednesday (experienced) The Blaggards are still taking players for their current season and all abilities are welcome to join
ROCK CLIMBING
The rock climbing group meet on a weekly basis, indoors in winter and outdoors in the
spring and summer. Climbing will give you a buzz like no other sport. It is a great way to both physically and mentally release the tensions of the day as all you have to focus on is your next move. You have to use not only your body to get up the rock but also your mind and problem solving skills; not only use your strength but also your balance
RUNNING
If running is your thing, then why not join the running group? The group meets on Saturday at 10.30am in Preston Park for a 6075 minutes session of short runs, sprint work and circuit training. Over the course of the session you will normally cover between three and four miles interspersed with various upper body strengthening exercises We aim to make the session as sociable as possible so there are no long runs and everyone works at a pace according to their own abilities and determination
WALKING
The walking group is very popular. This friendly group comprises of men and women (and the obligatory lesbian/gay’s best friend, the dog) across all ranges Each month there’s a short relaxing ramble of 4-6 miles after lunch and a longer walk of 7-9 miles, but still not too strenuous, often with a pub lunch There are also Friday evening walks between May and September which are a great way to unwind from the weekly grind
CYCLING
BLAGSS also has its very own cycling group, which arranges rides throughout the year typically two per month and alternating between Saturdays and Sundays The programme of events aims to please both leisure riders and those with more challenging
needs Each ride is categorised as either short/social, on-road and off-road
There are many more activities on offer so visit our www.blagss.org for more information.
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!
We offer a FREE 1 day membership (though extra fees may apply) Just go to the relevant sport page on the website and message the organiser
With around 500 different sporting and social meetings each year, BLAGSS is a great way to meet people, keep fit, and have fun. However, it’s not all just about sport, we organise a variety of joint social activities throughout the year to enable members of the various sport groups to socialise. These include special events for winter and summer Gay Pride festivals, beach BBQs, New Year's Party, and a ‘School Sports Day’. On the first Tuesday of every month there is a pub social evening at the Bedford Tavern and the sports groups also organise their own social events
BIG GAY SPORTS DAY OUT 2012
Don’t miss BLAGSS’ second 'Big Gay Sports Day Out' on Sunday July 8 at the Stanley Deason Leisure Centre which is part of Brighton's Take Part Festival of Sport. The aim of the day is to encourage more people in the LGBT community to participate in sport and try something new Activities on offer include rock climbing, softball, yoga, boxercise, basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash, football, golf as well as nutritional advice and massage
SUPPORTING SWITCHBOARD
BLAGSS has decided to officially align itself with a charity, choosing Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard for 2012 They offer a range of services to members of the LGBT community, their families and others who would like to discuss issues surrounding sexuality and gender, including a phone hotline, face-to-face low cost counselling, relationship/couples counselling, email queries, and hate-crime reporting. The charity is in constant need of funds to keep it going. For more information view: www.switchboard.org.uk
HONEYBEES L ADIES HOCKEY
HONEYBEES THE TEAM
Brighton Honeybees Ladies Hockey Team is a sociable gay friendly ladies' hockey team based in Brighton. They play in Sussex Ladies ague One and their home pitch is Stanley Deason Leisure Centre in East Brighton The season runs from September to March, with training once a week on Wednesday evenings There are always plenty of socials and the team is relaxed, friendly and not at all 'cliquey' We like to win games and
it's a great way to stay fit, but we make sure we enjoy ourselves at the same time. We're currently looking to expand our squad and welcome new players. You don't have to be super fit, or have played hockey recently, just come along and try it out!
Search for Honeybees Hockey Team on Facebook or call 07701 059929 to join and for any enquiries
HONEYBEES THE MUSICAL
Amongst the fever for musicals that has spread across the West End like a rash, the sub genre of sporting musicals is perhaps slightly below the radar, but nonetheless established In 2010 the Canadian film Score: An Ice Hockey Musical featured celebrities such as the singer Nelly Furtado and Margaret Atwood
Meanwhile two hockey players from Brighton Honeybees Ladies Hockey Club, Cat Walker and Rebecca Duffy, hatched a plan to write an amateur musical about the themes of winning, losing, life, love and friendship that make up being part of a sports club They teamed up with hugely talented musician Dungareen Jean, and put on Honeybees – The Musical for two sell-out performances in Brighton in December 2011. The shows raised £2,088 for Allsorts Youth Project, the Brighton-based charity supporting LGBTU young people in the local area.
Honeybees - The Musical toured in June 2012, to Eastbourne and RADA Studios in London, selling out once again in Eastbourne, and auctioned a hockey shirt donated by the GB hockey team The cast and crew, who include Honeybee players from past and present get a massive buzz from taking part in the show! If you’d like a CD or DVD of Honeybees - The Musical contact: honeybees-tm@hotmail.co.uk
JUSTIN CAMPAIGN
2012 SEA SON REPORT
As well as gifting us with a wonderful end to the Premier League season, Euro 2012 and the Olympics, this year has also seen football show us its ugly face Negative headlines around players tweeting homophobic abuse and far-right salutes have put football’s attitude to equality under the floodlights Justin Fashanu remains the only professional football player in England to have been openly gay The hatred and fear which tarnished his life still need to be challenged in the hope that football can justify its ‘beautiful game ’ title.
Initiatives in England to combat racism in football have been widely supported by the sports authorities since the mid 1990s, but until recently, there was little acknowledgement of the impact homophobia was having on LGBT and straight fans and players It was in 2008, that some Brightonbased football fans, LGBT and straight, decided to act and The Justin Campaign was born Its mission is to use art, education and engagement to challenge attitudes and make the game more inclusive. The vision is simple: that football and wider society values the contributions made by all people regardless of their gender and sexuality
If you look closely, the playing field really has begun to change. Arrests are made of ‘fans’ who spew homophobic abuse The issue of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in football are on the table The government, FA, Premier League and Football League authorities have all been launching initiatives and commenting on the issue in the past 12 months
The Justin Campaign has expanded beyond its Brighton base and now has a band of committed helpers across England. It is working with the authorities to begin to implement much needed changes. Our key
initiative, Football v Homophobia (FvH), launched in 2010, enables people to take action against prejudice and discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity in football, and to celebrate and welcome diversity
This year FvH was backed by the FA and involved grassroots activities such as talking to players at a rain swept Hackney Marshes and a tournament organised at Sussex University (see photo). But it’s been especially encouraging to see more professional clubs taking up the gauntlet we ’ ve thrown down. Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City, West Ham Utd, Brighton, Millwall and Wycombe Wanderers all backed FvH last season FvH branded events also took place around the world, including in Spain, France and the USA
The Justin Campaign plans to have a presence at Brighton People’s Day on July 14, World Pride in London and will no doubt be popping up at football grounds across the country wearing FvH t-shirts once the 2012 season kicks off Why not join us?
There's nothing beautiful about a sport which knowingly excludes people frightened of abuse and discrimination Football is a passion everyone should feel welcome to share
JOIN THE JUSTIN CAMPAIGN
The Justin Campaign is always interested in hearing from new volunteers Further information: www.thejustincampaign.com
ISHIGAKI
THE WORLD’S FIRST 'GAY' JU- JITSU CLUB
Ishigaki, a successful Ju-Jitsu and social club with a diverse and friendly membership, takes its name from the Japanese words meaning ‘stone’ and ‘wall’ Ju-Jitsu is a self-defence martial art not unlike Judo.
Senior coach or sensei, 5th Dan Simon Powell who brought Ishigaki to Brighton, explains; “We are a wide mix of nationalities, genders, colours, shapes, sizes and ages. We have a great atmosphere in the club and we manage to get a great balance between, fun, social, hard work and effective martial arts I'm very proud of our achievement as the first gay JuJitsu club in the world ”
Ju-Jitsu is Japanese for ‘gentle art’; ‘gentle’ because you use your opponent’s energy to their disadvantage Ju-Jitsu teaches unarmed techniques useful in self-defence such as blocks, strikes, throws and kicks, which are specifically targeted at an opponent’s more vulnerable areas Ishigaki also practice using weapons such as nunchakus at a senior level.
Training regularly with like-minded people is fun and soon after joining you make friends, learn new skills and increase your confidence making Ju-Jitsu beneficial both physically and mentally, as well as giving you techniques for self-defence Ju-Jitsu is accessible to all levels of fitness and all genders
The belt system comprises of coloured belts or ‘kyu’ grades As your techniques improve, you have the opportunity to grade to the next level, opening up a new range of moves, culminating in a black belt or ‘dan’ grade
When asked if they have ever had to use their training, sensei Sue, one of the coaches, said: “I have never had to use any of the practical techniques learnt, but with my increase in self-confidence and awareness of my surroundings, I have been able to assess situations and avoid conflict which is the best form of self-defence.”
People join Ishigaki for several reasons: an interest in martial arts and self-defence, to increase confidence, to be in an environment that supports and understands them, to make new friends and for the high training standards and tuition All coaches are 1st Dan and above
Ishigaki’s success is due to the supportive and fun atmosphere they create in their classes and in their social gatherings such as wall climbing, laser zone, and regular visits to the pub after training.
Igor, an orange belt, said: “I love letting off steam at Ju-Jitsu every weekend, because of the supportive tuition from our black belts, the confidence boost given by the selfdefence skills and the friendly atmosphere that keeps us motivated to progress and the fun social events with a great mix of people.”
Evan, a purple belt, said: “I knew that after quitting smoking, the danger signs were there that I would start again, so I picked the most ‘out of my comfort zone ’ new experience and contacted the club for a free trial lesson It was my first step into a martial arts club “I expected to find sporty people in their prime, however I found a mix of ages, shapes and sizes They had one thing in common; they made me feel welcome That was three years ago First it was Sundays and then hooked, twice a week.
“I’m now training for my brown belt I can only say that due to the continued support of my senseis and training partners.”
Get in touch with Ishigaki for fitness, fun and friendship. There’s no need for previous martial arts experience and you don’t need to be sporty. Train and learn at your own pace.
TRAINING TIMES
LA Fitness, North Road, Brighton on Friday, 7–8.45pm and Sunday 4–6pm, Cost £8 per session (£4 concessions). First lesson free
INFO
Contact Simon: 07740 857261 www.ishigaki.org.uk
BRIGHTON BANDITS FOOTBALL TEAM
Brighton Bandits, Brighton’s gay and gayfriendly football club, has been serving the LGBT community and their friends in Sussex since 1997. It started with a group of members of the Gay Football Supporter’s Network (GFSN) having a kick about on Hove Lawns and deciding to put together a team to enter into the GFSN National Five-A-Side tournament in Blackpool
The aim of the club is to be inclusive and welcoming, this is regardless of gender, sexuality or ability and they try to provide access to fun, yet competitive, games both around the corner and around the globe.
The club has attracted local sponsorship and is presently sponsored by The Camelford Arms. The 11-a-side team is in the GFSN National League 1st Division after winning the 2nd Division title in 2010/11. Despite a challenging season, with the possibility of relegation, the Bandits nevertheless reached the Final of the GFSN National Cup The match was a hotly contested encounter against the Yorkshire Terriers, the lead passing between the two teams and Bandits were just pipped to the post with the result at 4-3
Surviving relegation and buoyed by a fantastic cup run, plans are now under way for next season with away fixtures across the country for the GFSN League. There are lots of plans in development to build on the success of this season including entries in new competitions and tournaments It’s a great time to get involved
The Bandits offer opportunities for all to play football and develop skills whatever your level – there’s a place for you, whether you ’ re a beginner or an experienced player Even if you ’ ve never kicked a ball, you’ll be more than welcome! Matches are played at both competitive and friendly levels, or you might just want to join in on one of their training
sessions. There’s even a Four-A-Side team in the local indoor football league, making them the only specifically gay-friendly team in the league, something they are undeniably proud of.
The team is actively looking for new recruits and it’s a great way to meet new people Why not go along along to the start of pre-season training on Sunday July 8 - they’re hoping to see as many new faces as possible To find out more, see their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/brightonbandits or follow them on twitter at http://twitter.com/brightonbandits. You can also catch up on all the news on REALBrighton.com and of course, Gscene.
ICEL AND
James Ledward visits the land of the midnight sun
This was my second visit to Iceland. On my first trip during winter in 2007, the country was snow bound, cold and, at the time, the most expensive place I had visited anywhere in the world
My visit in May of this year was a completely different experience Post-economic banking collapse the prices are more reasonable, making Reykjavik much more accessible for weekend city breaks to tourists from the UK.
During the summer months the days in Iceland become longer. It doesn't get dark until after midnight and then only for 2-3 hours. We found it necessary to pull the blinds down in the apartment at 6pm, otherwise sleep became difficult It just didn't seem time to go to bed when it was still light
Reykjavik is 50 minutes from Keflavik International Airport. The drive to the city is through the baron landscapes of the lava fields which resemble a moon landscape When Reykjavik comes into view it resembles a small fishing village of colourful buildings However, Reykjavik is no small village; it is an international city with contemporary buildings and world class restaurants Once you have explored the city there are a multitude of excursions available to tempt you to see the natural wonders that surround it.
Must sees in the city include the magnificent concrete Lutheran cathedral, Hallgrimskirkja (http://hallgrimskirkja.is/). The architect Guojon Samuelsson, who was commissioned
in 1937, said his design resembled the basalt lava flows of Iceland's landscape Work commenced in 1945 and was completed in 1986 A lift takes you to a viewing platform giving you the best views of Reykjavik Be prepared to queue as the lift is very popular In the good times before the collapse of Iceland's banks, the city of Reykjavik and the Icelandic State signed a contract to build a
conference and music centre on the harbour called the Harpa (http://en harpa is/) Building was suspended during the economic crisis but the complex is now finished, fully functional and the official home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Icelandic Opera. It was designed by Henning Larsen Architects and Batteríið with the iconic facade being designed by Olafur Eliasson. The Harpa truly a landmark building
A walk west along the seafront will bring you to The Hofdi House, built in 1909, and best known as the venue for the 1986 summit
meeting between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbatsjov that eventually marked the end of the Cold War It is one of city’s most beautiful buildings The sculpture in front of the house depicts pillars from the chieftain’s seat of the first Norwegian settler in Reykjavik. The house is not open to the public but well worth the walk to experience the location of one of the most important historical events of the 20th century.
We stayed at the Rey Apartments (Grettisgata 2a: tel: +354 771 4600), which are very central, just off the main street Laugavegur, and close to the Cathedral and City Hall The apartments were very stylish; the bathrooms particularly impressive and the beds had the deepest and most comfortable mattresses I have ever slept on. All rooms include a
separate dining area with microwaves, refrigerators, cookware, dishes and kitchen utensils The huge flat screen TVs had a good selection of English channels and wireless internet was free of charge.
Eating out in Reykjavik is a special experience, especially since Iceland's financial crisis means prices are much more accessible for us Brits. We ate at the Fish Market, Aoalstraeti 12, tel +354 578 8877, (http://fiskmarkadurinn is/english/) Head chef and co-owner Hrefna Rosa Saetran opened the restaurant in 2008 in one of the city's oldest buildings Her reputation is international and she uses ingredients sourced locally from the country's best farms, lakes and ocean to create inventive Icelandic dishes with a modern twist. We tried the nine course taster menu which consisted of seven different seafood and fish creations, a salad and one meat course. It was stunning and the wonderful surroundings of the restaurant made the experience all the more memorable.
Reykjavik's nightlife is legendary and centred around the main drag, Laugavegur However, because of the price of alcohol, if you go out before midnight most bars and clubs will be quiet Locals have private parties in their homes till midnight, get slightly merry and then go out after midnight to party The city's gay club is Gay 46 (Hverfisgata 46) which runs parallel to Laugavegur. It’s open Sunday–Thursday, 12pm–1am and Friday and Saturday, 12pm–3am.
Most of the generic bars are integrated and gay friendly The sign on the window of the Lehowslsl Bar on Laugavegur says it all: ‘If you are racist, sexist, homophobic or an asshole don't come in’ Brilliant!
A stay in Reykjavik is only part of a trip to Iceland
Pink Iceland are specialised LGBT travel experts offering a variety of services from short tours of Reykjavik to all-inclusive luxury excursions around the country. They organise Pink City Tours, whale watching trips, Golden Circle Tours, geothermal walks, horseback riding, glacier walks, white river rafting, kayaking, snowmobiling, diving, hiking, spa and wedding packages. They have a wealth of experience looking after LGBT tourists and I’d make them your first stop when planning a trip to Iceland (http//pinkiceland is/)
Must do's outside of Reykjavik: No trip to Iceland would be complete without a trip to the Blue Lagoon Health Spa which is near the airport, a 40 minute drive from the city centre. As well as this geothermal spa offering a variety of spa packages, you can just enjoy the breathtaking setting, breathing in clean fresh air while relaxing in the warm geothermal seawater The water's temperature is 37º-39º The lagoon holds six million litres of geothermal seawater, which is renewed every 40 hours Everything is natural, no chlorine here The seawater originates 2,000 metres beneath the ground where it is heated by the Earth's natural volcanic forces. At this
depth the temperature is 240º and the pressure is 36 times the pressure on the Earth's surface The geothermal seawater comes into contact with cooling magmatic intrusions capturing the earth's minerals, resulting in this unique, natural source known for its healing powers. There are many spa packages available, but I would recommend one of the massage packages delivered by hunky men who massage you on a mattress in the lagoon. The feeling is wonderful.
I was determined to see whales on this trip so went out on one of the trips that leave the harbour twice a day There are a few operators to choose from We chose, Elding Whale Watching (www elding is), but were unlucky and unusually didn't see any whales If you don't see any you get a ticket as you leave the ship to try your luck again later in your trip. The trip takes you out of Reykjavik harbour into the open sea. The scenery is magnificent.
No trip to Iceland would be complete without going on The Golden Circle Tour You visit three sites: the Geysir geothermal field where hot springs are everywhere, geysers explode and pools of mud bubble; the dramatic Gullfoss, the Queen of Icelandic waterfalls; and the Pingvellir National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site
Finally if you want to see the Northern Lights, you will never have a better chance Also known as the Aurora Borealis, the lights are a natural phenomenon, seen dancing around in fantastic colours across the northern Icelandic Arctic sky
Reykjavik has become a favourite destination for LGBT tourists over the last few years. At the end of May 2012, the city successfully staged the 2012 International Gay &
Lesbian Aquatic Championships From September 6-9, bears and their admirers arrive from all over the world for Bears On Ice (www bearsonice org/) and a four day LGBT Winter Festival or Rainbow Reykjavik (http://rainbowreykjavik.com/) from January 31, 2013.
However the biggest event of the year is Reykjavik Gay Pride which takes place from August, 7–12. What started as a small parade has grown into the most popular Icelandic event of the year with over 100,000 people watching. That's a third of the country's population, who come to Reykjavik to watch the parade then attend the outdoor concert at Laugavegur Pink Iceland run a variety of pre and post-Pride packages, which are worth checking out: (http://pinkiceland is/)
Gay marriage has been legal in Iceland since 2010 and many same-sex couples choose to come and tie the knot The current Prime Minister of Iceland, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and her partner Jónína Leósdóttir were the very first people in the country to marry. You can get married by a geyser, a waterfall or on a glacier. Pink Iceland offers wedding planning all year round. (http://pinkiceland.is/weddings.aspx).
Iceland is now served by a variety of low cost airlines. We flew Iceland Express who are sponsors of Reykjavik Pride. Iceland Express offer one-way flights from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Stansted to Reykjavik from just £89 which includes all taxes, surcharges, check-in, seat allocation, a 20kg bag in the hold and 10kg hand luggage and they don't charge extra for flights booked on a debit card
For more information view: www.icelandexpress.com or call: 0118 321 8384.
