Gscene April 2012

CONTENTS

APR 2012 GSCENE magazine

A BAR: ALEX & RICHARD’S WELCOME PARTY

A BAR

www.gscene.com @gscene GScene.Brighton PUBLISHED BY James Ledward TEL 01273 722457 EDITORIAL info@gscene.com ADS+ARTWORK design@gscene.com EDITORIAL TEAM James Ledward, Graham Robson ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman SUB-EDITOR Graham Robson NEWS Hector Montalbo DESIGN Michèle Allardyce

POISON IVY

FRONT COVER MODEL MindOut Marathon Team PHOTOGRAPHY MindOut

CONTRIBUTORS AJ, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Nick Douglas, Craig Hanlon Smith, Adam Highway, Neil Masey, Enzo Marra, Andrew Modd, Hector Montalbo, Rick Moore, Netty, Charles Nyereyegona, Carl Oprey, Kate O’Riordan, Eric Page, Marcus Patrick, Steph Scott, Del Sharp, Keith Sharpe, Gay Socrates, Brian Stacey, Glen Stevens, Craig Storrie, Mick Sykes, Jordan Thomas, Vron, Roger Wheeler, Mike Wall, Morham White, Kate Wildblood

LETTERS & NEWS STOOSHE @ STUDENT PRIDE

SCENE LISTINGS 22 Brighton Listings 36 Solent & Bournemouth Listings

PHOTOGRAPHERS Phil Bailey, Michael Hootman, James Ledward, Jack Lynn, Sam Milford, Hector Montalbo, Tim Nash, Tim Norman www.realbrighton.com www.brightonmoments.co.uk

ARTS

© GSCENE 2012 All work appearing in Gscene Ltd is copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated on the page concerned.

PROJECT 56

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Arts News Classical Notes Film Reviews Art Matters

REGULARS

Mental Health remains the number one issue affecting LGBT people

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47 STOOSHE

INFORMATION

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic or other retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers.

The appearance of any person or any organisation in Gscene is not to be construed as an implication of the sexual orientation or political persuasion of such persons or organisations.

FEATURES ALICIA PUTNAM & SARH-JANE BATCHELOR CP

6 Letters To The Editor 8 News

17 MENTAL HEALTH Graham Robson speaks to the stars of the Student Pride stage

57 SKYE’S THE LIMIT Gscene catches up with two familiar Brightonian castaways

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Charlie’s Kitchen Dine with Morham Geek Scene Dance Music Shopping Craig’s Thoughts Wall’s Words Gay Socrates Keith Sharpe MCC BSSN Charlie Says Trans Scribe Airwaves Lunch Positive Twisted Gilded Ghetto

Service Directory Classifieds Homes & Homos Advertisers’ Map

GSCENE 5

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The Shelleys offers the attractions of a quintessential English country hotel yet set in the heart of Lewes, the county town of East Sussex. With 19 luxurious bedrooms, beautiful reception rooms and free parking, the hotel may be hired exclusively for you and your guests. Our beautifully landscaped gardens are the perfect setting for your celebrations.

We offer traditional weddings and events to themed fantasy occasions for the more adventurous with our in-house cake designer, florist, venue stylist and events planner ready to support you every step of the way up to your big and very special day

Please call Courtlands Hotel 01273 731055 or The Shelleys 01273 472361

6 GSCENE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: GSCENE, 111 WESTERN ROAD, HOVE, BN3 1DD OR EMAIL TO: INFO@GSCENE.COM

BRIGHTON COUNCIL FAILS TO KEEP PERSONAL INFORMATION SECURE In the March issue of Gscene you report various data protection breaches by the council but only refer to employee information. As one of the 50 'sessional workers' working in Children's Services I wish to add some context to this failure which has caused numerous sensitive data on children and families leaking into the community as a result of the burglary of a private computer.

Your report sounds like it referred to a mistake but this 'failure' was coldly planned or at least factored in from the outset. We were denied access to the council's secure intranet and instead forced to use our private computers to process those data on families we had been instructed to work with (including risk assessments) and 'store reports for up to 12 months' - effectively an unlawful, external storage for highly sensitive data. The council did not even report this breach to the Information Commissioner but explained away their systemic failure in a short letter to a few parents.

Similar dubious practices occurred in relation to child car seat training which was denied to 'sessional workers' but made mandatory only to employees, even though it is the former who transport most children.

There is apparently still no policy that requires 'sessional workers' to have risk assessments so that they can protect children and themselves before they go out to do their work.

We have been deliberately kept separate from the council's workforce purely to save costs. Had we been integrated, all this could have been avoided but then we would have become employees with full rights which the council has sought to avoid at all cost.

The present Green-led Council will now need to take strong leadership in order to sort out this self-created, dangerous mess."

Bernd Sass, Brighton

HOMOSEXUAL LEPERS Reading Keith Sharpe's account of the Christian conference on ’homosexual lepers‘, Gscene, March 2012 made me squirm. He was understandably outraged by the implications that ‘gay people can be likened to lepers... deserving of social exclusion and death unless cured‘. What did he expect at a gathering of hate mongers? It was totally predictable. My indignation was aroused by his agreement to sign an officious statement not to disrupt the proceedings, like asking awkward questions, presumably? How servile can you get. Anything for Jesus, I suppose.

Keith Sharpe and his Changing Attitude colleagues are a selfdeluding splinter group promoting the myth that Christianity is not really anti-gay.

Like poor relations who are invited to call after dinner, they are an embarrassment to the churches.

They appeal to those who scarcely believe any longer but cannot bring themselves to let go and cast aside the antiquated props of religious superstition.

WJ McIlroy, Hove

KEITH SHARPE RESPONSE Mr McIlroy makes four main allegations which I believe are misconceived.

1. Mr McIlroy is right that this Lepers' conference was a 'gathering of hatemongers' but wrong to say this is because it was a Christian conference. It is because it was organised by conservative evangelicals who distort the true teaching of Christ.

2. Mr McIlroy criticises me for signing the 'good behaviour statement'. If I had not signed I would not have got into the conference. What good would that have achieved? The report that I was able to write because I did get in was circulated widely on the web and caused profound and humiliating embarrassment to the organisers, such that some other evangelical groups even distanced themselves publicly from the

conference organisers, Anglican Mainstream. I consider this a victory and signing the statement a price worth paying.

3. Mr McIlroy's basic point is that Christianity is inherently anti-gay.

It is not. As I have made clear in the book, The Gay Gospels (www.thegaygospels.com), Christ himself was sympathetic to LGBT people as outsiders, he was loving towards all, and he was probably himself a gay man in a homoerotic relationship with the Beloved Disciple. This gospel message of hope has been horribly distorted by the institutional churches.

4. Mr McIlroy is exactly right to say that Changing Attitude is an embarrassment to the churches.

That indeed is our raison d'etre, to be a thorn in their flesh. We are much more powerful as a radical element embarrassing them from within than we could ever be shouting from the sidelines.

Changing Attitude nationally and locally has achieved a great deal in challenging ecclesiastical homophobia.

Keith Sharp, Changing Attitude Sussex, Brighton

THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR I have never written to a paper before, but I need to get something off my chest. On the night that Michael Conran, the licensee of the Aquarium, was taken to hospital with a major heart malfunction and was effectively fighting for his life, someone opened up the Aquarium Pub and was giving free drinks away to friends and customers.

Thankfully Michael is out of hospital and slowly getting better but his business has suffered considerably from this event. The person involved should be throughly ashamed of themselves and dig deep into their pockets and repay Michael for the stock that was given away that night. That will be the best tonic for Michael and help him get back to full recovery as quickly as possible.

(Name and address withheld)

WHY NO RESPECT FOR TRANS PEOPLE?

I am a trans woman and have only lived in Brighton for the last eight months. I am tired of being abused when I am out in the bars and AMSTERDAM clubs because I’m trans. Surely HOMOMONUMENT within our own community there Further to James Ledward's should be more recognition and excellent article I still love support for us. Some bars are fine Amsterdam featured in the March but twice in the last month I have edition of Gscene, one thing I felt complained to security only to be was missing. There was no mention told "what do you expect". I expect of the 'Homomonument' which is a bit of respect that is what I behind Anne Frank's House by the expect. Surely that’s not too much church. The inscription on the to ask for in Brighton in 2012? monument says ‘Commemorates all Janie Jones women and men ever oppressed and persecuted because of their Editor: If you feel you are the homosexuality’. The monument is victim of a transphobic incident made up of three pink stone always report it to the police. A triangles, which form the points of transphobic incident is one, when a much larger triangle. The first you as the victim or anyone else monument of its kind, maybe the feels it is one. It is an offence and only one of its kind in the world? will be dealt with by the police in Alan Hutchinson, Brighton that manner.

GSCENE 7

BLAGSS Brighton LGBT Switchboard won this year’s Ten Pin Bowling Tournament at the Bowlplex in Brighton Marina on Tuesday, March 6.

All sections of the community were present with teams from the voluntary sector, business sector media and social network groups represented at one of the year’s top community events.

WINNERS: SWITCHBOARD

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DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON

COUNCIL SAY YES TO A PRIDE IN 2012 WWW.GSCENE.COM

SUCCESSFUL BIDDERS GIVE GUARANTEE THAT LGBT ORGANISATIONS WILL GET THEIR MONEY THIS YEAR

JAMES LEDWARD

EDITORIAL

The days of a free Pride in Brighton & Hove are gone forever. On the advice of the police and fire brigade the council have made it a condition of granting landlord’s consent this year, that Preston Park is ticketed and fenced. There is no room for debate. This costs a considerable amount of money and is a fait accomplis.

Any debate in the next few months should centre around 'why we do Pride' rather then whether Pride is a community or commercial event.

During the last three years Pride became a 'vanity event' serving the purpose and interests of a few and ignoring the interests of the wider community who were powerless to take responsibility for the event they created. The process, encouraged by a lack of leadership from the city council, was disrespectful to the many volunteers who over the years built Pride into one of the few true ‘Blue Ribbon LGBT’ events in the world.

I have agreed to be one of the founding names on the new 'not for profit community interest company' to make sure that our LGBT and HIV organisations are never again put to the back of the queue when Pride is settling its bills.

My role will be one of scrutiny and compliance. A very generous package has been created to guarantee that no matter what happens to Pride in 2012, £1 per head of each ticket sold will be given to the Rainbow Fund to distribute through their grant giving programme which is completely independently managed by the Sussex Community Foundation. Any profits from the event will also be shared the same way.

On the surface, last year’s Pride seemed to many a success. The problem was there was no control of the finances and the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove threw a party that they couldn’t pay for, leaving charities such as St John Ambulance, LGBT Switchboard and Same Sky out of pocket. Despite the

PAUL KEMP

Former Pride in Brighton & Hove trustee, Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, Chair of Culture, Recreation & Tourism made the announcement at a cabinet meeting at Hove Town Hall last month. Cllr Bowden said he fully endorsed his officers’ recommendations to grant the responsibility of running Pride 2012 to the new 'community interest not for profit company' made up of Club Revenge, James Ledward from Gscene Magazine and Paul Kemp of Wild Fruit. All three organisations are committed to returning Brighton Pride to its position as the best and friendliest LGBT Pride in the UK. The new 'guardians' of Pride Brighton & Hove are dedicated to restoring the festival to its charitable roots and to raise money for local LGBT and HIV voluntary organisations. Michael Deol and Robert Webb, owners of Club Revenge, say they are fully committed to raising funds for LGBT/HIV organisations that provide frontline services to the LGBT community. £1 of every ticket sold will be ring fenced and donated directly to the Rainbow Fund which is independently administered for the LGBT community by the Sussex Community Foundation. The Rainbow Fund will distribute funds through their grants programme to local LGBT/HIV organisations in Brighton & Hove.

CLLR GEOFFREY BOWDEN

Brighton & Hove City Council have given the go ahead to the newly established group, Pride Brighton & Hove to organise a Pride in 2012.

Pride 2012 will take place on Saturday, September 1, 2012, and will include a Parade through central Brighton, followed by a ticketed event in Preston Park. Following extensive consultations with the Police, the Fire Service and their own Health & Safety officers, the council have decided that for the Pride park event to continue it must again be fenced and ticketed to ensure the safety of all attendees.

Michael Deol commented: “We see the continuation of the city’s LGBT festival as integral to Brighton’s economy. The annual event has ensured a fantastic summer boom for businesses across the city from guest houses and hotels to restaurants, shops and clubs. It is with this in mind, and our belief in the great importance of Brighton’s fantastic LGBT voluntary services, that Pride Brighton & Hove are proud to reinstate Pride in 2012.”

Paul Kemp of Wild Fruit, said: “Aeon Events and Wild Fruit have a long and proud history with Brighton Pride. Although we look forward to Wild Fruit being back on the park hosting the dance tent this year, our primary objective is to help ensure essential funds are raised for our community groups.”

James Ledward, editor of Gscene Magazine, continued: “This is a win win result for LGBT voluntary sector and HIV organisations. Their needs have been put at the forefront of this bid. My role will be restricted to scrutiny and compliance. Never again will the efforts of volunteers in the voluntary sector be compromised as they have been in the last three years. The more people who buy a ticket for Preston Park the more money will be guaranteed to our groups and HIV organisations.”

efforts of community groups such as Calabash, The Women's Performance Tent organisers and Lunch Positive supported by MindOUT and Allsorts it was not possible to convince the City Council of the perilous state of Prides financial position prior to the event and landlord’s consent was granted which allowed the old organisers of Pride in Brighton & Hove to run up debts, now amounting to over £225,000. The City Council say they saw Pride's management accounts twice a year, a requirement of any organisation that receives council funding. Three of the Pride trustees in post during the last year have confirmed to Gscene the organisation did not keep management accounts.

Having looked through Pride’s paperwork, I now understand how they got themselves into debt. The systems in place didn’t stand up to scrutiny and the organisation was led by a paid worker who people had problems working with.

A new Pride organisation has been created in the last month.

The primary focus this year is on undoing the damage that has been done to the reputation of this community and raising as much money as possible for our LGBT and HIV voluntary sector organisations.

For this year’s event to be successful, everyone needs to be patient, hold their nerve, understand that a new organisation is being created for the community to benefit from and focus on fundraising for our voluntary organisations, before, during and after Pride 2012.

For once, everyone must put 'community' first and let the mealy mouthed platitudes of the chattering classes on Facebook and other social networks fall on deaf ears. Too many of those who use those mediums wouldn't know what an LGBT voluntary sector organisation was if it jumped up and bit them on the nose.

Stagfleet Ltd, owners of Revenge have agreed to underwrite this year’s event.

This is an amazing offer for any business to make especially when Pride has lost money for the last four years. Stagfleet Ltd have put their money where it counts,

DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON

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SIMON BURGESS

PAUL ELGOOD

WWW.GSCENE.COM

Paul Elgood, Chair of the Rainbow Fund Grants Committee, said: “This returns Pride to its original roots, as an income source for local LGBT/HIV community groups. I am delighted that £1 per ticket sold will go to the Rainbow Fund to distribute to local LGBT/HIV good causes. Following Pride, our grants round will open for applications without delay in October and decisions made just a month later to get this funding as quickly as possible to the local good causes who need it most. The application process is administered independently by the Sussex Community Foundation so the process will be open, accessible and fair. We have also ensured that the £1 per ticket is drip fed in advance of the event and held by the Sussex Community Foundation as the tickets are sold, so that the money is protected, regardless of rain, costs over-running or false promises, as we have seen before."

Simon Burgess, Chair of Sussex Beacon, commented: “This is the best news for Pride in years, the organisers have made a credible pledge to put financial support for local LGBT and HIV organisations beyond doubt. I do hope everybody will get behind this attempt to return Pride to being the viable community supporting event that we all want it to be.”

Dean Parker of Wilde Ones who produced Pride on Preston Park till 2009 has been appointed to provide all production for this year’s event, while Select Security will provide the security requirements. The Wild Fruit Dance Tent, Line Dancing Tent and Girls On Top Tents are returning to the park.

Legends returns to the park as sponsors of the cabaret tent and invitations has been extended to Lunch Positive, Calabash and The Women’s Performance Tent organisers to come back onto the park after their absence last year. Paul Kemp and Dulcie Danger will be programming the music on the park and Stephen Richards aka Lola Lasagne will be running the cabaret tent.

Please direct all enquires about Pride 2012 to 01273 257 225.

on the table. Good luck to them and I hope they get the support they deserve from the wider LGBT community for this gesture.

Paul Kemp owner of the Wild Fruit brand is back on board and in partnership with DJ Dulcie Danger will be programming the music on the park and bringing their creative skills to the table. Paul was an original partner of Brighton Pride fifteen years ago. He was there from the start and was thrown off the park because he asked to see Pride’s accounts before handing over £72,000 for the bars concession in 2010. If Paul had been shown the accounts when he asked Pride would not have been able to run up further debts last year.

Invitations have been issued to Lunch Positive, The Women's Performance Tent organisers and Calabash to return to the park and help return Pride to its place as the premier LGBT Pride in the UK. Legends are back sponsoring the Cabaret Tent and all the traditional attractions will be appearing on the park.

In fact, with Stephen Richards aka Lola Lasagne organising the programming of the Pride Cabaret Tent, the package is almost the same that was created by David Harvey, the last Chair of Pride Chair who managed to organise a Pride that made a profit and distributed money to our groups and organisations.

THE GOLDEN HANDBAG AWARDS This year’s Golden Handbag Show takes place at the Brighton Metropole Hotel on Sunday, June 17, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets go on sale from April 1 and cost £17 each. There are a limited number of pre-booked tables of 12 for groups and businesses costing £204 which will be released on a first come first served basis. To book your premier table call 01273 722 457 or email: info@gscene.com If you are not on one of the Premier Tables, unreserved single tickets can be purchased from Prowler, St James’ Street for cash only. Prowler are not charging a handling fee for this service.

The event will be hosted with military precision once again by Lola Lasagne and the line-up of artists appearing will be announced in next month’s Gscene.

All profits from the evening will be donated to the Rainbow Fund for distribution to LGBT organisations through the Sussex Community Foundation grants programme.

Voting will commence in May at a launch night in Charles Street Bar. Once again, this year the categories will be adjusted to include recognition of LGBT voluntary sector organisations, LGBT social groups including choirs and sports groups and individuals who make a contribution to the LGBT scene in Brighton & Hove. The top five votes in each category will appear as nominations on the night and the top two in each category will receive framed awards on the night.

BRIGHTON BEARS WEEKEND SCHEDULE

This year’s Brighton Bears Weekend takes place Fri, June 29–Sun, July 1. Priority Wristbands cost just £5 for you to enjoy all the promotions. You can pre-order online and collect at registration on the first night.

Limited edition t-shirts are available to pre-order for the special price of £12. This year the Bears are fundraising for the Rainbow Fund. Legends are offering weekend Hotel Package deals: stay Friday–Monday and get Sunday at half price (book with Matt @ Legends). Prowler in St James’ Street are offering special discounts for everyone with wristbands. Watch the Bears’ website and Facebook page for more event details and discount offers!

FRIDAY JUNE 29

BEAR SAUNA - If you fancy a sweaty time The Brighton Sauna is open 24 hours right through from Friday to Monday morning! Entrance £10 (usually £15) discount only available with wristbands, weekend passes available.

8pm-midnight: 112 Church Street: welcome night and registration; meet your hosts and collect your wristbands and t-shirts. Blind Date hosted by MysTerry, with prizes to be won. Cabaret follows.

11pm: The Bear Cave at Subline, St James’ Street: pole dancing and Go-Go Bears. Enter the subterraneous cave and join the furry fun with DJs Screwpulous and Itopia: £3 members, £5 guests.

Carry on the party at Bulldog, open 24 hours.

SATURDAY JUNE 30

Most importantly we need to redefine what a 'Community Pride' actually is.

Once you accept that you are going to be charged to get into the event, the most important thing is that organisers concentrate on making fundraising for our voluntary sector organisations the focus of all their efforts. That is surely what a ‘Community Pride’ should be.

11am: Breakfast Bears at Cornels, St James’ Street.

2-4pm: Big Bear Picnic in Queens Park: Lunch Positive are setting up a mobile cafe or bring your own picnic and graze in the park.

3-6pm: Nudist Beach for those who Dare to Bare! (weather permitting).

6pm: Social at Camelford Arms.

8pm: T-Dance downstairs at Legends, Marine Parade. Exclusive For Party Bears with DJ Neil Borrett, £2.50 drinks till 11pm (exc doubles/wine) and Taster promotion - Stop the Bear and Try One! Party the night away on both floors. Carry on the party at Bulldog, open 24 hours.

Events have proved that using the charity model to run a Pride was not effective. The time has come for the businesses in Brighton & Hove who make their living from LGBT people to show leadership and through this new ‘not for profit, community interest company’ help bring some respect back into the community that gives them their living. I salute everyone who brings their skills and time to table. JL

Noon till sold out: Big Dave's Sunday Roast at The Camelford Arms.

Alternative Sunday Roast at The A Bar, Marine Parade.

4pm: Street Bears Party in Camelford Street, free buffet with a raffle and auction.

Some great lots will be auctioned off in aid of the Rainbow Fund.

9pm: Bubble Bears at Subline, St.James’ Street for a frothy time!

Visit www.brightonbearweekender.com for more info.

