Kat Pope

Hop Farm is no more

Posted on 04/05/201304/05/2013 by Kat Pope

Sad news. This year’s Hop Farm festival has been cancelled due to poor sales and poor projected sales.

Due to take place at the beginning of July with headliners My Bloody Valentine, The Horrors, Rodriguez and Jimmy Cliff, the festival had been an essential event for Kent music fans since 2008.

Despite reducing capacity this year, and the number of days it was to be up and running, it failed to attract the punters.

Festival Organiser Vince Power has apologised in an open letter.

He wrote:

“We would thank the fans that have supported us over the past five years and it with great sadness that the decision was made.”

All ticket holders will receive a full refund from their ticket agent.

Get fit at BLAGSS’ Big Gay Sports day

Posted on 03/05/201324/05/2013 by Kat Pope

Those Brighton lads and lasses from BLAGSS, determined to get us all fit and Adonis-like, are giving us a taster of all the sports on offer in the city, handily packaged in one Big Gay Sports Day next month.

Taking place at the Stanley Deason Leisure Centre on June 19, almost all the sports you can think of will be there for all to see and try.

Laid Back Lindas can give yoga and tai chi a go, Sporty Sidneys will get a kick out of tennis and volleyball, while Bulging Berthas will be well at home with boxing and ‘bootcamp’.

In addition there’ll be badminton, trampolining, ju-jitsu, walking, cycling, golf, petanque, football, softball, beach volleyball, rock-climbing, squash, and just plain stretching and exercising.

BLAGSS (Brighton Lesbian & Gay Sports Society) is the city’s largest LGBT group and, having formed nearly 20 years ago, must now be responsible for many a bulging Brighton muscle.

They run over 700 sports events throughout the year, but if you’re just too nervous to plunge in at the deep end, this taster day is a perfect ‘in’ for everyone, young and old.

It’s part of the council’s now established Take Part Festival, happening around town from June 22 to July 7,

The Big Gay Sports Day will be a social occasion too, with the midday meal being provided by Lunch Positive, the HIV charity who provide nutricious meals for people with HIV once a week and there will be a lovely big ramble at the end of the day up on the South Downs with BLAGSS most popular group, the Walkers.

BLAGSS Big Gay Sports Day is at the Stanley Deason Leisure Centre, Wilson Avenue, Brighton on June 29, from 10am to 6pm. It’s a ‘turn up at the door’ event.

Event: BLAGSS Big Gay Sports Day

Where: Stanley Deason Leisure Centre, Wilson Avenue, Brighton

When: June 29

Time: 10am to 6pm

Entry: is a £2 donation to ‘Mind Out’ charity.

For more information view: www.blagss.org and www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/takepart

Dials tree saved from the chop

Posted on 02/05/201304/05/2013 by Kat Pope

A much loved local tree has been saved from the chainsaw, but with a slight compromise to national pavement guidelines following a campaign by local residents.

Locals feared the tree, a large elm in the ward of the Leader of the Council, Jason Kitcat, at the corner of Vernon Terrace and the Seven Dials junction would be a casualty of the improvements being carried out in the area.

This busy and dangerous junction is being redesigned to make it a lot safer for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists, with the work already in progress.

In partnership with traffic engineers, the council’s Transport Committee have come up with a solution whereby the road space at the entrance to Vernon Terrace will be narrowed slightly and the pavement widened to accommodate the tree.

This will mean it will be amply wide enough to let wheelchairs and buggies pass with ease, while everyone will still benefit from having the same amount of greenery around the Dials.

For more information, CLICK HERE: