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Brighton & Hove Lib Dems select candidates ahead of possible early General Election

Brighton & Hove Liberal Democrats announce their three prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) for the city.

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The unusually early selection process in the election cycle has been explained in case the Conservative Brexit Government call an early general election within the next six months.

Emily Tester
Emily Tester

Emily Tester is the Lib Dem PPC for Brighton Kemptown. Emily attended sixth form at BHASVIC (Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College) and is a town councillor in West Sussex, working with colleagues to save local facilities such as a theatre and swimming pool from council cuts. She is particularly interested in education policy and is passionately in favour of the UK’s membership of the European Union.

Emily said: “I’m honoured to represent Brighton Kemptown in the event of a snap election. Brighton & Hove voted 68.5% Remain in the EU referendum, and the Liberal Democrats are the only party fighting to keep Britain open, tolerant and united.”

Carrie Hynds
Carrie Hynds

Carrie Hynds is the Lib Dem PPC for Hove. Carrie grew up in Northern Ireland and is firmly pro-EU, having seen at first hand its excellent work in peace and reconciliation programmes during the late 1990s. She moved to Hove in 2012 and joined the Liberal Democrats in May 2015. Carrie is an active member of Hove Library, Brighton Little Theatre and New Venture Theatre. She is keen to see real long-term solutions to the housing crisis by increasing the supply of good-quality affordable homes, and is a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights.

Carrie said: “Hove is a warm, welcoming, vibrant place that I’m proud to call home. It’s vital that politics is based upon what is happening within communities and not just a forum for those who shout the loudest. I’m looking forward to getting more involved in the local community, listening to the people of Hove and standing up for their needs.”

Paul Chandler
Paul Chandler

Paul Chandler is the Lib Dem PPC for Brighton Pavilion. He is a founder member of the Liberal Democrats and has stood for Parliament on several previous occasions, most recently in his home constituency of Kemptown in 2015. Before moving to Brighton in 2001, Paul was a councillor for over ten years, overseeing the compete refurbishment of a local swimming pool and the construction of a new school in his ward. Paul has previously run his own travel agency business and worked as a volunteer both at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and in one of the city’s soup kitchens. Paul’s political interests are in housing and finance, and he is a longstanding EU supporter.

Paul said: “As both mainstream parties move to the extreme, a political voice in the centre is more important than ever. I am proud and excited to represent that voice to the voters of Brighton Pavilion.”

Alternative panto returns to Sallis Benney Theatre on January 19

Team behind successful Alternative Pantomime return to Sallis Benney Theatre with Al Ladd In.

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An alternative and fun take on the traditional pantomime, Aladdin, by the company that brought you the critically acclaimed production of Sinderfella in 2015.

Directed and staged by Quintin Young, written by Andrew Stark, the cast includes Miss Jason as Widow Twankey, Davina Sparkle as the Fairy of the Ring, Dave Lynn as the Princess, Lola Lasagne as the Empress, Sally Vate as the Genie of the Lamp, Christopher Howard as Abanazer, Allan Jay as Aladdin and Jason Lee as Wishey Washey.

The production will return to the Sallis Benney Theatre, on January 19. Tickets are now on sale costing just £20 for weekday and £22 for weekend performances.

The ideal gift for Christmas. Banish the January blues and book your tickets now.


Event: Al Ladd In – The Alternative Pantomime

Where: Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY

When: January 19 – February 2

Cost: Weekday performances £20: Weekend performances £22

For full details of performance dates and to book tickets online, click here:

Artist paints ‘Debbie the Sunflower’ for disabled people’s human rights group

Artist and campaigner Vince Laws is presently oil painting a series of 100 named Sunflowers.

'Debbie the Sunflower'
‘Debbie the Sunflower’

While working on the project, he heard the sad news that Debbie Jolly, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts (DCAP) had died.

Debbie’s family and friends have asked that donations be made to DPAC in Debbie’s memory, so they can carry on fighting.

Everyone making a donation via the ‘Donate’ button on DPAC’s website www.dpac.uk.net between November 24 and December 24 2016 will be entered into a free draw, and one random donor will win the painting. Those lovely people who make a regular monthly donation to DPAC will automatically be included in the draw.

Vince Laws
Vince Laws

“I’ve been protesting cuts and the treatment of disabled people for 6 years myself,” said Vince, “I know how hard it is to keep going, so it really hurts when one of our champions leaves the battlefield. Debbie was largely responsible for the recent UN report damning the Government’s abuse of people with disabilities. I’ve painted Debbie the Sunflower. It came to me as I was painting that I would offer this to help raise funds for DPAC.”

Vince will be showing Debbie the Sunflower and other work, including 4 DPAC protest paintings, at ‘Art of Norwich 46’, St Margaret’s Church of Art, St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, NR2 4AQ.