SOLID AS A ROCK
Roger Wheeler visits Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a fascinating place, but not many people have been there. Amazingly, some people think that it’s an island off the coast of Spain rather than a peninsular at the far southern part. Several UK airlines fly there making it a convenient airport to head into the fleshpots of the Costa del Sol. Indeed most people arrive at the airport, turn right and walk straight into Spain without glancing over their shoulder; they are missing an interesting and intriguing place
Gibraltar has been a British Overseas Territory since 1713 and for most of that time the Spanish have wanted it back They can make visiting The Rock a problem, when they feel like it, particularly if you take your car, though most of the time you can just walk across the border without so much as a glance from the Spanish border guards. We decided to spend some time in Gibraltar on our way back to Gatwick and were very pleasantly surprised Spanish car rental companies have offices virtually on the border, so it’s simple to either pick-up or return your car and stroll the few metres back into the UK The Rock itself is quite spectacular at 426m high and its commanding position over the Strait gives it control over all maritime access to the Mediterranean. Up to 1984 the British naval dockyard provided over 60% of all Gibraltar’s economy but today that is down to just 7%. Now it is internet gaming, banking and tourism that provides the wealth of this unusual and absorbing place. The centre of the town is almost completely pedestrianised; the main square, Casemates, is very attractive and is the main hub,
surrounded with shops and restaurants. Main Street is stuffed with cheap jewellery, perfumery and cigarette shops, aimed squarely at the many cruise ship passengers that can flood the central section for a few hours a day; but you can easily get away from the tourist tat and wander through the historic old town where you’ll be almost alone
Gibraltar is full of history, the Rock itself honeycombed with tunnels and caves, the most spectacular being St Michael’s Cave, which is astonishing and can be turned into a concert hall seating hundreds Winston
Churchill was convinced that there would be an invasion of Gibraltar during the WW2 and so a massive network of tunnels was built, which are now open to the public and are well worth a visit You have to go on one of the organised Rock tours, it’s the only way you get to the top to see the Strait of Gibraltar, the Rif mountains in Morocco and the famous, evil, Barbary Apes who whilst have quite a lot of Kodak appeal will steal anything and can be quite aggressive.
This is a very small place, where you feel like you are in England, but not quite The currency is almost the same, the Gibraltar pound, and is equal to sterling with the Queen’s image on it Most of the big UK stores are there, but prices are considerably lower than the UK thanks to the special tax arrangements the Government of Gibraltar has with the UK On that note booze is extremely cheap with gin and scotch at around £4 a bottle, but duty free limits apply when either going into Spain or returning to the UK: 1 litre of spirits and 200 cigarettes maximum.
There are quite a few reasonable hotels, though I cannot recommend The Rock Hotel or The Elliott Hotel as they don’t appear to welcome same-sex couples I don’t know why and as Gibraltar is a member of the EU, Human Rights etc, it is illegal. Both hotels claimed to be full which wasn’t true but I wasn’t in the mood to pick a fight. We did, however, find the most amazing welcome at the Caleta Hotel which is on the eastern side of the Rock. This is a first class, 4 star, 168 room hotel, with outstanding staff The rooms have sea or Rock views and offer excellent value for money They do lots of weddings but have yet to host a civil partnership, the manager was hoping for one soon We felt really welcome although the place was full We had a fantastic self-catering room with bedroom, lounge, bathroom, full kitchen and balcony with great views along the coast of Andalusia. The restaurant is excellent, almost fine dining at a reasonable price, plus access to the city centre is dead simple; the
buses are free for the four minute journey. The whole territory is undergoing extensive redevelopment, with huge new apartment buildings, leisure centres and marinas on reclaimed land. There’s a lot more to Gibraltar than meets the eye not to mention the obvious secret military installations that are there despite official denials The Rock is home to 28,000 although about 7,000 cross from Spain every day for work Spain is constantly trying to re-claim the Rock, even closing the border from 1969 to 1982 which meant that the Rock was isolated It was a difficult time for the residents and many flew out to the UK The Spanish Government even stopped their Queen Sofia attending our Queen’s Jubilee Party. Speaking to Gibraltarians today it quickly becomes clear that there is no way that Gibraltar will ever revert to Spain, they are very proud to be Gibraltarian and intend on staying that way.
more info www.gibraltar.com www.gibraltar.gi www.caletahotel.com
SEVILLE
The jewel in Andalusia’s crown by James Ledward
I sat down last year and made a list of the European cities I’d never visited but always wanted to see Krakow in Poland, Milan in Italy and Seville in Spain came top of my wish list Without doubt I’ve missed a treat by not visiting Seville before It’s breathtaking and has much to offer the seasoned gay tourist who is interested in culture but likes to dip into the local commercial gay scene in the evening Seville is blessed with mild winters, though evenings can be chilly. When we visited in January, the average daytime temperature was 20º, meaning we were able to drink coffee outside in the daytime at the many bars and cafés, sit and watch the horse drawn carriages and smell the orange trees that line many of the streets and avenues.
Over the centuries the city has been a hotbed of different cultures which is manifested in an orgy of architectural styles Moors, Christians, Jews and even the French have stamped their indelible mark on the city's architectural history Seville is the capital city of Andalusia with a population of 1 7 million Despite its size, the city can easily be explored on foot. Around every corner you’ll find a beautiful church or historic building. The main areas to explore on foot are around La Macarena, with magnificent churches and convents. A walk around the Barrio de Santa Cruz reveals the awe-inspiring Catedral de Sevilla (third largest in Christendom after St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London); the Alcazar Royal Palace, home over the years to many of Spain's kings and caliphs; the baroque influenced Archbishop’s Palace and the impressive Archivo de Indias Walk or take a tram along Avenida de la Constitution and you will get a real flavour of Seville and its history The Parque de Maria Luisa to the south east of the city centre was the focus for the 1929 International Latin American Fair.
Architects from all over the world built fantastic pavilions, harking back to Seville's past glories and reflecting the style of Spain's former colonies Put aside a full afternoon to take in the park and surrounding areas and make sure you see the Plaza de España to the north, the Palacio de San Telmo, the Seville University building, the Plaza de America and the Casino de la Exposición
A walk along Seville's most famous street, Calle Sierpes, will take you through the commercial district to the city hall, an extravagant example of the fantasies of the architect Diego de Riano. The north east facade of the building is ornate while the south west facade is completely plain. Look out for the parish church of Divino Salvador, the Parish Church of La Magdalena and take a coffee on the Plaza de San Francisco
The Isla Mágica is over the river in the north west of the city and was home to the 1992 World Fair. Many of the space age buildings have been converted into factories and headquarters for business corporations and there is an impressive fun fair You need a complete day to fully appreciate everything on the site, sadly something we couldn’t afford on a weekend break
Each night we made reservations to eat at a restaurant but we stopped off at tapas bars on the way and ended up staying the evening Tapas bars are on every corner and are highly recommended, you really need to experience them. The chef rings a bell every time a new dish is ready and one of the waiters brings a plate round. You keep the cocktail sticks that come with each dish and at the end of the evening the waiter counts the sticks and gives you the bill We ate all our meals at these tapas bars during our stay
Our accommodation was a beautiful 25 room boutique hotel on the Alameda de Hercules
The Hotel Casa Sacristía Santa Ana (tel: +34 954 91 57 22, www hotelsacristia com), a former 17thC noble house, restored to a very high standard, is five minutes walk to the main attractions in the city centre and, most important for us, it was in the heart of the 'gay village'. It has a business room with internet and a beautifully appointed breakfast room, serving eggs and bacon along with lots of Spanish options. The antique furniture which decorates the hotel is priced so you can buy it and take it away with you
For up to date information on the gay scene visit: www.patroc.com/seville/bars.html. We went to Men to Men (www.mentomenbar.com) which is like a typical UK bears bar, with a very naughty dark room upstairs It’s open daily, 10 30pm-4am and till 6am on Friday and Saturday Like most Spanish bars and clubs it’s busy after midnight; relaxing till 1am, and then hot and sweaty from 1-3am When we visited mid-week there was no entry charge For early evening drinks try Ben Bendito Café on Calle de Trajano 43, a modern cocktail bar with friendly attentive staff and reasonably priced drinks.
We used a 48 hour Sevilla Card (€53 per person) which gives you free entry to museums and monuments that are part of the Sevilla Card scheme, a river cruise or a choice of one of the two tourist bus services and a range of discounts to restaurants and shops It’s excellent value I really recommend a trip around the city on a tourist bus Much of the city centre is pedestrianised but the bus takes in the attractions on the edge of the city which are quite a trek Seville has much to see - we spent three days there which just wasn’t enough. The city has a great feel to it and the orange trees give it a unique aroma and colour.
Seville is easily accessible from Gatwick by Easyjet and transfers from the local airport are very quick Our only negative experience was with immigration on arrival which was chaotic www.easyjet.com www.visitasevilla.es www.catedraldesevilla.es/ www.patroc.com/seville/bars.html
A-BAR
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (7) is 1940s/50s/60s rockabilly night HONEY HUSH with nautical visuals, sweet treats and unique cocktails served while DJs Lonesome M and guests spin r&b/rock & roll/rockabilly on vinyl from 9pm Entry is free
■ REGULARS: Thur is cocktail night from 9pm; buy one get the other half price
■ Sat is Pre- Club music with drink promos, including shots from £1 50
■ FOOD: served Mon–Wed with bar food noon–5pm and Thai & Tapas 6–10pm; Thur–Fri bar food noon–9pm and till 8pm on Sat; Sunday roasts served noon–till gone
■ DRINK DEALS: Mon–Fri bottle house red or white wine £9; guest ale £3 a pint; double up on your spirits (Smirnoff, Bells, Gordons Gin & Morgan’s Spice) for an extra £1 50, all day every day
■ OPEN: noon–midnight & till 2am through side entrance only Sun–Thu; noon–2am on Fri & Sat ■ A-Bar offers unrivalled sea view, large heated smoking terrace and all big spor t events on the big screen Sauna closed ■ www amsterdam co uk
SUNDAY 1
■ A-BAR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 cabaret: Connie Conway 8 30pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy 8 30pm; Sunday roasts noon-7pm; open noon
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sun: bar snacks; JB’s piano sing-a-long 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST cabaret: Lizzy Drip 7 30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle, Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8 30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm
■ FISHERMAN’S REST Drag With No Name’s Sun Cabaret Lunch: 5 courses, coffee & cabaret 4pm onwards; £21 50, bookings 01273 323888
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Lola Lasagne 3.15pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open 1pm
■ MARLBOROUGH roasts + karaoke or quiz; open noon
■ POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Son of a Tutu 6pm; Ms Tanya Hyde 9 30pm; karaoke till 1am; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Bubblebears 2: foam par ty, DJ NUDE 8pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 2pm
■ ZONE cabaret: Maisie Trollette 10pm; open 11am
MONDAY 2
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 homemade gourmet burgers 11am-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8.30pm; DJ
Picadilly till midnight; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food 12-2 30pm; open 12
■ DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm
■ ENVY Studio 150: NUS par ty 10 30pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9 30pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
BULLDOG
■ REGULARS: Fri is DJ Simon (6) & Lil Alex all other Fridays, KARAOKE upstairs from 10pm ■ Sat is DJ V John from 9 30pm, KARAOKE from 10pm ■ Sun is DJ Grant Knowles from 6pm ■ Mon is DJ Marcia’s GLIT TER BALL with 1970s/80s tunes from 9pm ■ Tue (31) is monthly REGGAE NIGHT with DJ Micklos from 9pm ■ Wed is RED LIGHT RUSH with DJ Marcia from 9pm ■ Thur is RELEASE with DJ Grant Knowles from 10pm
■ DRINK DEALS: Mon & Tue from 3–7pm & 11pm–midnight; Wed from 3–7pm & 9pm–1am, when drinks £1 50 when music vid is played; Thur from 3–7pm & 9pm–midnight; Fri from 3–7pm & all drinks £1 50 10pm–midnight; Sat from 10pm–midnight; Sun all day Drinks include: pints from £1 95, double spirit & mixer from £2 30, bottles from £1 85 (Terms & conditions apply)
■ OPEN: daily from 11am–ver y late ■ www bulldogbrighton com
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2 30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open noon
■ ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6 30pm; open 11am
TUESDAY 3
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 gourmet burger & pint night 710pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Karaoke Queen of Brighton: official Pride fundraiser with DJ Alpha, hostess AJ & £250 prize 8pm; open noon
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: 10am on Sun (8) till 1am on Mon (9) is VIP MEMBERS DAY for TBS 4th Bir thday with free entry for members, free drink on arrival and a stripper in the evening To join text 07786 201096 or subscribe on the door
■ Thur (19) is THT Charity Night with Davina Sparkle, 2 strippers, 2 charity lap dances, competitions and a raffle from 7pm, entry £15, £5 of which will be donated directly to THT, no concessions from 10am till close
■ REGULARS: Wed (4) is BEARS NIGHT for bears, cubs & their admirers; licensed bar, drink offers, club music from 7pm–1am ■ Wed (11) is mandatory NAKED NIGHT, no towels allowed, licensed bar from 7pm–1am ■ Wed (18) is mandatory UNDERWEAR NIGHT, including thongs, briefs, speedos etc, licensed bar 7pm–1am
BAR 56
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sun (15) is the PRIDE FUNDRAISER from 5pm hosted by Davina Sparkle with cabaret: Fonda Cox, Scissor Sisters Tribute, Laurie Le R e, All Mouth & No Trousers, Lady la R ue, Maisie Trollette, Kitty Monroe, Jennie Castelle, Sally Vate, Krissie DuCann, Jamie Watson, JP Kristian & more surprise guests; plus strippers Leon & Kieran, raffle & games with prizes of £50 and £25 bar tab vouchers
■ REGULARS: Sat with DJ Trashbag from 9pm ■ SUNDAY CABARET from 8 30pm: Connie Conway (1), Davina Sparkle (8), Maisie Trollette (22) and Fonda Cox (29)
■ Fri (27) is monthly CALABASH PARTY from 7pm
■ DRINK DEALS: specials Sun–Fri
■ FOOD: Mon, Wed & Thur homemade gourmet burgers 11am–9pm, till 7pm on Fri & Sat, and burger & a pint £8 from 7–10pm on Tue
■ REGENCY TAVERN Peter Davies & Mark Hodge Show: piano & song; food 12-2 30pm & 6-8 30pm; open noon
■ REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10 30pm
■ SUBLINE Leathered 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm
■ ZONE Rachel’s Chillout 8.30pm; open 11am
FRIDAY 6
■ A-BAR food noon-9pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 U Choose the Music 8pm; homemade gourmet burgers 11am-7pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke
8 30pm; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Simon 10pm; karaoke 10pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Jason Lee 9pm; open noon
JULY LISTINGS
CHARLES STREET BAR
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (14) is FIERCE SUPER HEROES PARTY with sexy super hero bar staff, drink deals, give aways, prizes for best costumes, plus new dry ice cocktails Sat (21) is FIERCE RIO BEACH PARTY, cocktails, sexy bar staff and funky Latin beats
■ REGULARS: Thur is MAD COW over two floors with host Miss Joan Bond and DJs Lil Alex & Leeroy in the bar playing funky commercial dance while DJ R uby R oo plays floorfilling char t and pop in the club, entry £1 before 10pm, £2 after ■ FRUITY FRI FIX with DJ Leeroy’s dance/funky house at 9pm ■ SUNDAY CABARET at 7 30pm: Lizzy Drip (1), Dave Lynn (8), Lola Lasagne (15), Topping & Butch (22) and Sandra (29); Tranny R ock & R oll Bingo with Tammy Twinkle, Sally Vate and rolling jackpot at £600 at time of print follows from 8 30pm
■ FOOD: 2-4-1 deals: all mains on Mon; all gourmet burgers on Tue; all homemade pizzas on Wed Served: Mon–Sat noon–8pm; Sunday Lunch: home roast beef, chicken or veggie served noon–7pm, £5 95
■ DRINK DEALS: All drinks half price (excl champers & not in conjunction with other offers) Mon–Sat from 5–9pm, till 8pm on Thurs, on Sun after the show till close, from £1 on Thur from 8pm, cocktails £3 50 each or jugs £8 50 every Fri from 9pm
■ OPEN: daily from noon
ENVY @ CHARLES ST
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Mon (16) is the STUDIO 150 TORCH RELAY PARTY with prizes for the best spor ts fancy dress, spor ty décor, £1 50 drinks and £1 50 entry
■ REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & King K 10 30pm
■ SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; open 2pm
■ ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 9 30pm; open 11am
SUNDAY 8
■ A-BAR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 cabaret: Davina Sparkle 8 30pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke
Queens LouBag & Smithy 8 30pm; Sunday roasts: new chef noon-7pm; open noon
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sun: bar snacks; JB’s piano sing-a-long 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST cabaret: Dave Lynn 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle, Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Sandra 3.15pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open 1pm
■ MARLBOROUGH roasts + karaoke or quiz; open noon
■ POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Drag With No Name 6pm; Lady James 9 30pm; karaoke till 1am; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N U D E, underwear par ty 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 2pm
■ ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8 30pm; open 11am
MONDAY 9
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 homemade gourmet burgers 11am9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8 30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am
CHURCH STREET
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Fri (27) is The Olympics Opening Ceremony with Pooh La May from 9pm
■ REGULARS: FRIDAY CABARET at 9pm: Jason Lee (6), Davina Sparkle (13) and Krissie DuCann (20) Watch every Euro footie match and the Olympics on 2 big screens
■ FOOD: Richard’s Golden Handbag Award-winning Big Sunday Lunch from noon
■ OPEN: Check out the secret beer garden - it’s the perfect place for a drink and a smoke!
