BN1 Magazine Oct 2022

Coby Sey. Image by Ksenia Burnasheva

Back to Back Theatre: The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes. Image by Jeff Busby

Image By © Molly Daniel

News Glow Wild Paxton scholarships

Bonfire Season

ACCA Winter Season

Random Happiness Clothing

Living with Female ADHD Nilüfer Yanya

A session at Natural Fit Student guide for food & drink

52-56

BIMM - University status

Things to do in Florida

J-Felix interview

Autism-Friendly Cook book

Cryptic Crossword

60 62-65 66

TV Guide Film Guide

Quick Crossword

EDITORS LETTER:

Despite a certain amount of weary expectation, the passing of HRM Queen Elizabeth II still took everyone by surprise. Despite where you stand on the monarchy, a kingdom has lost its head of state and a family have lost a beloved matriarch.

For many of us, the Queen was the only monarch we have known; a rare symbol of stability in a world increasingly filled with uncertainty. Her reign saw man set foot on the Moon, the rise of the internet and societal changes almost beyond the imagination of many during the post-war years.

She balanced being the head of a traditional monarchy weighed down by tradition, while still managing to welcome progress. And there was her policy of putting the job first over maintaining family harmony.

As the nation prepares to coronate King Charles III there’s a likely to be a reassessment of the royal Family’s role in British life, as people re-examine their legacy and wonder discuss how it can fit in with a modern society. But for now, let’s marvel at the astonishing reign of a woman who may never be equalled.

CONTRIBUTORS

COVER: Nilüfer Yanya Image By © Molly Daniel

EDITOR IN CHIEF: CHRIS SADLER CHRIS@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

EDITOR: STUART ROLT STUART@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

SUB EDITING TEAM: THOM PUNTON

MAGAZINE DESIGN: AMELIA HARRIS

ADVERTISING:

CONTACT: JENNY RUSHTONHEAD OF SALES / 07917752133 JENNY.RUSHTON@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

BN1 IS A CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND LIFESTYLE PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE WHOLE OF BRIGHTON, SUSSEX AND INTO LONDON ON A MONTHLY BASIS - FOUND IN SHOPS AND VENUES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REACH A LARGE TARGET AUDIENCE, GET IN CONTACT AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP!

NEWSDESK/ GENERAL ENQUIRES: INFO@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

BN1 MAGAZINE

UNIT 28. FLOOR 6 NEW ENGLAND HOUSE NEW ENGLAND STREET BRIGHTON. BN1 4GH 01273 022991

CONTRIBUTORS: TALLULAH TAYLOR AMY STANBOROUGH STU DAVIES MILLIE (AKA @MMINDFULMILLS) KYLE GARLAND

INTERNSHIPS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Want to become a part of the BN1 Magazine team and gain valuable media skills or submit articles, content and im ages?

Various internships are avaliable for writers, photographers, marketing, sales, creative types and enthusiasts to join Brightons leading culture and lifestyle magazine! just email your CV and a little about yourself to: info@bn1magazine. co.uk

All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process or by any electronic or mechanincal device (printed, written or oral), unless permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietor. All textual content, design graphics, images and specific photographs used in the magazine are copyright BN1 Media Ltd 2022

BN1 Magazine has taken every reasonable care to ensure the information contained within this periodical is accurate on the date of publication. It is advisable that you verify any information before relying upon it. BN1 Magazine accepts no responsibility for the consequences of error or for any damage or loss suffered by users of the information, materials or third parties featured within this magazine.

6 bn1magazine.co.uk

BRIGHTON

BRIGHTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS

Presenting ancient music for modern audiences, Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) is back with a packed programme of compelling performances. It features a range of accomplished players delivering some of classical music’s most beautiful works.

BREMF Autumn Season includes a preview screening of their film of Francesca Caccini’s opera La liberazione di Ruggiero in the style of early film pioneer Georges Méliès, at St George’s Church on Thurs 29 Sept. Premiered in 1625, La liberazione di Ruggiero is the first known operatic work by a female composer, featuring choruses of enchanted plants, monsters, exotic ladies and sea gods, a good and an evil sorceress, and a rather easily seduced ‘hero’! Humour abounds, along with passion, magic and intrigue, and music full of variety and colour.

St Martin’s Church welcomes Music for St Michael with BREMF Consort of Voices on Sat 1 Oct. David Allinson hosts a choral workshop, Évora: cradle of Portugal’s Golden Age, at Ralli Hall on Sun 16 Oct. Over the Sea to Skye with Ensemble Hesperi comes to St Martin’s Church on Weds 19 Oct. A masterclass for emerging solo singers and vocal ensembles comes to St George’s Church on Thurs 20 Oct, led by Alena Dantcheva, soprano &

In Rime Sparse il Suono: Airs and laments by Sigismondo d’India with Alena Dantcheva, soprano & Michele Pasotti, theorbo will be filling St George’s Church on Fri 21 Oct.

The BREMF Live! Showcase of short programmes by this year’s emerging ensembles heads to St George’s Church on Sat 22 Oct., while St Martin’s Church welcomes Inspiring Bach with Spiritato and The Marian Consort later in the evening. Offering less formal atmosphere, this day also sees The Rose Hill stage the BREMF Live! Clubnight, featuring the BREMF Live! ensembles resplendent in a pub setting.

Sun 23 Oct sees St Martin’s Church open its doors to Les Lullistes contre les Ramoneurs performed by Ensemble Molière and Angela Hicks, soprano & Kieran White, haute-contre.

BREMF are bringing back their popular season ticket discount for 2022. If you buy tickets for six or more events, you’ll receive 10% off. There’s also a range of £5 Prom tickets on the door at many events.

For more details, and see the full programme of events, visit: www.bremf.org.uk

LOCAL LEGENDS RAVE RADIO RECORDS AND SNUB23 TEAM UP

an immaculate design from SNUB23. Featuring bold colours across isometric patterns, the 3D design appears to leap off the sleeve. He describes his work as exploring how we perceive forms and objects. Shapes are intrinsic to how we respond to visual content.

Forward-thinking record imprint, Rave Radio Records, have collaborated with acclaimed local artist SNUB23 for a unique release. The street artist, famous for his works around the city, along with large-scale pieces, vehicle designs, product packaging, clothing, and festival branding, has designed a very special cover for the label’s latest release.

Z-NEO’s Trueskool LP offers 12 brand new tracks across three discs, all wrapped in

Manipulating that basic human need to structure and categorise the world around us, shapes have become the visual language that informs our emotional response to imagery. “Music inspires,” he says. “Bass is the thumping heart of all my work, it fires me up and keeps me moving forward. This artwork represents these feelings, when the soundscapes surround you and you sink into a world of moving images. So picture this in motion, turn the volume to maximum. ‘Turn on, tune in, drop out’”

Rave Radio Records is a breakbeat hardcore label based in Brighton, who also promote the much-loved Calling The Hardcore events. This release from Z-NEO marks a continuing resurgence of the rave scene, which blends old-school aesthetics with a thoroughly modern attitude.

“The album means a LOT for me,” says Z-NEO. “In the early 90s my brother and I were socialised by Hardcore Breakbeat, but we were too young to contribute our own music. Our equipment (Amiga 2000 without a DAT recorder) forced us to keep our productions for ourselves. Around ‘94/’95, with the upcoming Jungle and DnB, the original Hardcore was nearly dead, but we still had the passion to give it a re-try one day. Then there was a period of about 25 years where I produced a lot of other electronic music and was really happy to see Hardcore rise again in the last few years. So I guess for me the album is a mix between an open invoice and a dream which came true.” That there is a growing audience of people being drawn to the old-school sound is a testament to all the work put into the scene by Rave Radio Records.

The vinyl version of Z-NEO’s Trueskool LP, complete with its awesome cover art, is available now. This comes with free digital copies of the tracks, while the first 100 orders come with a special art print.

For more details and to purchase, check out: www.raveradiorecords.com

Michele Pasotti, theorbo of La Fonte Musica

Ensemble Hesperi (appearing on 19 Oct) Image by Benjamin Ealovega

Ensemble Moliere (appearing on 23 Oct)

CHICHESTER

FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES WINTER SEASON

Presenting a rich array of the best touring productions in the country, Chichester Festival Theatre’s have just announced their winter season. From soaring musicals to thrilling dramas and brilliant comedy to Christmas spectaculars, it promises to offer something for everyone.

Musicals include the international smash hit SIX, returning after its sell-out run in 2019; the double Olivier and Tony Award-winning Girl From The North Country with legendary songs by Bob Dylan; and the first ever professional touring production of the joyous musical comedy Bugsy Malone

Star-studded dramas and comedies include Caroline Quentin in a revival of Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession; Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards in The Lavender Hill Mob; Hayley Mills, Paul Nicholas and Rula Lenska in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; and the West End hit Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). And is pantomime only for Christmas? Mother Goose flies in to persuade you that oh no, it isn’t!

The Christmas centrepiece from the everpopular Chichester Festival Youth Theatre is Alan Bennett’s witty and enchanting adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, while Dear Santa offers an opportunity for young children to experience theatre for the first time and the Christmas Concerts with The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood and the Chichester Cathedral Choir form the traditional festive season opener.

The packed schedule of concerts, talks, dance and stand-up comedy also include Stewart Lee, Jen Brister, Pam Ayres, Joe Stilgoe, Chineke! Orchestra, Dotdotdot Dance and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Off-stage events range from Half Term Hangouts for refugees and asylum seekers to Festivall, celebrating the creativity and talent of learning disabled and neurodivergent people, a Lightning Bug Dance Workshop and a special Fizz & Feminism with the cast of SIX

Award-winning theatre company ThickSkin return with the action-packed, highly visual How Not To Drown, telling the painful yet uplifting true story of an unaccompanied young asylum-seeker.

In her 80th birthday year, the BBC Concert Orchestra and top vocalists Katie Birtill, Louise Dearman and Graham Bickley salute multi award-winning Broadway and Hollywood icon Barbra Streisand. Grammynominated American pianist/vocalist Judy Carmichael provides another world-class evening of stride and swing piano. A 26-piece orchestra and acclaimed soloists perform A Gala Celebration Of Gilbert & Sullivan, including favourites from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore. Written and performed by Paulus of BBC’s All Together Now, Looking For Me Friend will be celebrating the music of comedy genius and national treasure Victoria Wood.

Chichester marks Holocaust Memorial Day with David Nott in conversation with Kate

Mosse. For nearly 30 years David, a surgeon with the NHS, has volunteered in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones, from Afghanistan to Libya, Syria to Ukraine. Due to popular demand, European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake returns to Chichester for an additional date as part of his first UK tour. He’ll be discussing his epic and thrilling journey to the International Space Station, with breath-taking photographs and neverbefore-seen footage from his time in space.

CFT is also hosting a national Youth Conference bringing together young people, alongside organisations and individuals who work with them, who are changing and challenging the cultural landscape.

For more information on these shows, and to see the entire programme, visit: www.cft.org.uk

BRIGHTON

OUR LIFE AT THE BARN LIVE SHOW

Strictly Come Dancing pro Flavia CacaceMistry and acclaimed actor and chef Jimi Mistry are touring the UK with their first ever Our Life At The Barn live show. Coming to Worthing’s Pavilion Theatre on Sun 9 Oct, the couple are inspiring audiences with how they swapped the stage, screen and city lights for the good life, running a smallholding in the rolling hills of South Devon.

Flavia is one of the nation’s favourite dancers and personalities, from her exploits on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing to her formidable dance partnership with Vincent Simone. Over the course of eight years, the duo have sold out multiple nationwide shows, had three West End runs, and have picked up several award nominations, including ‘Best Family Entertainment’ at the Olivier Awards. They have also performed at The Royal Variety Show and The BBC Proms. The dance couple have had a very successful career competing internationally in Ballroom & Latin Ten Dance, winning numerous titles.

As a Strictly pro, Flavia made the final in 2008 and went on to win the ‘Glitterball’ in 2012 with Olympic gymnast, Louis Smith. Alongside this, Flavia won the Christmas Special in 2013 with Rufus Hound and the Children in Need ‘People’s Champion’ trophy with her good

friend Russell Grant. Their iconic moment live at Wembley, in which Russell was fired out of a cannon during their Jive, was awarded ‘TV Moment of the Year’ at the BAFTAs.

Jimi is one of the most well-known actors in Britain, with his appearances featuring in films, television series, and on stage over the past few decades. He first gained exposure working on BBC’s EastEnders, before going on to feature in a number of films and stage roles. His work includes starring in Blood Diamond, The Guru, East Is East, and It’s a Wonderful Afterlife. He produced, wrote and starred in music documentary And The Beat Goes On, and he runs and DJs in London’s hippest ‘mystery’ location party scene Tabula Rasa. He also has his own record label and studio.

Having met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, a decade later the pair followed their dream to be self-sustainable. From renovation to cultivation, head-torches to painting porches and a chicken or two, they’ve embraced every challenge thrown at them and had a lot of fun along the way.

For tickets and more details, go to: www.wtm.uk

BRIGHTON’S ICONIC BAR REVENGE SEES VIBRANT TRANSFORMATION

One of Brighton’s most iconic night-spots, Bar Revenge, is being redesigned by the award-winning hospitality design agency, DesignLSM. A jewel in the city’s LGBTQ+ landscape, Bar Revenge, now known as R-Bar, is a social space located by Brighton’s seafront acting as the main drinking destination for the queer community and its allies.

Executing a more elevated experience, the interior design concept will be inspired by Miami nostalgia with a hint of Brighton beach. Taking cues from 80s Ocean Drive coupled with the seafront’s warm and vibrant sunsets, the space will seamlessly transition from the dynamic daytime to the glow of golden sundowners and neon hues of happy hour. DesignLSM are a multi-disciplined creative studio specialising in strategy, branding, interior design and architecture for a diverse portfolio of world class brands within the hospitality industry, delivering engaging and memorable environments and experiences.

With over 36 years’ experience, DesignLSM have curated concepts and produced

innovative designs for many of the leading hospitality operators, including: D&D London, Gaucho, The Alchemist, Sumosan, Burger & Lobster, amongst many others.