SUNDAY JULY 1

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DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON

ROW OVERSHADOWS SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC MEETING OF LGBT COMMUNITY SAFETY FORUM WWW.GSCENE.COM

Asked for an explanation as to why the Partnership Community Safety Team did not attend the meeting the police and council issued a joint statement saying: “The LGBT Community Safety Forum started largely as a police liaison meeting. There were a number of police at the meeting last night including the Divisional Commander. The police are part of the PCST. The PCST fully support the forum and see it as an excellent additional means to work with the LGBT community”

In his speech Cllr Randall thanked the Safety Forum Chair, Chris Cooke, for reviving the Safety Forum which had been dormant for five years and endorsed the two main proposals developed by the forum's chair; to set up a dedicated phone line to report LGBT hate crime and make Brighton & Hove the UK's first zero tolerant city for LGBT hate crime.

CLLR GILL MITCHELL

A question from Gscene magazine asking who pays the wages of the police officers who attended the meeting went unanswered by Brighton & Hove City Council.

GEOFFREY THEOBALD

The first public meeting of the LGBT Community Safety Forum at the Queens Hotel on March 19 was overshadowed by the non appearance of a representative from the Partnership Community Safety Team, (PCST), the city wide organisation that deals with the Council's response to all forms of Hate Crime. Leader of the Council, Bill Randall, was unable to explain when questioned why there was no representative from the council's own PCST team at the meeting. He however dismissed suggestions the council's team were boycotting the event.

Division Commander, Graham Bartlett, reinforced Sussex Police's commitment to investigating all LGBT hate crimes and Sergeant Alex Evans who heads up the work of the LGBT police liaison team, gave an explanation of the activities of the officers in his hate crime team.

BILL RANDALL

JAMES LEDWARD

The PCST came out of the Count Me In Too research very poorly. During recent years they refused to work with, except through council lawyers, Spectrum, the LGBT community organisation who led on Community Safety. This ultimately led to the demise of Spectrum.

Cllr Bill Randall, said: “I am grateful to the Brighton & Hove Police force for all their efforts to deal with and prevent LGBT hate crime. The police LGBT liaison officer is also looking at how training might improve the way the police record LGBT hate crime, particularly in the case of trans hate incidents. I recently met representatives from the trans community who told me about the growing levels of abuse and violence they face. It is one of many areas where we need to do more work.”

Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative Group said: “It is unfortunate that the organisers of the new LGBT Community Safety Forum have not approached me to talk about, or seek support for, their new initiative at any stage or indeed, to invite me to the launch. It is therefore very difficult for me to comment on the detail of this but, in principle, I fully support any new initiative to crack down on hate crime against the LGBT community in the city. However, I would hope that the new Forum will work closely with the existing Partnership Community Safety Team which is already doing excellent work in this area."

James Ledward, editor of Gscene magazine said: “It has taken five years to build enough confidence within the LGBT community to want to get round the table with the police and council again to discuss community safety issues. If both organisations want to try and rewrite history, so be it.

“For the record the LGBT Safety Forum was created after Sussex Police hosted a national police LGBT conference in Brighton in the late 1990s at the Dome and invited no local LGBT organisations. Local LGBT people were very angry and representatives from LGBT organisations and businesses met in Brighton Town Hall during the conference weekend and the Forum was formed and funded by Brighton & Hove Council.

Dr Kath Brown, the academic who produced the Count Me In Too research revisited the findings of the Community Safety aspect of the project and suggested that rather than redo the original survey to find out if there had been any improvements, rather, revisit the findings and recommendations and see what changes had been implemented by both Council and Police in the last three years.

Chris Cooke, Chair of the LGBT Safety Forum said: “I’m delighted that the first public meeting of the LGBT Forum was a great success and my thanks go to the guest panelists who I thought did an excellent job. It was great news that our two proposals of a 'city-wide zero tolerance zone' and a 'dedicated phone line for the reporting of LGBT hate crime' have been fully endorsed by the leader of the council and the head of the police and will be implemented shortly. There's a great deal to do, but with the support of the council, police and the LGBT community as a whole I know the forum can make some real improvements in the area of community safety and in particular tackling hate crime.

“It was however disappointing to note that the Partnership Community Safety Team have yet to engage with the new forum, despite numerous invitations over the last few months. I had hoped that all agencies would collaborate in the new safety forum, and it will only be successful if we all work together, let's hope that they take an active role in the months ahead.”

Gill Mitchell, leader of the Labour Group said: “We welcome any initiative that seeks to highlight the safety concerns among the city’s LGBT community that campaigns for greater awareness and action on their behalf.”

“In the TPI bid to the Home Office for funding for the Anti Victimisation Initiative the council and the police were identified as equal ‘separate’ partners along with the Racial harassments Forum, The Women's Refuge, the LGBT Safety Forum and the Probation Service.

“The LGBT Safety Forum was closed down because the council were happy to work with an incoming chair of the LGBT Forum who was a transphobe and the council allowed the transphobic Chair to interview a trans person for his jobs with the LGBT Forum.

“This method of engaging in community development work is dysfunctional in nature and crucially, damaging to a community that is now on its knees through the collapse of Pride after the city council failed to scrutinise the activities of the previous organisers. Until the council stops its methods of divide and rule when dealing with LGBT organisations the community at large will never trust the institution or those who work for it.

“After all the main discussion at the first public meeting of the LGBT Safety Forum on Wednesday night was how to find a mechanism for measuring increases in trust and confidence between not only between the police and the LGBT community but also the council and the LGBT community at large.

“It is becoming clear to me that the council don’t want any sort of mechanism established that might indicate the true position.”

DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON

HARRY DERBIDGE

STONEWALL WALK LAUNCH

JANE HAZLEGROVE

Stonewall's annual 10k Equality Walk takes place in Brighton on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 6. Celebrity walkers this year include the Stonewall Entertainer of the Year 2011 and Casualty actress Jane Hazlegrove, plus The Only Way is Essex star Harry Derbidge. The top fundraiser on the day will win a luxury weekend for two in Paris. This year's Stonewall Brighton Equality Walk builds on the success of last year’s walk which attracted a record 500 walkers and raised over £50,000.

This year’s walk is supported by American Express with media partners Square Peg Media, and is raising funds for Stonewall’s Education for All programme.

Registration for the walk costs just £10, which includes a goodie bag and special edition t-shirt for all walkers. Participants simply need to raise more than the registration fee and there are prizes for the top fundraising individual and groups.

Following a picnic at noon, the Equality Walk starts from Pavilion Gardens at 2pm and winds through the heart of Brighton, visiting the Laines and the seafront.

A prize giving ceremony takes place at the Honey Club at 4pm where everyone will get a free glass of champagne.

Research shows that nine in ten secondary school teachers say children and young people currently experience anti-gay bullying in their schools, regardless of their sexual orientation. Three quarters of primary school teachers hear "that’s so gay" or "you’re so gay" in school, yet nine in ten teachers report that they have never received any specific training on how to tackle this behaviour.

For more information or to register go to: www.equalitywalk.org.uk Or telephone: 020 7593 1875

BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS

The final total raised by the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus for the Sussex Beacon at their Pull A Cracker show was £5,143.66. Eastenders actress, June Brown, comedians Zoe Lyons, Lorraine Bowen and Jodie Spencer joined the choir for a gala night at the Brighton Dome.

Chris Cooke, Head of Finance & Fundraising at The Sussex Beacon, said: “We are so grateful to the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and to all the fantastic artists and additional volunteers who gave their time and talent to raise this incredible sum which will go towards our Beacon Appeal. This was a truly memorable evening and we feel very privileged to have such invaluable community support – our thanks go out to all those people who made this evening possible!”

The next chance to see Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus will be on Friday 4 and Saturday May 5 at 7.30pm for their Brighton Fringe Festival show entitled Guilty Treasures at St Nicholas’ Church, Dyke Road, Brighton.

Go along and join the chorus in their search for the ultimate gay song.

Tipped as one of the “Highlights of the Fringe 2012″ by whatsonstage.com, the Guilty Treasures show is being arranged in association with Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard and The Abandoned and Destitute Children’s Appeal Fund. Tickets cost £12/£10 conc and are on sale via the Brighton Fringe Festival website: http://boxoffice.brightonfringe.org

BRIGHTON & HOVE'S MOMENT TO SHINE

VOTE FOR LUNCH POSITIVE AT WAITROSE CHECKOUT

Brighton HIV charity Lunch Positive has been nominated as one of Aprils charities in the Waitrose Community Matters scheme.

The scheme allows shoppers to choose three charitable causes each month to receive a share of a £1,000 donation from their store by voting after check-out.

Project Manager of Lunch Positive, said: “Please support us by casting your vote for Lunch Positive when you shop at Waitrose in Brighton during April. We are a service provided entirely by volunteers, and are seeing more people than ever before. Every penny raised goes directly towards supporting people with HIV at the Lunch Positive lunch club.”

Lunch Positive is every Friday, from noon–3pm, Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens. Lunch which is served from 1–2pm, costs £1.50. For more info: • info@lunchpositive.org • 07846 464384 • www.lunchpositive.org

JUSTIN CAMPAIGN NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR DISCUSSION PANEL

The Justin Campaign who campaign against homophobia in football are looking for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and LGBT people to contribute to a panel discussion at the JC Symposium: Campaigning for Change on their experience and perception of prejudice and discrimination in football on May 2. To register your interest please email Darren at: darren@thejustincampaign.c om Be prepared to explain why you're interested in contributing to the panel and what relevant knowledge, skills or experience you can bring to the discussion.

For more information about the Justin Campaign view: www.thejustincampaign.com/

The Olympic Torch Relay arrives in Brighton & Hove on Monday, July 16, and will stay overnight in the city as part of its epic journey to the Games in London.

Brighton & Hove City Council hosts Day 59 of the Olympic Torch Relay, with celebrations including a free evening event on Hove Lawns. Cllr Bill Randall, Leader of the Council, said: “The Torch Relay brings the Olympics into the heart of Brighton & Hove, and we hope as many people as possible will turn out, line the route and take part in the activities that are being held in many parts of the city. For many of us it will be a once-in-a lifetime chance to feel we are a central part of the Olympics.”

The Olympic Torch Relay enters the city at 6.09pm on Monday, July 16, arriving in official convoy vehicles. It will be transferred to the first of the city’s torchbearers at King George VI Avenue, Hove.

GAVIN OWEN

WALK FOR EQUALITY AND WIN A WEEKEND FOR TWO IN PARIS WWW.GSCENE.COM

COLIN BENTLEY

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Two local LGBT residents chosen to be torchbearers are Gavin Owen and Colin Bentley, both well known faces on the local scene. There are plenty of good vantage points to see the torchbearers make their way through the city and it is hoped people will go along and line the route, joining in this historic occasion.

Hove Park will be a top viewing point to see the Olympic Torch Relay soon after 6.15pm.

There will be a range of activities in the park during the afternoon organised by Same Sky who are also producing a fitting finale after dark in Hove Park with a dramatic Sky Dome show featuring video projections, shadow puppets and dancers.

In the early evening, torchbearers will run through Hove Park carrying the Olympic flame down to the seafront to the site of the main Olympic Torch Relay celebration on Hove Lawns. All events are free and feature music, dance and cultural performances as well as showcasing local talent.

On Tuesday, July 17 at 7.06am, the Olympic Flame will emerge from Brighton’s iconic Royal Pavilion to be transferred to the first torch of the day. The torchbearers will carry the flame to the edge of the city, travelling along the A23. The last torchbearer for Brighton & Hove will finish at the Deneway. The Olympic Flame will then enter the vehicle convoy and the relay will move on to the next location, continuing its journey to the Olympic Stadium.

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MindOut, the LGBT Mental Health Project, has been awarded a grant for 12 months the from Big Lottery to continue its work in Brighton & Hove. The grant is in recognition of the tough economic climate and its effects on voluntary sector services. MindOut has also been awarded funding to help review their work and find ways of becoming more sustainable. The funding is part of a Big Lottery Fund initiative called Supporting Change & Impact, which totals over £70m.

Helen Jones, Director of MindOut said: “This is great news and a huge relief to know that MindOut can continue to meet the ever increasing demand for our services. Our combination of advice, information, advocacy and peer support group work is effective, popular and growing. This year we have begun developing well being initiatives and we are delighted we can continue with a second Mindfulness Course.”

MindOut has provided support to over 500 people this year, up from 300 last year.

The Big Lottery grant covers about 50% of this work. MindOut is working hard to raise the rest and has a team of 25 runners in the Brighton Marathon in April. To support them please view: www.everydayhero.co.uk/mindout_7 For more information about MindOut’s work and how to contact them, view: www.mindout.org.uk or email: info@mindout.org.uk or follow on: twitter.com/mind_out

ALTERNATIVE PANTO RAISE OVER £3,000 FOR THE BEACON Brian Ralfe and Lee Tracey hand over a cheque for £3,569.34 to representatives of the Sussex Beacon, the proceeds from the collections at this year’s Adult Pantomime in February.

LGBT SWITCHBOARD NEED NEW COUNSELLORS AND TRUSTEES

Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard have settled into their new offices at Community Base on Queens Road, Brighton, and are now seeking a trans identified qualified counsellor as well as two male qualified counsellors to complement its team and meet the needs of the counselling service’s clients. There is a genuine occupational requirement that these positions are specifically for a trans identified counsellor and two male gay or bisexual counsellors. The deadline for completed applications is April 13.

The counselling service provides 12 weeks counselling to anyone who identifies as LGBT or is unsure of their gender or sexual identity, as well as to anyone affected by these issues including families and friends. The counsellors work with a whole range of issues that don’t necessarily have to be related to the client’s identity, so if you want a LGBT identified counsellor for any difficulty give them a call.

LGBT Switchboard is also seeking trustees to help steer the organisation through a key period of consolidation and development. They are looking for trustees to complement the existing board who will support these developments, have an understanding of the needs of the LGBT community and share the charity’s values.

The current lead trustee and treasurer will complete their term next year and they are seeking trustees who may be suitable to replace them as well as other trustees.

Applications are invited from individuals who have leadership qualities, experience in equality issues, experience of the community and voluntary sector, and those who have a background at a senior level in any of the following: Development & strategic planning; Finance; Business management; HR; PR & fundraising; Counselling; Charity Law. For more information or to have an informal chat before applying contact Natalie Woods (Services and Development Manager) on 01273 234009, email: brighton.manager@switchboard.org.uk or Mark Elsworth on 07808 738431, email: mark.elsworth@hotmail.com Switchboard would like to thank the LGBT community for its continued support and for the generous donations and pledges they’ve received in the last 6 months. Their ongoing financial position remains fragile and they welcome any offers of help.

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BRIGHTON CHARITY WINNERS OASIS PROJECT TAKE TO THE SKY Adam Bailey, owner of the Brighton FOR WOMEN Sauna flew two lucky prize winners to

Brighton Oasis Project, a local service providing support to women involved in substance misuse, are hoping to encourage more lesbian and bisexual women to attend their weekly Open Access drop-ins.

In 2007, Stonewall carried out a survey of 6,000 lesbian and bisexual women, which found that one in 10 had taken cocaine, and that they were five times more likely to have taken drugs than heterosexual women.

Taking these results into account, Jo-Anne Walsh, Director of Brighton Oasis, believes that Oasis’ services must be inclusive to all women in the city.

She said: “We are really keen to ensure our services are accessible to all women in the city. Studies show illicit drug use among LGBT groups is higher than among their heterosexual counterparts.

We can discuss with you the problems drugs and alcohol might be causing in your life and help you to decide what you would like to do about it.”

The Open Access Service aims to improve relationships, confidence, parenting and general health and well-being through discussing the individuals’ substance misuse as well as other issues, such as housing, debt, domestic violence and sexual health.

Women can attend as many appointments as needed and are encouraged to enter into structured treatment when they are ready.

Attendance is completely free and appointments are offered four afternoons a week: Mon, Tue, Wed & Fri from 1.15–3.15pm.

If you would like to attend, please either drop in or call 01273 69670.

Crèche facilities are provided.

Brighton Oasis is based on 22 Richmond Place, Brighton, BN2 9NA (opposite St Peter’s Church).

Bailiff’s Court Hotel and Health Spa in Arundel by helicopter for lunch last month.

The prize worth over £600 was donated by Adam on behalf of the Brighton Sauna at the THT charity night at the sauna last year.

Alan and Laurie had a superb day out, and thoroughly enjoyed the flight.

ADAM, ALAN & LAURIE

BIG LOTTERY FUNDING FOR MINDOUT

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They flew from Shoreham Airport, with Adam Bailey himself flying the helicopter.

The prize included the flight and lunch. The man who actually won the flight couldn’t go, as his partner is disabled, but they joined Adam, Alan and Laurie for lunch at the Spa.

THERE’LL BE LOTS OF BLOWING AT PROWLER THIS MONTH!

It only seems like yesterday that Prowler opened its doors on St James’ Street, Brighton, but would you believe it was seven years ago? As a special thank you to all of the customers and friends who have supported the store over the years, Victor and his naughtly helpers are throwing a party day on Friday, April 13. If you think “lucky seven” and Friday 13 is an odd combination, worry not. There will be some lovely treats on offer all day; everything (except sale items and club tickets) will be reduced by 15% all day!

Pop along, grab a bargain and some birthday cake (maybe help them blow out the candles) and enjoy! Prowler Brighton is at 112-113 St James’ Street, BN2 1TH. Tel: 01273 683 680.

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Over 1,200 students from all over the UK visited Brighton between February 24-26 for National Student Pride, the annual LGBT student festival which is now in its eighth year. Following registration at Charles Street on Friday 24, students moved on for a pre-Pride party at Revenge. On Saturday 25, the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Anne Meadows officially opened the event at the Corn Exchange and welcomed the students to Brighton. Letters of support were received from Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, his deputy Nick Clegg MP and leader of the opposition Ed Miliband MP while Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion and leader of the Green Party sent a video message. Brighton & Hove Gay Men's Chorus provided the entertainment.

In his letter, David Cameron MP, said: “As you gather in Brighton, I hope you will reflect on the role each of you can play in bringing about change in your communities. Role models are hugely important when tackling homophobia – that’s why I was delighted when earlier this month the clubs in the Premiership signed up to the government's Charter to Tackle Homophobia and Transphobia in Sport.

Homophobia can prevent people from realizing their dreams and we cannot allow prejudice to prevail. Everyone has a voice and collectively we must challenge unacceptable behaviour and attitudes."

Homophobia in sport was a reoccurring theme throughout the event. The Question Time style debate featured the first ‘out’ NBA gay basketball player, John Ameachi and international cricketer Steven Davies. BBC newscaster Jane Hill, actress Sophie Ward, Dan Gillespie lead singer of The Feeling, Human Rights Campaigner Peter Tatchell and gay soldier James Wharton completed the debate’s line-up which was chaired by Matthew Todd, editor of Attitude Magazine.

MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE

MY TRANSSEXUAL SUMMER

DEBATE PANELISTS

POLITICAL LEADERS SEND MESSAGES OF SUPPORT TO STUDENT PRIDE

Other highlights in the free daytime festival included live music on the women’s stage, information stalls from national charities and companies and an appearance from the cast of the Channel 4 hit show My Transsexual Summer. There was also a debate Gay and Black And Here To Stay by asylum seekers from Movement for Justice and Benjamin Cohen (Channel 4 News & PinkNews) played and discussed his It Gets Better video filmed by Channel 4 to discuss the issue of faith and sexuality.

The evening’s entertainment started with the Scene Tour around Brighton’s gay venues before returning to the Corn Exchange for the Pride club night with girl band Stooshe, who after their performance hit the top 5 of the national charts with their single Love Me, featuring Travie McCoy. Afterwards the party moved on to Revenge and continued till 8am.

LESBIAN PERFORMERS CLIMB THE CHARTS WITH THEIR L PROJECT CHARITY SINGLE

The L Project is a collective of some of the country’s top lesbian performers who have come together to raise money for good causes.

Their first project, the single It Does Get Better, which was released in February, shines the light on homophobic bullying in schools. It’s a powerful, uplifting anthemic message to young people to hang in there as 'it does get better'.

The track features brilliant vocals from some of the country’s top lesbian singers including Scottish legend Horse, Georgey Payne and Emma Kavanagh (Greymatter), Sofia Antonia Milone (GeEkgiRL), Sandra MacBeth, Amber TaylorGroves (HeadsHearts), Mel Sanson (Kenelis), Nina McCann, O’Hooley & Tidow, Lorna Thomas, Leanna Goring, Juey, Jess Gardham, Amy Sutton (Neon Choir), Nicky Mitchell and Ella Chambers. The song has so far reached No 1 on the Amazon Folk Charts, No 11 on the UK Official Indie Charts and the official video has received 125,000 views on YouTube.

Over on their official Facebook, the group has almost 15,000 friends.

To view the video visit: www.thel-project.com To view Facebook go to: www.facebook.com/TheLProje ct All artists have donated their time for free.

Please support them and buy this brilliant single and just as important, watch the video all the way to the end.

SAME-SEX FLASH MOB IN MAIDSTONE

Organisers of an event which raised the LGBT profile in Maidstone at the end of LGBT History Month, used Twitter, Facebook and 'word of mouth' to gather LGBT people together in Maidstone Town

Centre on Saturday, February 25 to hold hands in the spirit of the Same-Sex Hand Holding Saturdays’ national campaign.

Twenty people answered the call, giving out Stonewall stickers and postcards. Actions were met with a great response from Saturday shoppers. Organisers Jo FrazerWise and Beth James, said: "We reminded everyone that something as simple as holding hands can be a powerful statement.”