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2 30pm; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm
■ ENVY Studio 150: NUS night 10 30pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9.30pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6 30pm; open 11am
TUESDAY 10
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 gourmet burger & pint night 710pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Karaoke Queen of Brighton: official Pride fundraiser with DJ Alpha, hostess
AJ & £250 prize 8pm; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12
■ BULLDOG open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
DR BRIGHTONS
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (14) is Madonna MDNA Par ty with Madonna dress code and DJ Tony B from 9pm ■ REGULARS: FUNKY FRIDAY with DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne is at 9.30pm, free entry SEXY SATURDAY with DJ Tony B is from 9.30pm, free entry
■ DRINK DEALS: from Sun–Thur all day and Fri & Sat from 1–7pm: small Smirnoff & mixer £2 75, large £3 75, pints Fosters £2 90 + large wine £3 90 Cocktails two for £11 Sun–Thur Free game of pool every day with every round of drinks during happy hour
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2 30pm & 6-8 30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon
■ REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 11pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm
■ ZONE U Say We Play 7 30pm; open 11am
WEDNESDAY 11
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 School Night Challenge: Davina Sparkle 9pm; gourmet burgers 11am-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE open noon
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Wine Club; open noon
■ BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Night: naked only, no towels, licensed bar 7pm
■ BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am
FISHERMAN’S REST
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sunday Cabaret Lunch has Drag With No Name on July (1) Enjoy a delicious Sunday lunch and top cabaret from 4pm onwards hosted by the glamorous Gloria Five courses, coffee and enter tainment is only £21 50 and their speciality of slow roasted belly of pork is always available Bookings are essential so please call 01273 323888 to reserve your place ■ August’s Cabaret Lunch is with Maisie Trollette on Sun (5)
■ OPEN: Mon–Thur 3pm–midnight, Fri & Sat 1pm–2am, Sun 1pm–midnight ■ www doctorbrightons co uk
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2 30pm &
5 30-9pm; live football; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open mic night; open 12
■ POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Pride’s Got Talent 2012: perform on the Pride stage + cash prize & trophy 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN Peter Davies & Mark Hodge Show: piano & song; food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon
■ REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10 30pm
■ SUBLINE Leathered 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm
■ ZONE Rachel’s Chillout 8 30pm; open 11am
FRIDAY 13
■ A-BAR food noon-9pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 U Choose the Music 8pm; homemade gourmet burgers 11am-7pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke
8 30pm; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; karaoke 10pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7 45pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9pm; open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9 30pm; open 1pm ■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am ■ FUNKYFISH CLUB Back 2 the Old Skool 10 30pm ■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Fridazed: 2 floor party: DJs Claire Fuller in bar 8pm, Peter Castle in club 11pm; open
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Wed (4) is RAMPING SHOP with DJs Destin’e, Fatz & Dixon playing old & new skool, basement, r&b/hip hop/funk from 10pm, entry £5/6 ■ REGULARS: Fri is BACK TO OLD SKOOL with funk/soul/Motown/disco/breaks, drink promos, entry free b4 11pm, £2 after ■ Sat is FUNKY 60s/70s/80s with funk/soul/Motown/hip hop/breaks/jazz,
■ OPEN: 10 30pm Fri, 10pm Sat Bar open daily 11am www funkyfishclub co uk
JULY LISTINGS
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH I Love Electro; open noon
■ POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack & karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR 56 DJ Lee Trashbag 9pm; homemade gourmet burgers 11am-7pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Shot-tastic; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ V John 9.30pm; karaoke 10pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST Fierce Super Heroes Par ty: DJs, fancy dress, prizes 9pm; food 12-7 45pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CLUB MIX @ CAPS DJ Jules + guest
plays Motown/soul/funk/disco 8 30pm-late
■ CROWN & ANCHOR open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Madonna MDNA Par ty: DJ
Tony B, Madonna dress code 9pm; open 1pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ FUNKYFISH CLUB Funky 60/70/80s 10pm
■ LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food
noon-5pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame
Amy; open noon
■ POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Candi Rell 4.30pm; Guest
Host Karaoke 7pm; Sissy Sucks & Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food 12-6pm; open 11am
■ REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys, DJs Alex Baker, Trick, Dulcie Danger, King K & HiFi Sean 10 30pm
■ SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; open 2pm
■ ZONE cabaret: Tammy Twinkle 9 30pm; open 11am
SUNDAY 15
■ A-BAR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open 12
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 Pride Fundraiser: hosted by Davina
Sparkle with cabaret: Fonda Cox, Scissor Sisters
Tribute, Laurie Le Re, All Mouth & No Trousers, Lady la Rue, Maisie Trollette, Kitty Monroe, Jennie Castelle, Sally Vate, Krissie DuCann, Jamie Watson, JP Kristian & more surprise guests; plus strippers Leon & Kieran and a raffle & games with £50 and £25 bar tab vouchers 5pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke
Queens LouBag & Smithy 8 30pm; Sunday roasts: new chef noon-7pm; open noon
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sun: bar snacks; JB’s piano sing-a-long 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm
■ BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST cabaret: Lola Lasagne
7 30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle, Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8 30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
LEGENDS BAR
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY:
■ REGULARS: SUNDAY CABARET from 3 15pm: Lola Lasagne (1), Sandra (8), Kandi Kane (15), Lady Imelda (22) and Lucinda Lashes (29) ■ Miss Jason’s MONDAY MADNESS is from 9 30pm ■ Fri is FRIDAZED over two floors with DJ Claire Fuller playing char t & retro in the bar from 8pm, and Peter Castle playing char t and dance classics in the club from 11pm Claire will be handing out special promo key-rings and announcing spot drink promos for key-ring holders only Get in touch over Facebook when it’s your bir thday to win a free bottle of champers ■ Pre-Club DJ sounds every Sat from 7pm
■ FOOD: served noon–5pm Mon–Sat, including plain gourmet burgers £5 95, avocado & bacon burger £6 95, all served with chunky chips and relishes Other options from £3 95, check Legends’ website or Facebook group for special offers
■ DRINK DEALS: Heated smoking area, free entry and all day sun-terrace
■ OPEN: daily from 11am–5am ■ www legendsbrighton com
■ 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR roasts 12-till gone
■ DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Kandi Kane 3 15pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open 1pm
■ MARLBOROUGH roasts + karaoke or quiz; open noon
■ POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Mary Mac 6pm; Lady La Rue 9 30pm; karaoke till 1am; open 12
■ REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N U D E, underwear par ty 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 2pm
■ ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am
MONDAY 16
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 homemade gourmet burgers 11am9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8 30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2.30pm; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm
■ ENVY Studio 150 Torch Relay Par ty: spor t kit fancy dress, prizes, fun & games 10 30pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9 30pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6 30pm; open 11am
TUESDAY 17
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 1pm
■ BAR 56 gourmet burger & pint night 710pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Karaoke Queen of Brighton:
official Pride fundraiser with DJ Alpha, hostess
AJ & £250 prize 8pm; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12
■ BULLDOG open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tue; food
noon-2 30pm & 5 30-9pm; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tue; open 3pm
BASEMENT CLUB @ LEGENDS
■ FREE ENTRY EVERY DAY:
■ REGULARS: Fri is FRIDAZED over two floors with DJ Claire Fuller playing char t/retro in bar at 8pm and Peter Castle char t/dance classics in club from 11pm Claire will be handing out special promo key-rings and announcing spot drink promos for key-ring holders only Get in touch over Facebook when it’s your bir thday to win a free bottle of champers ■ Sat is FUSION with DJ Peter Castle’s house/char t sounds DJ Lee Harris plays (21) ■ Sun is POP!CANDY with DJ Jaykey’s pop tracks till 3am ■ Wed is PULSE with DJs Ben Castle or Claire Fuller playing crowd pleasers all night
■ DRINK DEALS: drinks from £2 every Sun & Wed
■ OPEN: at 11pm Closed Mon, Tue & Thur Legends will host your par ty from £150, call Matt on 01273 624462 for more info ■ www legendsbrighton com
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2 30pm & 6-
8 30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon
■ REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 11pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm
■ ZONE U Say We Play 7 30pm; open 11am
WEDNESDAY 18
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 School Night Challenge: Davina Sparkle 9pm; burgers 11am-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE open noon
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Wine Club; open noon
■ BRIGHTON SAUNA Underwear Night: any underwear allowed, licensed bar 7pm
■ BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; open noon
■ DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open mic night; open 12
SAT JULY 14th 9pm
DJs every FRI & SAT from 9pm open till 2am FREE
HAPPY HOURS SUN–THU ALL DAY • FRI & SAT 1–7pm CHECK OUT OUR NEW
■ POISON IVY Sonia Marmite’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Pride’s Got Talent: perform at Pride, cash prize, trophy 9pm; open 12
■ REGENCY TAVERN food 12-2 30pm & 6-
8 30pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Backlash 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: vid jukebox; open 4pm
■ ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8 30pm; open 11am
THURSDAY 19
■ A-BAR food noon-9pm; cocktail 9pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; homemade gourmet burgers 11am-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12
■ BRIGHTON SAUNA THT Fundraiser: hosted by Davina Sparkle, 2 strippers, 2 charity lap dances, competitions & raffle 7pm
■ BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am
■ SUBLINE Mr Subline Brighton 2012: fundraiser for THT, prizes for all contestants 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM Cheese: camp night; open 4pm
■ ZONE cabaret: Miss Jason 9 30pm; open 11am
POISON IVY
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Take advantage of the new karaoke & sound system KARAOKE from 3pm: Betty Swollocks on Sat & Mimbo on Sun
■ REGULARS: Karaoke 7pm the rest of the week: Spice on Mon, Tue & Thur; Sonia Marmite on Wed; Betty Swollocks on Fri
■ DRINK DEALS: 64 happy hours a week, including: all day & night Sun & Mon, fun prices £1 99 11am–7pm from Tue–Sun, £2 Jagerbombs, Dizzy Bombs, Vod Bombs & Skittle Bombs, £1 drinks every Tue
■ OPEN: daily from 11am
SATURDAY 21
■ A-BAR food noon-8pm; Pre-Club Music; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 DJ Lee Trashbag 9pm; homemade gourmet burgers 11am-7pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Lee Harris 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Shot-tastic; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ V John 9 30pm; karaoke 10pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7 45pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food 12-9pm
■ DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9 30pm; open 1pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ FUNKYFISH CLUB Funky 60/70/80s 10pm
■ LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-5pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame Amy; open noon
■ POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Ben 4.30pm; Guest Host Karaoke 7pm; Sissy Sucks & Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 9pm; open noon
■ QUEENS HOTEL An Intimate Evening At Home with Miss Jason featuring Paul ArdenGriffith, canapes & bubbly on arrival & 3 course gala dinner 7pm; £49pp, bookings essential 01273 321 222
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-6pm; open 11am
■ REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & King K 10 30pm
■ SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; open 2pm
■ ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 9 30pm; open 11am
SUNDAY 22
■ A-BAR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 cabaret: Maisie Trollette 8 30pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy 8 30pm; Sunday roasts: new chef noon-7pm; open noon
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Wed is PRIDE’S GOT TALENT from 9pm; to showcase your talent at Pride, win £100 cash and a trophy arrive at 8.30pm or email: andyqueensarms@yahoo co uk
■ REGULARS: Sat cabaret at 4 30pm: Betty Swollocks (7), Candi R ell (14), Ben (21) & Auntie R obbie (28) ■ SUNDAY CABARET at 6pm & 9 30pm: Son of a Tutu & Ms Tanya Hyde (1), Drag With No Name & Lady James (8), Mar y Mac & Lady La R ue (15), Lola Lasagne & Dave Lynn (22) & Kitty Litter & Cookie Monstar (29)
■ OPEN: daily from noon
QUEEN’S HOTEL
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (21) is an INTIMATE EVENING at home with Miss Jason from 7pm featuring special guests including opera star Paul Arden- Griffith, bubbly & canapés on arrival and a 3 course gala dinner for £49 pp, tickets are limited so bookings essential, call 01273 321 22
■ REGULARS: Sun (29) sees Maisie Trollette take to the stage for a Sunday Cabaret 3 Course Dinner from 3pm, followed by the show, £19 95 pp, bookings essential
■ Look out for Drag With No Name’s Sunday Cabaret 3 Course Dinner on Aug (26)
■ For all bookings, call 01273 321 222
■ BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Perfect Sun: bar snacks; JB’s piano sing-a-long 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST cabaret: Topping & Butch
7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle, Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8 30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm
■ 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noonlate; open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch 12-till gone
■ DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Lady Imelda 3.15pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open 1pm
■ MARLBOROUGH roasts + karaoke or quiz; open noon
■ POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 3pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Lola Lasagne 6pm; Dave Lynn 9 30pm; karaoke till 1am; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N U D E, underwear par ty 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 2pm
■ ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8 30pm; open 11am
MONDAY 23
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 homemade gourmet burgers 11am9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8 30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food 12-2.30pm
■ DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm
■ ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10 30pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9 30pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2 30pm & 6-
8 30pm; open noon
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 12
■ ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes
6 30pm; open 11am
BAR REVENGE
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Tue is KARAOKE QUEEN OF BRIGHTON, an official Pride Fundraiser, with DJ Alpha, host AJ and a £250 cash prize from 8pm
■ REGULARS: Thur is Girls on Top Official Warm-Up with DJ Kelly Lloyd playing pop and char t 9pm ■ Fri is DISCO BOMB with DJ Alpha playing r&b/pop/par ty tunes 9pm
■ Sat is KINKY CLASSIC S with DJ Fifilicious best pop tracks from past five years ■
SUBLIME SUNDAY Karaoke Queens with Smithy & Lou Bag from 8 30pm ■ Mon is QUIZ WITH LIZ with cash and boozy prizes 8.30pm followed by DJ Picadilly till midnight ■ Revenge discount passes: Thur b4 11.30pm, Fri & Sat b4 midnight
■ FOOD: Sunday roasts £6 95 served noon–7pm
■ DRINK DEALS: All drinks (exc champagne/cocktails/doubles) from £1 99 all day Mon–Wed; £1 50 7pm on Thur; from £2 49 Fri–Sun; 2-4-1 cocktails 5–9pm Mon–Sat
■ OPEN: daily from noon–2am & till 6am on Fri & Sat ■ www revenge co uk
TUESDAY 24
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 1pm
■ BAR 56 gourmet burger & pint night 710pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Karaoke Queen of Brighton: official Pride fundraiser with DJ Alpha, hostess
■ A-BAR food noon-9pm; cocktail night 9pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; homemade gourmet
burgers 11am-9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon
REVENGE
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Look out for R evenge’s 21st Bir thday Weekend celebrations in August from Thur (2)–Sat (4)
■ REGULARS: Tue is SUPERSONIC with DJs Trick & Piccadilly Boy playing char t, commercial & requests in box bar, drinks £2 all night (excl champers & doubles), entry £2 NUS, £3 others ■ Thur is GIRLS ON TOP V EMERGENCY ROOM with DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha char t/pop/trash/r&b/par ty tunes on level 1; DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm house anthems/future classics in box bar, drinks from £1 50, entry free b4 11.30pm with flyer, £4 after, members & NUS free b4 11 30pm, £3 after ■ Fri is LOLLIPOP with DJs Fifilicious & R uby R oo 70s/80s/90s trash on level 1; DJs Trick & Missy B char t/dance/urban/old skool in box bar, all drinks £2 50 (excl champers & doubles) & Jagerbombs £2 50 after midnight, entry free b4 midnight with pass, £5 b4 midnight, £6 after or £3 NUS ■ Sat is KINKY DANGEROUS hosted by Stephanie Starlet & her sexy go-go boys with pyrotechnics and DJs Alex Baker & Trick play current/past char ts on level 1; DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests: HiFi Sean (14) & Lee Harris (28) uplifting funky house in box bar, all drinks £2 50 (exc doubles & champers), £2 50 Jagerbombs all night, entry free b4 11pm with pass, £4 without, £6 b4 midnight, £8 after, £3 NUS
■ OPEN: 10 30pm on Tue/Thur/Fri/Sat, closed Sun/Mon/Wed ■ www revenge co uk
■ BEDFORD TAVERN live PA: Cellar Doors
8.30pm; open noon
■ BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS open noon
■ CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess
Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon
■ SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N U D E, underwear par ty 9pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: vid jukebox; open 2pm
■ ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8 30pm; open 11am
MONDAY 30
■ A-BAR bar food noon-5pm; Thai & tapas 610pm; open noon
■ AQUARIUM open 3pm
■ BAR 56 homemade gourmet burgers 11am9pm; open 11am
■ BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8 30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon
■ BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon
■ BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am
■ CAMELFORD ARMS food all day; open 12
■ CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon
■ 112 CHURCH ST open noon
■ CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2 30pm
■ DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm
■ ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm
■ FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am
■ LEGENDS BAR food noon-5pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9 30pm; open 11am
■ MARINE TAVERN open noon
■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Tue (24) is monthly TRANSACTION night for trans community
■ REGULARS: Sat is iKandi, a night of hot club classics and floor fillers ■ You Choose the tunes from the video jukebox Sun–Thur till midnight, free play Tue & Wed ■ Take advantage of the summer sun in the outdoor seating area
■ DRINK DEALS: 4 Jagerbombs £10, shots from £1 50, early bird deals available till 7pm every day: vodka/rum/gin & mixer £2 50 singles, £3 50 doubles, pints of Becks/Bud £2 50, bottles of VK/VS/WKD £2
■ OPEN: Sat from 2pm–2am; Sun from 2pm–midnight; Mon–Thur from 4pm–midnight; Fri from 4pm–2am
SUBLINE
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Fri (20) is MR SUBLINE BRIGHTON 2012 in conjunction with THT with hot men competing for your affections, prizes for every contestant, email info@sublinebrighton.com to enter
■ REGULARS: Wed is BACKLASH retro tunes and prices, selected drinks £2 80 all night for members ■ Thur is LEATHERED free lockers for adventurously dressed ■ Fri is BEAR BALL DJs Screwpulous and iTopia, dancing bears, £2 80 pints, entry free for members till 11pm, £3 after ■ Sat is THE FURNACE with £2 80 drinks, free entry for members till 11pm, £3 after ■ Sun is COME IN YOUR PANTS underwear par ty with DJ NUDE Sun (1) finish the Bear Weekender off at foam par ty BUBBLEBEARS 2 with DJ NUDE from 8pm, entry £3 for members & wristband wearers, £5 for guests
■ OPEN: Fri & Sat from 9pm–4am, Sun from 8pm–2am, Wed & Thur from 9pm–1.30am Closed Mon & Tue www.subline-brighton.com
Last months Bizarre Bazaar sale raised £1,500 for the Sussex Beacon
■ POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am
■ QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 ■ MARLBOROUGH open noon
POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open11am ■ QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s karaoke 9pm; open noon
■ REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2 30pm & 6-
8 30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon
■ REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 11pm
■ VAVAVOOM U Choose: vid jukebox; open 4pm ■ ZONE U Say We Play 7 30pm; open 11am
ZONE
■ OPEN: daily from 11am VAVAVOOM
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sun (1) is cabaret with Maisie Trollette from 10pm
■ REGULARS: Fri cabaret at 9 30pm: Gilly Bee (6), Stone & Street (13), Miss Jason (20) & Jannine (27) ■ Sat cabaret at 9 30pm: Sally Vate (7, 21 & 28) & Tammy Twinkle (14) ■ Mon is Tony’s Fun Factor y with karaoke, Wii or tunes from 6 30pm ■ Wed is R eggae Night with DJ Micklos from 8 30pm ■ Thur is R achel’s Chillout from 8 30pm
■ HOTEL: Hotel rooms from £15pppn, call 01273 603010
SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH
BOURNE FREE
BOURNEMOUTH’S GAY PRIDE WEEKEND
FRIDAY JULY 13
■ On Friday, July 13 you can get into the Pride mood at the Triangle Theme Night: The Branksome Arms and 2930 are staging Fright Night par ties; Xchange has a Rocky Horror Theme Par ty; The Bakers Arms has a Pre-Par ty night; DYMK has a Royal Pre-Par ty
SATURDAY JULY 14
■ Saturday, July 14 is the big day and this year’s festival theme is R oyalty in honour of the Jubilee The colourful parade leaves West Cliff, Monkey Island at noon finishing at the Triangle at 1pm
■ During the afternoon from 1-5pm there will be a great family line up in the Lower Gardens, at the Bandstand, with stalls, live music and comedy The main stage is situated in the Triangle which is fenced off and the enter tainment star ts at 1pm, with an afternoon of music and comedy hosted by Sally Vate and Lucinda Lashes From 1-6pm ar tists appearing include: All About GaGa, Lady James, Benjii, Jazz Blaack, Tammy Twinkle, Nicolette Street, Michael Hinch, Wilma Fingadoo, the winner of Bourne Free's Got Talent, Cindy Hollingswor th and Sheila & the Monster Boys