While R-Bar acts as a pre-clubbing destination for its sister venue Club Revenge located around the corner, the new design will emphasise a compelling daytime experience to reflect the bar’s soon-to-be introduced food offering.

A much-loved venue, situated at the end of Marine Parade by Brighton’s Kemptown, R-Bar’s redesign will firmly establish the brand’s important place at the heart of the city. Refreshing and vibrant, it offers an ambience which welcomes inclusivity, creative expression and individuality,

Find out more at: www.revenge.co.uk

Leaders launches first sustainable branch in Brighton!

Leaders Lettings Agents originated in Brighton 40 years ago, and although we have expanded across the country since then, it was only right to launch our first sustainable branch back where our story began.

Located in Kemptown, our new branch has been fitted out with sustainability at the heart of it. As part of our goal to be a carbon neutral company by 2030, this branch will be the blueprint for the rest of our branches going forwards.

100% powered by renewable energy

Doors, skirtings, partitions, and countertops sourced from locally produced FSC-certified wood

All furniture is made from recycled or upcycled materials and will be recycled or upcycled at the end of its lifecycle

Chairs are made from 100% recycled fabric in a closed-loop content production process, with 25% of the raw material derived from the brand’s own recycled waste streams

Timed lighting, air con and heating fitted so that electricity is not wasted

Solar film lines the high-street facing windows to reflect heat out and lower the need for electricity

Low-flow kitchen taps saving 30-50% on water consumption

Carpet made from 65% post-industrial recycled content, and the supplier will repurpose and recycle when it reaches end of life.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Stunning images unveiled as acclaimed exhibition comes to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum says: “Captured by some of the best photography talent from around the world, the 100 photographs encourage curiosity, connection and wonder. These inspiring images convey human impact on the natural world in a way that words cannot – from the urgency of declining biodiversity to the inspiring bounce back of a protected species.”

The Natural History Museum’s acclaimed Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and exhibition seeks to ignite curiosity about the natural world. It showcases both the Earth’s extraordinary diversity and the fragility of its wildlife. Using the unique emotive power of photography, the competition inspires people to think differently about their relationship with nature and become advocates for the planet:

Featuring exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breath-taking diversity of the natural world, the iconic Wildlife Photographer of the Year opens at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on Sat 22 Oct. On loan from London’s Natural History Museum, the exhibition presents photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences. Their images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world for over 55 years. Launching in 1965, today the competition receives entries from over 90 countries all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s award-winning images will embark on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by well over a million people.

The judges of the fifty-eighth Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition had an extremely difficult task. Every entry was judged anonymously on its creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.

The winning images, including the prestigious Grand Title Award winners, will be announced on 11 October 2022 during a glittering awards show hosted by wildlife presenter and conservationist Chris Packham.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year was founded in 1965 by BBC Wildlife Magazine, then called Animals. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the competition as it is known today. The competition is now solely run and owned by the Natural History Museum.

Open to photographers of all ages and abilities, The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 competition invites entries from Mon 17 Oct.

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, part of Brighton & Hove Museums, is one of Britain’s oldest public museums. Located in the Royal Pavilion Estate at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, the collections showcase arts and crafts from across the world and history from Ancient Egypt to modern Brighton.

CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums Hedley Swain said: “We are excited about Wildlife Photographer of the Year returning to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. It is always popular with visitors who love the amazing images showing wildlife at its most elemental and wonderful.

“This year, our show will be running at the same time as the Natural History Museum and will enable residents to see this remarkable exhibition without heading to London.”

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition comes to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on Sat 22 Oct 2022 – Sun 22 Jan 2023.

For more information, and to book tickets, visit: www.brightonmuseums.org.uk

Photo Credit Brandon Güell

Photo Credit Jose Fragozo

Photo Credit Dmitry Kokh

BRIGHTON

MARTLETS LAUNCHES NEW SHAUN THE SHEEP BY THE SEA ART TRAIL

Sussex’s leading charity providing lifechanging hospice care, Martlets has unveiled the character for its next art trail. Shaun the Sheep by the Sea will see a colourful cavalcade of one-off painted Shauns decorate Brighton streets from September next year for eight weeks. The big reveal was held at the iconic Royal Pavilion on Weds 21 Septs, where Martlets ambassador and superstar DJ Norman Cook showcased a fabulous Regency inspired Shaun the Sheep, created by local artist Sarah Arnett.

Cook’s own Big Beach Café has committed to sponsoring a sculpture – proving there’s nothing woolly about this opportunity. “If you’re thinking about joining us in being a sponsor for the next trail, my advice would be to go for it!” he said. “To be a part of such a creative and inspiring community project, in support of a local charity we couldn’t do without, is absolutely priceless.”

Previous Martlets’ run art trails Snowdogs and SnailSpace have seen thousands visit the city, helping to connect people from across communities as well as raise vital funds to ensure Martlets can keep caring.

In a truly ewe-nique opportunity, local businesses are being invited to sponsor a Shaun – joining among others Donatello, Tillo and Enter Gallery who have already committed their support to the trail. Brandwatch, the

world’s premier social suite, has confirmed its role as headline sponsor of what promises to be one of the biggest and brightest charity events of 2023.

“At Martlets we support those who are dying,” Martlets CEO, Claire Irving. “We’re also all about bringing as much joy to life as possible. We’re passionate about connecting people in need with people who care. Shaun by the Sea will bring together individuals, families, fundraisers, volunteers, schools, artists, community groups and businesses in support of those affected by terminal illness in our community. We very much hope local businesses will seize this opportunity to be part of the #BrightonFlock with Martlets in 2023 and sign up today.”

With the last two years so heavily impacted by COVID, the charity hopes next year’s art trail Shaun by the Sea will be a chance to celebrate and connect with all the very best the diverse communities of Brighton & Hove have to offer.

Rachel Peacock from Aardman, the studio behind Shaun the Sheep, said “We are delighted to be working with the brilliant charity Martlets on their next trail. Shaun is such a well-loved character, entertaining fans for over 15 years with his mischievous adventures full of slapstick humour. We look forward to working with sponsors and artists

to bring Shaun to the streets of Brighton & Hove; he is sure to add such fun and colour and we are in no doubt many will flock to be part of the fun!”

2022 has been a significant year in the history of Martlets, seeing it celebrate 25 years of care and move to a temporary home at Maycroft Manor while work on updating its hospice site in Wayfield Avenue, Hove started. Thanks to the generosity of the local community, all of Martlets’ care is free.

The trail is brought to the city in association with Wild in Art, the organisation who partnered with Martlets on the previous art adventures. The last two trails generated millions of social media impressions and global press and TV interest.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder, Wild in Art, added “I have no doubt that Shaun the Sheep will capture the imaginations of residents and visitors alike, while helping to raise vital funds for Martlets. With your support we can create an event that will have significant impact during the autumn of 2023”

To find out more about the trail and how you or your business can be part of it visit www.shaunbythesea.co.uk

GLOW wild

RETURNS TO WAKEHURST

Brand-new route and 11 spectacular bespoke light installations announced for Glow Wild 2022

One of the ‘must sees’ on Sussex’s winter calendar, Glow Wild returns for 2022. This ninth edition promises a brand-new route through Kew’s wild botanic garden, with 11 bespoke installations and over 1000 paper lanterns handmade by local volunteers all celebrating the incredible colour spectrum of the natural world. Winter wanderers are invited to consider the fundamental role of colour for all living things, discover the power of colour communication within the animal kingdom and explore the outer edges of colour perception.

RIDE THE RAINBOW

From the moment visitors collect their colourful lantern to guide them through the encroaching dark, they embark on Glow Wild’s most colourful route to date, with each segment lit with different vibrant colours, bathed in a new soundscape from Brighton artists, Ithaca. The dark hues of succulent berries conjure up infra-red as the trail commences. Though invisible to the human eye, Wakehurst bats rely on infra-red waves and eagle-eyed adventurers may see their lantern figures languishing in trees above.

Maker and illustrator Kerith Ogden continues the exploration of the animal kingdom with his series of playful lantern sculptures inspired by the world of insects. Insects’ intriguing use of colour – as a warning, to attract a mate, or as camouflage – is reflected in the richly coloured creations of lady birds, stag beetles, bees, green shield bugs and common blue butterflies.

Shimmering blues will also adorn two new arrivals on the Glow Wild trail, with giant parading puppets Percy and Percie the Peacocks entertaining visitors at a pop-up refreshments stop, specially added on the trail to keep hunger and thirst at bay. Plus, Sussex metal sculptor Michelle Dufaur’s shimmering array of lantern birds celebrates the colourful plumes and feathers of native species.

EARTHLY ELEMENTS

As the route ventures into new ground for the first time, the trail draws attention to the power of the elements, with a bespoke installation from Glow Wild regulars, AndNow:, returning for their ninth year. Over 300 points of fire will transform the dark woodland path into a dancing fiery display accompanied by a specially commissioned soundscape. The movement of the flames will reflect across the surface of suspended water droplets above, inviting visitors to contemplate the breadth of the elemental spectrum. As the fires ebb away, a new installation from Same Sky forms overhead with clusters of cloud-shaped lanterns bringing calm sunset hues as they billow across the night sky interspersed delicate stars.

GOING GREEN

Moving away from the open woodland, AndNow: returns with a glimmering tunnel of greenery, inspired by botanicals, mosses and lichens. The fully immersive installation combines the colours and textures of these richly coloured organisms with sweet wood scented essential oils. Emerging from the cave-like depths, iridescent beetle lanterns enhanced by the amplified sounds of scurrying insects will accompany night-time explorers to a new 12m platform overlooking Wakehurst’s Westwood Valley, which forms the perfect viewpoint for an awe-inspiring projection from digital artists, Colour Project. A joyful exploration of the landscape through colour, the display will progress from the stark whites of winter woodlands to an explosion of kaleidoscopic waves, diffusing across the ravine like ink in water.

Photo Credit Georgina Richards

Photo Credit Jeff Eden

A SPECTACLE OF BIOLUMINESCENCE

In a series of water-based installations, the gardens take on the soothing tones of blues and purples. UK Young Artist of the Year nominee, Malgorzata Lisiecka returns to Wakehurst following her popular summer installation, with a bespoke piece inspired by the mysterious atmosphere of Black Pond. Exploring structure and colour in nature, Lisiecka suspends, floats and submerges a mixture of luminous materials brought to life with UV light to conjure the hues and movement and algae, sea grasses and plankton. This spectacle of bioluminescence is also the inspiration for Same Sky’s collection of lanterns evoking anemones and other water-based life forms, all dancing over the still waters of the Bog Garden with an iridescent display of scintillating fronds.

FLYING COLOURS

As the trail draws to its end, a joyful explosion of colourful flora and fauna forms the Glow Wild finale. Light designers OGE Group transform Mansion Pond in Symphony of Light with flowers up to 4m wide floating on the surface, drawing passing butterflies towards their glowing display. The warm glow of 1,800 energy-saving bulbs adorning Wakehurst’s 37 metre giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, beckons visitors to nearby crackling firepits –the ideal place for friends and family to enjoy warming food and drink after their winter adventure.

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.

Further new offerings for Glow Wild 2022 include adults-only sessions, perfect for a heart-warming date night, or a fun evening out with friends. Every Friday night at 8pm, tickets will be reserved solely for visitors over 18, providing a quieter experience for those looking for an enchanting outdoor experience.

For more information, and to book tickets, check out: www.kew.org/glowwild

Photo Credit Malgorzata Lisiecka

Photo Credit James Ratchford

Photo Credit Jim Holden

Photo Credit Jeff Eden

Paxton announce 2022 Scholarship Recipients and new round of applications

Brighton-based technology manufacturer, Paxton, has announced their scholarship winners for 2022. Awarded to students from University of Brighton, each beneficiary of this acclaimed scheme receives hands-on work experience and £10,000 towards their cost of living in their final year. The company will also start accepting new applications for the programme in November.

“Working in partnership with Paxton, who are committed to nurturing local talent, provides an exceptional opportunity and transformative experience for our students,” said Marnie Middlemiss, Director of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement at University of Brighton. “These scholarships enable them to gain real life industry experience in a global company that helps build the skills they need for their future careers.”

Paxton annually offers scholarships to second-year students studying STEM subjects at University of Brighton and University of Sussex. The successful students are offered a three-month paid placement at Paxton’s head office in Brighton during the summer between their second and final year. During this time, they work on new product development projects, designed to give them real-world experience of an advanced engineering department in action.

Scholarship winner Jasmine Montgomery, studying BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering, said: “I am overwhelmed about the opportunity Paxton have given me by awarding this scholarship. The summer internship will give me the experience I need

to optimise my own work, as well as give me the opportunity to gain experience and confidence working in industry. The funding will allow me to complete my studies under less financial stress and I am so grateful for this.”

Fellow scholarship winner Karan Vani, studying BSc (Hons) Computer Science, said: “Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me. Someone has invested and believed in me as a person and in my future. This will help me achieve my educational and personal dreams. I feel like I’ve made my parents and myself proud! To the donors who have made this possible, thank you for changing someone’s life for the better!”

Final scholarship winner Jazer Barclay, who also studies BSc (Hons) Computer Science, said: “This scholarship means so much to me. Being the first in my family to go to university and having come from a low-income household, the stability and opportunity this scholarship will give me during my final year of learning is genuinely priceless.”

Paxton design and manufacture market leading IP access control, door entry and video management systems for smart buildings. Their products harness the latest technology to provide powerful, yet easy to install and use solutions. Systems are developed for the mid-market (including education, healthcare, retail, leisure, commercial and public sector), and provide security solutions suitable for a wide range of sites and requirements. At present, around 30,000 buildings are secured by Paxton globally each year.

Based in Brighton, the company manufactures locally and export to over 63 countries worldwide, along with over 350 employees located at 12 locations across the globe: including the US, France, Germany, South Africa, UAE and Benelux. Previous projects have included: Manchester United, Graze, Michelin, Cherbourg Airport, Boucheries Nivernaises, Ostermalm Food Hall, Kingsway Park High School and Foyles.