NEW PROJECT FOR LGBTU PEOPLE IN WORTHING

Are you lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or unsure, aged 16-25, live in or near Worthing, and want to meet people of your own age? If so, Profile is a weekly LGBTU project for young people in Worthing.

The group meets every Wednesday at The Community House, 25 Dominion Road (by East Worthing Train Station), Worthing.

West Sussex. BN14 8JZ Go along, get involved, and meet other local LGBTU young people. You can chat, use the internet, play pool, food and soft drinks are available and everything is free.

For more information see website: www.blueprint22.org.uk or find them on Facebook or ring/text Amanda on 07713 564707 (all calls and emails are confidential).

GSCENE 15

DANCETERIA

Good news stories are sometimes hard to find but the news that Aeon Events / Wild fruit are back working on Pride with Stagfleet Ltd/Revenge (scheduled for September 1, 2012) is certainly one of them. The Aeon team have been busy planning some special events and pop-up parties for the coming months and it looks like being a very busy year ahead for the team who have also been hard at work developing two new all-singing, all-dancing websites that are definitely recommended viewing.

Aeon Events’ traditional Easter Bank Holiday Wild Fruit production party has been stalled this year due to the ongoing building and improvement works at its home venue Project (formerly Tru). The delays were unexpected but in the meantime Aeon are producing pop-up parties at some fabulous and unusual venues.

Brighton is in for a real treat this Easter Bank Holiday Sunday. Aeon Events have uncovered a true hidden gem for a very special pop-up party, Danceteria.

Tucked away in the city’s historic haunted lanes is The Font, a former temple with its interior laid out like a theatre giving it an atmosphere that just cries out for a special party.

Danceteria is set to evoke memories of the original Sunday Sundae @ Bar Centro, a party that single handedly kick started the vogue for Sunday partying that was imitated across the country and changed the way we celebrate weekends.

Hosted by the infamous Jonny Woo and Chrissy Darling, Danceteria also features DJs Affy & Ali (Go Bang) the ambassadors of disco, Queen Josephine (DSD Sunday Sundae), Kate Wildblood and Pete Hayward who will make sure the party swings with a ‘good times’ soundtrack featuring some of the happiest dance music you are likely to hear anywhere.

Jonny Woo and Chrissy Darling will start the fun from 9-10pm with a special mash-up set as only they know how. Make sure you’re there from 9pm to bag yourself one of the luxurious sofa seating areas and to take advantage of the great drink deals on offer. And it wouldn’t be an Aeon event without a generous helping of special floor shows, exotic entertainment and visuals with a huge helping of off the wall tongue in cheek.

Danceteria is followed by Rebel at the Haunt for all you dirty stop-outs! Don’t forget that Wild Fruit is also on the road this year with selected tour dates including a Wild Fruit party at The Triangle in Bournemouth on Sunday April 8!

NEW CLUB NIGHT IN WORTHING

Club Seven in Heaven at The Burlington Hotel in Worthing will be playing host to Easter-themed gay club night Resurerection on Saturday, April 7 from 9pm.

This ticket only event will be the inception of a monthly gay club night at the venue. Event organiser Duncan said: “Come down for our first gay Easter club night. We will have gay tunes, strippers, shots and bunny boys. We have limited tickets, and they're selling fast.”

If you fancy getting involved, the organisers are looking for hot guys with sparkling personalities for various positions; including hosts or bunny boys. If you're interested, email Duncan: info@dateband.com Tickets are £10 from: www.wegottickets.com/event/155027

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DAILY NEWS UPDATES ON

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MP SIMON KIRBY

Cllr Gill Mitchell, leader of the Labour & Cooperative Party in Brighton & Hove, last month called on the Conservative Party in the city to condemn the offensive remarks made by Conservative MP, Peter Bone. Speaking in the House of Commons last week, the Tory MP called the proposals for gay marriage “completely nuts".

Cllr Mitchell says that Brighton & Hove has a large LGBT community and these comments are deeply offensive and should be withdrawn immediately. Cllr Mitchell said: "I was horrified to hear a Member of Parliament talk about the proposals for gay marriage in this way. The LGBT community will be shocked and no doubt upset by such comments. That is why I am calling on Cllr Theobold to condemn and distance himself and his party from such offensive remarks" Leader of the Conservative Group, Geoffrey Theobald, said: “My understanding is that Peter Bone MP is objecting to gay marriage on religious grounds, not because he is a Conservative. David Cameron has made it perfectly clear that he and his government are fully supportive of gay marriage and, indeed, later this week he is issuing a consultation paper which will outline how gay marriage is to be made legal. If Cllr Mitchell feels so strongly about this, and to be consistent, perhaps she should also issue a press release condemning the Labour MPs who have joined the 'Coalition for Marriage' campaign to oppose the Prime Minister's plans.”

Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade, said: “As a long-standing campaigner on the issue of gay rights, I strongly disagree with my colleague Peter Bone on the specific issue of gay marriage. It goes without saying that I will continue to campaign passionately for equality in this area.”

Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven, said: “Peter Bone and I disagree about a number of policy areas, and the issue of gay marriage certainly falls into that category. I completely share the government's support for same-sex civil marriage, and I agree with the Prime Minister that the benefit to society of strong marriage vows and commitment are the same whether the couple is a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and a man.

“This government is rightly committed to advancing equality for LGBT people, and has already taken action to do so: allowing those religious premises that wish to carry out civil partnerships to do so, erasing historic convictions for consensual gay sex, and putting pressure on other countries that violate the human rights of LGBT people. The government will be consulting on introducing civil marriage for same sex couples shortly, and I call on my constituents in Brighton Kemptown to join me and the government in supporting the case for gay marriage.”

LGBTORY GROUP CORRECTS MP ON 'GAY MARRIAGE' INACCURACIES

The Conservative Party’s LGBT group, LGBTory, has written to Peter Bone MP to point out inaccuracies he made on the Sky TV Murnaghan programme recently. Mr Bone, who is the Conservative MP for Wellingborough, was featured on the show following his criticism of David Cameron’s stance on supporting the extension of civil marriage to include same-sex couples. During the programme, Mr Bone shared his view that same-sex marriage should be included in an election manifesto to give a clear mandate for such a change in the law. However, LGBTory have pointed out that same-sex marriage actually was mentioned in the documents which made up the 2010 manifesto of the Conservative Party. In a letter, LGBTory said:“During your appearance you made a forceful argument that you believe same-sex marriage should be included in a Party’s General Election Manifesto and claimed that no Party did that in the run-up to the 2010 General Election. However, we would like to point out that this is an inaccurate statement.” The letter went on to quote the relevant section of the Conservative Party’s Contract for Equalities, published prior to the 2010 election, which clearly states that: ‘We will also consider the case for changing the law to allow civil partnerships to be called and classified as marriage’.

Commenting for LGBTory, Chairman Matthew Sephton said: “The fact is that samesex marriage was explicitly mentioned in the Conservative Party’s 2010 manifesto documents and the Conservatives were the only one of the main three Parties to include it. The move towards same-sex civil marriage is being led by a Conservative Prime Minister and we will be working with him at all stages to ensure his wish to see this on the statute books by 2015 is realised.”

NEW GREEN LEADER ELECTED UNOPPOSED

'LOITERING WITH INTENT' CONVICTIONS TO BE REMOVED FROM CRIMINAL RECORDS

The Protection of Freedoms Bill will soon become law after completing its Third Reading in the House of Lords last month.

It includes amendments secured

by Stonewall which will also enable gay men convicted of ‘loitering with intent’ under Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 to have the convictions removed from their criminal record. Members on all sides of both Houses of Parliament welcomed the measures.

Stonewall Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill, said: “We’re delighted by this victory for 21st-century justice over 19th century morality. We know from speaking to many gay men that historic convictions for consensual sex are not only grossly unfair but that their presence on people’s records has dissuaded many men from applying for jobs or volunteering their time to good causes.

Stonewall gave evidence to the Public Bill Committee considering the Protection of Freedoms Bill on March 24, 2011.

HOVE MP BACKS BRITISH PUBS NEED YOU CAMPAIGN

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, is backing Hobgoblin’s British Pubs Need You campaign, which aims to encourage the Government to review the beer duty tax escalator which every year, increases the tax on beer by 2% above the rate of inflation, putting financial pressure on British pubs, many of which are cornerstones of local communities.

The British Pubs Need You campaign aims to collate 100,000 signatures to urge the Government to stop the beer duty escalator. The campaign has so far notched up nearly 25,000 signatures since its launch just a few weeks ago.

To sign the petition, view: www.wychwood.co.uk/byny

JASON KITCAT

CLLR GILL MITCHELL

LABOUR GROUP LEADER CALLS ON LOCAL TORIES TO CONDEMN PETER BONE'S REMARKS ON 'GAY MARRIAGE'

Cllr Jason Kitcat has been elected unopposed as Convenor for the Green Group on Brighton & Hove City Council from May 4, 2012. Jason will be joined by Cllr Lizzie Deane as Deputy Convenor (Internal Relations) and Cllrs Amy Kennedy and Phelim MacCafferty in a job-share as Deputy Convenor (External Relations).

Successful candidates will also be proposed as Leader and Deputy Leaders of Brighton & Hove City Council, to serve for a year from May 2012.

All candidates were elected by secret ballot, single transferable vote. An electoral college system gave equal weight to the votes of Brighton & Hove Green Party and the Green Group of Councillors in Brighton & Hove. Cllr Jason Kitcat, said:“I look forward to working with our new deputies to deliver a greener, fairer city. I will work for the people of Brighton & Hove with all those who share the hope of a better future.”

The new Green Leader, Deputy Leaders and Mayor will be proposed for formal election at the city’s Annual Council on Thursday May 17. The present Leader (Cllr Bill Randall) and Deputy Leaders (Cllrs Ian Davey and Amy Kennedy) will step down on that day, having served a year in post. Cllr Bill Randall has been selected by the Greens to serve for a year from then as Mayor.

A GAY COMMUNITY IN HANGLETON & HOVE?

Are you LGBT, live in Hangleton and want to celebrate events such as LGBT History Month and Pride? The Hangleton & Knoll Project is a neighbourhood community development project which has been working in the Hangleton and Knoll ward for over 28 years. They work with every section of the community and people from all backgrounds.

The project want to work with local LGBT people, their supporters and friends to set up a local LGBT group. The finer details will be up to the group, but early ideas include events and celebrations linked to Pride or LGBT history month and opportunities to have your voice heard on things about your area.

You’re invited to an initial meeting at Hangleton Manor on Thursday April, 19 from 7-9pm. Michelle Pooley HKP Trustee, said: “We are really excited about supporting LGB and T people to get together to share their ideas over a coffee, we’re a long way from the City Centre and it would be great to have some local celebrations and events.”

To find out more contact: Claire Sillence on 01273 821380 Or email: claire.sillence@hkproject.org.uk

GSCENE 17

WHY A DEDICATED LGBT MENTAL HEALTHCARE SERVICE? By a long standing MindOut service user For many people, the decision to seek help with mental health issues is the biggest single step they can ever take towards recovery, towards feeling comfortable in their own skin, and towards being a fully accepted and therefore fully functional member of society.

Central to this life-changing decision is the question of trust – trust that they and their problems will receive a fair hearing, trust that there will be no irrational prejudice against them, trust that their social situation will be fully understood not only by the health care provider, but by the other service users with whom they will have to interact as part of the health care programme.

Equalities policies and service user contracts promising good behaviour and outlawing discrimination against LGBT people look good on paper, but are unable to block the most common and most pervasive real world forms of discrimination – a form of obvious dislike and alienation that expresses itself eloquently through a tone of voice, through side-long glances, through the half-suppressed snigger, through the flicker of an eyebrow…

LGBT people know all of this – have known it daily all their lives – and they also know that there is very little they can do about it, or indeed expect well-meaning but straight mental healthcare providers to do about it on their behalf in a standard healthcare setting.

If talking about the treatment of broken legs, we could argue that LGBT people should not be so sensitive about the personal prejudices of people employed to care for them. After all, we can't expect everyone to like or approve of us, nor do you need a broken leg yourself to fix someone else's. But where this sensitivity is at the very heart of a mental health problem – where repeated exposure to social rejection has created over-sensitivity and high levels of anxiety – then it will often prevent a very ill and distressed person from seeking help in the first place.

At this moment in time, only a dedicated LGBT mental healthcare service run by and for LGBT people is able to project the trust needed to attract the anxious and vulnerable to seek help, and go on to help them into full engagement with society and the world of work. It would be perverse and unreasonable to believe otherwise; and in a city like Brighton, where LGBT people make up an important percentage of citizens, not merely unreasonable, but unfair.

How can we protect and improve mental wellbeing; both our own and in our community?

Effects Of Running On My Mental Health by Mike Gaunt I was never particularly good at sport and was often the last to get picked for any sporting team at school. When my doctor told me that exercise would improve my mental health, I didn't know where to start.

Having little confidence, I decided to give running a go. Starting by running to the end of my road a couple of times a week, I slowly increased the distance and frequency. I soon started to notice big changes, both in my mental and physical health.

Running still gives me a real sense of achievement, and has greatly increased my self-confidence. It’s now a big part of my life - nothing beats a tough day at the office than a run along the seafront to clear my mind and forget the stresses of the day. I’d recommend running as it’s low cost and allows your mind to wander and clear. It also gave me the freedom to build confidence on my own. The idea of joining a sports team or a gym whilst suffering with depression was

quite daunting! Today, training with a friend, group, or club is a regular social event for me. I find that running with others aids motivation. Equally, I enjoy running alone, and blasting out my favourite music really helps to distract from my daily worries and manage my stress. When I'm out running I set myself a goal - it gives a real sense of satisfaction when I finish, and often boosts my mood.

I feel privileged to be running the Brighton marathon for MindOut for a second year.

Training with the other 24 MindOut runners has been great fun, and we are all looking forward to raising money for such a great cause.

MindOut Marathon Runners Support Mike and the other 24 runners in MindOut’s Marathon Team. See them on the cover and above. To donate directly visit: www.everydayhero.co.uk/mindout_7

Mental wellbeing is a political and economic issue. The government now measures ‘happiness’ and wants to reduce the amount lost in sickness absence due to poor mental health. What follows is good advice on a personal level as long as your mental health is not too poor. This advice doesn’t allow for the devastating effects of prejudice and discrimination, let alone social inequality, poverty, loss of income, bereavement, loss of your home, isolation, struggling with addiction and any other circumstances which impact on our mental health. The positive encouragement can backfire if you find it hard to keep with the programme, which then carries the danger of failing.

The Five Ways A review of the most up-to-date evidence suggests that building the following five actions into our day-to-day lives is important for well-being. The Five Ways are great as long as you are not acutely distressed or incapacitated!

Connect: With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community.

Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be Active: Go for a walk or run, step outside, cycle, play a game, garden, dance.

Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

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Take Notice: Be curious, catch sight of the beautiful, remark on the unusual, notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling.

Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Challenge our prejudices about mental health: We can challenge our own assumptions, fears and prejudices about people with mental health problems. People’s mental health difficulties are very often made worse by isolation, and the rejection and stigma they experience from members of their communities.

Keep Learning: Try something new; rediscover an old interest; sign up for that course; take on a different responsibility at work; fix a bike; learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food; set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.

Talk about mental health: We could find out more about mental health and how to look after our own wellbeing and talk to others about it. We can take up opportunities to discuss mental health in our daily lives to help raise awareness among others.

Give: Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger; thank someone; smile; volunteer your time; join a community group; look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

Be political: We can get politically involved on behalf of our community, we can make our voice count by attending community consultation meetings and filling in surveys and questionnaires. We can lobby the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the council to put resources into community safety, LGBT accessible services, LGBT spaces, mental health promotion and LGBT community groups.

Support local mental health initiatives: We can support community groups and individuals working towards better mental health. We can spread the word, make donations, attend events and offer to volunteer.

We would love to hear your views, responses, opinions about mental wellbeing, the Five Ways and the Eight Contributions so email us at: info@mindout.org.uk .

MindOut We offer independent, free, non-judgemental advice, information and advocacy and we run a peer support group work service. If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised above or any other aspects of your mental health and wellbeing, please contact MindOut. Leave a message on our 24 hr confidential answerphone and an out LGBT mental health worker will call you back.

• Tel: 01273 234839 • email: info@mindout.org.uk • www.mindout.org.uk

MindOut Top Tips At MindOut we work to create a more mentally healthy LGBT community, by working with individuals, groups and the wider world.

We believe that mental health is a community issue, a problem of stigma, and most definitely political. We have devised some top tips for how we can all contribute to the mental health of our communities and those around us: Eight Contributions to a mentally healthy community Keep in touch: We can keep in touch with the people we know, especially if we know that they are having a difficult time.

Listen: We can try to listen well when people tell us about any difficulties they are having. We can look out for people who seem anxious or ill at ease. We can make sure we are open and supportive if people confide in us.

Stop stigmatising: We can stop stigmatising other people. It’s too easy to put people down who are different from us in some way: we behave and dress differently, have different values, are from different ethnic groups, have different HIV statuses; some of us are trans, some of us have plenty of money, some are on benefits etc. None of these are reasons to put people down. Stigma hurts. We need to think carefully about how what we say and do affects others.

Treat others with kindness and openness: Many of us fear rejection, or wrongly believe that any greeting or conversation with someone new will be interpreted as making a pass. Take a risk, acknowledge a stranger.

MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION, WHAT NEXT? Preparations are under way for a major overhaul of community mental health support services, bringing significantly better services for Brighton & Hove’s LGBT community and other groups who face an above-average risk of encountering mental health problems.

National and local research has shown that LGBT people are more likely to experience mental health difficulties including anxiety and depression, self harm and suicidal tendencies. They are also more likely to report poor experiences when seeing health professionals, and to prefer either LGBT specific services or those general services that have a reputation as being LGBT-friendly.

The overhaul of community mental health support services means that in future the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove will have: • Better online and face-to-face mental health information and advice • More outreach services working alongside other mental health services • Extra 1-2-1 and group support to help people maintain good mental health • Wider ranging day service activities to help people recover from mental illness • An improved range of employment support.

The changes follow months of review and public consultation by Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Brighton & Hove, which jointly commission community mental health services from local voluntary and statutory organisations. Around 450 people in Brighton & Hove, including a significant number from

the city’s LGBT community, completed a survey about proposed changes to community mental health services. A lively and interesting discussion with a MindOut group also provided valuable feedback and ideas.

Anne Foster, East Locality Transformation Programme Manager at Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, says; “The consultation confirmed that the city’s LGBT community is one of the top five in terms of needing extra support to access services.

“It also reinforced the importance of community mental health services in combating social isolation and keeping people out of hospital, the value and effectiveness of one to one and peer support, the need to improve links between services, and the need to provide mental health information and advice alongside general health information.

“We want to address all these issues in the plans that we have produced.”

Revised proposals drawn up after the public consultation were approved by the Brighton & Hove Joint Commissioning Board in late February 2012. Commissioning managers are now working on new service specifications for services to start in April 2013 as well as a transition plan to ensure that services users are supported fully throughout this period of change.

The papers approved by the Joint Commissioning Board are available online at http://present.brightonhove.gov.uk/ieAgenda.aspx?A=3311.

GSCENE 19

ANGER MANAGEMENT Gscene talks to Tanya Levene Tanya Levene has been a counsellor for 18 years, specialising in Gender, Sexuality, Identity and Anger Management.

She currently works at the Living Without Violence Programme running groups at MindOut, the LGBT Mental Health Project and various Children's Homes for men who have been violent or abusive in their relationships. She has a private Counselling, Supervisory and Anger Management Practice in Hove, and does 12-1 work, couple work and group-work.

Why have you specialised in Anger Management?

Through my counselling work it became apparent that anger seemed to be a reoccurring theme for many of my clients. They were struggling with how to manage and express their anger in a healthy way and I realised that a more specialist and focussed approach in anger could be beneficial and address directly some of these issues.

So what is anger?

Anger is a natural emotion that we all have. It is neither good or bad but it is what we do with it that makes it healthy or unhealthy.

Mild forms of anger may include irritation or dislike and more extreme forms of anger can include rage and fury. Anger is not only a feeling and a mental state but also triggers a physiological response.

The heartbeat and blood pressure increases and the more angry we get the less able we are to think in a clear way and make healthy choices. Anger can also be a secondary emotion which is a response to sadness, fear or hurt.

“the more angry we get the less able we are to think in a clear way and make healthy choices” Can anger be expressed in a healthy way?

Most definitely. We are often taught from a young age that expressions of anger is not OK. As children we were often punished (told off or smacked) or rejected (sent to our room or ignored) for showing anger (tantrums, shouting, acting out etc). Compliance and pleasing others was often rewarded and therefore we learnt from a young age that anger was not OK. This has left us as adults ill equipped to deal with angry situations and can lead to unhealthy suppression or unhealthy expression of anger.

Do you think the LGBT community are more angry?

Im not sure whether the LGBT community are more angry but I do feel they have more to be angry about. This can include homophobia, transphobia, coming out and hetrosexism.

There is so much about us that is denied, ignored or rejected by our own community and the rest of the world that you can imagine this can bring up a lot of unhappiness and anxiety. This can lead to a lot of anger and it is sometimes hard to know what to do with these feelings.

What should we do if we are angry?

It is very individual and it depends on what is making us angry, but I think that firstly recognising we are anger and acknowledging our feelings and where they come from is a good start. Knowing why we are angry and where it comes from allows us to consider what our choices are and find ways to deal with them in an appropriate healthy way.