■ From 6-11pm ar tists appearing include: Kerr y Katona, R ogue Minogue, Envy, Miss Jason, Butchesque, James Bedford, Sandra and X Factor finalists, 2 Shoes who will bring the evening to a close
■ To get access to the fenced off enter tainment area you need to purchase a wristband which costs £10 on the day or £8 if booked online in advance To purchase a wristband online view: www.bournefree.co.uk/mainsite/ W ristbands purchased online will not be posted but can be collected at the adult shop, Easy Tiger on the Triangle Leave 24 hours from receiving your receipt to collecting your wristband
SUNDAY JULY 15
■ On Sunday 15, The Triangle Tour features a Metropolitan Community Church Ser vice in the Triangle Arena at noon Miss Jason does her Bingo at DYMK at 3pm There is a cabaret tea par ty at 2930 at 6pm followed by Wilma’s Mad House at The Branksome Arms at 8pm At 11pm it’s Sheila’s cabaret show & stripper at XChange The Bakers Arms is open all day for Bourne Free afterpar ty drinks
BOURNE FREE is an annual celebration of all diversities that live in Bournemouth and is Bournemouth's Gay Pride celebration Bourne Free was originally set up in 2004 when a far-right organisation was due to go to Bournemouth and preach that homosexuality was wrong Many prominent figures and active members of the gay communities in the area came together to organise an event in the Lower Gardens to protect the gay communities from the bigots and keep them together for a day of celebration, rather than of hostility They have repeated the event every year since The Bourne Free committee consists of trustees and volunteers plus a large number of contributors from the LGBT community across Bournemouth and Dorset Bourne Free is a registered charity and has no paid staff For more details view: www bournefree co uk/mainsite/
■ OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Quiz: cash prizes 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
THURSDAY 5
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Juice: karaoke & tunes till 2am
■ OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
FRIDAY 6
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH
BRANKSOME ARMS BOURNEMOUTH
■ BOURNEFREE PRIDE WEEKEND: Fri (13) is Pre-Pride Par ty CARRY ON SCREAMING QUEENZ with Wilma Fingadoo’s spooky cabaret from 9pm ■ Sat (14) is the PRIDE SPECTACULAR all day with garden dance tent and live performances from Hazell Dean & Kelly Wilde at 11pm ■ Sun (15) is the POST-PRIDE BBQ from 3pm, and then Wilma Fingadoo performs from 7pm
■ REGULARS: SUNDAY BEST features a BBQ from 3pm, Wilma’s Madhouse from 4pm and then cabaret from 5pm with R ose Garden (1), Cookie Monstar (8), Divina De Campo (22) and Lola Lasagne (29) ■ Wed is SMART-ASS QUIZ with host Fanny Flaps from 8pm ■ Thur from (19) is Cassie’s LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX with intimate chat, games & live show from 8pm ■ Fri is GUILTY PLEASURES with DJ Sheridan playing vintage cheesy pop in the main bar from 9pm, (27) is a special Olympic-themed par ty; the 2nd level bar hosts MAN FRIDAY CLUB (6, 13 & 27) and BEAR CLUB (20) from 8pm ■ Sat is LOST IN MUSIC with DJs playing 1980s camp pop from 9pm; the 2nd level bar hosts FANNY’S LOVE LOUNGE from 8pm
■ Look out for DIAMANTE, a new monthly night for TV/TS people Ask at bar for details
■ OPEN: daily from noon–2am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Guilty Pleasures: DJ Sheridan 9pm; 2nd level: Man Fri Club 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Vate’s Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon
■ OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Boy George Experience 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SATURDAY 7
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Lost in Music: DJs 9pm; 2nd level: Fanny’s Love Lounge 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: DJ Ruby Roo 8pm
■ OLD VIC open 5pm
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 2 dancefloors 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Paul’s 40th Bir thday
8 30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SUNDAY 8
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12.30-2 30pm & 79pm; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Sun Best: BBQ 3pm; Wilma’s Madhouse 4pm; cabaret: Cookie Monstar 5pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
■ OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE We Are 1: DJ Rob D, boozy prizes 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Dolly Par tem’s Sunday Service 8pm; Son of a Tutu 9 30pm; Sun lunch noon-3 30pm; open noon
MONDAY 9
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJs Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm
■ OLD VIC food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
TUESDAY 10
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Two Tues till 2am
■ OLD VIC food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bomb It! 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
EDGE SOUTHAMPTON
■ BEACH PARTY WEEKEND: Fri (20) is the GET SOME SUMMER LUVIN’ Huge Outdoor Pool Par ty with fishbowl cocktails and DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall, entry £3/£4 before 11pm, £5/£6 after ■ Sat (21) is GAYWATCH, The Big One’s Huge Outdoor Pool Par ty, with DJs Lee Harris & Pete Kendall, beachwear encouraged, entry £3/£5 Sun (22) is the WET T-SHIRT & BOXERS CONTEST with £50 cash prize
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Wed (25) is the BAR 150 OLYMPIC PARTY with DJ Lady Bex, Cheeky Pete’s Karaoke, £1 50 drinks, Olympic spor tswear fancy dress
■ REGULARS: Sun is WE ARE 1 with DJ R ob D & £1 drinks; stripper Keiran Kaine performs (1) as par t of the Edge’s 17TH BIRTHDAY WEEKEND, entry free before 10pm, £2/£4 after ■ Thur is GREW UP IN THE 90s with DJ Neil Sackley, 1990s tunes & drinks from 10pm, free entry ■ Fri is GET SOME with DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall from 9pm, entry £3/£4 before 11pm, £5/£6 after ■ Sat is THE BIG ONE with resident DJs on 2 dance floors from 9pm, entry £3/£5
■ OPEN: Closed Mon (except 4) ■ www theedgesouthampton com
WEDNESDAY 11
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL food 12-3pm; open 12
THURSDAY 12
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Juice: karaoke & tunes till 2am
■ OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
FRIDAY 13
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Carry On Screaming Queenz Pre-Pride Par ty with Wilma Fingadoo 9pm; 2nd level: Man Fri Club 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Vate’s Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon
■ OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Sandra 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (7) is Paul's 40th Bir thday come dressed for red and gorgeous theme from 8 30pm
■ REGULARS: Wed (4) is monthly QUIZ at 8 30pm with cash prizes
FRI CABARET from 10pm: Boy George Experience (6), Sandra (13), Helen Love (20) and Miss Jason (27) ■ Sat is PARTY TIME from 8 30pm with DJs: Neil Sackley & His Guilty Pleasures (7), R uby R oo (14), Dazza with Jacquii Cann on stage from 10pm (21) and Tiny & His Guilty Pleasures (28) ■ Sun is Dolly Par tem’s SUNDAY SERVICE from 8pm, cabaret at 9 30pm: Lady James (1), Son of a Tutu (8), Dave Lynn (15), Lucinda Lashes (22) and Drag With No Name (29) ■ Thur is Pat Cruise’s KARAOKE CRUISING with tunes at 9pm ■ Free pool on Mon & Tue
■ FOOD: served Mon–Sat from noon–3pm; Sunday lunch served noon–3.30pm, two courses for £7.95
■ OPEN: daily from noon ■ www.the-london.co.uk
SATURDAY 14
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Pride Spectacular all day with garden dance tent & live performances from Hazell Dean & Kelly Wilde 11pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: DJ Ruby Roo 8pm
■ OLD VIC open 5pm SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 2 dancefloors 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL DJ Ruby Roo 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SUNDAY 15
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2 30pm & 79pm; open 9am
■ OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
THURSDAY 19
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH
HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH
■ ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat is HOT EYE CANDY with DJ R uby R oo playing cheese, pop & char t from 8pm, free entry till 11pm
■ REGULARS: Sun is KARAOKE & drink offers till 2am ■ Mon in BAR 150 with DJs R uby R oo & Grant Knowles from 9pm, free entry till 10 30pm ■ TWO TUE with 2-4-1 drinks, open till 2am ■ Wed watch the HOT TEST MUSIC VIDS on screen and 2-4-1 drinks till midnight ■ Thur is Westie’s JUICE with karaoke, tunes & £1 50 drinks on rotation till 2am ■ Fri is Sally Vate’s CONTROVERSIAL with DJs Tim Sandford & Grant Knowles till 3am, free entr y till midnight ■ www.facebook.com/pubhb
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Cassie’s Let’s Talk About Sex: intimate chat, games & live cabaret 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Juice: karaoke & tunes till 2am
■ OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
FRIDAY 20
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Guilty Pleasures: DJ Sheridan 9pm; 2nd level: Bear Club 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Vate’s Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon
■ OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food 12-3pm; open 12
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Get Some Luvin’ Outdoor Pool Par ty: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Helen Love 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SATURDAY 21
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Lost in Music: DJs 9pm; 2nd level: Fanny’s Love Lounge 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: DJ Ruby Roo 8pm
■ OLD VIC open 5pm
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE The Big One Gaywatch Outdoor Pool Par ty: DJs Lee Harris & Pete Kendall, 2 dancefloors, beachwear encouraged 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL DJ Dazza 8 30pm; Jacquii Cann 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SUNDAY 22
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12 30-2 30pm & 79pm; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Sun Best: BBQ 3pm; Wilma’s Madhouse 4pm; cabaret: Divina De Campo 5pm; open noon
■ OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bar 150 Olympic Fancy Dress Par ty: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
THURSDAY 26
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Cassie’s Let’s Talk About Sex: intimate chat, games & live cabaret 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s Juice: karaoke & tunes till 2am
■ OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
FRIDAY 27
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Olympic Guilty Pleasures: DJ Sheridan 9pm; 2nd level: Man Fri Club 8pm; open noon PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Vate’s Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon
■ OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Pete Kendall 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Miss Jason 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SATURDAY 28
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS main bar: Lost in Music: DJs 9pm; 2nd level: Fanny’s Love Lounge 8pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: DJ Ruby Roo 8pm
■ OLD VIC open 5pm
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 2 dancefloors 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL DJ Tiny & His Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon
SUNDAY 29
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12 30-2 30pm & 79pm; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS Sun Best: BBQ 3pm; Wilma’s Madhouse 4pm; cabaret: Lola Lasagne 5pm; open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD karaoke till 2am
■ OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon
SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE We Are 1: DJ Rob D, boozy prizes 9pm
■ LONDON HOTEL Dolly Par tem’s Sunday Service 8pm; Drag With No Name 9 30pm; Sun lunch noon-3 30pm; open noon
MONDAY 30
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJs Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm
■ OLD VIC food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
TUESDAY 31
BOURNEMOUTH
■ CUMBERL AND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am
■ BRANKSOME ARMS open noon
PORTSMOUTH
■ HAMPSHIRE BLVD Two Tues till 2am
■ OLD VIC food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON
■ EDGE Bomb It! 10pm
■ LONDON HOTEL food noon-3pm; open noon
DANCE MUSIC
BY WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE
So after a glorious June full of sunshine and summer vibes, er not, here comes July. Whatever the weather we intend to keep the action hot this month and this selection of sweeties should do it.
■ Firstly we have the Future Disco presents Poolside Sounds And no they’re not rubbing in the lack of rays but bringing some much needed warmth courtesy of Maya Jane Coles, The 2 Bears, Crazy P and many others. Check out the Maxxi Soundsystem remix of Bear Hug for a sign of the wonder that is this slice of Future Disco.
■ Ibiza gets a plenty of attention this month and none more so than at Ushuaia Beach Hotel who this month deliver The Beach Album and The Club Album on Defected Hedonistic heaven of the island kind that’ll have you reaching for the Havaianas.
■ Bumping the bass is the essential FABRICLIVE 64: Oneman as he melds genres, garage and dubstep to great effect. You just know you ’ re in the presence of genius and it sounds mighty fine As does Jamie Lewis and his latest Purpleized album on Purple Music ■ Check out the wonderful track Without You with Marc Evans for
a slice of pure summer lovin’.
■ And if you ’ re after a dose of decent tech house then Carlo Lio’ s Past, Present, Future - Vol. 2 on SCI+TEC will see you right.
■ Our techno heads are leading us in one direction this month thanks to a stellar release from Mr G State of Flux on ReKids, which is a journey you’ll wanna make, twisting through sounds that will ensure your beat addiction is taken care of Legendary
■ As is the Hot Chip’ s latest In Our Heads on Domino. There’s something about the way they utilise just the right chords to produce addictive melodies that has us hooked They are our one life stand
■ Our moment of the month is a history lesson we can’t learn enough from.
This Ain’t Chicago, compiled by Richard Sen for Strut is a divine adventure in where our BPMs came from. It’s all about Chicago and it’s all about house music, house music all night long
Catch Wildblood and Queenie at Cube, DSD, Soul Damn Funky, Danceteria, Rebel and Sirens Katewildblood.wordpress.com
WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE’S JULY SCORCHERS
■ WAFF Jo Johnson Hot Creations
Nowt better than a loopy bassline, a classic sample and thumping bass.
■ NATHAN BARATO Back Up Queen ReKids
If queer deep house doesn’t get your moving nothing will. Queens unite!
■ ELECTRONIC YOUTH & KELE LE ROC Don’t You Know Maquina Music
These boys can do no wrong as they continue to provide a sound summer soundtrack.
■ GOSSIP Move In The Right Direction / Perfect World Columbia
Amazing nu-disco take on our fav queen of the night
■ HNQO Point Of View Hot Creations
Simple, decent house that is so easy to fall for Adorable
■ SEAMUS HAJI pres BIG BANG BANG THEORY God's Child Big Love
Remixed resurrection of seminal house track Gawd bless you Seamus
■ CATHY BATTISTESSA Une Nouvelle Humanite Peng Records
Summer sweetie that insists on plenty of sunlounger action
■ 3 BALAEROS Summer Breezin' Melodica
One day all chill will be this horizontal.
■ ANTHEA Distraction One Records
It’s hot! It’s steamy! It’s saucy! Get it.
■ MY NAME Good Girl Bad Girl
Soundz Dynamik Seductive sexiness session of laid back jackin’ grooves.
DJ PROFILE
Feel like a night out filled with millions of cheeky tunes played with sparkling style? Queen Josephine catches up with the marvellous DJ Ruby Roo who is certain to make these wishes come true
Describe your DJ style?
My style is a little mental! It’s all about loads of tunes in short sharp bursts. I play radio edits so I can get through masses of tunes each night. I started over 14 years ago and my job is to create and hold a party, not to be a DJ snob, so I play what the punters want! Depending on the venue it’s chart chart chart for the most part, with some gigs being about 70s/80s party pop with a little disco thrown in too. An average four-hour set is about 150 tunes so my DJ bags are always full! What’s your favourite song of all time? Janet Kay Silly Games Which tune always fills up (or rescues) your dance floor?
For the chart gigs Nicki Minaj and four or five of the current top ten work well and a Whitney remix is always a winner! For party gigs it’s Pointer Sisters, Robin S, early Whitney and a little 90s dance never hurt What would be your ultimate dream gig?
On a boat in Monaco Harbour on Grand Prix weekend with all my regulars and friends and one f=*k off set of speakers!
Name a tune you wish you’d never played (and why!)?
Every single tune I played at a NYE gig on Old Compton Street! I played Cher Lloyd’s Swagger Jagger at Brighton Pride last year as it was popular at my out of town gigs. Not so with the Brighton and London massivelet’s just say it didn’t get to the end of the first verse before I took it off – the only time I’ve ever felt embarrassed about a song!
Guilty pleasure?
If I like something I don't care if people know about it! CDs in the car include Adam Lambert, Shirley Bassey, 42nd Street The Musical, Mamas & Papas, a hard house compilation from Church Club, Brixton, a pure garage CD and Carmina Burana The car radio channels are saved to Classic FM, Radio 2, Kiss 100, Heart FM & Juice FM I’m aware I'm not normal
What’s been your best ever gig?
DJing in Italy at a pool party in the mountains was amazing and my year of monthly gigs in Copenhagen But to sound completely cheesy it’s those times when the crowd, the night and the tunes just fit. I’m very lucky, I get that warm glowing feeling a couple of times a month. Tell us a secret! I’m really a woman.
CURRENT FIVE TOP TUNES
■ RIHANNA Where Have You Been Island/def jam
■ CALVIN HARRIS FT NE-YO Lets Go Sony Music
■ J-LO FT PITBULL Dance Again Epic Records
■ NICKI MINAJ Starships Cash Money records
■ AZEALIA BANKS FT LAZY JAY 212 Polydor Records
Catch Ruby in Brighton every Thursday at Charles Street Club (Envy) 10pm–3am, Fridays at Revenge 12–3am and Sundays at Charles Street Bar cabaret 7–9pm At the Hampshire Boulevard, Portsmouth every third Saturday of the month and on Mondays fortnightly and on the first Saturday of the month at The London Hotel, Southampton.
SCENE IT ALL!
James Ledward looks at Rober t Pattinson’s unique record of Brighton’s gay scene
The thought of waking up every morning with Lola Lasagne watching over your bed might be a bit much for some people Not for Robert Pattinson Every day when he opens his eyes he sees Lola and the many other local personalities and community people that cover his walls. Robert's home is a shrine to Gscene and the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove. Robert has been a fan of Gscene since the magazine first started and the walls of his flat are a pictorial history of gay Brighton from 1998 to the present day. Robert has created an A1 poster collage for every year since the magazine started and they adorn the walls of his cosy Hove flat
While not enjoying the best of health over the last few years, Robert has concentrated on making these posters of Brighton's LGBT scene part of his recovery to better health “I’ve read Gscene for as long as I can remember and I’ve been making posters from cuttings of the magazine since 1998. They show the history of
our great gay scene They show happy events, sad events, and the people who make Brighton's gay scene what it is ”
Robert has had major bouts of illness, been on chemotherapy, had two major operations and part of his liver removed. Creating these posters has helped him remember what a fantastic time he’s had in Brighton since moving here. His only regret is that the young people now have no concept of how the scene was created.
“I came to live in Brighton to be part of a gay community I loved Secrets and Revenge had just opened Tony Chapman created a safe and secure place for gay people to enjoy themselves seven nights of the week It was gay heaven for me If you had HIV, the scene looked after you and didn't judge The scene wasn't ageist like it is now and no one blinked an eyelid if a trans person came into a bar or pub. Nowadays there is a good chance they would be laughed at!”
Robert's posters show people who have come and gone during the last 15 years, and though he’s only included people who have appeared in Gscene, he appreciates that many people who have contributed to the scene don’t appear on them. The posters chart the rise and fall of different Prides and highlight the development of the commercial bars and clubs. They are a unique pictorial history of LGBT Brighton and a fascinating insight into how the community has developed socially, economically and culturally.
While some may think the commercial scene has improved others might think we are going backwards Robert says: “I started coming to Brighton when Revenge was in its first year I kept coming and going for a few years but what made me want to live here was my love for Secrets nightclub Secrets had an atmosphere where clubbing was relevant for anyone from 1880 and helped create a social network or friends that looked after and cared for each other. How I wish we could go back to those days.”
BY CHARLIE NYEREYEGONA
CHARLIE’S CHEF OF THE MONTH
Bethany Kehdy is a Lebanese food guru, TV chef, recipe developer, food journalist, photographer and all round lovely person and I warmed to her from the first moment we met She has a silky Miami accent with a delightful Middle Eastern overtone and a wicked sense of humour Her blog is entitled Dirty Kitchen Secrets!
What is special about Lebanese food?
It’s healthy, wholesome, uses fresh ingredients and lots of herbs, lemon and garlic. You can make anything Lebanese just by adding coriander and garlic!
When did your passion for Lebanese cooking start?
I cooked for my brothers and sisters at the age of 14, but the intense passion started when I moved to Miami when I was 21. I missed home so much that I needed the food to comfort me! A few years later when I moved to the UK, I started the blog dirtykitchensecrets.com
What’s your favourite dish?
It depends on my mood, the weather etc but my favourite is Kishk Comfort food A powdery cereal made from bulgur wheat fermented with yoghurt and sundried for days It’s a staple diet for many Lebanese villages during winter (Salivates) Yum it’s just delicious!
Describe your food...
Classical dishes mainly it’s taboo to mess around with Lebanese food! I look at the ingredients and try to create something new that still fits in with the culture but with a devilish twist! What ingredient couldn’t you do without?
Sea Salt. It’s an ingredient that really changes a dish! What gives you a buzz?
Coming up with something new and different and people getting it! When I see people beginning to understand my food (like friends in my social circle) it gives me great satisfaction. I know I’m doing it right!
Who cooks at home?
I do! I love simple food that’s delicious and fulfilling
Does your husband, Chris, share your love of Lebanese food?
Chris doesn’t really cook - a couple of fried eggs do him! We’ve been together 10 years though and he does understand and like my cooking. Tell me about Taste of Lebanon?
(Real excitement in her voice). It’s a 7-9 day culinary tour of the real Lebanon that I organise twice a year. They are some of the highlights of my year. I give an insight into the culture and food of a Lebanon that you wouldn’t normally see. A feast for all the senses. It’s enormous fun! www.tastelebanon.co.uk
Future projects?
There’s a book coming in the near future (Laughs naughtily) Classical, modern-inspired recipes using some off the beaten track ingredients! Who would you invite to your dinner party?