“We wanted to build a world-class partnership with our neighbours at the University of Brighton and University of Sussex to help foster local talent,” said Paxton CEO, Adam Stroud. “And that’s what we have done. The Paxton scholarship means we can promote careers in technology and the breadth of roles we have available to the students while they are in their second year.

“I remember my time well at university. What strikes me now is the massive difference between academic study and actually working for a company that designs and makes products. The value of an internship at a real company is opening your eyes to the world of work while you are still learning.”

Paxton are now starting to prepare for the next year’s scholarship programme and will invite STEM students at University of Brighton and University of Sussex to apply in November.

For more details on, head over to: www.paxton-access.com

scholarship winners: Jazer Barclay, Jasmine Montgomery and Karan Vani (left to right)

SUSSEX BONFIRE SEASON

Celebrating the Fifth of November is something ingrained into the nation’s psyche. Every year sees crowds gather to watch bonfires being burnt and fireworks light up the sky. But in Sussex, the festivities offer a profound symbol of defiance, with events enthusiastically celebrated in towns and villages staging their own series of individual displays over a season which lasts from late September to mid-November.

Traditionally, Bonfire celebrations mark the anniversary of Guy Fawkes’ attempt to destroy the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Along with fellow religious dissidents, he stashed around 40 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar beneath the Palace of Westminster, hoping to demolish the building above during the State Opening of Parliament (that year delayed by yet another plague) and killing King James I in the process. As everyone knows, things went awry, and the nation’s fury at this attempted regicide manifested as a curiously British festivity. A law was passed saying that the date should be held in perpetual remembrance through special services in every Church of England parish church. This evolved to communities beginning to turn the date into more of a celebration. Bonfires were lit, effigies of Fawkes burned, and fireworks set off to observe the plot’s downfall.

While most of the country confine celebrations to large public fireworks displays or small family bonfires, the population in Sussex throws huge events which are closer to a fire festival, and an annual highlight for most communities. The roots of this can be traced back to when it was one of the only nights when civil disobedience was tolerated. Slowly it evolved into a date where boisterous gangs across Sussex would loosely protest against the authorities, inequalities and social injustice. Mobs would spend the evening starting fires, fighting and being drunk.

Many years on, these events began involving ex-servicemen, who were facing chronic hardship – despite serving their country. Sailors returning from the Napoleonic Wars brought with them the now-iconic striped French naval jumpers, which were not only valued trophies but offered better protection against the elements than poorly-made British uniforms.

Thomas Paine, who was living in Lewes before he went off to inspire the American Revolution, recognised the potential in the events. He

helped politicise these street gangs, encouraging them to organise, raise funds and burn effigies to demonstrate their vitriol. Paine’s influence played a large part in calming the celebrations down, turning them from mere riots into more a publicly-acceptable form of dissent.

Britain was moving through uncertain times, and there was simmering public unrest. This was met with a ban on large public gatherings involving burning torches and bonfires in an effort to quell potential uprisings. The Observance of 5th November Act still provided a right to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, so this further became the focus of noisy protests in Lewes and further afield.

By the 1800s, the Bonfire Boys, as they had become known, were darkening their faces to avoid identification during protests. Obviously, this tradition has ended in recent years, due to the negative message it could send. A few years on, and revellers started merrily rolling burning tar barrels through commercial districts – bringing renewed alarm to local business owners at a time when buildings were still mostly constructed from wood.

A turning point for these protests came in 1846, when a Lewes magistrate was knocked out by a group of Bonfire Boys. There were renewed calls for gatherings to be moved out to the edge of town. The Boys carried on as normal, leading to a confrontation with the local constabulary – who had been significantly reinforced. Crowds refused to disperse, throwing fireworks at officers and demonstrating the power of a whole community standing firm. This prompted similar events to spread across Sussex for the rest of the month, triggering the start of local Bonfire Society culture – Lewes seeing the formation of the two oldest groups: Borough and Cliffe.

The newfound boldness would again turn to rage when the Pope restored Catholic bishops to England in 1850. It followed 1791’s Roman Catholic Relief Act, already a point of much contention, which had rolled back restrictions on the political, educational and economic rights of the Catholic population. Bonfire Celebrations took on a new significance that year, with Boys burning an effigy of the Pope alongside Guy Fawkes. It marked the start of a tradition across the two counties of setting fire to contentious figures. Subsequent years have

seen it all, from Ian Paisley to Donald Trump, and Osama Bin Laden to err… Peter Andre. The effigies have overtaken the celebrations in many respects, offering a new focus for performative outrage and sensational stories in national newspapers.

Back in the mid-19th Century, the Lewes Bonfire Boys began marking the spot where the town’s Martyrs had been burnt. This was a group of 17 Protestants who died in the Marian persecutions during the reign of Mary I. On 22 June 1557, ten of them were burned alive in England’s largest single execution of this type. The night before, they’d been secured in an under-croft of the Star Inn instead of the local jail, which still exists under the modern-day Lewes Town Hall.

Lewes’s Bonfire Boys started marking the site of these atrocities, then marching through the town with flaming crosses. It was an act designed to enrage the elite and boost their notoriety. There’s a compelling argument that these protests were less about sectarian intolerance and more about exercising and legitimising their right to march as a local custom. Further credence is given to this by the Boys’ (and later on, the Societies’) resolute rejection of repeated attempts from anti-Catholic lobbyists to hijack the proceedings.

Over 150 years on, and the celebrations have flourished and evolved as a symbol of Sussex’s rich cultural identity, combining a reputation as refuge for radical opinions and the assertion that its population have minds of their own and won’t be forced against their will. Under the motto “We Burn For Good”, Bonfire Societies host unique nights of noise, light and good-natured mischief. Planning for each event starts as early as February, with Societies often sharing resources and working together on each other’s festivities. Many Societies will march at each other’s celebrations, and a few friendly rivalries have flourished.

You can loosely split the Societies into two main types: Carnival and Bonfire. The Carnival Societies are generally family-oriented, with events offering an inclusive atmosphere. Bonfire Societies involve significantly more drinking and general boisterousness. Both types put a lot of effort into various charity events throughout the year and are often a vital focal point for the local community.

The season now spans ten weeks, starting with the Uckfield Carnival on the first Saturday of September and finishing in Barcombe on the third Saturday of November. Lindfield and Lewes are the only two Societies to hold their celebration on 5 Nov every year, unless it falls on a Sunday. While Hastings’ takes place on the Saturday nearest to 14 Oct to reflect the date of the Battle of Hastings.

Each society has its own culture, traditions and organisation, filled with nuances which could easily span another whole article. Each also has a specific costume theme, which can range from Vikings and Civil War soldiers to smugglers. Membership is often passed down through generations, with many members having great-grandparents who used to march.

While Societies are broadly similar to the way they were 100 years ago, there are increasing concessions to health and safety. Bonfires are damped down quickly afterwards, no longer being allowed to smoulder for days. Burning barrels are politely dragged in barrows, rather than being pushed down hills. There’s also no longer wanton property destruction or physical confrontations with the authorities. The old enemies persist though, with the Police, local councils and newspapers still reluctant to embrace the celebrations.

Effigies are still thrown onto the fires, with Societies taking great pride in their inventive recreations of the notorious and outrageous. These tend to reflect current events, with likenesses of politicians such as Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson and Alex Salmond all recently attracting attention. But that’s part of the strange primal charm. You’ll still see Pope Paul V being dragged around the streets of Lewes, accompanied by ironic shouts of ‘No-Popery’ from the onlookers.

From Battle to Littlehampton and Newhaven to East Hoathly, autumn sees fire soar in the night skies above Sussex. Elaborate costumes and rows of burning torches snaking around tiny villages, accompanied by

the pulsing rhythms of marching bands and the intermittent crack of fireworks being let off. There’s a primal delight in standing next to a bonfire, drinking a hot toddy and watching a papier mâché model of some disgraced celebrity being consumed by the flames.

Bonfire season is a big deal in Sussex – to some, it attracts an almost cult-like status. It makes us look forwards to these darker months, where everyone heads out and celebrates this raucous spectacle and the rich traditions behind it. This is in no way a full account of Sussex bonfires. If you truly want to understand the significance, rituals and history, then the best way is to actually join your local society. Perhaps it’s something you can only truly understand and revere if you live in Sussex. And perhaps it’s something which runs through the blood of a county which refuses to move along quietly…

Photo Credit: Ross Downes

Photo Credit: Pierre Monneville

Photo Credit: Nigel King

ATTENBOROUGH CENTRE FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS UNLEASHES WINTER SEASON

Internationally-recognised venue returns to full programming

While social restrictions have been lifted across the nation, many arts venues are only just starting to reclaim a sense of normality. Especially so if they’re based around the shared joy of live performance. There’s a palpable excitement accompanying the announcement of a full winter schedule at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA). This state-ofthe-art cultural hub, located on Brighton’s stunning University of Sussex campus, brings together academia, local audiences and international creatives with a heady mix of music, film, dance, installation, performance, discussion and debate.

“It’s a really exciting time, because this is the return to a full season since the pandemic,” says Laura McDermott, ACCA’s Creative Director. “We’ve had plenty of different events on, but it hasn’t to our previous rhythm, with the scale, number of shows and the range of artforms.” The centre has been open in the last two years, but with tremendous amounts of caveats on what they could present. One success was Semiconductor’s HALO, a large-scale work using data gathered by CERN, the European nuclear research organization, to display particle collisions as a dramatic audio-visual installation. There was also Amartey Golding’s Bring Me to Heal, which combined filmmaking, photography and a handcrafted garment to highlight generational trauma in Britain and consider soothing collective rituals.

The last two years have seen an ambitious programme of events, which took public safety into account. But there was no possibility of bringing in international touring artists, as restrictions might change overnight. And there was obviously a moratorium on strangers gathering in confined spaces anywhere. “That was public enemy number one. But it’s a huge part of what drives me to do what I do. I’m a big believer in that collective experience.”

That ambition to bring people together is being fully realised in ACCA’s Winter 2022 schedule. McDermott, together with associate music programmer Laura Ducceschi, has assembled a dazzling mix of the experimental, the spectacular and the live. Everything starts with fabulous Brighton-based pianist, violinist and composer Poppy Ackroyd, who performs on Sun 2 Oct. It draws from her new album, Pause, which explores Ackroyd ‘s personal experiences during the pandemic following the birth of her son. “It’s all about what it means to pause and slowdown, which is going to be really beautiful,” says McDermott.

Another highlight of the month Is Seke Chimutengwende’s It Begins in Darkness. The acclaimed choreographer, performer, movement director and teacher presents a new group dance performance on Tues

By Stuart Rolt

11 – Weds 12 Oct, using ghosts and haunted houses as metaphors for how Britain deals with it’s chequered past. “This is one of the first times he’s worked with an ensemble of dancers. All our grand buildings are haunted by the implications of empire building. The UK was a world power, but the shadow side of this is the brutality and oppression which enabled it. And continues to manifest in post-colonial societies.” It deploys contemporary dance to explore themes which wouldn’t find such an emotional impact when presented though more traditional methods, and so fits neatly with the venue’s ethos. An outward facing part of the university, and named after its former chancellor Richard Attenborough, ACCA is guided by his values – which include human rights, social justice, creative education and access to the arts for everyone.

Chimutengwende’s work resonates with the wider university’s progressive reputation. It sits as number one in the world for its Development Studies faculty and boasts one of the most international student bodies anywhere. “There is a particular intellectual context at the University Of Sussex. I do use that as an inspiration for the programme we build at ACCA.” The centre also encourages the sweet spot where academia and artistic endeavour meet. There are considerable resources on hand, particularly with the history and politics departments. Art is capable of expressing a rich vein of human experiences and developing new ways of understanding. Even if it’s not directly showcasing the university output, there remain a constant resonance with its principles.

Another philosophy of this remarkable space concerns partnerships, as well as bringing different organisations and collectives together. The internationally acclaimed Back to Back Theatre are asking if artificial intelligence dominates in the future, will human beings end up living with an intellectual disability? A play staged as a public meeting, The Shadow Whose Prey The Hunter Becomes asks how we make decisions which are in the best interest of society on Weds 26 – Fri 28 Oct. “It’s going to be a UK-wide tour of this piece, but here we’re connecting them with Brighton’s Carousel and the artists they work with. Once again, there’s that sense of bringing together an international company with one of our brilliant local organisations.” A unique ensemble of actors with a disability, this visit from one of Australia’s most globally recognised theatre companies has been in the planning for years.

Marlborough Productions present The Coast is Queer in partnership with New Writing South on Fri 7 – Sat 9 Oct, adding to the range of voices heard at ACCA. This literary festival brings together the leading

LGBTQ authors and audiences for a series of workshops, talks and inspiring events. “They really are the premier producers of work for queer audiences and artists, and they focus on disability and indigenous populations.” On Fri 9 Dec, Marlborough Productions also present Live Art Social, an evening of queer cabaret and radical performances.

It’s not just other organisations either. ACCA strives to reach out and make connections with outside venues to create and encourage innovative work. Opera from Glyndebourne will be heading to ACCA for the first time on Mon 5 Dec. A newly commissioned chamber opera, glass human explores the experience of loneliness. “It involves a brilliant artist called Melanie Wilson who works in sound design. She’s had a really long practice in the experimental performance world, so it’s interesting to see her collaborate with opera makers.”

There’s a compelling double-bill on Sat 26 Nov, as Japanese artist and poet of transformative cinema Ryoichi Kurokawa presents subassemblies, and Canadian composer, digital artist and performer Myriam Bleau presents Unsculpt. It demonstrates the adaptability of the venue, which can welcome almost everything from immersive theatre to ground-shaking electronic music. This kind of versatility, where there’s an uncompromising approach to production values, is getting them noticed on the international circuit.

“People know that we have got the facilities to support that. You will get body shaking bass, and those crisp and beautiful projections.” McDermott tells me the team at ACCA are regularly working with independent producers, gig promoters, festivals and other organisations to see what is possible. “They often bring programming ideas to us, and we bring them the possibility of connecting with students on campus and a wider audience.”