Can anger help us?

Anger can motivate us and give us strength to make changes for the better, to stand up for ourselves and fight for equality if used in a positive way.

Can anger make us ill?

Unhealthy suppressed anger which we hold onto has been shown to have a negative effect on our physical and mental wellbeing. It can manifest in depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, heart problems, alcohol and drug misuse, self-harm, migraines and stomach problems like IBS. It can also lead to low self-esteem and confidence which can in turn lead to high risk behaviours.

Unhealthy expressed anger and angry outbursts can contribute to relationship breakdowns, loss of homes, jobs and children and at its worse can lead to hospitalisation, death or prison.

What are your top techniques for dealing with anger?

• Be aware of your anger rising • Stop, Think and Breathe • Listen to what others are saying • Take time-out • Recognise your feelings under the anger • Reality, check the situation • Identify any possible solutions • Take responsibility for yourself – avoid blaming and criticising • Avoid needing to be right • Get support or help

If anyone is interested in finding out more about what Tanya does please look at her website: www.bhcounsellor.blogspot.com

20 GSCENE

MINDFULNESS AND AUTOGENIC TRAINING

by Simon Ashbey In our 21st century culture there are more and more demands placed upon us in the work place and by our own expectations. The more pressure that is placed on us or we place on ourselves the more likely we may have to deal with the side affect of this - stress, anxiety and depression.

As a mental health worker and therapist people often come to me suffering from these; they are never too sure what came first – the depression or the anxiety, but they are inexplicitly linked.

Many consult their GPs; in fact as many as 30% of patients presenting in general practice are thought to have coexisting depressive, anxiety or psychosomatic disorders. More often the GP may focus on a pharmaceutical approach and offer diazepam or anti-depressants. These may help in the short term; even though there is growing evidence that suggests that anti-depressants have little affects on light to medium depression though diazepam may help with the symptoms it doesn’t help with the cause.

Stress management techniques are an alternative to the pharmaceutical approach and focus on the cause rather than the symptoms. These approaches help alleviate stress and anxiety, helping to foster a better frame of mind to aid individuals to cope better. They do this by focusing on the homeostasis of the autonomic system.

The term homeostasis is the body’s self-regulation of certain biological functions within a fixed range. The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary muscles such as the heart, lungs, digestion and the ‘flight or fight’ response - the cause of stress and anxiety. Most stress management techniques actively key into the body’s need for homeostasis.

Stress management techniques such as Mindfulness and Autogenic Training focus on helping the individual to be in ”the present”; it is when the individual is in “the present” that the body and mind can sort itself out – it’s as simple as that. It is our 21st century living that stops this. Today, most of us either live in the past or the future. We’re either thinking of things we should have done or what we should be doing. We seem to have lost the ability to enjoy the present. The past is nothing more than memories and the future is nothing more than expectations.

Mindfulness and Autogenic Training are very similar to each other and can be described as the Western form of meditation. Autogenic Training which I teach was first developed in Germany in the 1930s and was introduced in England at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in the 1980s. Autogenic is a Greek word meaning ‘originating or generating from within’ and once learnt it becomes a skill for life which can help to reduce stress and increase wellbeing. It is a selfadministered technique, combining simple relaxation with body awareness exercises actively reversing the effects of stress and developing a more confident and relaxed approach to life.

MORE INFO • For more information on Autogenic Training check out the British Autogenic Society’s website: www.autogenic-therapy.org.uk • Autogenic Training is taught at The Allen Centre, 60 Sackville Gardens, Hove by Stephen Ashby. Telephone: 01273 26 56 26.

• Mindfulness referral through your GP.

SUICIDAL DISTRESS – LGBT HIP INVESTIGATES

by Nick Douglas, LGBT HIP Coordinator The LGBT Health & Inclusion Project (HIP) recently ran a survey on the issue of suicidal distress, which Gscene helped us to promote. Only those who said they lived, worked or socialised in Brighton & Hove were included. For this special issue on mental health, we wanted to report some early findings.

• 78.2% strongly agreed or agreed that suicidal distress is a significant problem for LGBT people in Brighton & Hove (of 206 respondents).

• 75.5% said they had experienced suicidal distress, defined as feelings such as despair, worthlessness and hopelessness so that a person feels that they want to end their life (of 208 respondents).

• 48.8% had self-harmed and 37.3% had made a suicide attempt in the past (of 209 respondents).

• 46.3% said that between 1-3 people they knew had expressed feelings of suicidal distress in the last year (of 205 respondents).

• 84.4% said there was not enough information available to LGBT people in Brighton & Hove about the issue of suicidal distress (of 205 respondents).

• 59.9% said that it was important to them that agencies providing support to LGBT people who experience suicidal distress were LGBT organisations (of 205 respondents). When we asked about organisations used, MindOut and Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard featured strongly.

We are interpreting the results carefully but we've already been able to feed information into a recent NHS review of local mental health services, which concluded that more effort was needed to reach LGBT people with mental health outreach services.

We now want to look in more detail about what types of services people were using and what they said would help.

We will keep Gscene readers informed when more results are available. Many thanks to everyone who took part, the LGBT HIP volunteers and Gscene for promoting the survey.

22 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM HONEY HUSH & ALEX & RICHARD WELCOME PARTY @ A-BAR + BEDFORD TAVERN

APRIL

LISTINGS

A-BAR

ONE FOR THE DIARY: HONEY HUSH on Sat (7) is a 1950s vintage oasis with nautical visuals, unique cocktails and DJ Lonesome M and guests spinning vinyl r&b/rock & roll/rockabilly/swing from 9pm. Free entry.

REGULARS: Thur is COCKTAIL night from 9pm; buy one get 2nd half price. LIVE MUSIC every Fri from 9pm. Sat is Pre-Club music with drink promos and shots from £1.50. Samarithans (14) and HRH’s Birthday (21). Sun (15) the Brighton Marathon.

FOOD: served Mon, Tue & Sat from noon–9pm; Wed, Thur & Fri bar food noon–5pm & Thai & Tapas from 6–10pm; Sunday roasts served noon–6pm.

DRINK DEALS: Old Betty Stoggs’ Ale £3.20 a pint, all day every day.

OPEN: from 11am on Mon–Sat & noon on Sun. A Bar offers unrivalled seaviews, large heated terrace and screens all big sport events. Sauna closed. www.amsterdam.co.uk

TUESDAY 3 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 SUNDAY 1 underwear party 9pm BULLDOG Open 11am A-BAR Sunday lunch noon-6pm; open noon VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm ZONE Maisie Trollette 8.30pm; open 11am CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke 8pm; open noon Queens LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sunday roasts: MONDAY 2 112 CHURCH ST Open noon new chef noon-7pm; open noon A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; food noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: AQUARIUM Open 3pm 2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DJ Jaykey 11pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 9pm; open 12 DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; open 3pm BEDFORD TAVERN JB’s piano sing-a-long BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; LEGENDS BAR Open 11am BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon top bar: karaoke 9pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon CAMELFORD ARMS open noon

CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Cabaret: Dave Lynn 7.30pm; PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz For All: prizes QUEEN’S ARMS The Rag Dolls: karaoke, Vate 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm games & candy 9pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon- 8.30pm; food noon-2.30pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 6late; open noon 8.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch 12-till gone ENVY Studio 150: NUS party 10.30pm REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 11pm DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Monday VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm FUNKYFISH BAR open 11am Madness 9.30pm; open 11am ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Drag With No Name MARINE TAVERN Open noon 3.15pm; open 11am MARLBOROUGH Open noon WEDNESDAY 4 MARINE TAVERN Open 1pm POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas MARLBOROUGH Dame Amy’s Quiz 7pm; PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am 6-10pm; open 11am roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 6pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke: Kamp Kevin 9pm; open noon BAR REVENGE Open noon PROJECT 56 Cabaret: Krissie Du Cann REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 6- BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs 7.30pm; open 11am 8.30pm; open noon Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Son of a TuTu 6pm; Cookie Monstar 9.30pm; Betty’s Karaoke till 1am VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom Quiz ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes fundraiser for Sussex Beacon 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; 6.30pm; open 11am BRIGHTON SAUNA Under 25s night: licensed Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Local & unsigned bands & acts video screened all over the world 7.30pm; food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am

BEDFORD

EASTER WEEKEND: Starts Good Friday (6) with KARAOKE from 8.30pm. Sun (8) is the EASTER BONNET PARADE at 3pm, judged by the Mayor. The DRAG RACE kicks off 4pm, then karaoke and cabaret from 5.30pm, raising money for Sussex Beacon.

REGULARS: Sat (14) is the Grand National Sweepstake live at 4.20pm with bubbly.

The Perfect Sunday has Bloody Marys, free tasty treats, pianist JB at 5pm followed by Piano Bingo. Wed is WINE & WISDOM Quiz fundraising for Sussex Beacon from 9pm, with wine deals and, free snacks. OPEN: daily from noon–late.

BRIGHTON SAUNA

LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Q Factor 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Reggae night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am THURSDAY 5 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; cocktail night 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Easter Thursday: Guest DJs 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG 111 Hour Long Weekend: Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow Two Floor Easter Egg Hunt: hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open 12 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow 2 Floor Easter Egg Hunt: hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; open 12 POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Showcase: local talent show 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Sissy Sucks’ Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Peter Davies & Mark Hodge Show: piano & song; food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon

EASTER: Open 24 hours from 10am on Fri (6) to 1am on Mon (9); inc extra evening of 24 hour opening on Sunday. Ask reception for £5 weekend pass extension for the extra day.

REGULARS: Wed (4) is UNDER 25s night, drink offers, club music 7pm–1am, £5 for under 25s with ID, all welcome; Wed (11) is COCKS ‘N’ JOCKS at 7pm, mandatory dress code, £10 Jocks available at reception. Wed (18) is WET ‘N’ WILD fetish night at 7pm, fetish wear encouraged. BAR: The Brighton Sauna licensed bar is open every day: Sun–Thur from 11–1am and Fri & Sat from 11–2am. www.thebrightonsauna.com

PICS FROM ST PATRICKS DAY @ THE BULLDOG

BULLDOG

EASTER: 111 Hour LONG WEEKEND from Thu (5)–Mon (9): RELEASE on Fri (5) at 10pm with DJ Grant Knowles, DJ Lil Alex & karaoke on Sat (6) at 10pm, DJ V John at 9.30pm, karaoke at 10pm on Sat (7), DJ Grant Knowles at 6pm, karaoke at 9pm on Sun (8) and DJ Marcia’s GLITTER BALL at 10pm on Mon (9). Regular happy hours apply. Closes 2am on Tue. REGULARS: Mon is DJ Marcia’s GLITTER BALL with 70s/80s tunes from 10pm.

Mon (23) is St George’s Day Glitter Ball with happy hour all day. Tue (24) is monthly REGGAE NIGHT with DJ Micklos. Wed is RED LIGHT RUSH with DJ Marcia at 10pm. Thur is RELEASE with DJ Grant Knowles at 10pm. Fri is DJ Lil Alex and KARAOKE upstairs from 10pm. Sat is DJ V John at 9.30pm, KARAOKE from 10pm. Sun is DJ Grant at 6pm, KARAOKE from 9pm.

HAPPY HOURS: Mon & Tue from 3–7pm & 11pm–midnight; Wed from 3–7pm & 10pm–2am, drinks £1.50 when music vid plays; Thu from 3–7pm & 9pm–midnight; Fri from 3–7pm & all drinks £1.50 10pm–midnight; Sat from 10pm–midnight; Sun all day. Drinks include: pints from £1.95, double spirit & mixer from £2.30, bottles from £1.85 (Terms & conditions apply).

OPEN: daily from 11am–very late. www.bulldogbrighton.com REVENGE Girls On Top Maundy Thurs UV Party: GOT resident DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha + DJs Dulcie Danger & eSQUIRE; UV light, decor, facepainting, glowsticks 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am FRIDAY 6 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; live music 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Good Fri Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG 111 Hour Long Weekend: DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Good Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy, bunny boys, Easter Eggs & giveaways 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Krissie DuCann 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Good Fri Party: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Atomic: DJ Kool Hertz 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Fridazed: 2 floor party: DJs Claire Fuller in bar 8pm, Peter Castle in club 11pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm

POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Good Fri Cabaret: Maisie Trollette 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack & Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 69pm; open 11am REVENGE Freemasons Main Room Takeover with DJs Dulcie Danger & Alex Baker; upstairs DJs Patch & Ruby Roo 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Balls: DJs Screwpulous & iTopia + dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM Cheese: camp night; karaoke upstairs 10.30pm; open 4pm ZONE Cabaret: Janine 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 7 A-BAR Honey Hush: rock&roll with DJ Lonesome M & guests 9pm; food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Lee Harris 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Shot-tastic; open noon BULLDOG 111 Hour Long Weekend: DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Fierce Easter 2 Floor Special: DJs, bunny boys 9pm; food 12-7.45pm; open 12 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CLUB 7 IN HEAVEN@THE BURLINGTON HOTEL WORTHING Resurection: Easter-themed ticket only club night feat strippers, tunes & bunny boys 9pm

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 23

24 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM STUDENT PRIDE @ CHARLES STREET & ENVY, CHURCH ST + DANCETERIA

APRIL

LISTINGS

CHARLES STREET BAR

EASTER: The MAD COW EASTER EGG HUNT on Thu (5) over two floors with DJs, can you find Joan Bond’s golden egg? Good FRIDAY FIX (6) with DJ Leeroy dance/ funky house, bunny boys, Easter Eggs, drink offers and giveaways from 9pm. FIERCE EASTER 2 Floor Special on Sat (7), topless bunny boys and DJs playing house/dance, free b4 11pm, £3 after. Easter SUNDAY CABARET with Lola Lasagne (8) from 7.30pm. TRANNY ROCK & ROLL BINGO with Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate follows from 8.30pm. Bank Holiday Monday CABARET (9) with Laquisha Jonz at 7.30pm.

REGULARS: FRIDAY FIX with DJ Leeroy playing dance/funky house, free entry, cocktails £3.50 each or jugs £6.99 from 9pm. SUNDAY CABARET at 7.30pm: Dave Lynn (1), Davina Sparkle (15), All Mouth & No Trousers (22) and Sandra (29).

TRANNY ROCK & ROLL BINGO with Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate follows 8.30pm.

FOOD: served Mon–Sat from noon–8pm; Sunday roast (beef/chicken/veggie), £5.95, noon–7pm; 2-4-1 deals on all mains on Mon; gourmet burgers on Tue; pizzas on Wed. HAPPY HOURS: After work drink deals Mon–Sat from 5–9pm & on Sun after the show till close: pints of Carling, Fosters & Strongbow £2, main line double spirit & mixer £2.50, bottles of wine from £6.99. Drinks from £1 on Thur.

OPEN: daily from noon www.charles-street.com

SUNDAY 8 A-BAR Sun lunch noon-6pm; open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sunday roasts: new chef noon-7pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Easter Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey & giveaways 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Fundraisers for Sussex Beacon: Easter Bonnet Parade 3pm; Drag Race 4pm; Easter Cabaret & Karaoke 5.30pm; open 12 BULLDOG 111 Hour Long Weekend: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; top bar: karaoke 9pm CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast: free Easter eggs for 1st 10 diners 12-late; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch 12-till gone DANCETERIA@THE FONT Aeon Events present one Off Easter Special Pop-Up Party: DJs & hosts Jonny Woo & Chrissy Darling mash-up 9-10pm; DJs Mr Haywood, Go Bang, Kate

EASTER: The MAD COW EASTER EGG HUNT on Thu (5) over 2 floors with DJs, hunt for Joan Bond’s golden egg? FIERCE EASTER 2 Floor Special on Sat (7), topless bunny boys and DJs house/dance, free b4 11pm, £3 after. Bank Holiday STUDIO 150 on Mon (9), extra late closing, £1.50 entry, bottles & singles £1.50. www.charles-street.com Wildblood & Queen Josephine perform after + New York Go-Gos & exotic visuals till extra late DR BRIGHTONS Bank Hol Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Easter Sun Cabaret: Dave Lynn 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open 1pm MARLBOROUGH Dame Amy’s Quiz 7pm; roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 6pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Cabaret: Jamie Watson 7.30pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Sandra 6pm; Maisie Trollette 9.30pm; Betty’s Karaoke till 1am; open 12 REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top Easter Sun Foam Party: DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Alpha, Missy B, King K & Dulcie Danger over 2 floors 10.30pm SUBLINE Spume The Resurrection: Easter foam party, DJ N.U.D.E 9pm VAVAVOOM Easter Sunday; open noon ZONE Easter Sun Cabaret: All Mouth & No Trousers 8.30pm; open 11am

BULLDOG 111 Hour Long Weekend: DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; open till 2am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Bank Hol Cabaret: Laquisha Jonz 7.30pm; food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz For All: prizes 8.30pm; food noon-2.30pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Bank Hol Mon; open 3pm ENVY Bank Hol Studio 150: NUS party, late closing 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Bank Hol Mon Cabaret: Two’s Company 3.15pm; Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9.30pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Bank Hol Mon Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Easter Mon Cabaret: Drag With No Name 6pm; Betty’s Karaoke; open noon REBEL@THE HAUNT After-Hours Party REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 12 ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am

MONDAY 9 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm TUESDAY 10 BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 9pm; open noon A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm

TAMMY TWINKLE (27)

DAVINA SPARKLE 920)

CROWN & ANCHOR Open noon DR BRIGHTONS Easter Weekend Party: DJ Tony B 9pm; open 1pm ENVY Fierce Easter 2 Floor Special: DJs on rotation, bunny boys 9pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Krush Groove: DJ Kool Hertz 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club: DJs 7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame Amy 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Party & Bar Rush; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Trudi Styles 4pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food 12-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Resurrection: DJs Alex Baker, Fifilicious, Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; karaoke upstairs 10.30pm; open 2pm ZONE Cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am

ENVY @ CHARLES ST

CHURCH STREET

EASTER: Easter Sunday Roast (8) served from noon with free Easter Eggs for the first 10 diners.

REGULARS: FRIDAY CABARET at 9pm: Krissie Du Cann (6), Maisie Trollette (13), Davina Sparkle (20) and Tammy Twinkle (27).

FOOD: The £5 lunch menu served Mon–Sat and Richard’s Golden Handbag Award winning Big Sunday Lunch served from noon and Easter Sunday roast on (8).

DRINK DEALS: Mon (23) is St George’s Day with Bombardier Bitter for £2.50 a pint.

Check out the secret beer garden - it’s the perfect place for a drink and a smoke!

DANCETERIA @ THE FONT

EASTER: Aeon Events present an Easter Bank Holiday one off pop-up party DANCETERIA on Sun (8) from 9pm at The Font, a former temple with atmospheric theatrelike interior. DJs and hosts Jonny Woo and Chrissy Darling play a special mash-up set till 10pm, then it’s good time dance music with DJs Mr Haywood, Affy & Ali (Go Bang), Kate Wildblood and Queen Josephine, plus floorshows, exotic visuals and hot New York GoGos. £4 b4 10pm, £5 after. Early bird drink specials 9–11pm inc £2 bottles of Bud/Becks/ Sol; Smirnoff/JD/Smirnoff £2 and bottles of house wine £5.99. Danceteria is followed by after-hours club REBEL at The Haunt.

PICS FROM DR BRIGHTONS 3RD BIRTHDAY, MISS JASONS BIRTHDAY @ LEGENDS BAR + BASEMENT CLUB

26 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

APRIL

LISTINGS

DR BRIGHTONS

EASTER: Good Friday (6) PARTY with DJ Nick Hirst or Wayne from 9pm; Easter Bank Holiday Weekend PARTY on Sat (7) with DJ Tony B from 9pm; Bank Holiday HANGOVER THERAPY on Sun (8) with Bloody Marys.

HAPPY HOURS: Sun–Thur all day, Fri & Sat from 1–7pm: small Smirnoff & mixer £2.75, large £3.75, pints of Fosters £2.90, large wine £3.90; 2 cocktails £11 Mon–Thur.

Free game of pool every day with a round of drinks during happy hour.

OPEN: Mon–Thur from 3pm–midnight, Fri & Sat from 1pm–2am, Sun from 1pm–midnight. Check out the fab new refurb! www.doctorbrightons.co.uk BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8.30pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG Open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; food 122.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS The Rag Dolls: karaoke, games & candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 10.30pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am

THURSDAY 12 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; cocktail night 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon

DAVE LYNN SUN (22) APR

CERI DUPREE FRI 15 & SAT 16 JUNE

WEDNESDAY 11 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom Quiz fundraiser for Sussex Beacon 9pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Cocks ‘n’ Jocks: licensed bar, mandatory dress code, jocks £10 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; open 11am

CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Q Factor 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Reggae DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am

FISHERMAN’S REST

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sun (22) celebrates 4 years of SUNDAY CABARET LUNCHES with the delectable Dave Lynn and glamorous hostess Gloria. Enjoy a delicious 5 course lunch with coffee and entertainment for £21.50! Try their speciality slow roast belly of pork!

Food orders taken and served from 4–5pm, with show at 7pm. Bookings are essential, call 01273 323888 to reserve your place. Look out for the sensational Ceri Dupree who will be returning on Fri (15) & Sat (16) June for a pre-Golden Handbag Warm-Up Show.

LEGENDS BAR

EASTER: Easter Sunday CABARET with Dave Lynn on Sun (8) is at 3.15pm.