Greg Malouf, the Guru of Middle Eastern Cuisine! (Greg has joined Petersham Nurseries Cafe, Richmond, London for the spring/summer season) I’d love him to critique my food! I’d cook something inspired on a classic dish
It’s been a real joy talking to Bethany and I’ve learned lots about Lebanese culture and food. It’s got me hungry now, so I’m off for some minced kibbeh and tabouleh salad. You can catch Bethany at the Foodies Festival at Battersea Park, London (Fri 17–Sun 19 Aug). www.foodiesfestival.com
CHARLIE’S RECIPE OF THE MONTH
TUNA NIÇOISE SALAD WITH TARRAGON & MANGO DRESSING
It’s so hot at the moment, making it a perfect time for light, delicious, healthy salads This is my take on the classic Salad Niçoise
Ingredients (Serves 2):
• 1 tin tuna steak or fresh tuna, pan fried/grilled for about 30 seconds on each side)
• 6 anchovies - fresh or bottled (saltier)
• Some small santorini, cherry or halved vine ripened tomatoes
• 2 good handfuls of watercress
• 2 large eggs
• Olive oil to drizzle
For the Vinaigrette:
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 4 pickled beetroot
• 2 slices good quality stale bread
• Good ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp mango pulp (or thick mango juice)
• 3/4 tarragon leaves (finely chopped)
Method: Place eggs in hot water with a little salt or vinegar (to stop them cracking) Cover and boil for 10 minutes Cool in cold water, peel and set aside Meanwhile cut the bread into cubes and place under a hot grill to toast for a minute or two Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper Blend together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette
To Serve: Slice the eggs. Place some of the watercress on each plate and layer the croutons, tomatoes, beetroot tuna and eggs as artistically as you like! Top with the anchovies and drizzle over the delicious tarragon and mango dressing. Simple, tasty, delicious. Enjoy!
BY MORHAM WHITE
THE SHELLEYS
135 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XS www.the-shelleys.co.uk
Tel: 01273 472 361, Fax: 01273 483152
A trip out, on possibly the second full day of summer, in mid-May. The sun was out and I had a chauffeuse for my excursion, which meant no holding back on the alcohol. What a treat! Parking in Lewes is always a challenge so a free ticket for the adjacent private car park, secured from The Shelleys Hotel Reception, was another bonus The ambiance in Lewes is somehow special, more so with our destination formerly known as The Vine built in 1520 It’s like stepping back in time as one enters the Grade 2* listed building The Shelleys, as it is now known, is a 4 Star hotel with restaurant and comfortable north facing garden with patio seating The building sits at the back of the pavement in the upper, western end of the High Street on the north side
Pre-lunch drinks were served in the lounge which looks out onto the High Street. The sun streamed into the windows while we surveyed the stylish menu, the front page a reproduction of what seems to be a knitted tableau of Lewes looking south to the Cuckmere river mouth. The restaurant looks out onto the lawned garden to the north with an enormous copper beech opposite. The tables were laid with full linen and beautiful flower decorations We sat at possibly the nicest table for two, with a view of the garden and distant views of the fields and trees to the north east
For my starter, I had asparagus (£7.25) with a balsamic drizzle and parmesan shavings; fresh, light and truly seasonal. Rachael chose a delicious tower packed with crayfish (£6.95), diced apple, celery and walnuts wrapped in a spicy tomato dressing giving dramatic colour to the dish
Mains come recommended; Rachael on a fishy journey had the seabass fillet straddling artichoke, whilst I plumped for the rib-eye, medium rare, rich and juicy with new potatoes and roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine Substantial, tasty and beautifully presented A Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£4.50 for 125ml, £14.50 per bottle) went very well with the asparagus, with a clean flinty edge, then there was a 250ml glass of Chilean Merlot, (£6) with a strong hint of clove. Effectively both of these house wines are at the lower end of the pricing structure and are full of character and flavour.
Whilst we aimed to share two desserts, the chef isn’t prepared to serve the caramelised rhubarb dish (no reason given, but not a problem), so we had a stunning honey poached pear, with Bailey’s Panacotta topped with homespun honeycomb, akin to a hat from Ladies Day at Ascot, and a light chocolate roulade, both came in at £6.25 We took coffee in the gardens where, in the shade of the hotel, there are five tables, each at least 20 foot apart, giving plenty of room for privacy Looking north the weather needs to be sunny and warm, which it was, so the whole experience was verging on perfect
The bill was £80 for three courses, two glasses of wine, coffee, a dining room to ourselves and specially attentive service. Quite superb!
As mainstream arts events listings are so easily available elsewhere, Gscene would like to highlight the exhibitions, events and shows by or with LGBTQ artists, performers and content Please send us details of your event to: info@gscene com
KOMEDIA
Gardner Street, Brighton www.komedia.co.uk
■ BENT DOUBLE (Sun 1) Hosted by star of Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Zoe Lyons Featuring headliner Hannah Gadsby
NIGHTINGALE THEATRE
Surrey St, Brighton Box office: 0800 4118881
■ MAUVE NEW WORLD (Fri 20–Sat 21). Conceptions of a queer and not so distant future performances with help from Ovalhouse. Inspired by great futuristic works like Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984 and Children of Men, Pink Fringe invites queer identified performance makers to dream up their own visions of the future
BRIGHTON CENTRE
Kings Rd, Brighton, Box office: 0844 847 1515
www.brightoncentre.co.uk
■ SUMMER ICE RINK, (Mon 23 Jul–Sun 19 Aug) Whether you're a slider or glider, looking for thrills and spills, visit the only indoor, summer ice rink in Brighton!
■ WONDER WOO-MAN (Wed 25–Thu 26). Award-winning ‘Tranny Superstar’ (TimeOut) Jonny Woo packs a host of surreal characters, songs and tongue twisters into this rollercoaster hour of modern cabaret Including The Scouse Pope, Spam Ayres and his newest creation The Mary Portas Experience ‘The bastard love child of Kenny Everett and Marlene Dietrich’ Times
MARLBOROUGH THEATRE
4 Princes St, Brighton Box office: 0800 411 8881
www.marlboroughtheatre.co.uk
■ INTO THE WOODS (Tue 24–Sun 29). Stephen Sondheim's 'fractured' fairy tale begins as a lively irreverent fantasy and
becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children When a baker and his wife learn they have been cursed with childlessness by the witch next door, they embark on a quest to break the spell, teaming up with an ambivalent Cinderella, a Prince Charming with a roving eye and a blood thirsty Red Riding Hood along the way This is the inaugural production from newly formed Chocolate Box Theatre
BRUNSWICK TOWN ART FAIR
Brunswick Square, Hove
■ BRUNSWICK TOWN ART FAIR is set in the Regency splendour of Brunswick Square Gardens (11am–6pm, Sun 1). Following last year ’ s successful launch event, dozens of artists will be exhibiting paintings, prints, photographs, cards, ceramics, sculpture and jewelery High quality affordable work will be on sale, admission is free and refreshments will be available from Real Patisserie and La Cave à Fromage Brunswick Town Art Fair,
11am–6pm, Sun 1, free. More info: brunswicktownartfair@mail.com Facebook: Brunswick Town Art Fair
CLIFTON MONTPELIER POWIS FESTIVAL
St Nicholas Church, Dyke Road and St Michael’s & All Angels Church, Victoria Road Box office: 01273 709709 www.cmpcaonline.org.uk
The CLIFTON MONTPELIER POWIS FESTIVAL, is a community annual arts festival, which began in 2007 as a celebration of the literary and cultural heritage of the Montpelier and Clifton Hill Conservation area It is run by the community organisation for the area, the Clifton Montpelier Powis Community Alliance and takes place in two stunning churches, St Nicholas’ and St Michael's & All Angels. There are music, film, literary and food and drink events. This year, Rose Collis takes over the late Peter Burton’s role as literary programmer.
■ WHAT THE DICKENS? (Sat 7)
Writer, historian and performer
ROSE COLLIS has been researching Charles Dickens' many connections with the city and, with Gary Blair and Emma Kilbey, she presents this semi-dramatised show to commemorate the bi-centennial of the great writer’s birth. Rose is also conducting two Dickens In Brighton 'Walkie Talkies' (2pm, Sun 8 & noon Sun 15). Join Rose for an informal and informative stroll around some of the sites and celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of one of Brighton’s most illustrious visitors Meet outside 16 Lansdowne Place, Hove; £7 50
■ BRIGHTON IN DIARIES (Sat 14) PAUL LYONS’ life-long fascination with Brighton and diaries has found expression in this fascinating collection of extracts which contains diarists famous and ordinary, young and old, serious and cynical, but with Brighton always setting the scene. Many legendary writers, including Samuel Pepys, Walter Scott (“it is a city of loiterers and invalids”) and Gideon Mantell inhabit these pages often in their most unguarded guises For Virginia Woolf, Brighton was “ a love corner for slugs”, but a visit to it could add “ a pound’s worth of pleasure to life”
■ THE PERFECT MAN (Sat 14) Author David Waller discusses his critically-acclaimed book The Perfect Man, the biography of
Eugen Sandow, the Victorian strongman who possessed what was deemed to be the most perfect male body and became an international music-hall sensation. Appointed Professor of Physical Culture to King George V, Sandow’s physical culture system was adopted around the world, yet he ended up being buried in an unmarked grave.
■ AN AFTERNOON WITHOUT PETER BURTON (2pm, Sun 22, FREE) In November 2011, Peter ‘Dame Peggy’ Burton, celebrated author, editor, publisher and CMP literary programmer, died As a tribute to his distinguished 50year career, and in celebration of one of Brighton’s greatest personalities, a glittering array of writers, including some whom he championed at the start of their careers, will share anecdotes and read from their own work and Peter’s own prodigious oeuvre. Featuring Patrick Gale, Rupert Smith, Colin Spencer, Rose Collis plus special surprise guests
BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS
St George’s Church, St George's Road, Kemptown, Brighton, BN2 1ED, www.brightongmc.org
■ Should I stay or should I go?
BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS is itching to explore this prickly dilemma in their seventh summer show Seven Year Itch: No Rash Decisions (doors 7pm, show 8pm, Fri 3 & Sat 4 Aug). Get there early and enjoy a glass of something at the indoor licensed bar or in the church gardens before the show. Funds are being raised
during the performances for Shine Theatre Trust, a charity set up to provide a home for and support inclusive theatre in Sussex and aimed primarily at young people. For more information visit http://shinetheatretrust.org/ Seven Year Itch: No Rash Decisions, Fri 3 & Sat 4 Aug, tickets: £12/£10 concessions, tickets and info: www.brightongmc.org
■ Brighton & Hove City Council’s LGBT Workers Forum present 2012’s HISTORY BALL and Awards (7pm–late, Fri Aug 3) with live music, DJs, and dancing. This year ’ s History Ball theme is ‘Vintage’ with the library transformed into a rainbow ballroom for the night. Nicky Mitchell (Kroon Kats Club,
Komedia & The L Project) will be hosting with her new band, The High Speed Broad Band, and top notch singers will be playing music from jazz to swing, disco to jive - the music won’t be strictly ballroom but it will be strictly danceable
The Gin & IT bar, hosted by the divine Madame Love and her team, provide an austerity priced chance to sip cocktails or beers in the lofty architectural delights of the library.
The History Awards will honour charities and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to local LGBT history and lives. The Awards are designed to recognise the achievements of people who are making history today, through their being champions of LGBT life, giving modern meaning to LGBT history so we can progress with a greater sense of community
Any profits from the ball will be donated to a local LGBT charity Tickets £10/£5 (concessions), available online (from June 30), at Jubilee Library Bookstore, or call 01273 294639. You can also sign up to the event on Facebook.
A R T M A T T E R S
This month I’m concentrating on two major creative venues, both within travelling distance from Brighton.
PALL ANT HOUSE GALLERY
9 North Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex, www.pallant.org.uk
■ ADRIAN BERG: A MEMORIAL exhibition is in Room 4 (until Sept 30) This is the first exhibition of landscape painter Adrian Berg‘ s work following his death in November 2011 Berg was best known for his depictions of parks and gardens such as Windsor, Kew, Dartington, Nymans, Stourhead and Sheffield Park which he painted in distinctively vibrant colours
■ PRINTS OF DARKNESS in the De'Longhi Print Room (until Oct 7) is an exhibition of contemporary prints exploring record cover art which recalls the golden age of the vinyl record cover, with references to the imagery of post-psychedelia, goth-surrealistic, artnouveau designs. Artists include Christopher Orr, Norman Shaw, The Lonely Piper, Edward Summerton, Mark Wallace and People Like Us, aka international awardwinning multimedia artist Vicki Bennett
■ PETER BLAKE & POP MUSIC (until Oct 7) is a major exhibition celebrating the 80th birthday of the godfather of Pop Art, Sir Peter Blake, bringing together important paintings, collages and prints from across his career Having been closely linked with pop music since the 1950s, not only has he painted images inspired by his musical heroes such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Sammy Davis Jnr, but he’s worked closely with musicians and bands including Oasis, The Who and Eric Clapton to create some of the most recognisable album covers of the last 50 years.
■ DEREK BOSHIER: DAVID BOWIE & THE CLASH in galleries 15 and 16 (until Oct 7) Derek Boshier first came to prominence with his paintings as a student at the Royal College of Art in London in the early 1960s, with fellow students David Hockney, Allen Jones and RB Kitaj During the 1970s, Boshier experimented with different media, producing photographs, films, collages, constructions, books, posters and record covers This exhibition shows his graphic work for pop musicians including his designs for David Bowie's 1979 album Lodger and The Clash 2nd Songbook, 1979
TOWNER
Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JJ Tel: 01323 434670, www.townereastbourne.org.uk
■ HAROLD MOCKFORD (July 14–Sept 30), is one of the best known and most loved Sussex artists. In celebration of Mockford’s 80th birthday, this exhibition brings together a large body of paintings that span his career His inspiration comes from the South Downs landscape, in particular around Eastbourne, where he lived until 1996 when he then moved to Newhaven. He depicts the familiar rolling hills, woodland and coastal scenes of East Sussex, but transforms them into the extraordinary through his use of deep, rich colours and surreal perspectives.
■ THE EDGE IN LANDSCAPE (July 13–Sept 30), shows new contemporary acquisitions for the Towner Collection including major works by Yael Bartana, Mario Garcia Torres and João Penalva.
REVIEWS
■ The VAN BAERLE TRIO met while studying at the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2004. On their debut CD, they perform two great French works, Saints-Saëns’ First Piano Trio, and Ravel’ s single work for the combination In between, they play a single-movement work, Ackermusik, by the Dutch composer Theo Loevendie (b 1930) - an interesting interlude between the two French works, but stylistically it isn’t a great fit However, they tackle its extremes of dynamics and rhythmic difficulties well. In the two main works, they really shine. They capture the lightness and spirit required in the Saints-Saëns, yet also show great sensitivity in the delicate slow movement. The Ravel is beautiful, full of rich, almost orchestral colours, and their performance is suitably intense and full Pianist Hannes Minnaar produces warm, sonorous playing in the third movement Passacaille, and this is matched by touching, delicate playing from violinist Maria Milstein and cellist Gideon den Herder. Definitely an ensemble to keep an eye on.
EtCetera KTC1438
■ The DORIC STRING QUARTET garnered wonderful reviews for their recording of the String Quartets by Erich Korngold (1897-1957) They return to Korngold, joined by friends for performances of the Piano Quintet and the Sextet. First, in the Piano Quintet they are joined by pianist Kathryn Stott, and clearly have a great time. They avoid oversentimentalising the already highly romantic music, yet still manage to provide the necessary nostalgic warmth and youthful spirit (the composer was still just 23 when this was composed) In the Sextet, the Dorics are joined by another viola (Jennifer Stumm) and cello (Bartholomew LaFollette) This is an even earlier work, from 1914 –yet the child prodigy had already
been composing for eight years by then. If anything, it is even more intense than the Quintet, and the musicians work well together here. Korngold avoids a potentially heavy, dense texture, and rather chooses to use the instruments contrapuntally much of the time The slow movement here is particularly tenderly performed Another impressive release Chandos CHAN10707
■ OLA GJEILO (b.1978) is a Norwegian composer, specialising predominantly in choral music, and he is currently the composer in residence with the excellent Phoenix Chorale from Arizona I was looking forward to this CD, as I had read good things about it The performances can’t be faulted, the Phoenix Chorale are spot on, with a warm and well blended sound, and perfect intonation throughout It’s the music that is rather beneath their considerable talents. On the whole disc (which includes 11 different works), there isn’t a single unexpected harmonic change, and the cumulative effect of the saccharin harmonies and relentlessly slow (even turgid) tempi leave one longing for some dissonance and rhythmic interest
Gjeilo’s contemporary, Eric Whitacre, achieves considerable variety and produces a range of interesting choral effects in his inventive music Here, the sound world of each piece is pretty much identical, the only interest being the works with added strings, the Harrington String Quartet, piano (the composer himself) or tenor saxophone, Ted Belledin. We’re two thirds of the way in before there is a piece with any rhythmic drive, Prelude, but it’s the shortest track, and then we ’ re straight back into soporific ‘atmospheric’ territory A real disappointment Chandos CHSA5100
■ French baritone, GÉRARD
SOUZAY, died in 2004 aged 85. Recognised as one of the foremost singers of
French mélodie, he was also one of few French singers to excel in German repertoire too His voice had a beautifully rounded quality, never harsh, yet still full of character. The Schwetzingen Festival have released this real treat, from a recital in 1960, with Souzay accompanied by Dalton Baldwin on piano. He performed several Schubert songs (including An die Musik), the Six Monologues from Everyman by Frank Martin, and ended with a set of Strauss songs In the middle, the French repertoire, Ravel’ s Cinq Mélodies Populaires Grecques and Deux Mélodies Hébraiques are particularly touching His voice was truly in its prime, and this is a wonderful selection to whet your appetite if you don’t already know this great singer. Hänssler Classic CD93.717
■ Next, MANUEL DE FALLA (1876-1946) performed by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena First the ballet El Sombrero De Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) is great fun, with real atmosphere and folk spirit, energetically performed, with a lovely contribution from soprano Raquel Lojendio. Next a wonderfully atmospheric and lively performance of Noches En Los Jardines De España (Nights in the
CONCERTS
SUMMER SCHUBERTIADE
Gardens of Spain), with JeanEfflam Bavouzet on piano They finish the programme with Homenajes (Tributes), a suite for orchestra written late in his life, with tributes to Debussy, Dukas, and lesser known (to us) influences on Falla, the Catalan composer Felipe Pedrell and the conductor Enrique Fernández Arbós. Very enjoyable, and excellently recorded A little more abandon in places would have made this a perfect addition to the catalogue, but it’s definitely up there, particularly Bavouzet’ s performance in the Noches Chandos CHAN10694
■ Finally, in brief, an excellent rerelease of a remastered recording from 1989 of the late, great Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, with Raphael Wallfisch playing the Dvořák Cello Concerto, and also Dohnányi’ s Konzertstück Surprisingly fresh recorded sound, combined with assured interpretations from both conductor and soloist, at mid-price this is worth snapping up. Chandos CHAN10715X
For more reviews, comments and events: nicks-classicalnotes.blogspot.co.uk Email: nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk
Box office: 01273 709709, www.brightondome.org
■ Brighton Festival team up with Clifton Montpelier Festival, Charlston and Alfriston Summer Music in concerts bringing together the music of Schubert and György Kurtág (b.1926). The Heath Quartet perform at St Nicholas Church, Brighton (7.30pm, Sat 21), and at St Andrew’s Church, Alfriston (7.30pm, Sat 4 Aug).
■ Baritone Marcus Farnsworth, with pianist James Baillieu, perform at Charleston Barn, Firle (7.30pm, Sat 28).
ROYAL GREENWICH OBSERVATORY
Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN
Box office: 01323 832731, www.the-observatory.org
■ Brighton Chamber Ensemble are performing music by composer and astronomer William Herschel, as well as works by Mozart and Beethoven (7 15pm-midnight, Thur 7), followed by opportunities to view the stars through the historical telescopes
ST LUKE’S CHURCH Queens Park Road, Brighton www.stlukesconcerts.webeden.co.uk, tickets £6/£4 concessions
■ Le Petit Orchestre, led by Helen Kruger, together with soprano Kate Browton, (Fri 8) perform music by Handel and Zelenka.
NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT
Dir: Patricio Guzmán
Plot: Documentary set in Chile's Atacama Desert where astronomers peer deep into the cosmos in search for answers concerning the origins of life
Word on net: “A film of rare visual poetry that's simultaneously personal, political and philosophical ” ■ “Film's passionate insistence on remembrance lends it a moral as well as a metaphysical weight ” ■ “Graceful, resonant, and humbling.” ■ “A masterpiece... an exquisitely filmed, poetically written meditation on how past and present fuse in humanity's most unresolved questions.”
KILLER JOE
Dir: William Friedkin
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple
Plot: When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.