In November, CineCity, Brighton’s film festival, will be at ACCA with a series of events - screenings, talks and live-scores. Already announced is Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly-Glenn Copeland Story, on Fri 18 Nov. Emerging from years in isolation to an enraptured crowd, a transgender, septuagenarian musical genius finally finds his place in the world. There’s also a live scoring of Gillo Pontecorvo’s powerful war film, Battle Of Algiers, with Asian Dub Foundation, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Algerian independence.

Jude Kelly, founder of the WOW Festival, presents the inaugural Death Festival on Fri 11 – Sat 12 Nov. “The aim is to create a space where people can have more candid conversations about death and dying,

which there isn’t enough of in UK society.” In partnership with Hospice UK’s Dying Matters campaign, it’ll cast light on our shared mortality with two days of talks, concerts, performances, workshops and installations at ACCA.

Arguably, ACCA’s building is one of the stars of the show. Designed by Sir Basil Spence, like most of the nearby campus, this Grade II listed building is perhaps his finest creation. Originally opened in 1969, it offers a flexible 350-seat auditorium, studios, a panoramic café/bar and meeting spaces.

“Nothing was coincidence with Spence, the café’s windows face out onto a beautiful line of trees. You get sunrise to sunset out of that window. It’s such a beautiful building to be in, it’s flooded with natural light.” Sitting solidly in quiet harmony with the landscape, this structure has very few straight walls. The 60s were a period of reassessment of what art should represent, and ACCA’s gentle curves neglect to prioritise any particular discipline. As such, the years have seen it cultivate a fearsome reputation for enabling experimental, multidisciplinary artforms. They take on artists which might not fit quite so well in other spaces.

“I will always correct people if they say it’s a theatre. And that really has been pushed forward when they renovated the building in 2008. Through that, we’ve managed to make the auditorium even more flexible.” She says there are some nascent ideas floating about which could bring the artistic programme beyond the walls of the centre and use some of that campus real estate.

While lockdown did force ACCA to change what it did for a time, it also provided a few new attitudes. Some

upcoming shows are being hosted as an alternative version on the ACCA website, so those unable to visit can still experience the work. “It’s not just a livestream of what’s in the space, it’s a kind of alternative take on the show. We’re really embracing what’s possible with in the online form.” She says it’s important to acknowledge there are limitations and possibilities with presenting works online. But the ambition is to go way beyond offering a simple second tier, second hand experience.

It’s another example of how ACCA is working to break down boundaries, not just between artforms, but between audiences and other organisations. The new season is crammed with contemporary music, audio-visual performance, theatre, dance, cinema and international collaborations with leading artists and producers. This is all work which sits at the peripheries and ties together many disciplines.

McDermott describes her role as an interesting balancing act. “We’re very keen to open-up the centre as a resource, and work in partnership with other people. I’ve always wanted it to be a poly-vocal space, where lots of different voices and perspectives are represented.” She jokes that it would be ‘boring’ if it was just her, as an individual, dictating everything which went into the programme. “What I’m doing is constantly having dialogues across the university, the city and with colleagues in the national cultural sector, bringing through those ideas and then thinking about how we can create good context for them.”

For more details about Attenborough Centre For The Creative Arts’ packed winter programme, head to: www.attenboroughcentre.com

Photo Credit: Myriam Bleau

Photo Credit: Tiu Makkonen

Photo Credit: Elenadela Puente

Photo Credit: Kat Gollock

Photo Credit: Jeff Busby

RANDOM HAPPINESS

CLOTHING

receiving end, or are just an observer, these moments instil a sense of well-being which can have a marked effect on our state of mind…” He says a little random happiness goes a long way. With the state of the world right now, we could all do with a little more.

Designs are unique to them, and many carry a hidden message. Their Skull Kiss Heart design offers a state ment about freedom of choice… As they say on their website “Love is free, Love is blind, whoever you love, we don’t mind!”, the idea be ing that people should be free to live their lives however and with whoever they please.

people buy just what they need, and it’s of a good enough quality to last many years, then we consume less. If we all consume less, we all discard less and if what we buy is created sustainably, the impact on our environment is markedly reduced.

Random Happiness Clothing’s designs are in spired either by street and tattoo art, with an underlying theme of social justice, or by mu sic. Harris used to manage DJs and promote events, so saw first-hand in house music’s early days that it didn’t matter who you were or where you were from. Everyone could be part of one big family on the dancefloor.

A local company with strong core values and ambitions, Random Happiness Clothing’s range includes some macabre de signs, which are perfect for getting you into the mood for the spooky Halloween season!

The brand was founded by Charlie Harris, who wanted to build a business which would have a positive impact on people, but also avoid having a negative impact on the plan et. Their mission is to produce quality cloth ing with minimal environmental impact, whilst taking inspiration from the world around them. They only use certified organic cotton gar ments, and all the printing is done by hand in Brighton & Hove.

The name Random Happiness speaks of the luck which is all around us. “If we can keep our selves open to seeing them, we are sur rounded by and often the recipients or donors of random acts of kindness and humour,” says Harris. “Whether you’re on the giving or

Meanwhile, their Random Justice de sign is a take on the epidemic of Social injustice sweeping the world. This is inspired by the ‘Our Lady of Justice’ statue which sits atop London’s Old Bailey court buildings. The statue’s sword is intended to symbolise swift justice and the scales are supposed to emphasise a fair trial. On Random Happiness’ dystopian subverted version, they’ve placed blood upon her sword and her hoody, while the brand’s dice logo on the scales suggest there’s a lot of luck involved in accessing a fair trial… And enjoying that luck is related to how much money you have, what colour your skin is and what gender or religion you are.

By producing high quality, environmental ly friendly apparel, people will want to wear Random Happiness Clothing products again and again. Harris says he’s got a few t-shirts at home which have been constant com panions and been worn regularly for over 15 years. That’s what he wants his creations clothes to become for others – long-last ing favourites. In a world of disposable fast fashion, we could all survive with less stuff. If

As the range develops and expands, the intention is to create classic designs which aren’t chasing ephemeral fads. Random Hap piness Clothing isn’t intended to be an ontrend brand which dispatches last season’s unsold items to landfill. By offering something which genuinely endures, they hope to not only fill people’s wardrobe with well-manufac tured items but have a tiny positive influence on the people who buy these clothes and those who see them being worn.

They’ll only ever use organic cotton garments and will only ever print them by hand. Just because it produces a superior product and is demonstrably better for the environment.

Harris says if it reached a stage where they couldn’t meet demand for their products by sticking to these principles, then they just wouldn’t meet the demand.

For more information, and see their full range of brilliant designs, check out:

www.randomhappinessclothing.com

THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE WITH FEMALE ADHD

BY LORELEI MATHIAS

Chances are if you’re a woman with ADHD - diagnosed or otherwise - you’ve been ‘masking’ your whole life. Trying to squeeze your lostness, your lateness, your ‘too-muchness’ (and your brilliance?) into an ‘NT’ shaped mould for so long that you’re probably pretty exhausted by now.

All because society hasn’t cottoned on to the ways in which ADHD manifests in women, and that it’s not just a little boys club. It presents differently in everyone, so I can only describe my own perspective. I mean, I once lost a burrito while I was eating it. Not every Neurodivergent can claim that accolade.

COMPUTER SAYS NO

I’ve been masking for as long as I can remember. I’d love to see this change for the next generation. But here’s the really crazy thing: As I write this, the word ‘Neurodiversity’ is still being underlined with a squiggly red line, like it’s not even a thing.

How are we going to push for more understanding if people think we’re a typo?! Sure, society is slowly becoming more inclusive of divergent brain types, but when Google, Apple and Microsoft don’t recognise the word itself, we clearly still have a way to go. Take it from me: ADHD is real AF. And it’s funny AF. It’s as close as you can get to everyday clowning without a Gaulier diploma. Leaving the house takes 5 re-entries, minimum.

You lock up. You forget something. You go in to get what you forgot, put something down. Lock up, remember you’ve left that thing. This goes on and on, ad infinitum.

I truly believe there should be a bell that rings out every time an ADHD-er manages to finally leave the house and start their day.

THE STRUGGLE IS CLINICAL

So ADHD is funny. But having ADHD is also f*cking horrific, and f*cking hard. It affects the brain’s executive functioning and your ability to ‘adult’... in a multitude of amusing yet tragic ways.

Imagine you had a SatNav and you’d programmed where you were going, but it turns out the SatNav is possessed and keeps changing its mind… also the driver is an orangutan on acid and keeps turning the wheel and veering off into B roads. That’s what it feels like to have ADHD all of the time.

Like you’ve gone into a room and forgotten why you went in there.

Like you just cut a huge chunk of text but forgot to paste it and now it’s lost in the sky forever.

Like you’re fighting not to interrupt someone but you know if you wait your turn, the thing you want to say will have melted like a Dali clock.

Like your brain has an air traffic control centre but all the operators are having a nap, so all the

Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne

thought-aeroplanes and ideas keep crashing into one another.

Like when you have an idea, there’s another four inside it, nesting like matryoshka thoughtbubbles which could burst at any time if you don’t act on them that second… so much so that I actually now live in a state of suspended terror of having new ideas.

It’s like you’re writing a blog about ADHD and keep jumping metaphors, or switching medium half way through. This, what you’re reading now, is trying to be an article, but it has been all of the things. A TV show, a book, a live show, a Whatsapp group, an interpretive dance... a poem, a song, a podcast… an award-winning web-series…truly, it can be exhausting.

FORGIVE US - WE DON’T HAVE A BOUNCER

So if you know anyone that’s always losing things or always late but you’ve never understood why they can be so selfish - spare a thought today for what their brain is doing to them that day: I promise you inside they’re crying inside and chastising themselves for letting you down. They love you really but their brains just work differently. Their brains are rapier-sharp, and lightning fast, but in all different directions at once. They are constantly seeing connections between things, instead of the things themselves. They’re trying desperately to go straight ahead but they can’t because someone else keeps grabbing the wheel.

BUT WE ALL LOSE THINGS A LOT, AND GET DISTRACTED EASILY!

Of course. Of course! The confusing thing about ADHD is that the symptoms seem normal. Lots of people struggle to get out of bed, run late, or struggle to find their train ticket...

But here’s the thing: to live with ADHD is to have the symptoms of inattentiveness that neurotypicals (NT)s identify with occasionally… but dialled up to the power of clusterf*ck , ALL DAY, EVERY DAY to the point where your brain is on fire and you’re curled up on the floor of a supermarket aisle with indecision paralysis. That’s when you’re not just ‘a bit scatty’, you need to seek help.

“You Can’t Have ADHD. You’ve had books published.”

The biggest challenge of ADHD is its invisibility. The second biggest is getting diagnosed in this country as a female: a ten-year Crystal Maze ‘Admin’ zone for people who clinically can’t do admin. ADHD is still dangerously misdiagnosed, among female-identifying people in particular. Far from being just a thing noisy little boys have, it’s a condition that affects approximately 4 % of UK adults, of all genders.

Like many women, I don’t have the ‘H’, and I’ve also been a relative high-achiever, which is why it took me 37 years to get properly diagnosed. I was told I couldn’t have it because I got a First at university and because I’ve published books. Because of this stereotype and misunderstanding of the condition, many girls have ‘lost’ half their lives - being written off as having anxiety or depression. What’s closer to the truth: they’ve probably LEARNED anxiety after 20 years of masking, and trying to live with a square-peg brain in a round-hole world.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

Luckily for some of us, the ability to laugh at our folly, or turn it into comedy has been a lifeline, and it’s got me out of some very dark places. That’s why I wanted to write this today - to give a bit of background. After being made covid-redundant with only one month of furlough, from what was allegedly one of the most ‘inclusive’ ad agencies in the UK, I found myself living in lockdown with my multitalented best friend from childhood Lauren Taylor, also ADHD but the inattentive type. She’s also ACTUALLY a professional clown among other things.

(Image above Secret Garden Party 2008) - taken around the time we both suspected we might have ADHD and began the 10 year process of getting diagnosed. Living with Lauren again in 2021 after Covid hit, she persuaded me to take a year off to focus on comedy… and we started work on this... a whole nesting doll of comedy content from a neurodiverse universe - about what it is to feel like a square peg girl in a round hole world.

‘Life in ADHD’ was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever made, simply because - in the strictly pre-Zuckerberg sense of the word - the ‘META’ ness of it became unmanageable. The attempt to put into words & film the chaos of what the ADHD brain feels like - to make the viewer and reader feel a little of what it’s like - but on filmwhile also trying to write a book about it (side note must finish that) - well, it turns out that trying to convey the chaos of an ADHD brain on screen, while being in the chaos of that ADHD brain, is a recipe for absolute insanity.

So the actual editing process quickly became so endlessly brain-smashing that Lauren & I nearly drove ourselves utterly crazy, and we had to sound the Meta Alarm.

ADHD + ASD = ORGANISED CHAOS

So it couldn’t have been done without the brilliance of Tristan Alice Nieto - who stepped in a year later - around May 2021 when I’d begun to utterly unravel in the edit. Editor & graphic artist Tristan Alice took my swirling pit of creative matryoshka dolls and mixed metaphors and made sense of it all… and shaped it into something a neurotypical viewer can actually process. Truly her ASD superpowers saved the day. I couldn’t be more grateful to her, to Lauren, and everyone else that’s helped along the way. If you know anyone wanting an editor, graphic artist or story-finder, hit up Tristan Alice Nieto; she’s your gal.

The end result - despite being another no-budget venture - is something I’m really proud of. Not least because it was made only with a neurodiverse team - even the beautiful soundtrack by singer-songwriter/angel-voiced ADHD-er Fiona Fey. It was a joy to co-write the lyrics with her - a last-minute scramble of Whatsapp voice-note demos kind of joy - but a joy nonetheless. Hear the track here in the trailer above, which we released 3 months after the film release (obv).

HERE’S WHY I THINK YOU SHOULD WATCH THE SHOW - IF YOU’RE ADHD OR NOT:

I’ve been blown away by the many heart-warming messages and comments from people all over the world that have loved it ... that they feel ‘seen’ and it’s ‘every day of their life explained’. Even actual doctors and lecturers in Germany saying they’re going to teach their students with it! And some lovely tweets from Rory Bremner who called it ‘�� So true’ and said he has ‘a degree in Filling’.