Bank Holiday Monday CABARET with Two’s Company (9) at 3.15pm; Miss Jason’s MONDAY MADNESS follows at 9.30pm.

REGULARS: SUNDAY CABARET at 3.15pm: Drag With No Name (1), Kandi Kane (15), Lola Lasagne (22) and Dolly Diamond (29). Miss Jason’s MONDAY MADNESS is now from 9.30pm. Friday is FRIDAZE over two floors with DJ Claire Fuller playing chart/retro in the bar from 8pm, and Peter Castle in the club from 11pm.

Shots £1.50, get in touch over Facebook when it’s your birthday for a free bottle of champers, ID required. Sat is Pre-Club with DJs from 7pm.

DRINK PROMOS: Mon–Thur from 5–9pm drinks from £2. Buy one bottle wine get 2nd half price, Mon–Thur till 11pm. Heated smoking area, free entry and all day sun-terrace.

OPEN: daily from 11am–5am. www.legendsbrighton.com DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Joan Bond, bar DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy, club DJ Ruby Roo 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Showcase: local talent show 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Sissy Sucks’ Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Peter Davies & Mark Hodge Show: piano & song; food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; Box Bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am

BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon-3am 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Maisie Trollette 9pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Atomic: DJ Kool Hertz 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm; POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; FRIDAY 13 open 11am A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas PROJECT 56 Pre-Club: u choose; open 11am 6-10pm; live music 9pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack & Karaoke 9pm; AQUARIUM Open 3pm open noon BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 6open noon-6am 9pm; open 11am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 REVENGE Lollipop v Mousetrap: DJs Alex floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Baker, Trick, Fifilcious & Ruby 10.30pm Castle in club 11pm SUBLINE Bear Balls: DJs Screwpulous & iTopia + dancing bears 9pm

FUNKY FISH

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (14) is OLD SCHOOL, DJ Delimentary plays funk/soul/ Motown/old school breaks/hip hop.

REGULARS: Fri is ATOMIC, drink promos, DJ Kool Hertz funky breaks/party jams/mashups/old school. Sat is KRUSH GROOVE with DJ Kool Hertz funk/rare-groove/old school breaks/ mash-ups. Entry: free b4 11pm, £2 after on Fri; £5 b4 11pm, £6 after on Sat. OPEN: 10.30pm on Fri, 10pm on Sat. FunkyFish Bar daily 11am. www.funkyfishclub.co.uk

PICS FROM LEGENDS BAR + BASEMENT CLUB

BASEMENT CLUB @ LEGENDS

FREE ENTRY to the Basement Club every night!

EASTER: Thur (5) is with guest DJs playing a mix of house/chart tracks. Sun (8) is Easter POP!CANDY with giveaways and DJ Jaykey playing recent & classic pop tracks.

REGULARS: Fri is FRIDAZED over 2 floors, DJ Claire Fuller plays chart/retro in bar from 8pm, and Peter Castle in club from 11pm. Shots £1.50, get in touch by Facebook when it’s your birthday for free bottle of champers, ID required. FUSION with DJ Peter Castle on Sat, house/chart sounds. DJ Lee Harris plays (7). POP!CANDY on Sun with DJ Jaykey, pop tracks till 3am. Wed is PULSE with DJs Ben Castle or Claire Fuller playing crowd pleasers all night.

HAPPY HOURS: Select drinks from £2 every Wed and special promos on Sun. OPEN: Doors open at 11pm. Legends will host your party from £150, call Matt on 01273 624462 for more info. www.legendsbrighton.com 11am VAVAVOOM Cheese: camp night; QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Auntie Robbie 4pm; karaokeupstairs 10.30pm; open 4pm ZONE Cabaret: Miss Jason 9.30pm; open 11am Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open 12 REGENCY TAVERN Food 12-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex SATURDAY 14 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; Pre-Club; Samarithans; Baker & Fifilicious; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & guests 10.30pm open 11am SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm AQUARIUM Open 3pm VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; karaoke upstairs BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 10.30pm; open 2pm 9pm; open noon-6am ZONE Cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm SUNDAY 15 BEDFORD TAVERN The Grand National A-BAR Full Marathon Sun lunch 12-6pm; Sweepstake: bubbly & live screening 4.20pm; open noon open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm BULLDOG DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke karaoke 10pm; open 11am Queens LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sunday roasts: CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon new chef noon-7pm; open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: food noon-7.45pm; open noon DJ Jaykey 11pm 112 CHURCH ST Open noon BEDFORD TAVERN JB’s piano sing-a-long CROWN & ANCHOR Open noon 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; 9.30pm; open 1pm top bar: karaoke 9pm; open 11am FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Old School Sat: DJ CHARLES ST Cabaret: Davina Sparkle Delimentary 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-club: DJs 7pm; open 11am 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 8.30pm; Sun lunch 12-7pm MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame Amy 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noonlate; open noon 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch 12-till gone POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm open 11am FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am PROJECT 56 Party Night & Bar Rush; open

MARINE TAVERN

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Tue is Nat’s Quiz from 9pm.

DRINK DEALS: Wed & Thur 7–11pm: pints of Carlsberg & Stowford Press £3, plus buy a single spirit and get the mixer free.

OPEN: Mon–Sat from noon, Sun from 1pm.

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 27

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND PARTY FRI 6th & SAT 7th DJs from 9pm FREE open till 2am ____________________________ HAPPY HOURS SUN–THU ALL DAY • FRI & SAT 1–7pm ______________________________________________

COME AND CHECK OUT OUR

NEW REFURBISHMENT

SUNDAY 8th APRIL

EASTER BONNET PARADE & STREET PARTY

Everyone is invited to join the

BONNET PARADE at 3pm with prizes awarded by the Mayor

THE DRAG RACE! at 4pm Fabulous CABARET from 5.30pm Followed by EASTER KARAOKE

Raising money all day for THE SUSSEX BEACON

30 Western St, Brighton 01273 739495

28 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM SUNDAY CABARET @ PROJECT 56, POISON IVY + ANDY’S BIRTHDAY @ QUEENS ARMS

APRIL

LISTINGS

PROJECT 56

EASTER: Good Fri (6) is cabaret with MAISIE TROLLETTE at 8pm.

REGULARS: Sat is PARTY NIGHT with bar rush. Sat (21) is the Queen’s Birthday Party with giveaways and drink deals. SUNDAY CABARET at 7.30pm: Krissie Du Cann (1), Jamie Watson (8), Spice (15), Maisie Trollette (22) and Dave Lynn (29).

Mon, Tue & Wed is KARAOKE at 8pm, win a £10 bar tab. Mon (23) is St George’s Day with happy hour prices all day and KARAOKE from 8pm. Thur is SHOWCASE, with local performers at 8pm. Fri is Pre Club, where you choose the music.

DRINK DEALS: Sun–Fri from 11am–7.30pm, Smirnoff, Gordons, Bells, Lambs Rum, Bacardi including mix are £2.99.

OPEN: Sun–Tues from 11am–11pm; Wed & Thur from 11am–midnight; Fri & Sat 11am–1am. The upstairs function room is free to hire Sun–Thur and for bookings on Fri & Sat, call 01273 623399 to discuss. Full catering facilities are available.

LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Kandi Kane 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open 1pm MARLBOROUGH Dame Amy’s Quiz 7pm; roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 6pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Cabaret: Spice 7.30pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Mary Mac 6pm; Lady La Rue 9.30pm; Betty’s Karaoke till 1am; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 2pm ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am

QUEEN’S ARMS

MONDAY 16 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 9pm; open 12 BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR food noon-2.30pm DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9.30pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open noon

EASTER: Easter Monday CABARET (8) with Drag With No Name from 6pm, Betty’s Karaoke follows.

REGULARS: SAT CABARET from 4pm: Trudi Styles (7), Auntie Robbie (14), Peter Davis (21) and Gilly Bee as Pink (28). Kamp Kevin’s KARAOKE & party tunes follows from 8.30pm. Sun is DOUBLE CABARET at 6pm and 9.30pm: Sandra & Maisie Trollette (8), Mary Mac & Lady La Rue (15), Davina Sparkle & Fabulous Flo (22) and Lola Lasagne & Kitty Litter (29). Betty’s Karaoke follows till 1am.

OPEN: daily from noon

POISON IVY

REGULARS: KARAOKE at 7pm from Mon–Sat, 6pm on Sun: week: Spice on Mon, Tue & Thur; Barbara Fella on Wed; Betty Swollocks on Fri & Sat, Mimbo on Sun. HAPPY HOURS: fun prices £1.99. 11am–7pm from Tue–Sun & all day on Mon. £2 Jagerbombs on Sun, £1 drinks on Mon OPEN: daily from 11am.

POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke: Kamp Kevin 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am TUESDAY 17 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8.30pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open noon BULLDOG Open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; food noon2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am

PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS The Rag Dolls: karaoke, games & candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 10.30pm VAVAVOOM U Choose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 18 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom Quiz fundraiser for Sussex Beacon 9pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Wet ‘n’ Wild Night: any fetish gear, licensed bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm

30 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM BAR REVENGE + GIRLS ON TOP & STUDENT PRIDE @ REVENGE

APRIL

LISTINGS

BAR REVENGE

REGULARS: SUBLIME SUNDAY Karaoke Queens with Smithy & Lou Bag at 8.30pm. Mon is QUIZ WITH LIZ with cash and boozy prizes at 9pm. Tue is KARAOKE UNPLUGGED with DJ Alpha & hostess Alpha at 8.30pm. Thur is Girls on Top Warm-Up, DJ Smithy plays pop/chart hits at 9pm. Fri is DISCO BOMB with DJ Alpha playing r&b/pop/party tunes at 9pm. Sat is KINKY CLASSICS with DJ King K playing funky house from the past 5 years. Revenge discount passes: Thur b4 11.30pm, Fri & Sat b4 midnight, and Sun (8) b4 11.30pm.

FOOD: The new chef cooks Sunday roasts from noon–7pm for £6.95.

HAPPY HOURS: All drinks (exc champagne/cocktails/doubles) from £1.99 all day Mon–Wed; £1.50 from 7pm on Thur; from £2.49 Fri–Sun; 2-4-1 cocktails 5–9pm Mon–Sat; Sourz shots £1 with drink purchase on Fri & Sat, try R-Bar’s new video jukebox.

OPEN: daily from noon–2am & till 6am on Fri & Sat. www.revenge.co.uk FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Q Factor 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Reggae with DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am THURSDAY 19 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; cocktail night 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm

BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Joan Bond, bar DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy, club DJ Ruby Roo 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Food 12.30-8.30pm POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Showcase: local talent show 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Sissy Sucks’ Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Peter Davies & Mark Hodge Show: piano & song; food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; Box Bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am FRIDAY 20 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; live music 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm

REVENGE

EASTER: Maundy Thur (5) is GIRLS ON TOP UV PARTY with UV lights, décor, free facepainting & glowsticks, DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha on level 1 and Dulcie Danger & eSQUIRE spinning house in Box Bar. Free with pass, or £5 or £3 NUS. Fri (6) superstar DJs The Freemasons play their signature house anthems with DJs Dulcie Danger & Alex Baker in main room; DJs Patch & Ruby spin camp classics upstairs.

Entry £5 b4 midnight, £7 after.

Sat (7) is KINKY RESURRECTION with DJs Alex Baker, King K, Missy B & Dulcie Danger. Free b4 11pm or £4 b4 midnight with pass; £4 b4 11pm, £6 b4 midnight, £8 after; NUS £3 all night, VIP card free b4 midnight.

Sun (8) is GIRLS ON TOP EASTER SUNDAY FOAM PARTY with the mother of all soap machines; plus DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Alpha, Missy B, King K and Dulcie Danger over 2 floors, shout outs/party anthems on level 1, house/electro in Box Bar. Entry £4 b4 midnight, £5 after, £3 NUS all night. Check out the Top 10 drinks for £2.50 all night.

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Fri (27) sees Italian mash-up/bootleg/remix DJ sensations The DJs From Mars take over LOLLIPOP with DJs Lee Harris, Alex Baker, Patch & Ruby Roo. Free b4 11pm with pass/VIP card/NUS, £5 b4 11pm, £6 after. Guaranteed queue jump tickets £6 from revenge.co.uk.

OPEN: 10.30pm on Tue/Thur/Fri/Sat, closed Sun (except 8), Mon & Wed. www.revenge.co.uk BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Davina Sparkle 9pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Atomic: DJ Kool Hertz 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH food 12.30-8.30pm; open 12 POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Pre-Club: u choose; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack & Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 69pm; open 11am REVENGE Lollipop v Mousetrap: DJs Alex Baker, Trick, Fifilcious & Ruby 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Balls: DJs Screwpulous & iTopia + dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM Cheese: camp night; karaoke upstairs 10.30pm; open 4pm ZONE Cabaret: Stone & Street 9.30pm; open 11am

SATURDAY 21 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; Pre-Club; Queen’s Birthday; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Shot-tastic; open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Krush Groove: DJ Kool Hertz 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame Amy 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Queen’s Birthday Party: giveaways; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Peter Davis 4pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food 12-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Fifilicious; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; karaoke upstairs

PICS FROM REVENGE

10.30pm; open 2pm I ZONE Cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 22 I A-BAR Sun lunch noon-6pm; open noon I AQUARIUM Open 3pm I BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sunday roasts: new chef noon-7pm; open noon I BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Jaykey 11pm I BEDFORD TAVERN JB’s piano sing-a-long 5pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon I BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; top bar: karaoke 9pm; open 11am I CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon I CHARLES ST Cabaret: All Mouth & No Trousers 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm I 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noonlate; open noon I CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch 12-till gone I DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm I FISHERMAN’S REST 4 years of Sunday Lunch Cabaret: 5 courses & coffee 4pm; Dave Lynn & hostess Gloria 7pm; £21.50, book 01273 323 888 I FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am I LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 3.15pm; open 11am I MARINE TAVERN Open 1pm I MARLBOROUGH Dame Amy’s Quiz 7pm; roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon I POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 6pm; open 11am I PROJECT 56 Cabaret: Maisie Trollette 7.30pm; open 11am I QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Davina Sparkle 6pm; Fabulous Flo 9.30pm; Betty’s Karaoke till 1am; open noon I REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon I SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm I VAVAVOOM UChoose: video jukebox; open 2pm I ZONE Carrie O’Kay karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 23 I A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am I AQUARIUM Open 3pm I BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 9pm; open 12 I BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon I BULLDOG St George’s Day: DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; open 11am I CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon I CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open noon I 112 CHURCH ST St George’s Day; open 12 I CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz For All: prizes 8.30pm; food noon-2.30pm; open noon I DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm I ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm I FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am I LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9.30pm; open 11am I MARINE TAVERN Open noon I MARLBOROUGH Open noon I POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am I PROJECT 56 St George’s Day Karaoke 8pm; open 11am I QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke: Kamp Kevin 9pm; open noon I REGENCY TAVERN Food 12-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon I VAVAVOOM UChoose: video jukebox; open 4pm I ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 31

34 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM SUBLINE + ST PATRICKS DAY @ THE ZONE

APRIL

LISTINGS

SUBLINE

EASTER: Sun (8) is SPUME RESURRECTION EASTER FOAM PARTY with DJ N.U.D.E, entry £3 for members, £6 for guests.

REGULARS: Fri is Bear Balls with dancing bears, DJs Screwpulous and iTopia play the hottest house/electro, £2.50 pints, free entry for members till 11pm, £3 after. Sat is THE FURNACE with £2.50 drinks, free entry for members till 11pm, £3 after. Sun is COME IN YOUR PANTS underwear party with DJ N.U.D.E. Wed is BACKLASH, retro tunes and prices, selected £2.50 drinks for members. Thur is LEATHERED with free lockers for those adventurously dressed.

OPEN: Fri & Sat from 9pm–4am, Sun from 8pm–2am, Wed & Thur from 9pm–1.30am. Closed Mon & Tue. www.subline-brighton.com

TUESDAY 24 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 1pm BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8.30pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG Reggae withDJ Micklos; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Brassic Tues; food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tues; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 MARLBOROUGH Student night; open noon POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS The Rag Dolls: karaoke, games & candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick 10.30pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 25 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pulse: DJs Claire Fuller or Ben Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Wine & Wisdom Quiz

fundraiser for Sussex Beacon 9pm; open noon BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST After work 5pm; food noon8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; live football; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Open Mic 8.30pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Barbara Fella’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Q Factor 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash 9pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Reggae with DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am THURSDAY 26 A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas 6-10pm; cocktail night 9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm Up: DJ Smithy 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am

CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thurs; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Joan Bond, bar DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy, club DJ Ruby Roo 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH food 12.30-8.30pm; open 12 POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Showcase: local talent show 8pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Sissy Sucks’ Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Regency Review: piano & song; food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 12 REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious & Alpha; Box Bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm ZONE Karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am

BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Lil Alex 10pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Friday Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Cabaret: Tammy Twinkle 9pm; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Atomic: DJ Kool Hertz 10.30pm LEGENDS BAR Fridazed: 2 floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH food 12.30-8.30pm; open 12 POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Pre-Club: u choose; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack & Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 69pm; open 11am FRIDAY 27 REVENGE DJs From Mars Lollipop Takeover A-BAR Food: bar menu noon-5pm; Thai & Tapas with DJs Lee Harris, Alex Baker, Patch & Ruby Roo 6-10pm; live music 9pm; open 11am playing pop, electro & mash-up 10.30pm AQUARIUM Open 3pm SUBLINE Bear Balls: DJs Screwpulous & BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; iTopia + dancing bears 9pm open noon-6am VAVAVOOM Cheese: camp night; karaoke BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fridazed: 2 upstairs 10.30pm; open 4pm floor party with DJ Claire Fuller in bar 8pm; DJ Peter ZONE Tony’s Karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am Castle in club 11pm

ZONE

EASTER: Easter Sunday CABARET (8) with All Mouth & No Trousers at 8.30pm.

REGULARS: Wed is Reggae Night with DJ Micklos at 8.30pm. FRIDAY CABARET at 9.30pm: Janine (6), Miss Jason (13) and Stone & Street (20). Tony’s Karaoke on Fri (27) from 8.30pm. SAT CABARET at 9.30pm: Sally Vate (7, 14, 21) and LUCINDA LASHES (28). Sun (1) is cabaret with Maisie Trollette from 8.30pm.

OPEN: daily from 11am

PICS FROM VAVAVOOM

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 35

VAVAVOOM

EASTER: Open from noon till very late on Sat (7), Sun (8) and Mon (9).

REGULARS: Sat is iKandi new night of club classics/floor fillers. YOU CHOOSE the tunes from video jukebox Sun–Thur till midnight. Fri is CHEESE with all things cheesy and camp. Upstairs on Fri & Sat is KARAOKE night from 10.30pm. Outdoor seating.

DRINK PROMOS: 4 Jagerbombs £10, shots £1.50, early bird deals daily till 7pm: vodka /rum/gin & mixer £2.50 sgl, £3.50 dbl, Becks/Bud pints £2.50, VK/VS/WKD bottles £2.

OPEN: Mon–Thur 4pm–midnight, Fri 4pm–2am (exc 6 till midnight), Sat 2pm–2am, Sun 2pm–midnight. Hotel rooms from £15pppn, call 01273 603010.

SATURDAY 28 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; Pre-Club; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ King K 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Shot-tastic; open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 9.30pm; top bar: karaoke 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Food 12-9pm; open 12 DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am FUNKYFISH CLUB Krush Groove: DJ Kool Hertz 10pm LEGENDS BAR Pre-club: DJs 7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open noon MARLBOROUGH Lick Me Up: DJ Dame Amy 9pm; food 12.30-8.30pm; open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Party Night & Bar Rush; open 11a QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Gilly Bee as Pink 4pm; Kamp Kevin’s karaoke & tunes 8.30pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food 12-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Fifilicious; Box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM iKandi: hot tunes; karaoke upstairs 10.30pm; open 2pm ZONE Cabaret: Lucinda Lashes 9.30pm; open 11am

112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noonlate; open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Cabaret: Dolly Diamond 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Open 1pm MARLBOROUGH Dame Amy’s Quiz 7pm; roasts 12.30pm-till gone; open noon POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke 6pm; open 11am PROJECT 56 Cabaret: Dave Lynn 7.30pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Cabaret: Lola Lasagne 6pm; Kitty Litter 9.30pm; Betty’s Karaoke till 1am; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Jerome’s Piano Lounge; Sunday lunch noon-5pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 2pm ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am

MONDAY 30 A-BAR Food noon-9pm; open 11am AQUARIUM Open 3pm BAR REVENGE Quiz With Liz 9pm; open 12 BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 10pm; open 11am CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST Open noon CROWN & ANCHOR Quiz For All: prizes 8.30pm; food noon-2.30pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR Open 11am LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Monday SUNDAY 29 Madness 9.30pm; open 11am A-BAR Sun lunch noon-6pm; open noon MARINE TAVERN Open noon AQUARIUM Open 3pm MARLBOROUGH Open noon BAR REVENGE Sublime Sunday: Karaoke Queens LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sunday roasts: POISON IVY Spice’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am new chef noon-7pm; open noon PROJECT 56 Karaoke 8pm; open 11am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke: Kamp Kevin 9pm; DJ Jaykey 11pm open noon BEDFORD TAVERN JB’s piano sing-a-long REGENCY TAVERN Food noon-2.30pm & 65pm; Piano Bingo 6pm; open noon 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG Main bar: DJ Grant Knowles 6pm; VAVAVOOM Uchoose: video jukebox; open 4pm top bar: karaoke 9pm; open 11am ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes CAMELFORD ARMS Open noon CHARLES ST Cabaret: Sandra 7.30pm; Tranny 6.30pm; open 11am Rock & Roll Bingo: Tammy Twinkle & Sally Vate 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm

36 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM THE HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH

SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH BOURNEMOUTH

BAKERS ARMS 77-79 Commercial Rd, BH2 5RT, Tel: 01202 555506 BAR VENTANA at CUMBERLAND HOTEL East Overcliff Dr, BH1 3AF, Tel: 01202 556529 www.cumberlandbournemouth.co.uk BRANKSOME ARMS 152-154 Commercial Rd, BH2 5LU, Tel: 01202 552544 CUMBERLAND HOTEL East Overcliff Drive, BH1 3AF, Tel: 01202 290722 www.cumberlandbournemouth.co.uk DYMK 31 Poole Hill Rd, BN2 5PW, www.dymk-bar.com SAUNABAR 140 Commercial Rd, BH2 5LU, Tel: 01202 552654 www.gaysaunabournemouth.co.uk 2930 THE TRIANGLE CLUB 29-30 The Triangle, BH2 5SE, Tel: 0845 496 2934 www.2930thetriangle.com EASY TIGER 27 The Triangle, BH2 5SE; open: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Tel: 01202 554195 www.easytigerstore.com XCHANGE 4 The Triangle, BH2 5RY, Tel: 01202 294321

PORTSMOUTH

HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD 1 Hampshire Terr, Southsea, Tel: 02392 297509 www.thehampshireboulevard.co.uk Open: Mon: 3pm-11pm, Tue: noon-1am, WedThur: noon-2am, Fri-Sat: noon-3am, Sun: noon-2am, cabaret bar and club OLD VIC 104 St Pauls Rd, Southsea Tel: 02392 297013

www.oldvicportsmouth.co.uk Open: Mon-Fri: 11am till late, Sat: 5pm-late, Sun: noon-12,30am. Tradition pub with regular cabaret, serves food.