Word on net: “What could have been a case study in trailer-trash miserabilism is riveting, compassionate, and truly singular.”
■ “Essentially a filmed play, but McConaughey's performance is too good to ignore ” ■ “An unabashed pulp romp stuffed with ugly acts and primal screams "
DETACHMENT
Dir: Tony Kaye
Stars: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden
Plot: A substitute teacher who drifts from classroom to classroom finds a connection to the students and teachers during his latest assignment
Word on net: “Even at its most ludicrous, when it is shouting into your ear, its sheer audacity grabs your attention.” ■ “Execution is so bogged down in impenetrable old-
white-guy self-pity that the real problems facing public education and practitioners get buried.” ■ “A loud, grating wallow in dime-store despair.” ■ “Basically inauthentic and pretentious.” ■ “Little that's outrageous or involving - more like a lecture about the failures of public education."
JOYFUL NOISE
Dir: Todd Graff
Stars: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer
Plot: Two members of a choir fight over the group's direction as they head into a national competition.
Word on net: “A join-the-dots parade of feel-good clichés And not in a good way ” ■ “The critic in me can authoritatively declare that the film is crap The fan in me sent his shirt to the dry cleaners for tear removal ” ■ “If it weren't for those musical numbers film would be a slog."
IN YOUR HANDS
Dir: Lola Doillon
Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Pio Marmaï, Jean-Philippe Écoffey Plot: A female doctor is kidnapped by the husband of a patient who has died in the doctor's care.
Word on net: “A guilty pleasure of a Gallic drama at a trim 80 minutes it skips along in staccato scenes ” ■ “Summons the giddy, logic-free airlessness of life immediately following a trauma, mainly through the strengths of its two talented leads.” ■ “What might appear as the circumvention of the bourgeois drama ends up a caricature of itself.” ■ “Director puts much faith in the power of her psychological melodrama to captivate "
THE HUNTER
Dir: Daniel Nettheim
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies
Plot: A mercenary is sent from Europe by a mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger.
Word on net: “Film is really Dafoe's show, and he reminds once again why he is such a tremendous actor.” ■ “Predictable, a pastiche of conventions, but strange nonetheless, and not always in a good way. ” ■ “It's all intended to be darkly metaphorical. In actuality, it's a mediocre film unfolding without plan, purpose or enthusiasm ” ■ “Works both as an intimate character study and as a primal man-against-nature thriller "
conservative couple's lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids.
Word on net: “Lighter than a meringue and as insubstantial... based on old comedy designed for the gentle laughter it easily earns ” ■ “An occasionally charming upstairs/downstairs comedy is overshadowed by one unintentionally creepy relationship ” ■ “It's entertaining in a French, relax-it's-just-sex kind of way."
ALSO OUT...
■ THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is a rather early re-boot of the web spinning franchise. Andrew Garfield is the hero, and Rhys Ifans plays the villainous Dr Curt Connors aka The Lizard ■ 7 DAYS IN HAVANA is codirected by Benicio Del Toro and looks at a young American boy who tries to break into the acting business by going to Cuba during a film festival
■ Christian Bale stars as Batman in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy
FILM C O M P E T I T I O N
■ Steve Carell stars as a man who finds goes on a final road trip to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart as an asteroid is set to obliterate Earth SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD co-stars Keira Knightley as his travelling companion
To win two tickets to the Odeon Brighton send the answer to the following question to Gscene Film Competition, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD: Carell played a sexually inexperienced middle-aged man in which 2005 comedy?
JUNE COMPETITION: JOHN HURT
SPEED!
Mor ham White went to Lille to preview the latest show from Holiday On Ice
HOLIDAY ON ICE has moved from its traditional feathers and diamante image to a modern idiom in order to attract a new audience profile while continuing to provide family entertainment. Entitled SPEED, the new production, which comes to Brighton in November, majors on the bold use of music, video and film, supported by stunning costumes, fireworks, bouncing balls, LED shoulder pads, aerobatics with ‘Tiger’, even motor bikes on the ice, all bound together with precision skating from three dozen committed lead and chorus skaters
With no defined storyline, the acts are introduced by a compere who appears on a pair of video screens placed at either side of the rink Each of the topics relate to the concept of SPEED: money, nature, water, et al The experience is loud and vibrant
The skaters, mainly from the USA, though several are from the UK, can stay with the company for 10 years and more. Ice Rinks can vary in size and shape, requiring constant changes in the markers for precision jumps, wheels and turns.
In addition the support technology is truly state of the art, both front of house and backstage There’s a three-ton bridge which
traverses the ice rink and from which performers dance and on which video clips link the two viewing screens; to a trapeze and revolving cage, more akin to a jumbo hamster wheel, to create the final image
Being of more mature years than the new audience profile being courted, I had a wistful moment as a song formerly performed by Jose Feliciano was reproduced with soul. I gather a German ‘celeb’ invited to perform was somewhat taken aback by being asked to deliver other than her own pieces, but the focus on the skating and the refreshingly modern choreography that is on display is what it’s all about
THREE SPEED SNIPPETS
Of the two motor bikes with studded wheels for traction on the ice, one is ridden by the French girl Melody, who at the outset of the production had never ridden a motor bike Now she’s more than accomplished and has just bought her own Harley!
The overhead inflatable depicts the underside of one of the more exotic contraptions one might see in the desert scene from the film Mad Max, with wheels, exhaust and undercarriage, visually dramatic if a little lifeless
Then there are the husband and wife team from Las Vegas who twirl through the night, with husband David generating all the energy to rotate the performing wheel, at times some 30 feet above the ice With no safety harness he clambers outside the wheel and runs aloft completing a full revolution whilst Alyssa swings from her trapeze as he rotates the mechanism, truly breathtaking!
SPEED HOLIDAY ON ICE SHOW INFO & TICKETS
• SPEED runs from Thu 22–Sun 25 November 2012
• Show running time: 2hrs 30 mins (including one interval)
• Ticket prices from £25 to £50 with children starting at £12.50.
• Senior and Student tickets are only available on weekdays (NOT weekend).
• Group discounts only for Gold, Silver or Bronze areas and are 10% off adult and children tickets, and 10+ adults or 10+ children gives you one free ticket for every 10 bought.
• No “Meet and Greet” package
• Group Sales: 01273 292695
• Individual sales: Ticketmaster 0844 8476 1538
• Tickets also available from: Brighton Centre Box Office, Mon-Sat 10am–5 30pm
ur fire bucket egg cups, £6.99, (England at Home, 59 Ship St, Brighton, 01273 738270)
Japanese Postal Scales, £5, (Utility, 28a North Road, Brighton, 01273 626222, utilitygreatbritain co uk)
orTables Retro Record Player cemats from £45, (This Is Not utcher's, 28 Bond St, Brighton, 01273 327796)
I Love London Picnic Ware from £1.50, (Pussy, 3a Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 604861)
GAY COMIC SUPER HEROES
■ Being gay in comics can be just as difficult as in real life, sometimes even more so No matter how hard it can be, it is always dealt with care and sensitivity by the writers and never as something to be ashamed of These days there are many LGBT characters: Constantine, Anole, Rictor, Karma and Batwoman to name just a few, most of whom are currently stars of their own ongoing titles or series’. This goes to show just how much things have moved on in the last 10, even 20 years. Probably the most adult and respected gay relationship in recent history is the marriage between Apollo and Midnighter from The Authority/Stormwatch. Created by the brilliant Bryan Hitch and Warren Ellis, these two are the Superman and Batman of the Wildstorm universe and have one of the most stable marriages in comics today Refreshingly, they are seen and referred to as the most powerful members of their group Sure they fight and argue as all couples do but they are always shown to love and respect one another deeply After one of the team was reincarnated as a baby, the pair decided to adopt and raise the girl, whom they love as much as if she were their own. It really is awesome to see this pair of strong super heroes show their love for one another and raise their child in the best way possible regardless of their gender or sexual preferences.
■ One of comics’ earliest same-sex relationships is between mutants Mystique and Destiny, even though again it was only ever hinted at It was only confirmed many years after their creation and Destiny’s death, an event which caused Mystique to go crazy with grief for a long time In fact, they were intended to be the biological parents of the X-Man Nightcrawler! With Mystique being a mutant shape shifter, she would have become a man to impregnate Destiny. Sadly this never came to be and Mystique was instead turned into being Nightcrawler’s biological mother.
■ Even though Apollo and Midnighter are the strongest example of a gay relationship, they weren’t the first mainstream publisher to have a gay main character. Always intended to be gay since his creation by comic legend John Byrne in 1979, Marvel’s Northstar wasn’t allowed to officially come out until issue 106 of Alpha Flight in 1992. This was in part due to the Comics Code Authority and then editor Jim Shooters policy against homosexual characters. Ever since he came out, Northstar has been a prominent member of both Alpha Flight and the X-Men and is never ashamed of who he is: a gay mutant In fact, he is due to soon be married to his long term partner Kyle and the wedding is being touted as a major comic event! It’s something that only straight couples have had so far in the Marvel and DC universes and it’s great to see things slowly changing for the better
GAMES
After giving my opinion on the top handheld games last month, I thought I would do the same for home consoles and PC. If the weather isn’t holding up to be that great and we are stuck indoors, at least we’ll have something to do whilst we listen to the wind and rain eh? To be a little bit different this time, I’ll pick one game per system so every gaymer can at least have something to play:
THE WITCHER 2 (XBOX 360)
■ After a very successful release on the PC, console gamers can finally get to sample what makes The Witcher so brilliant Based upon the best-selling novel series of the same name the story follows Geralt, the last witcher Witchers are genetically enhanced humans with special powers who have been trained to fight monsters since childhood. This instalment is much more focused on combat than the original and can be a bit frustrating at times, but the exciting multipath story keeps you glued to your pad and makes you want to push on. It is one of the best action RPGs available for a long time.
MA SS EFFECT 3 (PS3)
■ Ah Bioware, where would we be without you? Completing the story of the enigmatic Commander Shepard, Mass Effect 3 sees you smack bang in the middle of a galaxy-wide alien invasion The first casualty happens to be planet Earth! Your task is to venture into the galaxy to rally the remaining civilisations to combat this very real threat The ability to import your created character from the previous game helps strengthen the feeling of a trilogy-spanning story and immerse yourself in the lore heavy universe A heavy focus on combat, multitudes of RPG elements and a brand new multiplayer feature create a fantastic game that is simply beautiful to play.
DIABLO 3 (PC)
■ Rumoured to be in development for years before its announcement in 2008, Blizzard, who are never ones to rush out a product before its ready, took four years to pull out all the stops and make Diablo 3 one of the best games currently available A slew of new features, fantastic storytelling and engaging gameplay all add to a stunning action game that slowly pulls you in and never let’s go You’ll be playing this for months!
LEGEND OF ZELDA : SKYWARD SWORD (WII)
■ Shock horror eh? One of the best games on the latest Nintendo console happens to be a Zelda game! Taking place long before the Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword follows Link as he pieces together the fabled Master Sword to fight evil and save Hyrule. Skyward Sword, with its slightly cartoon-like visuals, looks stunning and features a beautiful score which you’ll be humming for ages The combat is simple yet complex and helps draw you into the world Although the motion controls might put some people off (and your arm will ache!), stick with it and you’ll discover one of the greatest Zelda games of the last decade
CRAIG’S THOUGHTS REMOTE PROTEST
LOVE’S GOT THE WORLD IN MOTION OR TURN A BLIND EYETHE FOOTY ’S ON BY
CRAIG HANLON-SMITH
At the time of writing this it is unusual to open a newspaper or browse the internet without stumbling across some journalistic analysis of how difficult it’s going to be for us all in the summer during the London Olympics 2012. The Tube will be crowded, we may need to lay on more buses, scores of people are being instructed to work from home for the best part of three weeks and dare we even mention the airports. Our immigration officers may have to sacrifice summer leave or even tea breaks to manage the hoards of people arriving for the sporting event of a lifetime You are not a million miles off if you detect a note of cynicism in our inability to appropriately support or indeed prepare for such an event which was, let’s face it, not a last minute decision or a surprise
Long before The Olympics set sail we have Euro 2012 to look forward to; a jointly held event between Poland and former USSR state (now independent) Ukraine at which our great and glorious national football teams compete at one of the world’s most watched sporting tournaments. Now whilst we might grumble in the UK at the sight of a queue forming at one of our international hub airports, we will (at the time of reading this) be about to host World Pride in London. Queers, lesbos and all round gender bending freaks like me shall be parading their wears across the streets of our fair capital city in all manner of wardrobe delights ranging from a sensibly crisp shirt to high cut hot pants without the pants bit There shall be the occasional jeer and drunken obscenity hurled our way, but in the run up to our supersonic gay ball the advance notices will be so clearly communicated, any enemies of Dorothy and Toto will more than likely steer well clear, Dear
Not so in the Ukraine, scene of our sporting early summer. A gay rights parade in May 2012 had to be cancelled for fear of violent attacks upon its organisers and participants. Days earlier Sviatoslav Sheremet, the head of the Gay Forum of Ukraine was beaten in the street on the route of the proposed parade by a group of masked men chanting homophobic abuse as they kicked, punched and wielded clumsy weapons Sheremet and joint organiser of the parade Maksym Kasianchuk decided that the threat of potential harm upon any of the parade’s participants was reason enough to cancel the event on the grounds of public safety
“ The race issue has been given prime-time news coverage but the gay issue lef t to the discussion groups of gay rights organisations”
Gay men and women across the Ukraine are regularly subjected to violent attacks which go unreported to a police force which is itself largely homophobic, and the LGBT community regularly reports the general attitude of the police as one that favours gay bashings as well deserved
Much has been said regarding Ukraine and Poland’s political inability or lack of proactive desire to crack down on racist football hooliganism that is threatening visiting supporters of the tournament Ex-footballer Sol Campbell, as part of a BBC Panorama programme, went so far as to suggest that anyone non-white should stay away from the tournament unless they are prepared to be repatriated in a coffin; the race issue has been given prime-time news coverage but the gay issue left to the discussion groups of gay rights organisations or indeed in the pages of this magazine. It doesn’t however end there.
Ukraine is about to introduce onto its statute books legislation that actively bans any public displays of homosexual conduct More than half of the population of Ukraine is clear in its belief that gay people have no fundamental right to live the life they wish to pursue and the architects of the forthcoming legislation cite homosexuality of any gender to be akin to mental instability and illness In January of this year I wrote of the concerns of awarding the football World Cup 2022 to Qatar, based upon its human rights record and in particular around the contentious issue of homosexuality; imprisoning and publicly flogging members of its population found to be engaging in what is described as homosexual behaviour. However Qatar will host the tournament irrespective of public derision and concern. Ukraine is about to introduce something similar which raises certain questions; what exactly is described as homosexual behaviour and how do we police such a law?
“Ukraine is about to introduce legislation that bans any public displays of homosexual conduct”
To be fair to Ukraine, and for that matter any other country with a less than satisfactory human rights record, perhaps they should be allowed to invoke any piece of legislation it so chooses without outside interference; after all many of the complaints within the European Union centre around non-nationals interfering in domestic matters; but when hosting an international event and inviting other member states to not only take part but also to send great swathes of its populace into the lion’s den, there should be a series of written rules that the host should and could adhere to such as those mapped out in the international convention of human rights.
During the ancient Olympic Games any political quarrels between local districts were set aside during the competitions and the original Olympiad was seen as an opportunity for peace (albeit temporary) It seems therefore appropriate, nay essential, that during our own summer of sporting glory we should be taking this time to share with the world our social advances (particularly on the issue of homosexuality) and giving others the opportunity to do the same in their future development Regrettably, once again the organisational powers of international football appear to be working to a somewhat different agenda, and even more embarrassing, knowing all of the above, if you ’ re a football fan, I’ll bet you still watch the fixtures on TV. Protest with your off switch and next time you ’ re in an unreasonably long queue at the airport just take a moment to consider it could get a lot worse.
H A R P E
LOVE-TUSSLE
DAVID - AN ALL ‘OUT’ GAY ATHLETIC HERO? A SKS KEITH SHARPE, CHANGING ATTITUDE SUSSEX
Most people know the Biblical story of David and Goliath. Many people also know about the love between David and Jonathan. Few people are familiar with the full story of the athletic David’s same-sex erotic activities including Jonathan’s father
Saul is the King of Israel, anointed as such by Yaweh, the Hebrew God of the Old Testament Unfortunately King Saul incurs God’s displeasure when he fails to exterminate every last Amalekite during a crucial battle God is a bit of a barbarous warrior-chieftain at this stage of the history of Israel He resolves to replace Saul with David, a young man again chosen for his ‘extraordinary beauty’ (1 Samuel 16:12).
We are given two accounts of how God ensures that David comes to the notice of Saul.
(1) Saul is said to have been possessed by an evil spirit and is given to fits of mad rage which frighten the royal household. His servants tell him about David who is an accomplished player of the lyre and whose lovely music can soothe the king This works well and 1 Samuel 16:2123 tells us:
‘Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armour bearer’ The role of armour bearer at that time meant an enduring close emotional homoerotic bond that was established between an older warrior and a handsome younger male, chosen for his good looks, who would be his constant companion Saul says to David’s father, Jesse: ‘Let David remain in my service, for he has found favour in my sight’ ‘Finding favour’ is another indicator of a strong emotional attachment with a suggestion of intimacy.
(2) During a war with the Philistines, David, who is only a boy at the time, brings food for his older brothers who are serving in Saul’s army. David is thought brave and has fought lions and bears in his role as shepherd The Philistines’ champion is the giant Goliath of whom everyone is afraid David steps forward and: ‘when the Philistine looked and saw David he disdained him for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance ’ But nevertheless David famously fells the giant with one stone from his sling. Saul is very taken with him and invites him to be his armour bearer.
Although we are told Saul loved David, he quickly comes also to become murderous towards him. This may be because David’s great successes as a warrior make him very popular with the people and Saul’s jealously of him grows. More probable however is that almost as soon as the ageing King Saul employs David as his boy-companion a rival for David’s affections emerges in the shape of Jonathan, Saul’s own eldest son
When David and Jonathan first meet it looks very like love at first sight: ‘When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul ’ And in this way is an extraordinary rivalry is established between King Saul and his heir apparent for the affections of the beautiful young shepherd boy. Saul’s jealous rages are now also directed towards his own son.
Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan He said to him, ‘ you son of a perverse rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?!’
In the biblical context, especially in the holiness code of Leviticus the revelation of someone ’ s ‘nakedness’ denotes the consequences of sexual acts. It is probable that the implication here is by having an erotic or even sexual relationship with David, Jonathan is uncovering ‘his father’s’ nakedness’ because Saul has already also had sexual relations with David. And by so uncovering his father’s nakedness Jonathan also uncovers the nakedness of another with whom Saul has had sexual relations: his wife, Jonathan’s own mother
“When David and Jonathan first meet it looks ver y like love at first sight: ‘When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul’”
In this situation the ageing King Saul’s anger and resentment against David is intensified. He has effectively been jilted by David and this has also destroyed his relationship with his son. Because of their great bravery and courage in battle both David and Jonathan are loved by the fighting troops whereas the weakened and indecisive Saul is no longer fully trusted or respected. Saul pursues David in an attempt to kill him. But twice during these battles David gains the upper hand and could kill Saul yet spares him, thereby demonstrating the love, loyalty and steadfastness for which he becomes famed The main effect of Saul’s hostility is to drive David further into the arms of Jonathan: ‘Thus Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying, “ may the Lord seek out the enemies of David” Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him; for he loved him as he loved his own life ’ (1 Samuel 20: 13-17)
Later we are told that ‘they kissed each other, and wept with each other; David wept the more ’ . Because of the danger to his life David takes refuge with Saul’s enemies, the Philistines. He does not, however, fight with them against Saul’s Israelite armies, once again demonstrating his enduring faithfulness to the men who loved him, even in the face of extreme provocation This means that he is not there when both Saul and Jonathan are killed on the battlefield When he hears of this David is utterly grief stricken and cries out:
‘I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women ’ (2 Samuel 1 25-26)
This reference here to ‘the love of women ’ clearly locates this relationship in the realm of the erotic. In those days men did not ‘do friendship’ with women. David further shows his deep love for Jonathan in adopting and protecting Jonathan’s son for the rest of his life. Once more then we encounter a gay love story in the ‘good book’, one which is rarely spoken of by the patriarchal churches, and yet one which proves that the Bible is far from being the homophobic text unremittingly hostile to homosexual relationships that these churches tend to represent it as being.