I’m relieved there’s been only positive comments from the ADHD world and NTs alike... and that some of the sketches have blown up on Tik Tok, Facebook & Youtube already. We also had over 100 new subscribers in a few days which is a lot for us! We also gained full support from the ADHD Foundation & Neurodiversity Charity among others. All this with no budget.

‘K, BUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY IN THE SHOW ?

Life in ADHD is a mixed-media omnishambles designed to mimic the scattered feeling of the Dopamine-deficient mind. It’s a sketch/character comedy show that goes under the hood of the ADHD brain… exploring its hilarity and horror. It tells the story of a dreamer Lola Mildew trying to do adulting in spite of her executive dysfunction, while her alter ego Prof. Penny, PhDADhD, guides us through WTAF ADHD even is. Truly, the struggle is real.

Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne

Much like an ADHD brain, the pilot episode breaks off into little nesting pieces - so you can consume it as inattentive bitesize pieces as ‘modules’, or watch the whole Clusterf*ck Matryoshka 25” edit via www.loreleimathias.comalong with many other bonus scenes.

It’s also a tiny bit educational about why we get tangled up like Lola (we don’t have a fully operation pre-frontal cortex - more of a pre-frontal vortex!). As well as standalone observational sketches there are educational modules like The Science Bit (ish), the ADHDictionary and ‘ADD FML’ (F*CK MY LIFE) - confessions from real life ADHD-ers.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but do check it out and take it in the spirit it’s meant: to find a way to laugh at the challenges of neurodiversity, and also to celebrate its power too.

MASTERS OF THE NEURODIVERSE

Because that’s the other thing: As much as it can be a disability, when ADHD is treated and understood, it is also a super-power. Some of history’s greatest thinkers had/have it - from (apparently) Albert Einstein to Richard Branson to Ant McPartlin.

As Rory Bremner put it in his BBC documentary, ‘People living with ADHD are the shark bait, the ones that go the extra mile and warn others of danger... We’re the ones who take the risks... show others where the possibilities are.... that’s great. We’ll have that.”

THERE YOU HAVE IT. WE ARE TRAILBLAZERS, NOT TYPOS

So if you’ve made it this far without someone else grabbing the wheel then thank you, and I hope you enjoy watching the pilot or snacking on the modules... If they resonate or you know someone that they might help, please help share them on any of the socials (we’re talking to TV channels and producers, so all that stuff helps a lot!)

Lorelei Mathias is an author, comedian and panelist. She is currently writing a non-fiction book about the hilarity and horror of ADHD, alongside her Edinburgh-nominated comedy series ‘LIFE IN ADHD - a comedy from the neurodiverse universe’.

Watch this any time at LoreleiMathias.com/LifeInADHD, or catch her introducing it live at this year’s national ADHD Foundation conference on 20th October.

See more of her comedy Meloncomedy.com and follow her @Loreleimathias on twitter.

THE DISTINCTIVE SOUND OF NILÜFER YANYA

by Thom Punton

Image By © Molly Daniel

When we listen to music, we anchor ourselves in the familiar. The act of placing something into a genre can be the first step to appreciating it, in the same way knowing the language of wine tasting helps articulate what it is you like about a certain grape. Listening to London-based singer songwriter Nilüfer Yanya, however, feels almost unsettling as she seems to be purposefully slipping through the fingers of many different musical styles.

Her most recent album PAINLESS, released in March, begins with a skittering drum loop that is quickly joined by a brooding, strummed guitar pattern that wouldn’t be out of place on a Cocteau Twins song. Then, Yanya’s voice comes in, a smoky low soulful tone, detached and syncopated like a bossa nova, but as catchy as a Top 40 pop song. The twang of a London accent comes through in her languorous intonation, the lyrics oblique yet intimate.

When I meet Yanya backstage a couple of hours before she is due to go onstage at Wiltshire’s End of the Road festival, I ask her if she ever thinks about where she fits in when it comes to musical genres. “It’s funny,” she says, with a smile, “I was just talking to Beth who plays bass in our band. She said, ‘I think it's like artgrunge.’ I was like, ‘I like that. I don't really know what that means. That’s cool, I can roll with that.’”

There could definitely be an argument for that term. The influence of grunge is undeniable, and the jazzy harmonic touches give the music an arty skew. Perhaps “anti-grunge” would be better. There’s a refusal to fall into the simple quiet-loud-quiet macho power chords and guitar solo wig-outs of the nineties original, and gone is the destructive angst. Nowhere is this subversion more evident than on the majestic recent single midnight sun, whose first chorus rather than exploding into distortion, strips back to a contemplative acoustic moment.

It’s a sunny afternoon when we chat, and instead of stifling in the canvas cell she and her band have been given as a dressing room, Yanya suggests we seek out a bench she had seen earlier on. For a moment it feels like we’re lost in a maze of hedges but she spots the bench through some leaves and we’re soon sitting in a wrought-iron birdcage labelled the “Bride’s Quarter” (evidently they hold weddings here when it’s not a festival). “It’s nice, innit?” she says, pleased. It’s a snapshot of someone who is becoming used to making the choices that shape her world, from the small practicalities of comfort to larger artistic decisions.

Since starting to make music and uploading demos to SoundCloud in 2014, Yanya has forged a career based on good old-fashioned indie graft, signing to a small label in 2016 and steadily releasing material ever since. Her first album Miss Universe, released in 2019, was a critically-lauded concept album of sorts with Black Mirror-esque interludes from a fictional wellness company. PAINLESS feels more raw and exposed, the songs allowed to be themselves. She explains she has felt more able to control the direction of the music on this record: “I think on the last record I was a bit like, ‘I don't want people to say it’s indie music,’ so I was more intentionally like, ‘let me play around with the styles a bit more.’ And I think it was cool but for me it lost a lot of the guitar stuff that I liked. For this one, I was like, ‘I'm just gonna go for this guitar sound, whatever that means.’”

Though the songs for PAINLESS came together quickly when she got started on them, there had been a period where she felt “a bit empty creatively”. “It was just a weird couple of years,” she says. The lockdown in 2020 left her feeling distracted and uninspired. It wasn’t until reaching out to her friend Will Archer that the songs started coming together. Whereas she had mostly been used to writing on her own, they wrote a lot of these songs together, with Yanya still providing the often deeply personal lyrics herself. She tells me it came as a bit of a shock when people told her the lyrics were open and honest, suggesting that the obliqueness was meant to obscure rather than reveal. “I think there are always parts of you that are going to hide behind what you're saying and you're not gonna say everything you mean.”

In many ways, PAINLESS is a lyrical coming to terms with the trials of lockdown and in particular the experience of being trapped in London at that time. There is often a stifled, claustrophobic urgency to the music. Perhaps in part as a result of being on tour

and sampling other parts of the world, Yanya has found herself questioning her relationship with her home town and how it has become part of her identity without her actively inviting it. “It's like you just become part of the city but not in a nice way,” she tells me. “You form these habits that you realise you didn’t choose. You just become a city person without realising.”

PAINLESS also deals with feelings of instability and uncertainty within a relationship, whether you can trust the person you’re with. On opening track the dealer she sings, “It’s been weighing on my mind / Seems to be with me all the time / Can’t tell if this is real / I thought you were someone to rely on.” She was in a relationship for the whole of lockdown, one that was accelerated, like many, because of restrictions that put them in close and prolonged contact with each other. “It was nice. But it’s funny how now it's over and that’s ended, I'm like, oh maybe we were just getting through it.” The fractiousness of a strained relationship is apparent on the lilting, yearning try, addressed like many of the songs in the second person, lonely in its appeal for communication from the other person: “Silence leaves, I walk / In your forest but / There’s no roots / I am not sure I got this.”

You get the impression, however, that it has been a wholly redemptive album for Yanya, the fears sublimated to some extent in the process, with the subsequent success of the album leaving her in a happy, fulfilled place. She talks like she sings, skipping from low to high registers, with enthusiasm about her experiences during what has been a busy year for her. She has played extensively around the world, including a U.S. tour, support for Adele at Hyde Park and an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where she performed midnight sun. In this iconic performance, she wears a pair of imposing, pink-feathered wings, a statement of intent as an artist in complete control of her aesthetic. These flamingo wings also feature on the cover for the single. Inspired by her parents who are both visual artists, Yanya takes an active part in the visual aspect of her releases. She created the album’s artwork herself, incorporating some of her sister’s work.

Next year, she hopes to be able to devote some time to writing a new record, without the distraction of touring, perhaps moving out of London into the countryside for a while, to be able to completely focus on the music side of things and maybe shake off the stranglehold of the city. I ask her whether this will change what her music sounds like. “I don't know,” she says with a cautious air of excitement for a future full of possibilities, “I’ll have to see. I feel like I've become such a city creature it would take a long time for that to change.”

Image By © Molly Daniel

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MEMBER AT

By Amy Stanborough

Not too far from Hove Park is the ultimate innovative space and haven for any health, fitness and wellbeing fanatic. It has everything you could want or imagine from a members club which promises to look after your mind and body. I was fortunate enough to be invited along to Natural Fit to make full use of their facilities and participate in one of their totally unique virtual personal training sessions.

What makes Natural Fit particularly advanced is the fact that it is an entirely personalised experience to ensure you get the most out of your memberships for your body and your needs. Using the latest technology and equipment, the lovely staff are trained to provide members with exercise and nutritional advice catered especially for you, something only top athletes and gymnasts have availability to. In order to provide this advice, the enrolment process involves a movement screening to analyse bodily movement which provides an exercise level. Each acquired level then allows specially tailored workouts and exercises. It is all very scientific, but makes sure you reap the most benefits from your membership programme. The screening can be repeated too to measure improvements to mobility and balance as you spend more time at Natural Fit.

On the ground floor of the five-story renovated church is the front desk and cafe. First, you pass plenty of sofa and cushioned seating space to get your work done, make some business calls, or simply tuck into a salad. This front area is completely flooded with natural light, even while today was quite dark and cloudy with rain drops spilling down the sky lights. The exposed brick creates a cosy atmosphere while the navy paint work and library of coffee table books and novels keeps it studious. It is a space I found that I wanted to work in, as well as workout. Apart from this main seating area, there are also lounges upstairs which would be ideal for quiet meetings, or for tucking yourself away on a sofa with a book or laptop.

The café rotates its salad selection: today was a choice of courgette and walnut, rocket and pumpkin, or kale and sweet potato, each full of nutrients and can be topped with a protein of choice. Also on the menu are sandwiches, energising smoothies, hot drinks and cake – because pastries can make you feel just as good as a revitalising juice!

Upstairs is the most attractive gym. All of the equipment is imported from Germany, and quite like nothing I have ever seen before. The stand out feature in the room is the intimidating ‘Natural Movement Frame’. The exercise ethos of this particular piece of equipment came about from co-found Shaun Harris’ extensive background in rehabilitation and functional movement at clinic level. Natural Fit now provides a class (‘Frame and Core’) and the freedom for members to move around the frame to

integrate functional movement techniques to workouts. While all the equipment appears too aesthetically pleasing to get sweaty on, it is designed to encourage members to want to workout and enjoy their fitness journey. There are QR codes scattered around the gym too which can be scanned on the Natural Fit app, and link to instructional videos for technique and exercises. Further timetabled classes include TRX circuit weight training and pilates, all available to view also via the app, enhancing the technological interactivity of this truly unique club.

If following an instructor-led class is not for you, up another set of stairs are virtual personal trainer sessions which run every half an hour for members to independently power through. There is a choice between a rowers session, or cycle session, and all that is left to do is follow your very own PT on the screen presented in front of your exercise bike or rowing machine. Again, the app becomes handy to book these sessions and to make sure they are at an appropriate level. All the equipment needed for each workout is stacked on your own personal station including a bosu ball (I had no idea what this was at first either). I participated in the cycle session, and naively went into it thinking it could not be as difficult as the weights or barre classes I had earlier witnessed; oh I was so wrong. I was dripping with sweat after the half an hour time slot, proving that a virtual PT can work you just as hard as a real human personal trainer!

The top floor was possibly my favourite. Dark wooden arches over a large mirrored studio, complete with stained glass windows at the end of the hall, telling you that you are in a church conversion. I can only imagine this as the perfect ambience for a yoga class. It epitomises looking after both the body and the mind, literally and physically above the rush of day to day life.

As if five floors of this fitness retreat is not enough, behind the front desk on the ground floor is the pool and spa. The final escape. There is a sauna, steamroom, hydro-jets, and plenty of sunloungers scattered around the edge of the pool to rest on and tuck into a book. Tiny touches like the provided robe and towels in the changing rooms, showers complete with complimentary shampoo and body wash, and magazines to help yourself to in the pool area make the Natural Fitness spa feel like a real resort. The stained glass window commission in the corner of the pool room not only has a nod to the health club logo, but depicts a seagull over the sea. It is a stunning, pictorial slice of Brighton to remind us that we can have daily escapes within our own city. Through my day at Natural Fit, I was reminded that I can do things I love - an exercise class, eat a delicious lunch with a warm cup of tea, or even have a dip in the pool - to prioritise both my health and wellness. Natural Fit allows members to do it all under one steepled roof.

THE BEST PLACES IN BRIGHTON FOR STUDENTS TO EAT AND DRINK

By Amy Stanborough

It is no secret that Brighton is a paradise for young people. It is a city of innovation and progressive thinking. Everyone you meet is either an artist, musician or intellect of some description, and for these reasons (plus both Brighton and Sussex University sitting on the A270) it attracts a LOT of students. I speak for myself though when I say the biggest attraction is the culture of food and drink that is present within Brighton. There is nowhere else so diverse in its cuisine; nowhere else with such successful and friendly independent businesses; the quirks of the Lanes alone are enough to get any fresher excited. With so many options for bubble tea, avo toast, sourdough pizza, and ‘the best student deals’ plastered across pubs, it can be extremely intimidating. I am still navigating my way through the hot spots in Brighton, and truly believe it would be impossible to visit every bar or pop-up food stall. Just when you think you have tried and tested every coffee shop, a new one springs up. So…. using my own experience and advice from friends, I have created a round-up of some of the mustvisit food and drink venues across Brighton, perfect for students.