TROPICS SAUNA 2 Market Way Tel: 02380 296100 www.tropics-sauna.com Open: Mon-Wed: 12-8pm, Thur-Sat: 11am9pm

SOUTHAMPTON

ENDEAVOUR 7 Simnel Street Tel: 02380 211879 Open: Mon-Thur: noon-11.30pm, Fri-Sat: noon-midnight, Sun: noon-10.30pm. Traditional pub hosted by Southampton’s original diva Miss Moss, always a welcome and great food.

ISOBAR 100c St Mary’s Street Tel: 02380 222028 Open: Sun-Tue: 2pm-11pm, Wed-Sat: 2pmmidnight. Modern bar, outside decked garden area, popular with younger crowd.

LONDON HOTEL 2 Terminus Terrace Tel: 02380 710652 www.the-london.co.uk Open: Mon-Thur: noon-11pm, Fri-Sat: noon12.30am, Sun: noon-11.30am. Friendly cabaret venue, serves food.

EDGE Compton Walk Tel: 02380 366163 www.theedgesouthampton.com Open: Tue-Fri & Sun: 9pm-3am, Sat: 9pm5am. Stylish club on 2 floors with 3 bars. Party till 5am on a Saturday night - last entry at 3am.

PINK BROADWAY SAUNA 797/80 East St Tel: 02380 238804 www.pink-broadway.com/sauna.html Open: Sun-Thur: noon-10pm, Fri-Sat: noon2am

SUNDAY 1 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 79pm; cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke till 2am; open 5pm OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE We Are 1: DJ Steve Francis 9pm LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 7.30pm; Lady James 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon

WEDNESDAY 4 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Goes Wild: camp tunes & shows till 2am; open 5pm OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm LONDON HOTEL Quiz 8.30pm; food noon3pm; open noon

MONDAY 2 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL Food 12-3pm; open 12

THURSDAY 5 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cheeky Pete, live PA Claudia Patrice & karaoke 10pm; open 5pm OLD VIC Karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big Gay Bash: GCHS fundraiser with Lucinda Lashes & Pete Kendall 9pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon

TUESDAY 3 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bomb It! 10pm LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food 12-3pm; open noon

FRIDAY 6 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cassidy Connors’ Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon

HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Get your armbands and life jackets at the ready on Fri (13) for the 100 Year Anniversary of the RMS Titanic from 9pm.

REGULARS: Thur (5) is Westie’s Easter Special with a live PA featuring Claudia Patrice from 10pm with karaoke, tunes, drinks from £1.50 and entry free till 11pm, £3 after. Fri is CONTROVERSIAL with Cassidy Connors, DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am, plus selected £1.50 drinks till 9pm. Sat (21) is COME AS THE QUEEN or A Queen for Queen Lizzie’s Birthday with prizes from 9pm. Mon is BAR 150 with DJs Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles from 9pm, £1.50 drinks.

HAPPY HOURS: £1.50 drinks till 9pm, including: vodka, gin, Malibu, Archers, pints of Carlsberg & Strongbow, bottles of VK & VS. OPEN: 9pm–2am on Mon; 5pm–2am Sun, Wed & Thur; noon–3am, Fri; 7pm–3am Sat. Closed Tue. Bring your party to the HB; ask at the bar for details and offers. www.facebook.com/pubhb OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food 12-3pm; open 12 SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJ Lady Bex & guests 9pm LONDON HOTEL Good Fri cabaret & tunes: DJ Miss Penny & Miss Jason 9.30pm; 100 Years of the Titanic; food 12-3pm; open 12 SATURDAY 7 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Party Night: DJs till 3am; open 7pm OLD VIC Open 5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 3 bars, 2 dance floors 9pm LONDON HOTEL DJ Lucinda Lashes & Saski 8.30pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; food noon-3pm; open noon SUNDAY 8 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 79pm; cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke till 2am; open 5pm OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE X Factor Finalist Johnny Robinson, hosted by Dermot Oh’Really & Stewart 9pm LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Easter Sunday Service 7.30pm; Drag With No Name 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon MONDAY 9 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am

PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon TUESDAY 10 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bomb It! 10pm LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon WEDNESDAY 11 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Goes Wild: camp tunes & shows till 2am; open 5pm OLD VIC Student Night 7pm; food noon3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon THURSDAY 12 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke; open 5pm OLD VIC Karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 37

SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Tammy Twinkle’s Karaoke 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon FRIDAY 13 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD 100 Year Anniversary of RMS Titanic: arm bands & life jackets fancy dress 9pm; open noon I OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some: DJ Lady Bex & guests 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Cabaret: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; Marking 100 Years of the Titanic; open noon SATURDAY 14 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Titanic Night: cocktail reception, dinner & themed entertainment from Diane James & Lea Martin, dress to impress 7.15pm; tickets £39.95, call 01202 298 350 for enquiries PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Party Night: DJs till 3am; open 7pm I OLD VIC Open 5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 3 bars, 2 dance floors 9pm I LONDON HOTEL DJ Tiny & His Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; Jacquii Cann 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SUNDAY 15 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 79pm; cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke till 2am; open 5pm I OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon

SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Same-Sex Dance Lessons with Stewart Bambrough 3-5.30pm; We Are 1: DJ Steve Francis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 7.30pm; Mandy Gap 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon MONDAY 16 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm I OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I LONDON HOTEL Food 12-3pm; open 12 TUESDAY 17 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bomb It! 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 18 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Goes Wild: camp tunes & shows till 2am; open 5pm I OLD VIC NUS Night 7pm; food 12-3pm; SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm I LONDON HOTEL Food 12-3pm; open 12 THURSDAY 19 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am

38 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM THE EDGE + THE LONDON HOTEL, SOUTHAMPTON

LUCINDA’S LUCKY NUMBERS (TUE)

SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH

EDGE SOUTHAMPTON

ONE FOR THE DIARY: X Factor Finalist JOHNNY ROBINSON takes to the stageSun (8) from 9pm with hosts Dermot Oh’Really and Stewart, entry £7.

REGULARS: Tue is BOMB IT! with £2 Jagerbombs, plus win a bottle of Jagermeister from 10pm. Free entry.

Wed is BAR 150 with DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s Karaoke from 9pm, all drinks £1.50, entry free/£2 before 10pm, £4/£6 after. Thur (5) is The BIG GAY BASH GCHS Fundraiser with Lucinda Lashes and Pete Kendall from 9pm, donations on the door to the charity. Thur (12) is Tammy Twinkle’s KARAOKE, win £50 cash from 10pm.

Thur (19 & 26) sees DJ Diamond take to the decks from 10pm, discounted drinks all night, free entry. Fri is GET SOME with DJ Lady Bex & guests from 9pm, entry £3/£5 before 11pm, £4/£6 after. Sat is The BIG ONE with resident DJs, 3 bars, 2 dance floors from 9pm, entry £3/£5. Sun (15) is SAME-SEX DANCE LESSONS with Stewart Bambrough from 3–5.30pm, £5 per class or £8 including entry into WE ARE 1 from 10pm. Sun (22) is camp night SCRUMPTIOUS from 9pm, entry £2–£6.

OPEN: Tue–Sun. Closed Mon. www.theedgesouthampton.com

PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke; open 5pm OLD VIC Karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE DJ Diamond 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 20 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cassidy Connors’ Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJ Lady Bex & guests 9pm LONDON HOTEL Cabaret: Dolly Rocket 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SATURDAY 21 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Queen Lizzy’s Birthday, Come as The Queen or A Queen 9pm; open 5pm OLD VIC Open 5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 3 bars, 2 dance floors 9pm LONDON HOTEL DJ Dazza & His Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon

SUNDAY 22 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 79pm; cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke; open 5pm OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Scrumptious 9pm LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 7.30pm; Lizzy Drip 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon MONDAY 23 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL Food 12-3pm; open 12 TUESDAY 24 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bomb It! 10pm LONDON HOTEL Lucinda’s Lucky Numbers: games & a sing-song 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 25 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar &

LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON

EASTER: Good Friday (6) with DJ Miss Penny & Miss Jason performing 9.30pm.

Sat (7) with DJ Lucinda Lashes joined by vocalist Saski. Sun (8) is Dolly Partem’s Easter SUNDAY SERVICE at 7.30pm; Drag With No Name performs from 9.30pm. The 100 Year Anniversary of RMS Titanic will be marked at The London from Fri (6)–Fri (13).

REGULARS: FRIDAY CABARET from 9.30pm: Pat Cruise (13), Dolly Rocket (20) and Jamie Watson (27). Sat is PARTY TIME from 8.30pm with DJs: Tiny with Jacquii Cann at 10pm (14), Dazza’s Guilty Pleasures (21) and Tiny’s Guilty Pleasures with Eva La Diva at 9.30pm (28). Sun is Dolly Partem’s SUNDAY SERVICE at 7.30pm, cabaret follows at 9.30pm: Lady James (1), Mandy Gap (15), Lizzy Drip (22) and a tribute to Catherine Tate’s character Nan, A Night In With Nan (29). Tue is Lucinda’s LUCKY NUMBERS at 8pm. Wed (4) is QUIZ Night at 8.30pm. Thur is Pat Cruise’s KARAOKE CRUISINg at 9.30pm. Free pool Mon & Tue. FOOD: served Mon–Sat from noon–3pm; Sunday lunch from noon–3.30pm, two courses £7.95.

OPEN: daily from noon. www.the-london.co.uk

Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Sally Goes Wild: camp tunes & shows till 2am; open 5pm OLD VIC NUS Night 7pm; food 12-3pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Pete Kendall’s karaoke 9pm LONDON HOTEL Food noon-3pm; open noon THURSDAY 26 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke; open 5pm OLD VIC Karaoke 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE DJ Diamond 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 27 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Cassidy Connors’ Controversial: DJs Grant Knowles & Tim Sandford till 3am; open noon OLD VIC DJs 8pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJ Lady Bex & guests 9pm LONDON HOTEL Cabaret: Jamie Watson 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon

SATURDAY 28 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Party Night: DJs till 3am; open 7pm OLD VIC Open 5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE The Big One: resident DJs, 3 bars, 2 dance floors 9pm LONDON HOTEL DJ Tiny & His Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; Eva La Diva 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SUNDAY 29 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 79pm; cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Karaoke; open 5pm OLD VIC Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE We Are 1: DJ Steve Francis 9pm LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 7.30pm; A Night In With Nan 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3.30pm; open noon MONDAY 30 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, cocktails, wines & beers served all day & night; open 9am PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Bar 150: DJ Ruby Roo & Grant Knowles 9pm OLD VIC Food noon-3pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL Food 12-3pm; open 12

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 39

40 GSCENE

CHARLIE’S

KITCHEN

BY CHARLIE NYEREYEGONA

RECIPES FROM CHARLIE’S KITCHEN Fish Glorious Fish! We are so lucky in Brighton & Hove to have access to fresh fish and seafood any time of the year. Fish is a great source of protein and amino acids: so vital for the welfare of your body. It also gives your skin a healthy glow and if properly cooked can send one into raptures of delight! Here are a few of my favourite fish and seafood recipes. Enjoy!

SEARED TUNA STEAK WITH A ZESTY GREEN BEAN SALAD Ingredients: (serves 2) • 2 tuna steaks • 1 packet green beans • 8 small vine ripened tomatoes • 1 tsp peanut oil (sunflower or grape seed if allergic) For the dressing • juice of ½ a lime • 1 tbsp olive oil • Pinch of sesame oil • ½ tsp dijon mustard • 1 tbsp dark soy • 1 tbsp japanese rice vinegar • ½ tsp honey • salt & pepper

and keep warm under tin foil.

Roughly crush the potatoes with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter over a low heat and add the lime and orange juice.

Arrange salad leaves on each plate. Top with the crushed potatoes. Add 3 scallops per plate. Scatter over diced bacon.

Spoon lime and orange butter over generously.

SEA TROUT WITH BEETROOT AND FENNEL RISOTTO Ingredients: (serves 2) • 2 sea trout fillets (use rainbow or brown trout if not available) • 1 large white onion (finely chopped) • 1 large beetroot (cooked, peeled, chopped into rough pieces) • 2 cups arborio rice • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 5 cups of fish/vegetable stock • 1 cup white wine • 150g fresh sage (finely chopped) • 1 cup milk • salt & pepper to taste • 150g gorgonzola cheese

Method: Steam the green beans for 3-4 minutes. Place to cool in ice water to keep their colour. Brush the tuna steaks with peanut oil and season with salt and pepper.

Sear on a hot griddle pan or non–stick frying pan for 3-4 minutes on each side so they caramelise but stay nice and pink inside. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Halve the tomatoes and add to the green beans.

Pour over the dressing and mix well. Arrange the tomatoes and beans on a plate and place a tuna steak on top. You could add some toasted nuts for an extra crunch.

SCALLOPS WITH CRUSHED POTATOES & ORANGE & LIME BUTTER Ingredients: (serves 2) • 6 large, fresh scallops (buy the best you can) • 2 rashers bacon finely chopped (optional) • 8 baby new potatoes • Olive oil • 2 tbsps butter • Juice of half a lime & half an orange • 1 bag of salad leaves Method: Place the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water.

Cook for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile fry off the bacon in a little olive oil and set aside. Sear the scallops in the remaining olive oil a few at a time (about 30-40 secs on each side). Remove from the pan

Method: In a large saucepan sweat the onion with a tablespoon of vegetable oil over a low heat until transparent but not brown.

Meanwhile puree ¾ of the beetroot in a blender with a tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Over a medium heat, add the rice to the onion and then the beetroot puree and gently mix together. Season with salt and pepper and add the wine and enough stock to cover the rice. Make sure you stir the rice constantly to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add more stock as it reduces. The process should take about 20-25 minutes in total and the rice should have a creamy silky texture. As soon as the risotto is ready, season the sea trout and pan fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Stir the gorgonzola and sage into the risotto and place the trout fillet on top. Delicious!

GSCENE 41

COME DINE

WITH MORHAM

BY MORHAM WHITE

six salads all (bar one) under £4, and ten main dishes (with vegetarian, chicken or lamb options): eight from the grill (ranging from £9 to £13), two from the Upright Grill (both under £10).

I think we were a tad conservative, sticking with the more familiar, so I had Charcoal Grill, Art had the Mixed Grill and Benson the Chicken Shawarma. The dishes come with four accompaniments; there was a salad, rice or fries, while Benson’s choice of hommos with neat slivers of green and red pepper was quite glam.

The dishes are really filling. No-one managed to finish and it wasn’t for lack of enthusiasm! My dish of Kambi’s Charcoal Grill (the most expensive bar the grilled langoustines at £12.95) had a central mountain of basmati rice, a skewer of prime lamb shish, kufta and shish taouk (minced lamb and grilled chicken breast pieces), a helping of chicken and lamb shawarma (the signature dish of Lebanon, marinated and grilled upright on a spit roast). I was truly sunk and couldn’t even do justice to any dessert.

KAMBI’S 107 Western Road, Brighton, BN1 2AA, tel: 01273 – 327934 www.kambis.co.uk, www.dinner2go.co.uk Another first, as I receive two recommendations to visit Kambi’s, (Lebanese Restaurant with Dinners2go!) from completely different sources. Having failed last month in Hove, I eventually find it’s to the east of Norfolk Square on the south side of Western Road, just in Brighton. As you may appreciate, I’m not an expert in exotic cuisine, so I was quite excited at the prospect of something completely new. I was joined by Benson, who had just returned from 10 days in Amman, Jordan, who I hoped could give me an insight as to what to try and what to expect.

A glass of white wine sets us on our way, which works well as, whilst the premises are licensed, there’s no wine list and you are encouraged to bring your own. We settle on two large bottles of sparkling water and a jug of yoghurt drink (spiced with mint).

Instructions were for each of us to try something different and Benson was persuaded to veer away from his holiday breakfast diet of hommos (their spelling). For me the menu was something of a mystery and a real expedition into the unexpected. I noted that of 25 starters, 15 were vegetarian and only five were over £4 so price is no real issue.

Lots of choice - so where to start... the Falafel (v), Kibbeh Shamieh and Makanek. Though we ordered separately, the dishes were placed centrally and we shared which was quite fun, with the boys bowing out to the spicier dish.

This is where I cheat as I’ve been loaned a copy of the menu to help me out. The Falafel are oval-shaped patties made from ground fava beans, chickpeas, onions, cumin, garlic, coriander and a touch of chilli, fried till toasty brown and crunchy, laid out on green leaves. The Kibbeh Shamieh, to me not dissimilar but differently shaped with leaves, deep fried lamb meatballs with cracked wheat, mashed onions and stuffed with minced meat. The Makanek comes on a round platter; small Lebanese lamb sausages cooked with garlic and sprinkled with parsley and lemon. For me this was quite spicy but not overwhelming, so the water came in useful.

There are three different Mezes, also available to share (£18 for two),

Only Art managed more by ordering Baklava which was served in four different morsels of pastry, honey and nuts. It was incredibly sweet, but a pleasant contrast to the meat dishes. Needless to say we had one platter and three spoons!

Business was brisk for a Wednesday eve with regulars collecting Dinners2Go; service was speedy and attentive and though the décor was a little dated, the traditional background music was a pleasant contrast to the norm and not at all intrusive. The bill for three of us came in at under £18 a head for the food which is the real deal.

Perhaps next time I will have the courage to try some of the more traditional (and dare I say, even less expensive) dishes.

42 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

BRIGHTON CENTRE

STEPS

DIVERSITY

Kings Rd, Brighton Box office: 0844 847 1515 www.brightoncentre.co.uk Music highlights include: DIVERSITY (Sun 1) perform acrobatic dance incorporating several genres of music from classical to hip-hop.

IL DIVO (Wed 11). Carlos Marin, Sébastien Izambard, David Miller and Urs Buhler perform opera classics in a a new show designed by creative director Brian Burke (artistic director of La Reve & Celine Dion’s A New Day, Caesars Palace, both in Las Vegas).

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB (Mon 16). ‘One of Britain's greatest bands, BBC keep getting better’ The Sunday Times; ‘Bombay Bicycle Club have, quite simply, found themselves' NME. STEPS (Tue 17). After a break of 10 years, the multi-million selling, BRIT winning pop band are back.

BRIGHTON LITTLE THEATRE

24 Kensington St, Brighton Box office: 01273 699733 www.thebasement.uk.com SUPPER CLUB (Sat 7). Bite-size morsels of art, digital installation, experimental performance and live music from the UK and Europe.

I LIKE THE WAY YOU WEAR YOUR HAIR and SUPERBARD & THE SEXY QUANTUM STORIES double bill (Wed 18). Welcome to geeky teenager Greg Wohead’s bedroom, Texas, 1998. The Cranberries’ No Need To Argue is on repeat and he can’t stop thinking about Sara. This is the story about the night he took a chance, about stomach butterflies, private thoughts and marching band conveyed through story

Clarence Gardens, Brighton Box office: 01273 777748 www.the-little.co.uk GAME PLAN (Tue 10–Sat 14).

Alan Ayckbourn's play is set in a docklands apartment where 16year-old Sorrel lives with her mother Lynette. Times are hard following her parents’ split, and much to Sorrel's distress, it now seems that she and her mother will have to move away from London. Sorrel decides to take action and press gangs her friend Kelly into a scheme to earn some money and it's not a paper round!

There are far reaching consequences when Sorrel puts her plan into action.

telling and projected drawings.