OPEN AND WELCOMING CHURCHES
Changing Attitude Sussex is committed to telling the truth about Christian teaching on homosexuality, and works for the full inclusion of LGBT people in every province of the Anglican Communion and more widely in all Christian Churches For more info please visit www.changingattitudesussex.com and www.thegaygospels.com
HOMELY HOMILY
BY GLENN STEVENS
BATTING FOR THE OTHER SIDE
For many of us we will look back on the summer of 2012 and remember it for the time that London hosted the Olympics Although I hardly live and breathe sports, (to be honest I find a walk to the fridge to get a cream cake exhausting enough), I am looking forward to cheering the sports men and women to gold medal victory
However, the thought of sport also conjures up less favourable memories of when I was at school and found myself wishing I was the one running onto the football pitch with a tray of orange quarters as that was going to be the only way the rest of the football team would have been pleased to see me. Not being picked for the team was a little humiliating, but I would find that although I had little ball control on the pitch, there were plenty of other sports that I did enjoy and was good at, including hurdles, relay, discus and javelin By achieving in these areas I was able to dismiss the idea that I didn’t like sports, I just didn’t like being singled out as being rubbish at contact sports
I know many other LGBT people have told similar tales, which have helped feed into the myth that LGBT people have little or no interest in sport. However, over the last couple of decades this view has been challenged in a variety of ways. Although there are still only a handful of ‘out’ sports men and women, with many waiting until they have retired before they announce they are not heterosexual, what has been refreshing is to see those like England wicket keeper, Steven Davies, and international rugby referee, Nigel Owens, who have ‘ come out’ while still very much involved in their game and found that players and supporters have been, in the first instance, immensely supportive, but also let them to get on with their job with very little fuss about their sexuality. Premiership footballers should take note that by ‘coming out’ the world doesn’t implode. Of course much of the reluctance to ‘ come out’ is down to the player’s management and sponsors who feel their talented player would have less appeal to the masses if their sexuality was anything other than straight
Thankfully away from the bright light of fame and all its trappings there are plenty of LGBT people who have a love of sport and have formed some extremely popular and professional groups, including the Brighton Bandits FC and hugely popular Brighton Lesbian & Gay Sports Society, (BLAGSS)
“Premiership footballers should take note that by ‘coming out’ the world doesn’t implode”
It may take a very long time for some professionals in sport and supporters, particularly football, to pull their knuckles off the floor, raise their eyes to the light, see we are no longer living in the dark ages and that there are some fantastic sports people out there who just happen to kick, throw, lift, dive or even bat for the other team
IN OR OUT?
I heard part of an interview with the Dalai Lama on Radio Four recently He was asked if he ever got angry No, he replied Anger, he believed, was a negative, pointless, destructive emotion It achieved nothing, apart from more suffering As we flounder in mid-recession amid yet more news of corruption and injustice both globally and nearer home, there’s plenty to be angry about these days. But I guess the aim is to channel our anger, not let it take us over or get the upper hand.
In his book, The Power of Compassion, the Dalai Lama writes: “ … if you do not make an attempt to reduce (anger), it will remain with you and even increase Then even with small incidents you will immediately get angry Once you try to control or discipline your anger, then eventually even big events will not cause anger ”
Wise words, although this could take some time – a lifetime perhaps?
I got to reflecting on this while listening to someone ranting on about some current issue on Radio 2 the other day (I like radio ‘ cos it leaves me free to multi-task; I can potter about doing the ironing or washing up while laughing at The News Quiz or having a quiet weep at Bach or Schubert or Nina Simone). Phone-in programmes are an open invitation to bores and cranks to sound off about their particular beef or bugbear. Sure, it’s good to talk, but we seem to have reached a stage where absolutely anything is up for grabs. From Jeremy Vine to Oprah Winfrey, these shows risk becoming tedious, prurient and selfindulgent.
“Phone-in programmes are an open invitation to bores and cranks to sound off about their particular beef or bugbear ”
Better out than in is the assumption. Hence the endless outpourings, the graphic details of human misery, as if we are all therapists just waiting to mop up other people’s pain and grief. As lesbians and gays, we have been encouraged to be open and upfront about our sexuality. This is generally considered a good thing - and preferable to staying in the closet Nonetheless, in some cases, there may be sound reasons for choosing not to come out In Brighton, London and Manchester, we have become almost part of the mainstream To be gay is seen as cool, even But what about Barnstaple, Bishop Auckland - or Kings Lynn?
Thirty years ago, life was very different for all of us. On another radio programme, the actress Miriam Margolyes spoke of regretting having come out in the 1960s. She told her mother about an affair she’d had with a woman. Three days later her mother had a stroke.
I, on the other hand, was among the many who chose not to ‘spell it out’ Call it cowardly, but I just knew there was no way that my parents would have accepted my being gay I guess mum at least was probably aware of the situation at some level My siblings know, but to this day the subject remains under wraps and not up for discussion Luckily, I have some enlightened cousins for whom my sexuality has never been an issue
CHARLIE SAYS GAY SPORTZ
FOOTBALL TEAMS & I BY
CHARLIE BAUER PhD
The term ‘Gay Sports’ is something of a misnomer to me – I’ve tried but don’t understand it. I’m not talking about ‘exercise’ here, you understand That is something that has been taken care of by myself at enormous cost since the early 1980s All those expensive ab lifts, dumbbell rolls and, when times were good, a hunky personal trainer, gently resting a hand against my stomach at each push-up Strangely, we still gym it alone, albeit in public, and I think with me, this came about as an avoidance of contact sports, (mainly football), that plagued me in the hell that was my adolescence
Yes, gyms were and are good cruising grounds, if you ’ re into those kind of bodies, whereas the gay ‘sport’ scene seems to me, to only fall into various kinds of fetish. I know BLAGSS is very different as it’s both social and serious and I know Out To Swim are global medal holders and pretty incredible (and gorgeous) to boot; but you haven’t actually left planet Brighton here. Whenever I’ve joined other groups in say, London, things seemed altogether different because fundamentally, I really don’t think that ‘ gay ’ and ‘competitive sport’ really exists within the same lexicon (Google ‘Gay Sports’ and note the first definitions)
I love the London Steelers rugby team, I really do, but when I was approached some years ago in Bear Bar on Poland Street in order to join them, I soon realised it was because of my build rather than any rugger skills I may have possessed I mean, how could they have known? I’m standing in a gay bar, drinking beer, waiting for my turn on the karaoke - seems I was auditioned rather than ‘tried out’. However, over the course of the ‘interview’ the word ‘jockstrap’ had being dropped with more regularity than a humid night at XXL. You must all know by now that I have no issues about fetish, but please, call it just that for lords’ sake.
“It was along one of these not so fr uitless relay races that I eventually met a few real heroes of my own within the tall bushes; discovering what it was to be fully par ticipant”
To me, spectator/participant carries the same differential as gay/straight Big stuff, but there we go And this isn’t only because I have to sexualise a sport whenever I see one Even at school, when humiliated into being the last chosen in the school PE session (which was always football), there was always an overriding feeling within me of spectatorship rather than as a competitive participant My second year latent cravings were based purely around who was the hottest player rather than any merit or hubris that a clean win could ever bring the team
And it was always ‘The Queer’ (me) that was chosen last from the line up – at the same time outed by the team, then ridiculed in front of the hunky football captain; who was my ever-so-secret wish.
After this humiliation, the decision to put me in goal - the most boring position, was a serious act of self-sabotage on their behalf. As
the team rushed about trying to emulate Kenny Dalglish or whoever, I’d be making mud pies at the post, idly watching as the ball rolled into the net behind me Since the process killed any form of competitive participation within me, I found myself in the process of becoming a mere ‘spectator’
Even in a house full of male siblings, I could never understand the emotion that went with football, but at school I would have to lie. Like trying to be straight when you ’ re that age in order to be accepted - it just isn’t going to work. Or, like trying to conjure up an image of Debbie Harry in the final throws of a bed-time wristie – it just ruins it.
When the weight piled on aged fourteen, I remember being pulled aside by the games/metalwork teacher (nylon trackies, no socks, handle bar ‘tash) and told that I had to ‘ move around’ a bit more on the football field My response was that football was a spectator sport, not Physical Education, and that while he was ensconced in the dry staff room as a spectator, I could only occupy the same premise at the goal post Bad move For the sin of hating football, I spent the next next three years condemned to run cross-country around the playing field, while my peers emulated their heroes in the centre. Gladly, it was along one of these not so fruitless relay races that I eventually met a few real heroes of my own within the tall bushes; discovering what it was to be fully participant.
“I really don’t think that ‘gay ’ and ‘competitive spor t’ really exists within the same lexicon”
Perhaps this differential is also why there is so much rampant homophobia on the terraces When that crap is shouted I feel that they are really shouting at squadrons of ‘ me ’ – that uninterested, none-caring faggot at the goalpost who had facilitated, then rejoiced in their losses Did they realise the power that I had over their mood and demeanour for the rest of the day - or perhaps even their lives?
I’m sure that men in their later years still talk of certain adolescent goals as enthusiastically as I speak of my own ‘ open goal’ policy. That they had scored the perfect goal, aged fourteen, from the centre line; curved it with such accuracy that it landed perfectly, well inside the unguarded net. I’m also certain that they will not remember the boy that didn’t, couldn’t, bring himself to participate in the individual or team glory that was up for grabs on the competitive playing fields that became their future
WHAT’S YOUR SPORT?
My Australian neighbour says a common form of greeting for men ‘down under’ is “G’day, what’s ya sport?” He’s now seventy-two and no doubt lived to see this ripe old age because he didn’t answer with the word “nothing” or the truth “I prefer sewing dear”
Sport is shit for people like my crocheting neighbour and me because it often reflects the mores and values of a patriarchal society. That’s why gay sports personalities are as rare as hens’ teeth. Off the top of my hairdo I can only name four, and one of them is dead as a result of putting his head above the cultural parapet. Poor Justin Fashanu.
Far from being bonding, fun and character building, sport is often divisive, soul-destroying and akin to sanctioned bullying But then, what do I know? Just because sport doesn’t speak to me doesn’t mean others don’t thrive watching and playing it The Olympics Games are being held in London this year, did you know? The Olympic motto is faster, higher, stronger which only applies to me if you count my new found ability to cough, laugh and pee at the same time
I’m forty-four, my idea of sport is walking I reject the currently fashionable pressure on us all to keep über-fit and competitive. If someone does a marathon it’s not good enough, people need to know the time you achieved it in so it can be bettered next year. Soon they’ll all be running backwards.
“I can’t believe our black players will have to endure monkey chants because Ukraine’s terraces are a recruiting ground for right wing paramilitaries”
There are many reasons why sport gets up my nose at the moment: Euro 2012 is being held in Poland & Ukraine, where our black players will have to endure monkey chants because Ukraine’s terraces are a recruiting ground for right wing paramilitaries, let’s hope no one goes; then the 2022 World Cup is being hosted by Qatar, a country where homosexuality is illegal and any attending gay fans have been told by Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, to “refrain from sexual activities” Imagine EVER saying that to straight people!
Female sportspeople are rare and undervalued. They’re plagued by lack of sponsorship because sport is a man ’ s game, or asked to do it semi-naked because sport is a man ’ s game. As I write this a professional golf tour of India is teeing off. Perhaps toiling children will be able to peer through the cracks in their sweatshops and watch the men at play. What I’m driving at is that sport makes me mad because it’s just another big business The money in Premiership Football has robbed poor people of terrestrial viewing, and most of the players are now overpaid spoilt prima donnas
In the way that musicians refused to play Sun City, I wish sport had more of a soul or conscience about its impact on society That said, it’s escapism. People love beating other countries at running, kicking and chucking things. Personally I’m glad the English regularly lose at sport; if it’s a metaphor for life, we ’ re winners on another level.
HAMMER TIME!
Back in the olden days me and my dad used to go and watch West Ham regularly It cost me 50p to get in because I was under 16 despite the price sign above the turnstile saying ‘boys’ – I guess ‘girls’ were supposed to be watching netball back then But we both loved every bleedin’ laddish, loutish minute of it I was particularly pleased because on the terraces at least, I was allowed to swear my head off. I could call the referee names or barrack the opposition using the kind of language my mother could never imagine coming out of her first born’s gob. And this was bloody buggeringly cool to me
I’m racking my brains to remember if the swearing was accompanied by completely ‘inappropriate’ chants The appalling racism of the 1970s, with fans chucking bananas at black players etc, was rife back then and I know sections of the West Ham faithful were some of the worst culprits. But I can’t recall hearing anything like that and I certainly didn’t see any bananas. Perhaps I was deafened by my own swearing. I’m pretty sure there must have been some homophobia going on too (although I’m not sure many of the 1970s’ Hammer’s fans would’ve even heard of the word never mind be capable of pronouncing it) Surely we ’ ve moved on by now?
But no, with black players’ families opting out of going to support their loved ones at Euro 2012 in Poland & Ukraine due to fears of racist abuse and the only openly gay footballer Justin Fashanu’s tragic suicide in 1998 as an example, it seems that despite the glitz and glamour, football still lives in Neanderthal times While, in the UK at least, huge leaps have gone on to eradicate racism in football, there is still no ‘out’ footballer in any of the top leagues and whilst it’s easy to say that just one brave person could change all that I’m not sure I’d fancy trying to hit the back of the net with 40,000 people chanting hilarities about what I get up to in bed.
“While, in the UK at least, huge leaps have gone on to eradicate racism in football there is still no ‘out’ footballer in any of the top leagues”
With our reputation for being the UK’s gay capital, most opposing fans think that the best way to rile Brighton & Hove Albion followers is to be anti-gay. The least offensive seems to be ‘ we can see you holding hands’, while my particular favourite is ‘does your boyfriend know you ’ re here?’; still no ‘girls’ then, but to be fair, B&H fans don’t seem too fussed, chanting back ‘ you ’ re too ugly to be gay ’ is a masterstroke.
I have no answer how we overcame all of this; but here’s a thought... Back in the day, West Ham were the ugliest bunch of blighters you ever did see: terrible hair, scruffy and quite often slightly on the tubby side Now if you stuck our first team on a victory open top bus and they all whipped their smart tops off, the bus took a wrong turn and ended up on a Pride Parade you’d think they were born to be there in all their buffed up, beautifully coiffed glory Perhaps that’s what needs to happen
SHOP, SKIP, JUMP
DEL SHARP ON THROWING IN THE SPORTS TOWEL FOR A SPOT OF RETAIL THERAPY
Sharp Words is very excited about the upcoming summer of sport; in fact I’m already planning where to be when the biggest events are on, though certainly not on any sideline or terrace, nor in a pub with big screens I’m thinking more like Ikea, as it should surely be less heaving with smug coupledom, or meandering about the Brighton hotspots I usually tend to avoid.
I’ve found shopping for new trainers and clothes always slightly less stressful during a Wimbledon Final, safe in the knowledge that there’ll be enough sport fans tucked up at home with their plasma screens to allow me to browse and dither in shops at my leisure and without quite as many people being equally as annoying as I am It’s not that I love shopping that much, it’s just I would like to do it without being part of a consumer chain gang, and as I hate sport, being able to combine the two will suit me fine
I tried some sporting activities as a child I propelled myself enthusiastically into judo but found my extra thick and heavy glasses had to be taken off every time I was flung over a shoulder and was eventually forced to not wear them at all. Being unable to see my opponents with their white suits, and with the white judo mat, meant it all became one big blur. By the time I was about 11-years-old, I conceded it was time to hang up my belt. Well I think I hung it up, but god only knows where the hook was.
Swimming lessons at school took a dive when I decided that the water was far too cold and that the other children’s splashing annoyed me. Unsurprisingly I managed to develop an allergy to chlorine, which resulted in spending my time sitting in the haven of a library instead, simpering at the kindly librarian who would eagerly explain the Dewey Decimal Classification system to me, which was possibly more useful than learning not to drown, but I’m still trying to decide
“I managed to develop an alergyto chlorine, which resulted in spending my time sitting in the haven of a librar y instead, simpering at the kindly librarian”
Moving on a few decades, I think there must be some dormant sports lover in me, as on occasion I avidly gaze at women playing football on Hove Lawns, (in an effort to understand the intricacies of the game of course). I also turn my attention to female runners on the seafront, observing their technique and heavy rhythmic panting. I will continue such activities as I’m sure it gives me more of an insight into the sporting psyche or at least puts me in the vicinity of a scantily clad, flushed and perspiring woman.
I do go to a gym from time to time, if that counts as sport. After all, I only have to compete against myself, well, that and the mirror, and sometimes I just don’t look at it which suits us both very well
This year, London will host the Olympic Games at a staggering cost of £11 billion at the very least Whatever the cost will end up being, we
will surely be counting for years to come The poor misguided competitors think they’re striving for the honour of their sport and country when in fact they’re corporate puppets for the sponsors
I pity the spectators rather more who’ll be paying over £7 for a pint of beer and banned from wearing clothing that features a (non-sponsor) manufacturer logo more than 12cm high. Well, someone who wears such garments should be banned from anywhere in public really.
Though I don’t really begrudge the fine athletes’ hard work, I can’t help wishing that so much money could be channelled into something that benefits the rest of us who don’t spend hours of every day running, jumping or bending in improbable ways Actually though, I can do a couple of these things, but would never dream that someone would want to watch me doing them
Perusing the Stella McCartney designed Team GB outfits, which we can all now buy apparently, will not only make us look like athletes but behave like them too Excitingly, Adidas enthuses that a simple running top “delivers the fit, performance and technology to excel its wearer to maximum sports success ” , so really there’s no limit to what I might achieve if I bought the whole range.
Though I’m not so sure about the ‘skort’, which are shorts that have a cunning flap about them to resemble a skirt. I don’t know quite what technological advances a few inches of fabric between my legs might lend to my athletic prowess so maybe won’t be skorking out for a pair/one just yet But it’s great that there’s a real possibility that those ubiquitous saggy grey sweatpants (frequently seen with hands stuck down the front) may now be a thing of the past as everyone slinks into close fitting, body clinging, sweat wicking, lip smacking, blue Union-Jacked up tightness
Are there any gay sports people? Well yes of course they’re out there just not ‘out’. I hardly blame them really. If I trained for hours every day, with hardly any time for a life or relationship, I wouldn’t want to run the risk of my achievements being overlooked by the vicious tabloid media or be chanted at by the mouthy hulking thugs who follow certain sports, and I don’t mean women ’ s golf. If we don’t already know, then I’m sure there will be announcements around the time of their retirement.
In the meantime I’m going shopping, I’m not sure what I’ll bring home but after all it’s the taking part that counts
GLOBAL VOICES AGAINST HOMO/ BI/TRANSPHOBIC BULLYING IN SCHOOLS
At a Drop-In last month, a few young people attended a writing workshop, where we focused on IDAHOBIT, namely Homo/Bi/ Transphobic bullying in schools. With this in mind they wrote about their experiences of school, what they’d like to change and what their dream school would be like.