THE PUBS:

It would not be a guide to food and drink for students without first going directly to the pubs. My personal favourite is Hobgoblin on London road, slightly out of the Lanes, but still extremely central with McDonald’s only two minutes away for your post-pint munchies. They have the best pub garden, full of individual booths for your party or large colourful picnic benches. In the summer, you are directly in the sun, but by winter the roof gets covered to keep you dry and warm. Hob Mondays are the ultimate student nights

because single spirits are just £2 or pints are just £3.50. Got a Tuesday 9am lecture that you really should go to? Throughout the rest of the week pints are £4.15, spirits and mixer are £3, and there are other deals to look out for too until 7pm on weeknights and until 5pm on the weekend.

At East Street Tap, you are located immaculately between the rush on the cobbled streets of the Lanes and the beach, as you can just about see the sea from their benches poised around the edge of the dark brick building. The low lights inside create a dingey cavern feel to your Saturday night. Prices are actually cheaper than your standard traditional pub in Brighton - singles about £4 and pints average at £5.60. In the summer, the outside seating extends right out onto the street so you can sip Pimms under bunting in the sun — an atmosphere not to miss, even if you only stay for one or two.

While Ye Olde King and Queen looks a bit too traditional for students, it really is a place for all. The two storey pub has a large projector for those who want to watch the footy, and a massive garden for those who don’t. It is right beside Old Steine too, making journeys via bus back to your student house or university easy. What’s more, this pub even has a cocktail menu and you can get two for £10 all day every day, which is an absolute bargain. Think woo-woos and espresso martinis all night long in a rowdy atmosphere of chants, cheers and singing.

NIGHT LIFE:

If you are thinking about where to take the after party, clubs Chalk and Revenge are around Old Steine, while Coalition, Volks, The Arch

and Shoosh are all on the seafront. Revenge is possibly the most renowned LGBTQ+ club and bar in Brighton with a roof terrace for summer evenings and drag performances to support those who make it to hazy 2am. Chalk, while it may sound cringe at first, is always a good laugh if you’ve had enough to drink. Think nights dedicated to 2000s pop. Come here after your themed parties and you won’t get judged for being dressed up at all. Shuffle Bar and Mrs Fitzerherberts are also great venues for good nightlife, especially if you prefer a cocktail over a club. At Shuffle Bar you can choose the music that plays on the speaker and order from the longest list of cocktails I’ve ever seen. Its two for one Monday to Thursday, or £6.20 cocktails all night Friday, and until 7pm on a Saturday. For those prices, you don’t mind the risk of ordering a drink you might not like.

DINNER:

Let’s rewind to 6pm and find somewhere for you to eat before you hit the pubs and clubs. With the food scene being so diverse in Brighton it feels (dare I say) almost illegal to opt for a pizza. But let me tell you, Fatto a Mano and Donatello are two businesses worth supporting. Donatello is an independent family-run business within the zig-zag streets of the Lanes. It is a romantic restaurant, true to Italian style, and with Italian food being so available and competitive, it has to be good to be worth a mention. All pizza and pasta is under a tenner making it affordable for your girls’ nights or to impress a date. Fatto a Mano have the best stone-baked pizzas. With their restaurants being scattered around Brighton and Hove, you’re never too far from their selection of interesting toppings and white base pizza to be curious about.

Patty and Bun has the best student deal if you fancy a burger: any burger and chips for £10.95, 7 days a week, anytime. Fusing comfort fast food with restaurant quality, these juicy and innovative burgers are served on paper to keep the night tasty but casual.

My favourite place to go out for dinner or drinks in the whole of Brighton is Shelter Hall. Seven different restaurants all under one roof in one court, you can order pretty much whatever you fancy: asian cuisine, brunch, or even just drinks from the bar. There is always something going on top from live music to festivals. It looks especially pretty at Christmas, with fairy lights all around and a large centerpiece Christmas tree. The best thing about Shelter Hall is that you and your uni friends can order food separately from different cultures and countries, but enjoy it all together.

COFFEE DATES AND WORK SPACE:

While Brighton is full of plenty of bars, pubs and restaurants to entice us, there is also a wide variety of coffee shops and cafés for when days are more work, less play. My favourite spots to sip a coffee while watching a lecture are Bread and Milk on Trafalgar Street, and The Flour Pot Bakery. Each serves delightful cakes and bakes, and sandwiches packed full of flavour to power you through the note taking. The clean aesthetics and calming ambience of these two businesses is the perfect study spot. The Flour Pot Bakery in Fiveways is the largest if you require the space to spread out your laptop and books. Instead of stopping by one of these cafes, you could simply grab a luxurious chocolatey drink from Knoops and walk along the beach with your choice of an iced chocolate, mocha, or milkshake. On Monday-Wednesday you can also get two drinks for the choice of one from 11am-3pm, making it the perfect student treat for your lunchtime catch-up with a mate.

FURTHER MENTIONS

Slightly out of town, in Lewes, is the Riverside Cafe. This quaint cozy spot is in an indoor space called The Riverside - also home to a tattoo studio, barbers and fabric store amongst other small independent businesses. A short train or bus ride to Lewes always feels like a luxury little escape to experience the peace of the historic town and is bound to ground you for a day if you ever feel that is what you need. Or, not as far, is One Garden Brighton in Stanmer Park. Another little retreat, One Market offers fresh produce and delicious fresh pastries or muffins on rotation while One Kitchen has an appealing brunch and dinner menu. There are different events and classes going on for families creating an atmosphere of fun and creativity, all in the midst of stunning Stanmer Park, right on top of Sussex University. In my first year of university, I found myself walking here daily, keeping it my own luxury secret for as long as possible!

I hope this little rundown makes it a bit easier for you to decide where to take your next student night, but most of all, I hope you have fun exploring the places that are not mentioned in my favourites. My top tip would be to follow as many businesses as you can on Instagram to keep up-to-date with all the best deals and suggestions of other food and drink spaces to discover and enjoy.

BIMM BECOMES UNIVERSITY

AFTER BEING AWARDED UNIVERSITY STATUS

BIMM Institute has been formally recognised as the UK’s newest university for the creative industries.

Following nearly 40 years of incredible work within the higher education sector, BIMM has been granted full university status by the Department for Education. With this announcement, the group of colleges will now officially all be part of the newly named BIMM University. Starting life in 1983 as the world-renowned Drumtech (now BIMM Institute London), it has grown to become a group of colleges covering many areas of the creative industries, including performing arts, film and TV.

Since its inception, thousands of students have graduated from BIMM’s colleges, many going on to have huge success in the music industry. Alumni have achieved over 20 Top 10 UK albums between them, including a few number ones: George Ezra’s Wanted On Voyage and James Bay’s Chaos and the Calm. Not to mention the billions of streams collected by artists like Tom Odell, who currently has over 21 million monthly listeners and is presently Spotify’s 162nd most streamed artist globally.

Former BIMM students have amassed over 20 BRIT award nominations, including Izzy Bizu’s Critics Choice Award nomination, that time Tom Odell lost out to David Bowie for Best British Male Solo Artist, and James Bay’s three nominations and a win in 2016. The list goes on, with two Ivor Novello awards for songwriting; MOBO, MTV, Q and Kerrang! Awards; and a Grammy nomination and award for Fontaines D.C. and Ella Mai, respectively (Oh yeah, and Ella Mai won a Billboard award too!).

BIMM has also seen many amazingly successful session musicians walk through their doors, with graduates going on to play with a long list of artists including Basement Jaxx, Lily Allen, Elton John, Roots Manuva, Kano, Tinchy Stryder, Paloma Faith, Little Simz, Foals, Cage The Elephant, Norah Jones and Bastille. Whilst, behind the scenes, many past students have forged successful careers in artist management and live music promotion.

Each of these illustrious graduates received one of BIMM’s unique and innovative degrees. Over its history, these courses have been refined,

with the colleges growing and the disciplines expanding year on year. To receive full university status, therefore, shows huge recognition for all the work put in by staff and students alike.

CEO and Head of Institution, Adam Carswell said:

“This is a tremendous accolade for our Institution. It is the culmination of a long journey to develop the educational character of our Institution, together with our academic processes and corporate governance. We are proud of this tremendous achievement, which enables us to continue to develop our unique brand of education for students seeking a career in the creative industries.”

Professor Louise Jackson, Academic Director and Provost said:

“It is such a joy to be able to announce to our students, alumni, and colleagues past and present that we have been approved to use the university title and become BIMM University. To become a university is not a simple act; it is the most significant moment of recognition for an institution of higher education, and it builds upon decades of endeavour. The term university is internationally understood, defined by its community of knowledge creators and leaders who transform societies for the better through innovation and rigorous hard work.

“I am immensely proud of the unique contribution our communities make to both the higher education sector and the creative industries, and the way in which our graduates embrace their role in transforming the world around us through their creativity. More than ever the world needs specialist universities that do not just conserve the past but develop new artistic practices and outputs to help us engage in myriad ways with what it means to be human. I cannot describe how thrilled I am that BIMM University, now recognised as an equal to other distinguished seats of learning, will continue to lead the way across all our art forms.”

What does university status mean for BIMM as an institute?

The newly named BIMM University comprises a range of creative colleges that include music (BIMM Institute), performing arts (Institute for Contemporary Theatre, Performers College, Northern Ballet School), and film and TV (Screen and Film School). As a group, the university status neatly unites the different colleges under one prestigious roof with a joint mission to drive collaboration and prepare the next generation of creative industry professionals for a long and sustainable career.

Gaining university status requires certain criteria to be fulfilled. These include demonstrating high academic standards, good governance, and financial robustness. As they now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other universities, the new status serves to evidence the high quality of the teaching and the student experience at the colleges, as well as an ability to grow and flourish in a challenging environment.

What does university status mean for students?

The journey to gaining university status started in 2019 when BIMM were granted Taught Degree-Awarding Powers (TDAP). These powers allowed them to take control of their course design, writing and amending their own courses to follow the industry’s needs and trends, giving their students the best introduction to the creative industries.

For students, the new status recognises BIMM’s ability to maintain the standards expected of universities around the world. It shows that the courses have been robustly scrutinised and tested. Studying at BIMM University will provide students the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration above and beyond the focus of each course on its own. And finally, a degree from BIMM University will enjoy international recognition and provide each student with a headstart in their creative career.

THINGS TO DO IN Florida,

OTHER THAN DISNEY WORLD

By Amy Stanborough

I went to Florida with my family when I was nine years old, and we did it all from Seaworld to Aquatica; Universal, Island of Adventures, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and of course the iconic and picturesque Magic Kingdom. It was an intense two weeks of blisters, sunburn, and losing our voices to the rollercoasters, but it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. I had had a taste of that unforgettable magic. Although Disney World will blow anyone’s mind, no matter your age or movie preferences, doing 20,000 steps a day through energetic crowds and spending a fortune on hotdogs and Pepsi may not be everyone’s ideal holiday. However, Florida has so much more to offer. I recently flew home from Orlando, and while we were staying only 30 minutes from the thrill of Mickey Mouse’s home, we did so much more than just visit theme parks.

Orlando

If you do want a glimpse of the extravagance that the theme parks offer, simply staying in Orlando will surround you with the air and aura of Disney’s creations. Citywalk, a collection of restaurants and shops before the entrance to Universal and Island of Adventures is free to access and even has free parking after 6pm. The evenings are entertained by crowds (most of whom are staying in Disney hotels or resorts around Orlando) wanting a bite to eat in one of the many themed restaurants. I recommend Bubba Gump Shrimp Company,

a classic American restaurant serving seafood, burgers and ribs, paying homage to Forrest Gump. This restaurant in Citywalk represents the classic movie by decorating the interior with nods to the film, as well as making merchandise available to purchase. I would also recommend Antojitos Authentic Mexican, for an evening of stunning Mexican food, margaritas and live music to get you having a fiesta at the dinner table. The large colourful exterior is unmissable, looking like something from a comic rather than a serious restaurant, but they clearly are serious about food.

While staying in Orlando, there are also plenty of activities and shopping to be done. There are outlet stores amongst International Drive as well as Gator Golf, or funfair rides to test your bravery including the worlds tallest swing ride at 450ft. A trip to Old Town takes you back in time to the 50s as you can pop into vintage stores and embrace the classic American feel of the street.

Clearwater

Nearly two hours drive away from Orlando is Clearwater beach where you are bound to get sandy toes and sea salt hair. It is the perfect escape within the state because there are plenty of seaside restaurants and boat trips out of the harbour to have your own tranquil fishing trip or to try and spy dolphins. My favourite meal in the whole of Florida was

eaten at Crabby’s restaurant and I still think about those mahi-mahi fish tacos topped with a mango salsa daily. There are four different Crabby’s across Clearwater, each location offering a different experience depending on whether it is dockside or the bar and grill on the beach walk. The sunsets over the beach in Clearwater are unmissable, budding candyfloss clouds behind swaying palm trees and grass infected sand dunes.

Not far from Clearwater is Tampa, and here you can find Busch Gardens. While this is a theme park, it is a bit out of the way from the Disney parks which typically means it is less busy. More so, there is a whole safari of animals to explore beside the rollercoasters. With bird sanctuaries where paraquettes fly right upon your shoulders, and opportunities to drive by zebras or feed giraffes, this spot will offer a once in a lifetime experience. There are knowledgeable keepers informing visitors all about the animals whether that is getting the train through the park, booking one of the safari trails, or simply walking right by the alligators.

Miami

In South Florida is Miami: the city of party life and sports cars whizzing down Ocean Drive. Miami beach is like a whole world of its own with orange and blue fishbowl cocktails on tables outside bars and restaurant like ornaments; neon lights on the buildings

flashing like Broadway; and this in contrast to the blue sea and palm trees simply epitomises beach luxury. Lincoln road is much more peaceful, and worth a stroll down to immerse in the air conditioning of your favourite branded shops such as Zara or Starbucks. The art deco area can be very influential to the artists of the state. The buildings have attractive pastel, curved architecture and random walls are decorated with impressive street art. Even enjoying the botanic plants down Lincoln road is a treat to escape the loud music and rowdy affairs on Ocean Drive. Miami beach is genuinely one of the prettiest I have ever seen, potentially topping Bondi and Jumeriah. With sand so white and soft it seems artificial, and sea water which is warm

enough to not make you shiver the second your toes touch the tide, I would have laid on that beach all day everyday and be satisfied with my trip to Miami.