The launch will be on Sunday, December 11 from 7.30-9.30pm. Everyone is welcome, entry is free with lots of other artists on display too, with music, poetry, and song.

Then open daily from December 12-24, from 10am-5pm. There are ramps and small thresholds and a wheelchair accessible toilet.


Event: ‘Art of Norwich 46’ Enlightening the Eye’s Mind

Where: ‘Art of Norwich 46’, St Margaret’s Church of Art, St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, NR2 4AQ

When: December 12-24

Time: 10am-5pm

Cost: Free entry

Who’s the boss behind the bar @The Grosvenor Bar?

This month Morgan Fabulous talks wigs, heels and hair with former Golden Handbag, Landlord of the Year, Collin Day.

Collin Day
Collin Day

The Grosvenor on Western Street in Hove, just off of Hove lawns is a lively gay bar which Collin, also know as Pooh la May has managed for the last two years.

Since his arrival, the bar has been redecorated twice originally with super camp glitter walls, feathers and masks and now with a more theatrical look including a drag queen tribute wall, displaying famous drag queens past and present. There is a waiting list of local drag queens waiting to have their photo mounted on the wall, myself included!

The bar is open 7 days a week, has a late licence and with Drag Bingo on Thursday’s, Karaoke on Friday’s and top Cabaret every Saturday night at 10pm is a perfect destination bar, to spend your evening at.

Since his arrival, Collin has turned the Grosvenor into a friendly local pub for everyone to enjoy with a regular, loyal clientele who like to take advantage of low-priced drinks at £3.30 for any pint.

Over the years, many  customer have followed Collin as he has moved around the city from bar to bar. Before managing the Grosvenor, he worked in and went on to manage Revenge nightclub for a total of 14 years throughout the 90’s, eventually moving on in 2004.

He says: “I loved the scene back then as there were so many real characters in Brighton. Staff turn around was much lower and everyone knew everyone. It was like being part of one big family.”

After leaving Revenge he took a five-year break away from the scene and from drag, but missed his heels and the social aspect of running a bar so much that he just had to return.

He managed Legends Bar for a year, then 22 Church Street (Black Horse) for 6 years and now the Grosvenor, where he has settled down and firmly stamped his personality on the bar.

Fortunately, he kept all of his drag wear, including over 40 pairs of heels, 100 dresses and boxes of wigs to help recreate Pooh la May, his drag identity name which was given to him by a friend, and is apparently Norwegian slang for female masturbation.

Collin has been doing drag for over 25 years. He started off in Revenge in the 90s as a door host, working behind the bar and becoming one of the original members of the legendary Lollipop Girls. He remained there till 2004 when Revenge changed hands and he decided to move on and concentrate on a solo career.

Pooh la May appeared regularly in the Adult Pantomime and performs at venues around Brighton singing numbers from the 60’s and 70’s.

Collin donates his time to worthy causes and is particularly proud of the fundraising Pooh la May has done for the Sussex Beacon and the Thai children’s orphanage in Pattaya, Thailand, which is supported by many Brighton entertainers.

He lists his hobbies as theatre, reading, music and men (so 1980s dear!). You can catch Collin and Pooh la May on stage at the Grosvenor on New Years Eve partnering Maisie Trollette. Entry all night is free!

For more information, click here:

Greens stop Council selling off parts of Downland estate

Green Group of Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council successfully intervene to suspend the sale of land in the Downland estate.

Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty
Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty

Alongside campaigners, The Greens called for a suspension of the proposed sale in the council’s natural Downland estate including land at Poynings and Plumpton Hill. Although most of this land is protected under national and environmental law, sites that had been identified for sale were branded ‘noncore assets’ and so were not subject to the same public scrutiny as other parts of the estate.

As a result of pressure from the Greens, council officers have now acknowledged that plans for disposal of the land should be brought to a halt.

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Convenor of the Green Group on Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “As soon as the detail on this was brought to our attention, we intervened and called for the sales to be suspended.

“It is right that as a result of this pressure, proposed sales in areas of the Downland estate will be put on hold and hopefully shelved altogether.

“We are glad that the city council is talking to the Downland campaigners and sharing information with them about what is going on. We are now calling for much tighter scrutiny on any remaining proposals to sell land. We call on all Councillors to fully examine how we treat our incredibly important Downland- the most unique part of our city’s natural heritage.”

The Green Group  are seeking to amend the council’s policies over the disposal of land in the area, and will make proposals to further protect sites at the next meeting of the Policy, Resources and Growth Committee.

Cllr Ollie Sykes
Cllr Ollie Sykes

Councillor Ollie Sykes, Deputy Chair of the Environment & Sustainability Committee, said: “As Councillors we must be prepared to take steps to preserve this vital land, and I welcome the news that current sales will be put on hold – there are lessons to be learned here. We will be working with colleagues across the council to increase protection of our estate, which not only provides our water, but is also unique for its biodiversity, heritage and landscape.”

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