• “My dream school would have a variety of interesting courses, taught in an interesting way so students could realise their potential – creatively or otherwise Students would be understanding, open minded and patient with teachers and vice versa There would be different LGBT workshops and groups, like for art or sports I believe students who don’t want to be there shouldn’t be as it ruins school for others. Socially, it didn’t prepare me for the real world, and back then being ‘social’ was all that mattered. It prepared me for some kind of institutionalised ‘poorly policed’ society. It was a breeding ground for fear, a society within a society, where the timid and weak are victimised and the ‘ powers ’ never truly stop it. I wish schools could be a safe space in the future.” Lovis
▼ “I’d like schools to have a greater awareness of LGBT issues, an effective anti-bullying policy as well as coverage of LGBT relationships in PSHE lessons A non-gendered uniform policy, PE lessons/teams and register entries would be great So would mixed ability groups where everyone could mix and nobody would be segregated ” Ben
▼ “I wish teachers would take a stand against homophobic bullying. At my school only one person came out and was bullied horrendously. Anyone with a boyfriend would have been crucified. I wish that there was a specific person at school to help with LGBT issues. Myself and others were left to figure out things ourselves On a lighter note, the PE teachers at my school are changing I was forced to play rugby (boys only) rather then hockey (girls only) which I’d have preferred; but I was allowed to join the girls for gymnastics and trampolining I think gender neutral sports should be standard in schools ” Calum
▼
“I don’t remember much about school Now I’m at City College I don’t think they do anything to stop homophobic bullying I tell everyone that I don’t know what my sexuality is, I think I do know, I just don’t want to tell them. Telling my mum and dad that I’m gay would shock them. I’ll try and keep it in as long as possible.” James ▼
“I wish there was more support like a counsellor that people could talk to, and that it was acceptable to come out at school.” Chad
▼
“There were some teachers who stopped pupils calling others gay, but there was no mention of gay relationships in lessons like English, for example. Sex education was 100% straight dominated.” Stewart
▼
“There wasn’t anyone who was open about their sexuality, or anyone to talk to about sexuality or gender identity It would have been good to have had advice and support, especially to discuss how to come out, who to and when There weren’t any gender neutral facilities, which I’d like to see in the future ” Samantha
ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT
Allsorts Youth Project supports young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or unsure (LGBTU) of their sexuality and/or gender
Allsorts Youth Project, Young People's Centre, 69 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AE Tel: 01273 721211 www.allsortsyouth.org.uk, www.facebook.com/allsortsyouth, twitter.com/allsortsyouth
BY BRENT PILKEY (UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON)
LGBT IDENTITY AT HOME
This month’s BSSN column is written by Brent Pilkey, doctoral candidate at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL) At first glance Brent’s research on LGBT identity at home might seem far removed from architectural history but in this piece he introduces his project, shows how it relates to the discipline and how it might push it in new directions.
When you think of architecture chances are you think of ancient Greek temples, civic buildings, modernist glass and steel skyscrapers –architecture with a capital ‘A’ or the architecture that undoubtedly has been designed by male masters, like those that dominate the London skyline: Renzo Piano’s Shard, Norman Foster’s 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin), Charles Barry’s Houses of Parliament, etc Historians tend to focus on ‘high art’ buildings designed by men too So you might ask: ‘what does a project on LGBT identity at home have to do with architecture, and why would an architecture school support such a research project?’
In the 1970s, following a wave of critical thinkers, the traditional subject of architecture shifted, with some historians studying the production of everyday space. These academics and those who follow, myself included, argue that by virtue of going about our regular business we inhabit and create space. In other words, users of the built environment produce architecture. I understand architecture to be created by the people who inhabit it. So while an architect designs a house, it only becomes a home through everyday homemaking Architecture is nothing without the people who inhabit it Or, to put a spin on British Historian, Nikolaus Pevsner’s maxim, “A bicycle shed is a building; [a home] is a piece of architecture”
Another key area of research has been produced by feminists writing in architecture Researchers first took a ‘her-story’ approach by showcasing female contributions to the discipline, then shifted to critiquing the gendering of the discipline itself. This work interrogated the naturalness with which architecture was content to carry on the same traditional route leaving women in the shadow.
My project seeks to interrogate architecture’s heteronormativity - the assumption that sees both the practitioners of architecture and the occupants of buildings as naturally ‘straight’ Anyone that has worked in an architectural firm knows what I mean when I say the discipline is heteronormative Think of media representations of interior designers who are stereotyped as effeminate gay men and architects who are normalised as heterosexual family men – Justin and Colin versus Restoration Man George Clark
To challenge heteronormativity I look at everyday architecture. Rather than obvious spaces like gay villages and cruising grounds, I suggest the home is also an important space where LGBT identity plays out. Looking at 40 domestic spaces in London I show how the British home cannot be normalised. As if the project wasn’t queer enough, I use an atypical research method in architecture: interviewing. I study architectural history through an oral history approach which also draws on queer theory and feminist studies In so doing I seek to interrogate architecture as traditionally and narrowly defined By sponsoring the project the Bartlett School of Architecture and UCL are committing to the diversity of Londoners who inhabit the built environment
BRIGHTON & SUSSEX SEXUALITIES NETWORK (BSSN)
The BSSN is an inter-university research network aimed at supporting research and researchers who work on issues of human sexuality within the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the wider Sussex area. We consist of community members and academics who have an interest in current sexualities research. Our next conference is Sept 13, 2012. Email: bssn@brighton.ac.uk for more information.
MINDOUT’S OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER
MindOut is getting ready for the Olympics like never before. We are bursting with pride that one of our workers, who is also a twice marathon r unner, will be car r ying the Olympic flame towards Brighton.
Jason Saw will be one of the first ‘out’ LGBT athletes to carry the flame and one of the first ‘out’ LGBT athletes who works in an LGBT service. He was selected from thousands of nominees by Lloyds TSB because of the difference he has made to the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove Jason has worked for the last seven years to support LGBT people who have experience of mental health issues by providing advice, information, advocacy and group work
Jason is delighted to be one of the few ‘out’ LGBT runners in the torch relay, representing the LGBT community of Brighton & Hove, one of the largest in Europe. He said: “I’m honoured and proud. It’s brilliant to be chosen as an LGBT person who works for the community, to be an ‘out’ LGBT athlete carrying the torch for equality I’m hoping that this will pave the way for LGBT Olympic athletes to be out and proud at the London Olympics this year ”
Jason will be running in Arundel on Monday July 16
Wayne McCormack from Lloyds TSB, who nominated Jason, takes up the story... The last time that London hosted the Olympic Games was in 1948. The UK was recovering from a war that left us near enough bankrupt. Food was still rationed, the country's finances brought a whole new meaning to the word austerity, and being gay was illegal. That's right, illegal Punishable by imprisonment or worse We are not talking about medieval times, this was a mere six decades ago Yet same-sex relationships were seen as an illness
requiring treatment and were a criminal act. Fast forward to 2012 and the Olympic Games are being held in London once again. The country is recovering from two wars in the middle east and our finances are once again subject to an austerity package that is making eyes water up and down the land
A noticeable difference, however, is that samesex relationships and sexual acts are now absolutely legal and trans identities are recognised legally We do still face a huge amount of prejudice and discrimination but we have come on leaps and bounds in the 64 years since we last hosted the games. Civil Partnerships are possible and there may even be legislation allowing marriage between samesex couples.
Being homosexual is no longer illegal and is not classified as an illness so what better way to showcase how far we have come than to have a member of the LGBT community directly involved in a high profile event as part of the 2012 Olympic Games This is exactly what is happening Following a nomination from me, Jason Saw has been selected to carry the official Olympic Torch as part of the national relay building up to the opening ceremony.
Jason embodies all that is good about human nature. He works tirelessly and openly for an LGBT mental health charity; both two areas that face stigma and discrimination still to this day. The fact that an ‘out’ gay man has been chosen for such an event represents a significant shift in the way the LGBT community are viewed in the UK in 2012 In 1948 there were no support groups and
charities such as MindOut and there were certainly no openly LGBT participants carrying the torch We have come such a long way since then and have much to be proud of
There are over 180 countries taking part in the 2012 Olympic Games, though not all of them are as tolerant and forward thinking as the UK with many of them brutally oppressing their own citizens for being gay. Gay sex is punishable by death in Iran and Saudi Arabia, while in Jamaica any men convicted of sexual activity with other men can receive ten years hard labour and in Barbados the punishment is a life sentence in prison Yet these nations are participating in the 2012 Olympic Games How lucky we are in the UK to enjoy such a free and accepting society
Surely many of our fellow LGBT brothers and sisters worldwide who are not so lucky would wish to carry the torch as an out and open member of the LGBT community as Jason will be doing this July. We should all spare a thought for those repressed and discriminated against and do everything we can to help their shocking and devastating plight.
THE NOMINATION
Jason is a humanitarian who cares for people in a way that I have never seen before MindOut aims to tackle mental illness in the LGBT community and by meeting people who are often in desperate need Jason is able to provide advocacy, support and advice By specialising in suicide prevention he is a lifesaver. Jason recently ran the Brighton Marathon in aid of his charity and he raised a small fortune. I have been privileged to witness first hand Jason giving up so much of his spare time to help other people. Bearing the torch would be such an amazing thing for him, his charity and those who suffer from mental illness and would be incredibly representative of the long way we have all come in trying to remove the damaging stigmas of being LGBT and suffering from a mental illness and Jason has my nomination
MINDOUT SERVICES
MindOut provides free, independent mental health advice, information and advocacy
We also run a peer support group work service and activity groups for LGBT people with mental health issues
If you, or anyone you know, has mental health issues and you would like to talk in confidence to an out LGBT mental health worker or would like to offer us your support, please contact us. All MindOut services are free, confidential and nonjudgemental
• 24hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839
• Email: info@mindout.org.uk
• New website: www.mindout.org.uk
BAD SPORTS
If only scoffing kebabs was a recognised Olympic sport I would surely have been selected for the UK team A contender for a medal no doubt I have yet to get a response from the International Olympic Committee requesting if they had ever seriously considered ‘bad living’ as a new sport for 2016 A daft suggestion I know but no dafter than the now discontinued solo synchronized swimming event.
“I always viewed team sports suspiciously. I stare at it like a frightened disco bunny squeezing through ‘muscle alley’ at Turnmills”
S U C H I ’ S W O R L D
CHARIOTS OF IRE
Before I became a wheelchair user, in the days of the dinosaurs and impending ice age, I was an eager young gymnast and swimmer Yes dear reader, you heard right, Suchi was a trim young thing who liked to cavort in water and was secretly in love with Olga Korbut Post-ice age I am lucky if my toe even gets a dip in any kind of water that you can swim in and as for gymnastics, when was the last time you saw a disabled person on the parallel bars? Yes, I know we have the Paralympics, but for your average disabled Jo and Joanna, the Paralympics isn’t the holy grail. For some maybe, but for many it’s more of a painful reminder that everything we do we have to do separately from mainstream society.
I always viewed team sports suspiciously. I stare at it like a frightened disco bunny squeezing through ‘muscle alley’ at Turnmills. Avoiding any form of team sport began at an early age: forced to line up against the playground walls with the very real prospect of being the last one picked by a captain to play in a football team filled me with dread Fingers crossed tightly behind my back I would secretly pray the lad with a lazy eye wearing a pair of glasses held together with sticky plasters would be selected last
GOOD SPORTS
Alongside a straight woman down the pub recently, we eagerly read a poster promoting Pride. I was taken aback by her first reaction; “Oh good,” she exclaimed reading out loud, “Pride are donating £1 from tickets sold to local LGBT causes this year – I won’t be going to Preston Park but I will buy a ticket.”
I was left feeling discombobulated. Her intentions are good – really well meant She quickly agreed to donate a couple of squid or more in a Pride collection bucket instead Her instant positive reaction inspired and prompted a group of gay friends to again become involved after a few years absence by volunteering in some capacity to support an event, which is in turn supporting our community
MORE GOOD SPORTS
A trip to India this year, however well planned, fell apart pretty quickly when, after a series of miss-haps, our group arrived with hardly a rupee between us. Arriving in a rural village in the middle of nowhere we were immediately stung by the extremes of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. All those in the village community recognised our plight and welcomed us. We were immediately fed, watered and catered for without question by our wonderful hosts. This was not viewed as a charitable act, indeed they were genuinely pleased to offer support and involve us within the community
Thankfully in time we were eventually able to repay our hosts, but nothing could repay them for the time they gave us and selflessly volunteered
Many people returning from India often speak of having found religion, or inner peace I can’t say I felt any of those things but months later back in the bosom of Brighton I now recognise altruism. I wish I had learnt to be a good sport earlier in life and been able to usher the lad with the lazy eye in the playground forward. It would have been more rewarding for us both.
The Paralympics sometimes reminds me of America’s 1876 Jim Crow law with its ‘separate but equal’ policy for white and black people, which was to be adhered to We all know how that panned out, don’t we? And the Paralympics is very much in the shadow of the ‘normal’ Olympics Okay, so I can hear people screeching out their protests already at my jaded summation but it is food for thought Everyone is shouting to the rafters about equality but what is equal about having your games right at the tail end of the ordinary Olympics? I mean why not have both sets of games running at the same time? Surely there are enough venues in whatever country is holding the Olympics at any given time? And if not, then share what venues there are! Perhaps the logistics are impossible; but has it been looked at closely enough to see if it can be done?
“All Olympic gold medallists from the 2008 Beijing Games were given honours, ranging from an MBE to a knighthood, but 17 of the 35 Paralympic gold champions got nothing at all”
And do any of you remember when all Olympic gold medallists from the 2008 Beijing Games were given honours ranging from an MBE to a knighthood, but 17 of the 35 Paralympic gold champions got nothing at all? An oversight you say? See that pig flying past your window, it’s not pink and has wings for nothing you know!
I can’t help but be a little cynical when it comes to disability and equality, even in the world of sport where the playing field has supposedly been levelled. Since my days of swimming and gymnastics are long over, I now make do with the gentle armchair precision sport of Boccia. I suspect most of you campers will have no idea what Boccia is but for a lot of disabled and elderly people it is a great sport that EVERYONE can play All ages, all abilities, all skills This is truly a sport that every person can play on equal terms You HAVE to sit in a chair (or in my case a wheelchair), you CANNOT take your bottom off the chair, and you have to use as much skill and brute force to win your game
So how about this? Bring those sports to the Olympic/Paralympic arena that the able-bodied and disabled can compete in together on equal terms. Boccia is one such sport, surely there are others? I throw down the gauntlet to the powers that be, and as she who shall be obeyed often says to me when an obstacle is in the way, “Get your finger out and do something about it, it’s not rocket science you know!”
SERVICES DIRECTORY
LGBT SERVICES
▼ ACCESS 4 ALL
LGBT disabled people’s forum Safe and welcoming, suppor t, activities, awareness Tel: 07981 170071 or access4all@fsmail.net
▼ ANYTHING BUT…
Youth social suppor t group for LGB or unsure under 26, meets every other Wed Tel: 01424 724150 or 01424 447033
▼ ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT
Drop in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5 30-8 30pm Tel: 01273 721211 or info@allsor tsyouth org uk, www allsor tsyouth org uk
▼ BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE
Repor t all homophobic and transphobic incidents to:
• Civilian LGBT caseworker Clare Brisco on 101 ext 50427 or 07769 162594
• or use True Vision self repor ting pack
▼ BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD
Tel Helpline, Hate Crime repor ting, Counselling service, Proud2connect service (relationship counselling in par tnership with Brighton Relate) www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton
• Helpline from 5pm daily: Tel: 01273 204050
• Services info 01273 234009
• email brighton manager@switchboard org uk
• or brighton admin@switchboard org uk
▼ BRIGHTON OURSTORY PROJECT
Oral history projects including shows, exhibitions, books, suppor t to researchers Tel: 01273 207757 or 01273 328592 or www brightonourstor y co uk
▼ BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE
Info, counselling, drop-in space, suppor t groups Tel: 01273 698036 or www.womenscentre.org.uk
▼ FTM BRIGHTON
Social/suppor t group for all female-to-male trans people Every 3rd Sat of month, 6–8pm, THT Office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, BN1 1AE Tel: 07504 652129 or F TMBrighton@hotmail co uk
▼ GEMS (GAY ELDERLY MEN’S SOCIETY)
Twice monthly meeting for over 50s Tel: 01273 884285 or peterotto337@btinternet com www gems-bh org uk
▼ LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON
Local social group offers friendship, social events Tel: 07594 578035 (eve) www.lesbianlinkbrighton.co.uk
▼ LESBIAN & GAY A A
12 step self-help programme for alcohol addictions Sun 7 30pm, Chapel Royal, Nor th St, Btn (side entrance) Tel: 01273 203343 (general AA line)
▼ LGBT NA GROUP
Brighton based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6 30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St Tel: NA Helpline 604604
▼ LGBT MEDITATION GROUP
Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5 30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Tel: 07789 861367 www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk
▼ LUNCH POSITIVE
Lunch club for people with HIV to meet, make friends, find peer suppor t in safe environment Every Fri, noon–2 30pm,
Independent, impar tial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems 24 hr confidential answerphone: Tel: o1273 234839 or info@mindout org uk www.mindout.org.uk
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Suppor t group for lesbian and/or gay parents Tel: 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies.org.uk www rainbowfamilies org uk
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Practical, emotional suppor t for victims of crime Tel: Brighton 01273 234009 or Hove 01273 439942
HIV PREVENTION TREATMENT & CARE SERVICES
▼ AVERT
Sussex HIV & AIDS info service, available by phone Tel: 01403 210202 or email confidential@aver t org
Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV
Hep A & B vaccinations Out Patients Dept of Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Rd Tel: 01273 664721
www brightonsexualhealth com
▼ L AWSON UNIT
Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials Tel: 01273 664722
▼ SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICE
CRI / Sussex Par tnership Foundation Trust Open access drop in, assessment, suppor t, advice, info on drug & alcohol issues Tel 01273 607575 An LGB&T worker is able to provide a confidential, non judgemental outreach service Suppor t for people over 18 wishing to address substance misuse Tel 07717 774 658
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24 hour nursing & medical care, day care Tel: 01273 694222 or www sussexbeacon org uk
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• Venue Outreach: info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug/alcohol use, free condoms/lubricant for men who have sex with men
• The Bushes Outreach Ser vice @ Dukes Mound: advice, suppor t, info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety Free condoms, lube, tea/coffee from Outreach van parked next to ‘The Patio’ at the Bushes
• Netreach (online Outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services THT Brighton Outreach workers online @ Gaydar: Thur 7–10pm, Sat 1–4pm, chatroom HEALTH INFO THT
• Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to commercial gay scene in East & West Sussex
• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV
• Fastest (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men Pre & post test discussion with clinical staff Results in an hour 10 men max tested per session Mon: 6 30–8 30pm (waiting room open: 6pm)
• Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men Face-2-face or phone Up to 3 one hour appointments
• Specialist Training: wide range of courses for groups/
individuals Specific courses to suit needs
• Counselling: from qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions for people living with/affected by HIV
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• Informed Passions: Exper t Volunteers project to identif y & suppor t sexual health needs of local men who have sex with men and carry out wide-ranging field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health Extensive training provided
• Lounge (Group for Gay Men Living with HIV): for tnightly peer suppor t group for gay men diagnosed with HIV for at least 1 year, on HIV medication or not
• What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer suppor t group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men
• Co Infection group: 6 week peer suppor t group work programme for gay men with HIV & HEP C
• Telling it Straight: monthly Tues eve suppor t group for straight HIV+ men/women Guest speakers
• HIV Suppor t Ser vices: info, suppor t & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV
• Volunteer Suppor t Ser vices: 1-2-1 community suppor t for people living with or affected by HIV
• HIV Welfare Rights Advice: help & advice line Wed: 10am–1pm 01273 764205 1-2-1/group suppor t to claim DLA Guidance on return to work & in-work benefits
For more info about these FREE services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Btn, Mon–Fri, 9 30am–5 30pm Tel: 01273 764200 or info brighton@tht org uk
▼ TERRENCE HIGGINS EA STBOURNE
Covering East Sussex, Services: Health Promotion Outreach, free condoms, lube, sexual health info & advice; HIV Health Coach, Shor t term suppor t for people living with HIV; Counselling; Positive Grants; Face-2-Face 1-2-1 suppor t & advice on sexual health, HIV; Condom Male: free condoms by post; Fastest: 1 hour HIV tests; Positively Social: group for people living with HIV; Volunteering Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, Tel: 01323 649927 or info.eastbourne@tht.org.uk
▼ WARREN BROWNE UNIT
Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV Hep A & B vaccinations Shoreham based Tel: 01273 461453
▼ WILDE CLINIC
Gay men’s sexual health clinic Wed 5-6 30pm Opposite Royal Sussex County Hospital entrance Abbey Rd Tel: 01273 664721