West Palm

One last mention for places I visited across the sunshine state - West Palm. Driving into the area, there is a real city feel to this beach location which bodes leisure and riches. Palm Beach Atlantic University looks like a holiday resort tucked amongst the sky scrapers, on the edge of the water, surrounded by plenty of food and drink choices. While most attractions are in the Downtown area, we couldn’t resist

crossing the Royal Park Bridge, and ogling at the incredible mansions with beach views. There is not much to do actually on the beach, though fancy stores and cafes tuck themselves amongst the streets. Back near the university is the Norton Museum of Art making it a great area for the educationalist as well as those looking for a lifestyle of lunch stopping and bar hopping.

J-FELIX

BRIGHTON DJ/PRODUCER RETURNS TO ROOTS WITH A MINT EXPERIMENT

By Stuart Rolt

“When I was making some of the original demos during lockdown, I wasn’t DJing in clubs. So, I guess I was just thinking about myself as the audience.” Dynamic Brightonbased producer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist J-Felix is contemplating what recently took him back to basics. A familiar face on the city’s clubbing scene, he’s forged a fearsome reputation for himself with pumped up grooves and the freshest funk around. But now, not least due to some enforced time out during a global health crisis, he’s gravitating towards the influences which first informed his love of music.

Denied the febrile atmosphere of live shows, he’s spent the last couple of years installing new kit in his studio near Lewes Road. The influx of equipment has opened an exciting period of creativity. His first two albums, 101 Reasons and Whole Again Hooligan, provided a delicious mix of nu-soul, vintage R&B, disco and nu-skool jazz aesthetics. Now he’s moving away from the electronic formality of modern production techniques in a search of something a bit warmer and organic.

He’s been embracing ‘modern vintage’ kit like the iconic Juno 106 synthesizers, lots of valve processing, and even experimenting with a mid-90s Tascam four-track tape machine –sourcing cassettes with the right bias from eBay. “I just like the control it gives you. I suppose I would like to have a reel to reel, but that gets really expensive. But I get natural saturation, and the pre-amps are really good on what I’ve got.” He says much of what he’s got can be replicated through software plugins, but there is something entrancing about the original electronic instruments, even with all their slight imperfections. “It’s a bit battered and there’s all these happy accidents.”

Having things go off-course in the studio is all part of music innovation. When Roland released their TB-303 Bass to simulate bass guitars, it was largely ignored by ‘serious’ musicians and deemed a commercial failure. But when placed in the hands of a few inquisitive kids who didn’t really know how to use it, the odd little box triggered a revolution in dance music. “That whole acid sound was just someone messing around on an old 303. Turn it up, see what happens. A lot of that happens in this studio,” he jokes.

While there is space for programming the tightest of drum patterns, much of his recording process involves capturing live playing on his computer. These are performed either by himself, or from one of his jazzleaning musician mates. “Quite a lot of people who hear my music think it is old samples, but it’s really not. I suppose I’m a bit of a control freak, I really like being able to write chords and not rely on what’s already there.”

He’s gearing up for an EP series, his first new

releases in two years, which provide an insight into what he’s been writing recently. Dropped last month, giving us a succulent taste of what’s coming, was Like a Queen. Powered by sensational vocals from Victoria Port (one half of Tru-Thoughts label-mates Anushka), it offers a breezy old-school UK hip-hop vibe. Shuffling breakbeats bubble under dreamlike analogue keyboard layers and jazzy guitars.

It sees a new flowing sensibility to J-Felix’s output. “The playing is purposefully pushed and wonky on keys and guitars. I programme the drums, so they’re ‘on’, and then play a hi-hat to get some looseness.” From here he often performs other instrumentation, either as 16 bar loops or live throughout the track, to capture a more vibrant feeling on the production. It’s a happy compromise between having a full band in a room and the electronic approach’s practicalities.

One canny technique is recording the keyboards to tape then his tape recorder, then using it to adjust the pitch up or down, then recording back into the computer to be chopped up and manipulated. While some of the instrumentation floats over everything, the rhythm section keeps the arrangement tight.

The blissed out hip-hop groove of Like A Queen heralds a new direction of sorts. “I wouldn’t say necessarily what I listen to has changed. My first love is always hip-hop, that’s what got me into the jazz, disco and boogie.”

The enforced time away has allowed him to be a little introspective and indulge himself more. As it continues, the EP series, entitled The Mint Experiment, sees him embrace more song-focused arrangements, as well as bringing in more ambitious elements like string sections.

The series’ title refers to ‘Mint’, a laudative slang term from his Bristolian roots, and ‘Experiment’ because he’s venturing into new territory. The releases are coming out on his own label, called OVN Records after the initials of his three children. It means he can concentrate on doing his own thing, without having to compromise or worry about working to schedules. “With the collaborators, I’ve had a bit more say in what we write about.” He’s based the series around anemoia, the nostalgic sense of longing for a past not lived. “It’s something I’ve felt a lot in music and life. I’ve got friends who go about the 90s rave thing, and I’m like: ‘Man, I was never there.’ That emotion for something that you never experienced in the first place is really interesting.”

The experiment in starting a new business is a daunting one, but he’s got distribution support from Brighton’s Republic Of Music and publishing is handled by the everpresent Tru Thoughts label. So, it’s all bit a bit more modular than starting everything from scratch. He admits he did enjoy not having to

think about much of the work demanded by a having your own record label. Particularly the scale of resources and manpower. But that’s all part of the experiment.

He says there’s an album’s worth of music ready to be mixed and released. This month sees the release of the series’ second EP featuring Bessi and Bigzy, The Love That Hurts is out on Weds 26 Oct. The bare bones of this track were created in just one night. “It was my first time in the studio with Bigzy, who is a real firecracker MC and singer, showing us his gentler side on this one.” A session musician, producer and singer, Bessi plays bass on the track, and sang its hook almost instantly after the beats were built.

After that session, J-Felix asked Alice Russell and Bonobo collaborator Mike Simmonds to come in and help write and record the string arrangements, layering up violin and viola. Then there’s at least another The Mint Experiment release coming after that, featuring collaborations with grime MC Juggernaut and neo-soul singer/songwriter Chloe Bodur. Perhaps there’ll even be another volume of releases and some vinyl next year.

He’ll forever be influenced by Bristol. But, more than ever, he’s open to collaborating with Brighton artists. “I’ve been doing bits and bobs with guys from the hip-hop scene, meeting them through my work at Audio Active. A lot of my influences come from LA beats, things like P-Funk, but there is a lot of really good hip-hop, R&B and jazz coming out of the UK now.” In addition to record releases, there’s a range of live shows being planned for the next few months, including a slot at

Soho’s prestigious PizzaExpress Jazz Club. He says organising his nine-piece band is a delicate balance between being a musical director and allowing players to bring their own interpretations to his output.

“On a few occasions, like with the horns, some of them have played on the record. But the band takes the record, practice as it is, then I just let them make it their own. I try to work with good players, and they’ll often give it more of a jazz/funk flavour. Fri 18 Nov sees him heading to Brighton’s WaterBear for a smaller scale show, featuring bouncy jazz flavours from Werkha and Jack Chi (who recently produced much-acclaimed Tru Thoughts act Tiawa) on DJ duties.

J-Felix is drifting back towards his hip-hop roots, producing something which both draws from the past and offers something fiercely innovative. And it’s possible he’s only just started to demonstrate what he’s capable of. Starting a new imprint and bringing different artists into his orbit has given a greater sense of creative freedom, even if the path ahead isn’t instantly obvious… for now. “It’s really exciting. I’m building new relationships, working with people from the US... We’ll see. It’s all part of the mint experiment…”

J-Felix and The Extended Family play Soho’s PizzaExpress Jazz Club on Fri 4 Nov. He also plays at Brighton’s WaterBear on Fri 18 Nov. His single Like A Queen is available now, and The Love That Hurts is released on Weds 26 Oct, via OVN Records.

THE AUTISM-FRIENDLY COOKBOOK GRAMPS’ FISH AND CHIPS

Duration: 1 hour

Energy rating: High

Skill level: Complex

TO MAKE WHEN: you are in a ‘treat yourself’ mood, such as on pay day; you’re entertaining family members and need something a bit out of the ordinary; you have recently had a meltdown.

Sometimes people ask me questions like ‘tell me about growing up and how you began writing’. From the get-go, my grandfather ‘got it’ – even deliberately taking his time to talk to me, in detail, about whatever book I was reading. He expanded my inner world, instructing me how I could travel through time and space through the simple act of reading a book. Long before I was ever diagnosed, he foretold I should be writing for newspapers – and that I should write as myself, rather than emulating the style or the syntax of anyone else. Some of my oldest, earliest memories are of the home of my grandparents; the room is safe, the smell homey. And my grandfather cooked chips. This is a recipe I created off the basis of this – a sort of memory replication – as he deserves a place in this book. He stepped up to the plate when he was needed, far more than most.

EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED

1 scrubbing brush

1 potato peeler

1 chopping knife

1 chopping board

1 large mixing bowl

2 baking trays

1 plate for serving

INGREDIENTS

1 breaded fish fillet of your choice (some brands have glutenand dairy-free varieties)

3 sweet potatoes

1 cucumber

Olive oil (just a dribble is needed)

OPTIONAL:

1 jar of paprika

1 packet of rock salt

1 handful of salad leaves

HOW TO MAKE

Pre-preparation

Read the instructions on the back of the fish packet to find out how long it takes to cook; keep this in mind for later.

Scrub the sweet potatoes with the scrubbing brush under running water; this is just as a basic hygiene measure to clean the potatoes.

Peel all the potatoes, then chop into the shapes you would like your chips to be. Cut up the cucumber into small discs.

METHOD

1. Heat the oven up to 200°C/400°F.

2. Dribble some olive oil into the bowl and add the (optional) paprika. Put the pieces of potato in and cover them in the oil/ spice mix with your hands. This will give the chips some flavour for later; the oil will help them cook. Put the chips on the baking tray. Add a sprinkle of rock salt for a little bit of crunch

3. Put in the oven. This usually takes around 40 minutes to cook, but may be done sooner; the potato pieces will look golden brown, so make sure to keep checking in. You can test if they are cooked by taking one out and cutting it open. If steam comes out, they are ready to eat. I usually check them every ten minutes, just to prevent them from burning.

4. Put the fish in the oven when the chips have the same time left as the fish takes to cook.

5. On your serving plate, add the cucumber slices and a few salad leaves.

6. Once the fish and chips are ready, add them to the plate. If you are a sensory avoider, use separators to keep all the elements of the meal apart.

EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE

Potato wedges can be tricky to master; you can disguise any mistakes by creating a sauce to put them in if needed. As a sensory seeker, I like salsa or a sweet chilli sauce. Fish can be difficult to cook, which is why I sometimes go for breaded options. However, you could try cod without breadcrumbs, and cook with a topping on top. All you would need to do is put the fish on foil, add a knob of butter, sprinkle with your choice of herbs – such as basil or mint. You could even include tomatoes as an added bonus.

THE

LALAINE’S VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Energy rating: High Skill level: Complex

TO MAKE WHEN: it’s summer and you need to entertain relatives; you need to construct a cake when it’s someone’s birthday; you’re hosting a dinner party or a night in, and your meal needs a dessert to finish it off.

‘You’re wearing pink today.’ I nervously glance up at the lady boss, apprehensive and awkward in this new office. I nod. In the shrillest, loudest voice possible, the boss lady draws attention to the situation, so everyone in the room stares: ‘Pink to make the boys wink!’ A friendship of many years was born out of my cringing embarrassment while trying to fade into the background. Lalaine is my oldest friend and was one of the first people to fully accept me as an autistic individual. For a few years I ducked out of her Christmas wish – for a freshly baked Victoria sponge – so this recipe deserves its place here in this book.

EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED

1 set of digital scales

1 mixing bowl

1 chopping board

1 paring knife

2 tablespoons

1 silicone or wooden spoon

1 piece of kitchen roll paper

1 standard cake tin

1 palette knife

1 butter knife

1 small bowl

1 wire rack

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs

170 grams (60 ounces) of caster sugar

170 grams (60 ounces) of butter + extra for greasing your cake tin

with and to make the buttercream icing

170 grams (60 ounces) of self-raising flour

1 bottle of vanilla essence

1 bag of icing sugar

1 jar of strawberry jam/preserve (about 31⁄2 tablespoons)

1 small handful of strawberries

HOW TO MAKE

Pre-preparation

Using the digital scales and the mixing bowl, measure out the caster sugar and butter. Use the chopping board and paring knife to cut the strawberries into halves.

Method

1. Set your oven to 190°C/375°F and allow to heat up.

2. With the back of a tablespoon, cream together the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl. Set on the digital scales and then turn on so it says the weight is at zero; next, measure out the flour. Add in the eggs and mix together with the silicone or wooden spoon. Add in a drop of vanilla essence and stir again.

3. Use the extra butter and kitchen roll paper to grease your cake tin; once you have done that, spoon in the cake mixture and bake until golden brown. Put a butter knife in the middle to test if cooked; if it comes out clean, it’s safe to eat. This can take up to 45 minutes or longer, because everyone’s oven is different.

4. Take the cake tin out of the oven and put on the wire rack. Gently take off the tin and use a palette knife to extract the bottom of the tin after about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

5. While cooling, we are going to be making the icing. Use the Basic Butter-cream Icing Mix recipe to create your icing.

6. Once the cake has cooled, use a knife to cut it into two. Cover one side of one half in buttercream; on the other half, spoon out the strawberry jam and cover. Sandwich the two together to assemble the cake.

7. Once you have assembled the cake, decorate the top with the strawberries from earlier, and sprinkle over with a pinch of icing sugar.

EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE

Try using different flavours instead of vanilla essence; you could even add in a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Decorations can be different, too, as most shops sell different icing and more.