When Superbard and his dog Enoc are sent back to the past, to heal the world through storytelling and build the future utopia, he realises that history books are good at the what happened, but not the how.

JUKEBOX FURY (Fri 27). A live B-movie soundtrack project with Brighton musicians guiding you through the plot’s twist and turns, cameo appearances, music videos, performances and dancing.

DIVERSITY ROLE MODELS CHARITY CABARET (Thu 5). A fund raiser for charity Diversity Role Models, who work to prevent sexuality/gender-based bullying in schools by educating all students about diversity. The line-up includes musicians Christina Novelli, AMiTY and Ella Chambers; comedy from Julie Jepson, The Short & Girlie Show and Hannah Brackenbury and fantastic musical entertainment from the cast of Honeybees The Musical. Tickets (£12) can be

bought from Komedia website and www.gigantic.com/gigantic/home _diversity_role_models_charity_ benefit.html, and all profits donated to Diversity Role Models. www.diversityrolemodels.org CONEY ISLAND CABARET (Fri 13). Behold a series of fortunate events: the strength and finesse of the black cat, the tattooed bearded lady and her wheel of fortune, fearsome fire, deadly DOME mermaids and circus wonders all Church Street, Brighton perform in and around you and Box office: 01273 709709 above your heads. www.brightondome.org LORRAINE BOWEN'S SPRING UDIFYDANCE COMPANY (Tue CLEAN! (Sun 22). Lorraine gets 24). Udifydance produce works out her hilarious hit songs and that expresses a heightened gives them a reworking with a bit representation of space, energy, of Mr Muscle thrown in. Special textures and patterns, and is guests will get their marigolds on wonderfully mesmerising to watch. and lend a helping hand with the Following on from their debut tour entertainment!

4 Men:Move, Christopher Reynolds plays homage to the NIGHTINGALE THEATRE company's style of exciting floor Surrey St, Brighton work infused with the creation of Box office: 0800 4118881 a dynamic vocabulary.

THE GROWING ROOM (Wed 11–Fri 13), tells the tale of three unlikely people coming together in love: Andrea who’s scared to love, her daughter Carla who's in love with danger and a charismatic man UDIFYDANCE

GREG WOHEAD

THE BASEMENT

NOVELLI & AMITY

BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN

HONEYBEES THE MUSICAL

ARTS

Gardner Street, Brighton Box office: 0845 293 8480 www.komedia.co.uk BENT DOUBLE (Sun 1). A gay friendly evening of comedy compered by Zoe Lyons.

who comes crashing into their lives and changes their world for ever. It's a richly drawn, poetic and provocative solo piece about how love never comes in quite the shape you ordered. Loosely inspired by Brian Eno’s Reasons for Optimism Symposium at Brighton Festival 2010, The Growing Room is a love letter to humanity’s ability to keep hoping even when the odds aren’t great.

NEW VENTURE THEATRE Bedford Place, Brighton Box office: 01273 746118 www.newventure.org.uk THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE (Mar 31–Apr 7). Jim Cartwright's play tells the incredibly moving story of a shy, reclusive girl named Little Voice, who lives with her man-hungry mother Mari. Desperately missing her dead father, Little Voice spends her time locked in her bedroom listening to his old record collection and perfecting astonishing impersonations of famous female vocalists. When Ray Say, a small time hustler and Mari's current boyfriend, hears Little Voice sing, he thinks she's a star and his ticket to the big time, but what about Little Voice?

THE OLD MARKET Upper Market Street, Hove Box office: 01273 201800 www.theoldmarket.co.uk CRANFORD (Mar 30–Apr 1).

Franklyn McCabe adapts and directs Elizabeth Gaskell's classic.

In the 1840s, Cranford is ruled by CRANFORD

KOMEDIA

the ladies. They adore good gossip, and romance and change is in the air, as the unwelcome grasp of the Industrial Revolution rapidly approaches their beloved rural market-town.

THEATRE ROYAL New Road, Brighton Box office: 08448 717 650 ANNE BOLEYN (Tue 3–Sat 7).

Boleyn is traditionally seen either as a pawn manipulated into the King’s bed, or as a sexually licentious predator, even a witch.

But Howard Brenton puts a very

THE HAWTH

CAGE AUX FOLLES

11–Sat 14). Alan Bennett has a very unusual neighbour. Parked at the bottom of his garden is a van. With a lady in it. The lady in the van is Miss Shepherd. Alan knows very little about her. She used to drive ambulances in the war, might have been a nun, sells pencils and pamphlets and has an unexplained aversion to piano music. But somehow she lives in the playwright’s garden and has done for years. Starring Nichola McAuliffe. ‘A star three-point-turn for Nichola McAuliffe’ The Guardian

Hawth Avenue, Crawley Box office: 01293 553636 LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Tue 17–Sat 21). Georges and his partner Albin own a fabulous drag club at St Moritz where the latter is the star attraction. One day the couple's son Jean-Michel tells Georges that he is to marry the daughter of a right-wing moralising politician. Musical comedy with hits I Am What I

THE BARN THEATRE Community Centre, 24 Southwick Street, Southwick, West Sussex Box office: 01273 597094 THE HISTORY BOYS (Wed 25–Sat 28) Alan Bennett's play is set during the 1980s in a boys’

CONGRESS THEATRE Carlisle Road, Eastbourne Box office: 01323 412000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR (Tue 3–Sat 7). David Essex's musical

has hits including Winter’s Tale, Hold Me Close, Gonna Make You A Star, Me And My Girl, Silver Dream Machine and Rock On. Inspired by his album All The Fun Of The Fair, David plays fun fair owner Levi Lee, recently widowed and father of a rebellious teenage son, Jack.

Danger and mysticism lurk in the future, as predicted by the gypsy fortune teller, Rosa, who is in love with Levi. 'Genuinely touching…

Well worth a spin' The Daily Telegraph.

OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD (Tue 17–Sat 21). Australia 1788: a boatload of disease and disdain spews onto a foreign shore. As the soldiers struggle to impose order on the outcasts of the old society, a benevolent governor seizes on the notion of a play. In the shadow of the gallows and the gum tree the convicts gather and rehearsals begin for The Recruiting Officer. Based on real events Timberlake Wertenbaker’s awardwinning play is an inspiring tale of the transforming power of theatre. 'It's a rich and heady brew, utterly enthralling...a modern classic' Whatsonstage.com.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (Thu 26–Sat 28). Jane Austen’s classic novel of two sisters and their search for love in a society bound by financial fortune is brought to the stage with original music.

Helen Tennison directs this comedy of manners, marriage and gossip.

OPEN HOUSE

grammar school in Northern England. It follows eight bright, rambunctious, history pupils aiming for Oxbridge, under the guidance of three teachers with contrasting styles. They are closely monitored by an ambitious headmaster anxious to climb up the academic league table.

Beautifully written, Bennett explores the anarchy of adolescence and the methods and aims of education, providing a rich vein of comedy.

company performs Rossini's The Barber of Seville: effervescent, high-spirited, vocally brilliant, a work of comic genius. On Saturday Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin complete with heartfelt arias and ensembles, its splendid choruses and ballroom scenes, and Tchaikovsky's gift for melody, rich orchestration and drama.

ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR

LADY IN THE VAN

different Anne, and her ghost, on the stage. Witty and confident in her sexuality, she takes on the vicious world of Tudor Court politics. She’s in love with Henry but also in love with the most dangerous ideas of her day.

Conspiring with the exiled William Tyndale, Anne plots to make England Protestant for ever.

‘Ticklishly enjoyable. Teasingly intelligent. A big, bold generous evening’ The Sunday Telegraph THE LADY IN THE VAN (Wed

OUR COUNTRY’ GOOD

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 43

DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE Am, A Little More Mascara and With Anne On My Arm. ENGLISH TOURING OPERA (Fri 21–Sat 21). On Friday the

PERSUADED MARLBOROUGH, 4 Princes St, Brighton, 07534 670 181 www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/events/marlborough/persuaded www.facebook.com/events/336689839701042/ PERSUADED (8pm, Thurs 19–Sat 21), an exciting new play written

by Claire Ramster, is a modern twist on Jane Austen's classic Persuasion: “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequence of an unnatural beginning.”

Sam Eliot, can’t believe that the woman of her dreams, Kate Wentworth seems to love her too. Things like that just don’t happen to Sam. So when Kate has to move abroad, Sam is torn. Should she play it safe and keep her friends and family happy? Or could she dare to believe that she and Kate could have a fairytale romance?

Tickets are £8/£6 on Thu 19, £9/£7 on Fri 20 & Sat 21, in advance from http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/234682

Winter Gardens, Eastbourne Box office: 01323 412000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk OLIVER! (Wed 4–Sat 7). Lionel Bart's musical is full of classic numbers including As Long As He Needs Me, Pick A Pocket and Consider Yourself. It vividly brings to life Charles Dickens’ timeless characters with this poignant tale of the boy who struggles against adversity for a better life.

A BEDFULL OF FOREIGNERS (Thu 12–Sat 14). When Stanley and Brenda, on a motoring trip, obtain a room for the night, they consider themselves lucky – but not for long. In less than an hour, Stanley finds himself, in Brenda’s absence, lowering an attractive girl, stark naked, from the window, with the room’s radiator hanging from a rope near the ceiling.

Includes mistaken identities, double-booked rooms, hasty coverups and hilarious situations that you would expect in any farce.

ARTISTS OPEN HOUSE 14 Bedford St, Kemptown Plan your ARTISTS OPEN HOUSE visits early! Ellis Collins, Nicolas Collins, Alexandra Dipple, Tassie Russell, David Sutherland and Kim Wood will be showing photography, printmaking, collage, mixed media, paintings, film and textiles (11am–5pm, from Sat May 5 and following four Fri & Sat) plus live music on Sunday afternoons, interactive art and creating table for kids, homemade cakes, fairtrade tea and coffee for sale.

10% of all profits will be donated to The Sussex Beacon appeal.

44 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

CLASSICAL

NOTES REVIEWS

I Since her 2008 CD debut, KAREN

RIGOLETTO

BY NICK BOSTON

blemishes at the top of his range – but remember, this is a live performance, and the energy and tension this brings more than compensate for the occasional rough edge. He has an incredibly rich, dark tone, well-suited to the heavier, more serious Brahms songs, yet he also has a lightness of touch and humour, clearly appreciated by the audience in the Poulenc especially. The quality of the sound captured here means that, apart from a few noises of audience appreciation, and of course the applause at the end, you would never know this was recorded live. Cypres CYP8604

BRIGHT SPRING

translation of Edgar Alan Poe’s FILM poem, which depicts four types of I The Royal Opera House screens GEOGHEGAN has already recorded bells – sleigh, wedding, alarm and VERDI’s RIGOLETTO live (7.15pm, a variety of repertoire very funeral, possibly to encompass all Tue 17) at the Duke of York’s, successfully. Fantasies for Bassoon the stages of human life and Brighton, the Connaught Cinema, includes works by Schubert, death. It is a great choral work, Worthing and the Picturedrome, Rachmaninov, Spohr, Elgar and and it receives an accomplished Bognor Regis. David McVicar’s Schumann, as well as a Sonata by performance here, the only slight production stars Dimitri Platanias Gustav Schreck weakness being a lack of clarity at as Rigoletto and Ekaterina Siurina (1849-1918). In times from the soprano soloist, as Gilda. www.roh.org.uk/cinema fact his sonata is Svetla Vassileva. The bass, Alexei the only work Tanovitski, is stronger and more here originally consistent, and he is also the written for the soloist in the cantata, Spring. This instrument. Schubert’s Sonata was isn’t such a strong work, but it’s originally written for a shortlived performed with conviction. The instrument, the ‘arpeggione’, like a Three Russian Songs, written when guitar, but played with a bow.

Rachmaninov was perhaps Usually played on the cello or homesick for his homeland, living I I enjoyed viola, it works very well on the Volume 1 of The and touring as a pianist in America I The BOLSHOI BALLET perform bassoon. The warm tones that Complete Delius – he was never to return to Russia. the comic ballet, THE BRIGHT Geoghegan produces here Songbook from These could do with a little more STREAM, with score by definitely belie the instrument’s energy for me – as restrained as baritone Mark Shostakovich (4pm, Sun 29), at reputation as rather comical or Stone, with pianist Stephen Barlow they are, the songs need an the Duke of York’s, Brighton. slighly unsophisticated. This injection of passion to – exemplary performances, and a www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema warmth of sound continues in the communicate the emotion. A mixed /Duke_Of_Yorks beautiful warm tone from Stone. well-known Vocalise by Yet I did feel that the CD suffered release then, but as a live Rachmaninov – although here recording, the performance of The from the completest pitfall of Email feedback, reviews, events to: Philip Edward Fisher’s otherwise Bells achieves the best results slightly variable quality in the nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk exemplary piano accompaniment here. Chandos CHAN10706 repertoire. It would appear that was a little heavy handed – perhaps they saved some of the perhaps more of a balance issue, better repertoire for Volume 2 but Geoghegan’s delicate and however – the quality is much sensitive playing is slightly ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH more consistent, and there are overpowered in places. The Schreck Ann St, Brighton, 07759 878562, www.bremf.org.uk/esbc some real gems. I particularly like Sonata is not an undiscovered I The East Sussex Bach Choir and BREMF Singers Black Roses, and also the softly classic, but it is definitely will be performing Bach’s St Matthew Passion (7pm, atmospheric Nuages. As with the enjoyable, and expertly played by Good Friday 6), conducted by John Hancorn, with the first disc, I am struck by how ‘unboth performers here. Again, Baroque Collective. Wonderful soloists include Sarah Delius’-like many of these songs Elgar’s well-know Salut d’amour Connolly, Elin Manahan Thomas, and Sir John are – I would be hard pushed to receives a sensitive and lyrical Tomlinson as Christus. have identified the composer if I performance, and Schumann’s heard them blind. However, the Fantasiestücke are also given a BRIGHTON DOME disc closes with a set of five songs new perspective on the instrument.

Church St, Brighton, 01273 709709 www.brightondome.org that have more recognisable Delius Another successful calling card for I The LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, touches, and the two songs, the bassoon and for Geoghegan. conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier (7.30pm, Sat 21), Dreamy Nights and Summer Chandos CHAN10703 perform Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Nights are particularly Symphony, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 impressionistic and idyllic. A great I La Monnaie (or with pianist Hong Xu. completion to a worthy and wellDe Munt), received collection.

Brussels is the CONGRESS THEATRE Stone 5060192780109 home of the Eastbourne, 01323 412000, www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk National Opera I The LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA are I A live in Belgium. joined by conductor Carl Davis (3pm, Sun 22), and recording from Many famous artists have also pianist Melvyn Tan (3pm, Sun 22) to perform last year’s Proms performed recitals there, and Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, his ‘Emperor’ Piano now, of Cypres open a series of releases Concerto and excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

Rachmaninov’s with a recording from 1997 by the great choral great bass-baritone JOSÉ VAN DAM ARUNDEL CATHEDRAL work, The Bells, together with the ably accompanied by Maciej 01798 831234, www.arunchoralsociety.co.uk cantata, Spring, and Three Russian Pikulski on songs by Wolf, www.wegottickets.co.uk Songs. The choir is The Mariinsky Brahms, Duparc, Ibert and I The ARUN CHORAL SOCIETY conducted by John Henville with the Theatre Chorus, and Gianandrea Poulenc. This is a wonderful Sinfonia of Arun, (7.30pm, Sat 28), perform Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, Noseda conducts the BBC recital, and Van Dam is on top CPE Bach’s Magnificat and Boyce’s Symphony No. 1. Soloists are Sara Philharmonic. The Bells sets a free form, apart from a few minor Owen, Sarah Shorter, Tim Lawrence and Johnny Herford.

MELVYN TAN

HONG XU

ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS

CONCERTS

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 45

FILM

BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN

HEADHUNTERS Dir: Morten Tyldum Stars: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj CosterWaldau Plot: An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary. Word on net: “One of the most exciting, flat-out captivating thrillers to come around in quite some time.” I “Chaseheavy Norwegian crime flick is twisty enough to please many arthouse patrons, though some will be rolling their eyes by the end.” I “A deliriously entertaining thriller and a pure joy.” I “A masterful adaptation of bestselling novel may well be the thriller of the year.”

ALBERT NOBBS Dir: Rodrigo Garcia Stars: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson Plot: Albert Nobbs struggles to survive in late 19th century Ireland, where women aren't encouraged to be independent.

Posing as a man, so she can work as a butler in Dublin's best hotel, Albert meets a handsome painter and looks to escape the lie she has been living.

Word on net: “One of the saddest movies I’ve ever seen.” I “It's a career-crowning role for Glenn Close. Too bad the film is such a drag.” I “This quietly devastating film goes bone-deep.” I “Albert Nobbs is more a parable than a person, and Albert Nobbs plays out more closely to a fable than an authentic tale.”

Word on net: “Relentlessly unpleasant and nihilistic in its approach and execution.” I “Extremely dismal and extremely uncomfortable to watch.” I “Film's only point appears to be a lurid delight in topping one atrocity with another.” I “Gratuitous display of rape, murder, torture, dismemberment, madness, ugly misogyny, racism and yelling.”

they hide out and plan to return to power in 2018.

Word on net: “Not terrible, by any means: just not as funny or cruel as its killer premise suggests.”

I “A descendant to the Mel Brooks genre spoof movies and even (in its own cheap, camp, determinedly silly way) the black, politically charged satire of Dr Strangelove.”

I “Promising idea for irreverent parody let down by inconsistent writing and comedy that seldom goes far enough over the top.”

Plot: A re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang and a musical prodigy in her own right.

Word on net: “An uncommonly knowledgeable portrait of the way musical gifts could lift people of

A CAT IN PARIS

ordinary backgrounds into high circles.” I “Lovely, quietly affecting film that's as much a feast for the ear as for the eye, while not ignoring the brain.”

I “Buried beneath the glacially slow pacing and inexpressive acting, there's a potentially interesting examination of female talent suppressed by a heartless patriarchy.” I “A melancholy but utterly beautiful film.”

Dir: Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol Stars: Dominique Blanc, Bruno Salomone, Jean Benguigui Plot: Animation about a cat that leads a double life. By day, he lives with a little girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a police officer. By

ALSO OUT

I STRIPPERS v WEREWOLVES stars Robert Englund, Billy Murray and Steven Berkoff in a story about a werewolf who is killed in a strip

night, he works with Nico, a burglar with a big heart.

Word on net: “Directors draw Dir: Paolo Sorrentino inspiration from Expressionist Stars: Sean Penn, Frances painters to give their short, but McDormand, Judd Hirsch Plot: A bored, retired rock star sets not-too-sweet, animation its out to find his father's executioner, distinctive fluid style.” I “Here's an adult animation with a sly, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a geometrical animation style and a story that combines the French club which then becomes the focus policier with the American of his pack's revenge. I James gangsters that originally inspired Cameron's TITANIC is the latest them.” I “A love letter to film film to be run through the 3D computer. I Henry Cavill, Bruce noir, crime films, comic superheroes, Hitchcock, the Pink Willis and Sigourney Weaver star Panther and many more.” in THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY in which a young American uncovers refugee in the US. a conspiracy during his attempt to Word on net: “A gloriously magical MOZART'S SISTER save his family who were Dir: René Féret film, a road movie crossed with a kidnapped while on vacation in Stars: Marie Féret, Marc Barbé, fiftysomething coming-of-age Spain.

Delphine Chuillot piece, with side trips to the land of the eccentric.” I “Witty filmmaking and Penn's quirky performance keep it watchable.”

I “Negotiating a consistent artistic path as steadily as a drunk I Guy Pearce stars (or has perhaps walking a straight line, movie is all ended up) in sci-fi thriller over the place dramatically, tonally LOCKOUT. He plays a man wrongly and thematically.” I “Bewildering convicted of conspiracy to commit THE DIVIDE piece of work which takes a sharp espionage against the US who is Dir: Xavier Gens left turn into crazytown.” offered his freedom if he can Stars: Lauren German, Michael rescue the President's daughter Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia IRON SKY from an outer space prison taken Plot: Survivors of a nuclear attack Dir: Timo Vuorensola over by violent inmates. are grouped together for days in Stars: Julia Dietze, Christopher To win two tickets to the Odeon Brighton send answer to following the basement of their apartment Kirby, Götz Otto question to Gscene Competition, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD: building, where fear and dwindling Plot: The Nazis set up a secret Pearce played which abdicating monarch in THE KING'S SPEECH? supplies wear away at their morale. base on the moon in 1945 where MARCH COMPETITION: BETRAYAL

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

FILM C O M P E T I T I O N

46 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

ART

GEEK

BY ENZO MARRA

BY CRAIG STORRIE

M AT T E R S

SCENE

BRIGHTON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

GAMING APPS

Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk I If you are interested in hearing artists talk about their work (as well as seeing it in the exhibited environment), TOM HAMMICK is giving a gallery talk (2–3pm, Sat 14) about the themes and techniques in the new body of works created for the DREAMS OF HERE exhibition.

Ever since the dawn of the mobile phone age, companies have been trying to fuse the idea of handheld gaming to cash in on an ever growing market, one that has only grown in strength and size since Nintendo launched the Game Boy back in the late 1980s. As a kid I remember people buying Nokia phones in droves just to play Snake.