TOMATO CHICKEN PASTA POT

Duration:

minutes

Energy rating:

TO MAKE WHEN: the world is getting on your case, and you need something just a little bit moreish than usual; you need to get rid of a lot of ingredients in your fridge all in one go; you are at home and need to revise.

EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED

1 chopping board

2 chopping knives

1 garlic crusher

1 saucepan

1 baking tray

1 wooden or silicone spoon

1 colander

1 mixing bowl

INGREDIENTS

3 chicken sausages (if you are a vegetarian, this recipe still works with vegetarian alternatives)

1 medium carrot

Optional: 1 garlic clove

60 grams (2.5 ounces) of Penne pasta

1 bottle of olive oil (we will be using just a little oil on the baking tray)

1 spice of your choice for flavour (you will only need a pinch)

250 grams (9 ounces – approximately half a carton) of passata (sieved tomatoes – known in some countries as tomato purée)

HOW TO MAKE

Pre-preparation

Read the instructions on the back of the sausages packaging; usually they take around 20 minutes to cook, meaning we will start to boil the pasta first. You just need to be aware of the time difference of around 10 minutes between starting to cook the pasta and the sausages. To make the pasta really soft, this will take around 25–30 minutes, if you do not have a kettle to boil the water first. Make sure the sausages are defrosted and ready to go. Chop the carrots into tiny chunks and crush the garlic clove if you are using that.

Method

1. Pour the pasta into your saucepan and add the crushed garlic if using. Add boiling water so the pasta and garlic are fully submerged; put the heat of the hob on to a medium temperature, so this begins boiling away. Wait 10 minutes.

2. Having read the instructions on the back of the sausages, drizzle a small amount of oil across the baking tray. Add the sausages, covering them evenly all over in the oil. Sprinkle a pinch of your chosen spice on top. Follow the instructions on the back of the packet to begin cooking, making sure to check in every so often.

3. Keep stirring the pasta. Once cooked – which you can check by testing the taste or by seeing if the pasta tubes are soft – drain away the water through the colander over the sink. Add the pasta back into the saucepan and keep on the lowest heat possible. This is just to keep the pasta warm while the sausages cook.

4. Once the sausages are cooked, take out of the oven. Chop them into small pieces and add to the pasta. Add the pieces of carrots and half a carton of passata. Stir and serve warm.

Note: Not everyone has a kettle. Pouring water in from the tap and then bringing to boil on the hob, is another option for cooking. This will take longer, however, and the overall duration can depend on your hob.

EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE

Sensory avoiders may prefer to replace the garlic with a pinch of salt; this will bring out the flavour of the pasta without being too overwhelming. As a serving option, they may prefer to keep all the different elements separate, or to limit the amount of passata a lot more. Sensory seekers may prefer to add more tangy ingredients such as red onion slices or other vegetables and spices – a small pinch of tarragon or black pepper could add extra sensory feedback to this recipe.

See

or evil? A primate? (7)

regularly earns average (4)

urchin endlessly playing (5)

the French to leave pointer (4)

Look to the skies as tear

is

zeal (8)

Oddly, spying on my reversing is key to

(7)

moving right to left to

(4)

(9)

round in

Genii's leg broken making sad speeches (9)

of music made by German? Yes. Top band! (4)

Run from anthropocene era? (6)

See 10

Essentially, banker ranting is in the wrong (6)

Boy band with Shed Seven and One Direction (4)

Gives weapons to cause damage, beheading head of state (4)

FUNNY WOMAN

TBC, OCT

SKY MAX

Adopted by the fiercely talented Morwenna Banks from Nick Hornby’s novel Funny Girl, Gemma Arterton takes the lead in this feisty period piece. We head back to the swinging 60s, where the comedy world was very different. Especially if you weren’t a potty-mouthed white man with a repertoire full of questionable material.

Barbara Parker is a beauty queen, trying to find her in the chauvinistic world of TV sitcoms. With some little help from David Threlfall and Rupert Everett, we set off on the adventure of a lifetime. From the fading glamour of Blackpool to the allure of small screen success, can our heroine break through into the big time?

SOMEWHERE BOY

TBC, OCT CHANNEL 4

From the makers of The End of the F***ing World and Misfits comes another youth-friendly cult hit. When Danny was a baby, his mum was killed in a car crash. Overwhelmed with grief, his dad Steve bought a house in the middle of nowhere and locked Danny in, telling him the world outside was full of monsters waiting to take him away.

For years they just stayed in, listening to Benny Goodman records and watching old movies with no sad endings. But when Danny turns eighteen, he has to confront a world he never knew existed. And find the real monster - the one that killed his mum.

SHANTARAM

FRI 14 OCT

APPLE TV+

Starring Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy), this new drama is based on the internationally bestselling novel by Gregory David Roberts. Combining a hopeful cinematic love story with a thrilling epic adventure, follows one man’s journey to redemption through a country that changes his life. It also stars Shubham Saraf (A Suitable Boy), Elektra Kilbey (Staying) and Fayssal Bazzi (The Merger, Measure for Measure).

Lin Ford is a fugitive looking to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 80s Bombay. Alone in an unfamiliar city, he struggles to avoid trouble. After falling for an enigmatic and intriguing woman named Karla, Lin must choose between freedom or love and the complications which come with it.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES VOL. 3

TUES 18 OCT NETFLIX

Details are being kept intentionally vague, as Netflix continue their inventive take on this much-loved mystery-documentary property. It’s a collaborative effort between the original show’s production company Cosgrove-Meurer Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the production company which brought us Stranger Things

The iconic and gripping series returns with a three-week event featuring more curious deaths, baffling disappearances, and paranormal activity. Hopefully it will bring us closer to explaining a wide range of unusual cold cases and bizarre events, as it profiles beguiling mysteries and unsolved crimes, lost love, secret lives and the utterly inexplicable. Sometimes real-life circumstances are more perplexing than we can possibly imagine.

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB

FRI 7 OCT

NETFLIX

A group of seven close terminally ill young adults resides in the Rotterdam Home hospice run by an enigmatic doctor. They come together every night at midnight to tell each other stories. Then they make a solemn pact that the next of them to die is responsible for communicating with the others from beyond the grave. After one of them dies, bizarre occurrences begin. Is it evil, or is there a simple explanation?

Based on Christopher Pike 1994 YA novel and produced by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting anthology series), and starring Iman Benson, Adia, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd, this spooky thriller promises to keep us all up at night.

THE MOLE

FRI 7 OCT

NETFLIX

We tend to focus on drama across these pages, but this is a welcome return for a brilliant reality gameshow format. MSNBC’S Alex Wagner (Alex Wagner Tonight) casts aside the news and opinion for an hour to present this high-stakes competition.

Twelve players must work together in challenges to add money to a pot which only one of them will win at the end. But one of the competitors has been designated “the Mole” and tasked with sabotaging everyone’s money-making efforts. Based on the Belgian format De Mol, each week we’ll see if one player will outlast their competition and expose the saboteur and win the prize.

ACAPULCO

FRI 21 OCT

APPLE TV+

Created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman, and inspired by How to Be a Latin Lover, this cult-hit Spanish and English-language comedy television series returns for a second season. It tells the story of twenty-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco.

He soon realises the job is far more complicated than he ever imagined and in order to succeed, he must learn to navigate a demanding clientele, a mercurial mentor, and a complicated home life, without losing his way to shortcuts or temptations.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

TUES 25 OCT

NETFLIX

Visionary auteur Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley, Pan’s Labyrinth) again takes his world-building skills to the small screen for a deconstruction of modern horror. The acclaimed Academy Awardwinner has curated a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror.

From the macabre to the magical, gothic to grotesque or simply classically creepy, these eight equally sophisticated and sinister tales (including two original stories by del Toro) are brought to life by a team of writers and directors personally chosen by him - and inspired by classic works from Michael Shea, HP Lovecraft Henry Kuttner and Emily Carroll. Be very afraid.

FILM

TÁR

FRI 7 OCT // CINEMA

Cate Blanchett stars as Lydia Tár, a ground-breaking orchestral conductor. Todd Field’s compelling psychological drama captures Tár at what should be the height of her career. A huge critical and commercial success, she’s preparing both a book launch and much-anticipated live performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

She’s widely considered to be one of the greatest living composer/conductors, as well as the first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra. But despite this soaring success, over the ensuing weeks her life slowly begins to unravel in a singularly modern way. The result is a searing and unsettling examination of power, and its impact and durability in today’s society.

CALL JANE

OCT

CINEMA

Oscar-nominated writer Phyllis Nagy (Mrs Harris, Carol) directs a very-timely historical drama. Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect), Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Avatar, Ghostbusters) and Chris Messina (The Mindy Project, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) star in this historical drama about a traditionally-minded married woman with an unwanted pregnancy.

It’s 1960s America, so she can’t access a legal abortion, so joins the Jane Collective to fight for women’s rights. This pressure group sought to address an increasing number of unsafe terminations being performed by untrained providers. Since illegal abortions were not only dangerous but very expensive, its founding members believed that they could provide women with safer and more affordable options.

HALLOWEEN ENDS

FRI 14 OCT // CINEMA

John Carpenter’s epic horror franchise draws to a close. This final instalment sees a cast of new and old characters to confront the evil which has been haunting a town for decades. Laurie is living with her granddaughter while finishing her memoirs, and Michael Myers hasn’t been seen for four years.

After allowing him to determine and drive her reality for decades, she has decided to liberate herself from fear and embrace life. But when a young man is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror which will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control… once and for all.

EMILY

FRI 14 OCT // CINEMA

FILM TRIVIA DID YOU KNOW:

The brilliant Emma Mackey (Death on the Nile, Sex Education) portrays one of England’s greatest and most celebrated writers. Written and directed by Frances O’Connor in her directorial debut, this biopic also stars a vibrant cast which includes Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch), Oliver JacksonCohen (The Haunting of Hill House), Alexandra Dowling (Game of Thrones) and Amelia Gething (The Amelia Gething Complex, The Spanish Princess).

We explore the brief life of English writer, Emily Brontë and the events which inspired her to write her classic, Wuthering Heights – a book which would go on to stun Victorian society with its vivid passion, uncompromising language and shifting moral scale.

In the trailer for the film, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is seen wearing the same clothes she wore in the original Halloween film (1978). - IMDb

FRI 14 OCT // CINEMA

WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY

FRI 14 OCT // CINEMA

From the best-selling author of Wonder, a book which sparked a movement to ‘choose kind’, comes the inspirational next chapter. We follow Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who has struggled to belong ever since he was expelled from his former school.

To transform his life, Julian’s grandmother (Helen Mirren) finally reveals to Julian her own story of courage. During her youth in Nazi-occupied France, a boy sheltered her from mortal danger. The pair find first love in a stunning, magical world of their own creation, while the boy’s mother (Gillian Anderson) risks everything to keep her safe. This is an uplifting film about how one act of kindness can live on forever.

Mamie Till Mobley’s son spent the summer of 1955 visiting cousins in Mississippi. Accused of whistling at a white woman, a gang which included her husband and his half-brother, kidnapped, lynched and killed the youngster. The pair were put on trial for murder, which lasted just five days with a 67-minute deliberation, and were subsequently acquitted.

Till insisted his casket be left open at the funeral, so the world could see what had happened. Pictures of this shocked the nation, bringing attention to the nation’s inability to deal with racism. Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett and Whoopi Goldberg star in this profoundly emotional story of a remarkable woman.

Accredited Counselling and Psychotherapy Courses in Sussex and Online

We can help you achieve your personal and professional goals, whether you’re just starting out or already on your journey to becoming a Counsellor or Psychotherapist.

Our long-standing centre has an excellent reputation nationally and internationally. We pride ourselves on o ering stimulating, supportive training with a talented, highly-quali ed team.

THE OFFICIAL INTRODUCTION TO TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS (TA101)

● 15th/16th October (Plumpton) or 2nd/9th/16th and 23rd November (Online)

The TA101 is a great taster course for anyone interested in communication, relationships, psychology, mental health and self-awareness. It’s our most popular course and former students describe it as “life-changing”.

OPEN EVENINGS

Join us for a relaxed and informal online open evening with The Link Centre team on Monday 17th October, 6.30pm to 8.00pm.

The Link Centre is based at Plumpton College, East Sussex. www.thelinkcentre.co.uk email us on info@thelinkcentre.co.uk or call us on 01892 652487

@TheLinkCentreUK www.facebook.com/TheLinkCentre

DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A COUNSELLOR OR PSYCHOTHERAPIST?

We’re interviewing NOW for our October 2022 intake. Email us on info@thelinkcentre.co.uk or call on 01892 652487 for more information or to apply for the following courses:

DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING (LEVEL 6)

Want to qualify with an accredited Diploma in Counselling? We offer a comprehensive, supported learning experience which results in competent, ethical practitioners with qualifications that hold weight in the field.

ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY (LEVEL 7)

If you would like to qualify as a registered psychotherapist then we have various options depending on whether you have a current counselling qualification or you are starting from scratch.

@TheLinkCentrewww.linkedin.com/company/thelinkcentreuk

27

Across

1

Person who takes advantage (6)

5 Drink associated with Santa Claus (4,4)

9 Happening (8)

10 Someone who begets (6)

11 Slow down (10)

12 Lose patience / card game (4)

13 Make a home somewhere else (8)

16 Fashioned (6)

17 Extreme general scarcity of food (6)

19 Pass through the pores of (8)

21 Manage (4)

22 Horn of plenty (10)

25 Sacred text used as an incantation ( 6)

26 "Will you marry me?", for example (8)

27 Marked by forceful, strong conviction (8)

28 Sharp, acidic tasting herb (6)

Down

2 Bout of overindulgence (5)

3 Sudden surge (5)

4 Vote back in (7)

5 House / type of cheese (7)

6 Type of coniferous tree (7)

7 Sparkle / accounters (anag) (9)

8 Distinguishing mark (9)

14 Change from water into gas (9)

15 Focal point of earthquake (9)

18 Piece of territory entirely enclosed within foreign territory (7)

19 Bank or wall to protect soldiers from enemy fire (7)

20 Rowdy (7)

23 Smell (5)

24 Angry (5)

Crossword provided by @thompuntoncrosswordsanswers at

& Comedy Music