Bloody Snake! The main attraction for most people when choosing a new phone these days isn’t the size of the memory or the mega pixels of the camera, it’s the choice of apps. Apps (for those who don’t know) are downloadable programmes that can be anything from SFX boards or games all the way up to full blown GPS systems. With most of these applications being free to try, it’s no wonder that gaming in general has become a massive success on these platforms. With this in mind, let’s take a look at what I think are the top three gaming apps available at the moment on both the App Store and the Android Marketplace. By the way, this isn’t an Android v Apple article; in my view, both have just as many pros and cons. If you like the look of one more than the other, then that’s the phone for you. Simples!

ANDROID MARKETPLACE

JAY COLLINS

THE NEW STEINE HOTEL 10-11 New Steine, Brighton, www.newsteinehotel.com I BRIGHTON SEEN by local urban landscape artist JAY COLLINS (until Sun Apr 29) shows paintings, woodcuts and silkscreen prints imbued with atmosphere and rooted in their environment.

BONZAI BLAST

Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JJ Tel: 01323 434670, www.townereastbourne.org.uk I WILLIE DOHERTY, renowned for his video installations and photographs, presents DISTURBANCE (Sat April 21–Sun June 17), which surveys the artist’s works from the mid 1980s to today and includes his most recent video, Ancient Ground, shot earlier this year on the peat bogs of County Donegal. The current work shifts between the urban and the rural. What the terrain has witnessed is patiently tracked down and his discoveries, the scars of human activity on the land, are yielded up and captured on camera. Doherty’s engagement with the land is very particular. His surveillance of territory searches for evidence of its relationship with social and political concerns. This exhibition is presented in association with Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane.

I THE EAST SUSSEX OPEN 2012 (until Sun 29), presents the work of East Sussex artists and makers, selected from over 150 entries. With works in every media, this exhibition celebrates the wealth of regional artistic talent on our doorstep. It takes place in the vast ground floor Exhibition Halls – the largest display space in the region. The selection committee for 2012 made up from Towner’s Exhibitions’ curator Sanna Moore, Jane Won curator at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, and Matthew Burrows a John Moores painting prize winner.

APP STORE

ZENOIA

WILLIE DOHERTY

TOWNER

First up we have the addictive puzzler BONSAI BLAST. With a simple premise that gives way to hours of addictive colourful gameplay, it’s a game that will last you a good while and leaves you feeling satisfied every time you complete one of the 90 maps on offer. Seriously, you won’t be able to leave it alone! Like Bonsai Blast, ROBO DEFENCE doesn’t look like it has that much to it but give it some time and you’ll be hooked, I promise. It’s your basic tower defence game with a dash of mini management thrown in. You have to use your hard earned cash to make the best defences possible to progress onwards. Finally we have ABDUCTION, a deceptively cutesy looking platformer that starts off easy enough but gives way to progressively harder levels. It can get frustrating at times, but how can you hate a game where you can play as a cow?!

ABDUCTION

29 Tarrant Street, Arundel, West Sussex, www.zimmerstewart.co.uk I NICK BODIMEADE is showing a new body of work (until Mon 21), entitled STANDING, SITTING, WALKING, LYING, some of which is based on his recent visit to New Zealand. Nick is a painter of everyday life with past subjects including dogs, trucks, sheds, chairs, lorries and motorways. In recent work he’s concentrated on the beach, a subject with a long-term fascination for him. Also an accomplished printmaker he has recently produced a series of six large beach woodcuts also in this exhibition.

I BARBARA MacFARLANE presents a body of work, (Sat April 28–Sat May 19), using the Isle of Skye as sole subject, with its unique landscape, sea and hues, all the paintings having been completed in situ.

Barbara’s works are better described as paintings from landscape rather than paintings of landscape, the true subject of each of her paintings, being shape, colour and balance.

BARBARA MacFARLANE

NICK BODIMEADE

ZIMMER STEWART GALLERY

Let’s start with a game close to my heart, SPIDER-MAN: TOTAL MAYHEM. It’s a platforming/fighting game which has sweet graphics, brilliant voice acting and a comic worthy story. It’s fantastic. Looking like a love letter to the SNES era, ZENOIA is a real-time RPG that lives up to the decade of gaming that it emulates.

Sublime controls with hundreds of screens, it could slowly take over your life! We’ll finish with a game that shows exactly what mobiles can do: GTA CHINATOWN WARS. Basically a port of its PSP and DS cousins, it has all the looks, story and gameplay intact. It’s a fantastic experience that begs to be played.

Go forth and enjoy!

Send your feedback to Craig on Twitter: @skywalker540

DANCE

MUSIC

BY WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE It is time to get with the spring programme and usher in a season of sunshine grooves and hot, hot parties. From samplers to longplayers Miami WMC is on our mind and impressing this month is the underground house and tech house of Maquina Miami 2012, the crowd pleaser that is Kidology London’s 2012 WMC Sampler, the classy cut that is Soulheat Miami 12 Sampler, the beast that is Miami Night & Day on Phonetic Records and the party-charged wonder that is All Gone Miami '12 compiled and mixed by Pete Tong & Groove Armada on Defected. We can feel the sand between our toes already. Bought your Speedos yet boys?

Other moments of divine music inspiration this spring come from BJORK’s Biophilia Remix Series on One Little Indian with 16 Bit, Matthew Herbert, Current Value and many more, the cheeky nibble that is the New Playboy Sessions Paris mixed by Michael Canitrot on Defected and the electronic kaleidoscope of DAVE AJU’s Heirlooms on Circus Company.

Nice.

April’s Outstanding Contribution to

the DJ Mix Award goes to MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM and his epic twohour Data Transmission Podcast.

Grab it while you can. datatransmission.co.uk/Podcast/ 365/ This month’s ‘blimey missus they’re rather marvelous’ albums: first up we have the addictive nu-disco delight of KRIS MENACE’s Electric Horizon on Compuphonic. You’ll want this in your head. Next the quiet masterpiece of AMIRALI’s In Time on Crosstown Rebels, a collection of complex house music that gives us yet another reason to fall for this everevolving genre of house. Then there’s I: CUBE’s M Megamix on Versatile Records, a journey into all things house, disco and techno that will ensure your neighbours will come knocking. And finally we’ve so fallen for LES LOUPS Club Coeur on So Sound Recordings. It’s disco, delicious and d-lovely. Summer can get its groove on.

Catch Wildblood and Queenie at Danceteria on the 8th April and at The Globe, Brighton. katewildblood.wordpress.com

WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE’S ADORABLE APRIL 10

I THE WHITE LAMP It's You Futureboogie Recordings Romantic slo-burn groove that will captivate with its class hook.

I FRIES & BRIDGES Forever This (Sneak 'Forever' Remix) The Factory Old school house v disco for some sweet Sundae memories 2012 style.

I ALEXIS RAPHAEL Into The Light Hot Creations Stripped back funked up basslines fuel this underground house smash.

I CRAZY P Changes (Hot Toddy Remix) Om Records One can’t have a summer soundtrack without Crazy P. Absolute stunner.

I FALKO NIESTOLIK Last Days Of Hip Hop Caus-N-ff-ct A right decent house tune demanding of a dirty, dirty dance.

I PHIL WEEKS Disco Inferno (original mix) Clash Music Jackin’ disco house will create mayhem and mischief all night long.

I LARSE The More I Want (Eivissa edit) Noir Music A sweet reminder of Balearic summers past and those to come. A beauty.

I YOKO O Blinded (original mix) 22 Digit Deep tech house delivering an arse shaking get down groove.

I BARRIQUE & SHRULLIVER Barrique (Ian Pooley remix) Lazy Days This energetic minimal groove will have you sweating sweetly.

I J&M BROTHERS Boogiefunk (Flavor Saver Vol 9) Salted Music Does exactly what it says on the tin. Boogiefunk anyone?

POP GOSSIP Fresh from taking Student Pride 2012 by the scruff of its neck in February, uber-trendy three-piece girl band Stooshe have sailed into the top 5 of the UK’s pop charts with their single Love Me (featuring Travie McCoy). Before super stardom beckons, Graham Robson caught up for a chat with the band’s foxy ladies: Courtney, Alex and Karis.

What is a Stooshe?

Alex: There are loads of different meanings for the word "stoosh"; including a mystery or being stoned. We liked the combination of everything, and then added the "she" for girl power.

Courtney: …although, there is now a definition for "stooshe" which means causing havoc. Maybe they were talking about us…

Did you have fun at Student Pride?

Karis: It was amazzzinggg! Everyone had such great energy, and we had loads of fun onstage.

What did you all do before the band?

K: We all have musical backgrounds; I went to The Brit School and originally trained as a ballet dancer, though singing is my love now. Alex used to perform with her mum's band and Courtney went to a stage school before she joined the band. We all knew we wanted to do music one day.

Rumour has it that two members were scouted in Top Shop. How did that happen?

C: I was shopping in Top Shop and this crazy stylist liked the way I looked and asked if I could sing. I didn't really take it seriously, but I went along to the auditions and ended up in the band. The same thing happened with Alex, while Karis was chosen separately.

I’m not surprised it’s true, considering how fierce you all look…

A: Well we all have very different personalities so our style is just based on ourselves. Karis is very girly with a love for the 1950s but she has an urban edge and 18 tattoos; Courtney is very retro and quirky with her style, and I love being all glammed up with the whole 1990s supermodel look.

What kind of music gets you going?

C: Alex and I like similar things; Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, En Vogue and The Spice Girls. Karis is really into rap but is also influenced by the likes of The Spice Girls and TLC. Tell us a bit about your new album Swings & Roundabouts…

K: It’s an eclectic mix including pop, r&b, funk, a ballad, urban pop... a bit of everything.

Congratulations on your new single hitting the top 5. What’s next?

Stooshe: We just want to continue having fun making music and having a good time. Hopefully we can gain chart success and awards along the way but by just being ourselves, living by no rules is our future!!!!

Stooshe’s new album Swings & Roundabouts will be out in June. Check out the girls at www.stooshe.com. Download their single (featuring Travie McCoy) Love Me from iTunes: tinyurl.com/LoveMeStooshe

48 GSCENE

SHOPPING WITH MICHAEL HOOTMAN

Cardome (47a St James’ St, Brighton, 01273 692916) have a selection of Easter cards from packs at £3.95 to special handmade cards at £4.30, new humour range at £2.40 includes a new Modern Toss selection. Exclusive to Cardome are these unique Banksyesque very limited run of prints of Kate ‘Marilyn’ Moss stamps and Diana ‘Queen Of Hearts’ tenners, (£20 per print) which look fantastic framed. www.cardome.co.uk

Basketball Vests: £27; New Edition Spartacus 2012/2013: £19.99 (Prowler, 112 St James' St, Brighton, 01273 683680) Fashion Top Trumps - what every cool school kid is currently playing: £9.99, (Junkfunk, 27 Gloucester Rd, Brighton, 01273 680555)

Easter Bunny Baby Light: £59 for 35cm of terrifying toddler (Pussy, 3a Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 604861) Fox & Cubs Cushion: £32.95 (Appendage, 36 Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 605901)

THE EROTIC FILMS OF PETER DE ROME (BFI DVD).

This is a compilation of eight films made by the ’Godfather of Gay Porn‘. In the 1960s Brit thesp De Rome went over to New York where, for his own amusement, he made a number of hardcore shorts. It's hard to describe just how far removed they are from regular porn. The Second Coming is a weird, indecipherable concoction which marries Umberto Eco with cheesy travelogue and for some reason finishes with Christ spontaneously ejaculating. Hot Pants might actually make you weep with laughter an annoying non-joke is pushed so far past breaking point it comes out the other end as comic genius. Prometheus sees him venturing into S&M, but again he imbues it with a bizarre visual flair. One of the bonus films, The Fire Island Kids, is perhaps the first truly romantic porn film I've seen - it actually embraces the occasional ridiculousness of sex. Fragments, a documentary, is a fascinating look at the man and his career. Amongst his fans he could number Andy Warhol, William Burroughs and Sir John Gielgud who wrote a scenario for a porno set in a gentlemen's outfitters. A truly amazing collection.

ENCOUNTERS (BFI DVD). This is billed as "four ground-breaking classics of gay cinema" and while I'd agree with groundbreaking, for at least two I'm not so sure about classic. Dream A40 (1965) is a nightmarish look at the treatment of homosexuals in England. Incredible to think that, at the time of its making, having sex with your boyfriend could end up with you getting a jail sentence. Vapors, from the same year, is set in a New York bathhouse and looks at a married man's first visit to such an establishment. It's got a fairly clunky script (you should never get your actors to try and invest the line "and this little piggy went all the way home" with deep emotional meaning), views non straight-acting gays as pettily cruel bitches and tops this off with a hysterically unsubtle dollop of gynophobia. Bill Douglas' Come Dancing is easily the best and definitely a lost classic: a poetic look at vulnerability, homophobia and a seaside town out of season. Peter De Rome's Encounter is another artily weird piece of eroticism.

50 GSCENE

CRAIG’S THOUGHTS PRETTY POSITIVE I’M FORTY AND STILL A FAGGOT SAYS CRAIG HANLON-SMITH

come with me and be a fisher of men”. Perhaps I have misinterpreted this instruction – always a danger when taking doctrine literally.

“Grotesque”; is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as both inappropriate to a shocking degree or comically and/or repulsively ugly and distorted. Am I missing something? What is shocking or inappropriate about people wanting to get married? We have been told for years that marriage is a failing institution and this failure is the bedrock of all social misfortune. It therefore follows that if more of us want to do it we can only positively contribute to the rebuilding of our once great society and in the words of David Cameron celebrate with tax-breaks to boot!

As I write my last words as a thirtysomething (by the time you read them I’ll be forty), we find ourselves once again in the eye of a media storm on the issue of gay marriage. Let it be known that these will be my final words in print and online on the issue as my position on the matter will not change and I live in hope that the vicious and fearful will one day catch up. The difference for me now is that at this marked crossroads along the path of life, I shall no longer be interested enough in those lagging behind, to be looking over my shoulder to check upon their progress. In the words of Sir Lindsey of Buckingham You Can Go Your Own Way.

And Cardinal O’Brien; as for referring to great swathes of the populace as comically or repulsively ugly and distorted, I and many others since have learned from the good book (I am of course not referring to The Bible but to The Twits by Roald Dahl) that “If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it”. Cardinal O’Brien and all 100,000 (and counting) co-signatories on an anti-gay marriage Downing Street petition, please take note: a hideous future of utter disfigurement awaits.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, has described initial government proposals for the legalisation of samesex marriage as both madness and grotesque. Let us look closely at the finer detail of his assessment. “Madness” as outlined by the Oxford English Dictionary is defined as either the state of having a serious mental illness or a state of wild and chaotic activity. The suggestion that 3.6 million people across the United Kingdom (as counted at the last government sponsored census) are, merely as a consequence of their same sex relationship, seriously mentally ill, is nothing short of offensive and not just to gay people but to people – full stop.

“I would invite Cardinal O’Brien to explain Jesus’ instruction to Simon Peter; ‘put down your nets, come with me and be a fisher of men’.

Perhaps I have misinterpreted this instruction – always a danger when taking doctrine literally”

“The leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, has described initial government proposals for the legalisation of same-sex marriage as both madness and grotesque” That this statement has been issued by a well educated man at the top of his profession with responsibilities for community leadership is terrifying. I will not fall into the divisive social trap that all too often we are invited to do and supplant one prejudice for another or use my opportunity in this magazine to highlight failings within organised religion. With Cardinal O’Brien at the helm it is apparent that the UK Catholic Church is not in need of any help in that department.

Interesting also is that the idea of marriage has been linked to a state of wild and chaotic activity; surely the decision to ‘settle-down’ and get married indicates a choice that is calm, considered and mature. Whilst I am aware that some marriages can become wild and chaotic, I’m not of the belief that this is the intention of either party when entering into the arrangement. I am myself a civil partner and both my husband and I consider ourselves to be married in all but the legal use of that word. It is one of the least chaotic relationships I know and so I am at a loss as to understand the foundations for Cardinal O’Brien’s comments.

Without discrimination or prejudicial comment on my part, I would politely ask that as a male church leader of the catholic faith, he invites more authoritative and experiential comment on marriage by those who have either been or indeed are married, or have at least attempted some form of personal relationship. Just saying - I am after all not an authority on celibate religious leadership, nor do I pretend to be. I would though invite Cardinal O’Brien to explain Jesus’ instruction to Simon Peter on the banks of the sea of Galilee; “put down your nets,

This very idea of internalised ugliness lies behind my decision to move on from the daily consumption of this and other hateful issues that face my community, nay all of our communities. As a man now well and truly, probably, in the second half of his life I cannot afford the ugly thoughts to be written so clearly across my own face. It takes a lot more than £70 on a 50ml tub of BioTherm Night Care to look beautiful.

I therefore absolve myself from the concern of these matters of ugliness and leave those consumed with what can only be described as a morose misappreciation of the idea of self and happiness to the ends of their own Earth. Be gone from this, my clean and happy space. “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

I am now forty, still a faggot and God bless me I love you all.

GSCENE 51

WALL’S

WORDS

GAY

WISDOM

BY MIKE WALL

BY GAY SOCRATES

GET HEALTHY, GET DIGGING!

COMPASSION SHINES THROUGH SHADOW

I have always suffered from seasonal affective disorder (SAD); probably not severely but I hate the winter. My energy levels drop, I feel very tired, my sleep pattern changes and I find it hard to concentrate. But then a miracle happened. Just over two years ago my partner and I were lucky enough to get an allotment on Whitehawk Hill and I have to say it has changed our lives. It may have taken three years on a waiting list but it was well worth the wait. Yes it is a lot of work, but I have since given up my membership to the gym and with it the expense, I sleep better and of course the main reward is fresh fruit and vegetables.

A poem by the Faerie Mushroom Guanyin: Goddess of Compassion!

You have shown me the way to love myself and thereby to love all Here are my demons...

Of Not-Good-Enough-ness, Of Not-Man-Enough-ness My exhausting perfectionism, My gasping for the oxygen of approval My affirmation addiction, My outraged sense of entitlement To be - at least - engaged with My fury at the unquestionable assumption That fathers 'ought to' respond to a son's overtures for affection With nurturing love (My music longed to be heard by him) Shadow Faeries have poked their healing wands at these raw wounds And shown me how To nurture and heal myself I have embraced those shadow-casters I have cuddled warmth into their cold shoulders I stand tall and true, a Mushroom thriving in the shade And finally I see... My Faerie Nature was cast into the shadows By father, by peers, by Church and by State And the righteous indignation I feel towards anyone With the temerity to portray me In an unfavourable light 'After all the effort I've made to be nice To be acceptable To assimilate' IS THE SHADOW I CAST I now release the pain… The shadows are no longer mine And no matter how black is the darkness I burn with the Fire of Love in my heart and I am Light

Although the experts say that there are many different treatments for SAD including light therapy, medication, ionized-air administration and cognitive-behavioural therapy, I feel that just getting out into the fresh air and doing some manual work has helped me overcome this to a large degree. I still find it hard to motivate myself to climb the hill and start digging but after a day of gardening I feel relaxed and healthily tired. It has also given me a wider hobby as I have to research plants, watering, feeding, composting, shed maintenance, and the list goes on.

Getting an allotment also gives people an opportunity to work alongside others. Every day that we visit the allotment we meet old and new friends. It has extended our social life and we now regularly socialise with people we have met there. It isn’t just about gardening but sharing produce, having barbecues, and generally having fun.

Allotments allow you to meet others in the wider community who share an interest in horticulture and gardening activity, but also who like to sit, enjoy the view, drink a glass of wine and just take it all in.

I have read that it can also help closer relationships to develop between vulnerable (socially excluded) and non-vulnerable (socially included) members of society. What surprises me then, is that I couldn’t find any projects in Brighton that are aimed at people with mental health issues. There have been many studies into the benefits of gardening for people with mental health issues and there are projects all over the country. I am only aware of the community allotment on Whitehawk Hill allotments. They offer workshops in composting, wormeries and general gardening skills. They also encourage people to join in on their open work days (12 noon, every Thursday and Sunday). Have a look at their website and see if it has anything to offer you: www.thefoodproject.org.uk.

I think that maybe there is an opportunity for people to get together to try and get a plot from our Green Council to try and promote the benefits of gardening amongst people living with mental health issues. From personal experience I know that my life has been enriched. I now get more fresh air, more friends, more exercise, more fun, more sleep and even more food.

FINDING ANGELS A Poem by the Faerie Brabantia Oh but there are angels, Not in frames with frozen wings Not in dusty books with fearful bindings, Not in dead places with grasping eyes These angels smile, laugh, kiss, cry, flutter in butterfly colours In shawls, In stilettos, with snuggles, with glee, With tinkles and twinkles, with powders and tea. Tender and tart.

In pink, in play, in leather, In chiffon, in joy, In love Hmm, hmm, especially lurve.

Calm down dear, calm down. They’re only angels.

If you’d spent a bit less time buried in your books, which, By the by, contain slightly less Truth than an egg-cup of tranny piss You might have learned this: These angels don’t flame to your command.

We flame whenever, where-ever we want.

By fires, in camps, on sofas, in slings, playing drums, playing pipes, playing saws like violins, In your streets and castles and forest groves, In Tesco’s, St Paul’s, even down Waitrose. We don’t need an iPad to tell us what’s what: Our vulnerability makes us strong, Our strength makes us gentle, Our hearts lift our senses, Our soul-wisdom makes us strong, Our dancing fires our spirit, Our spirits lift our voices, Our softness makes us hard, Our love makes us whole Our gentleness makes us strong.

So dude, as ma bitches would say, Get over yourself, Today just ‘aint your day.

It’s ours. Your time is through.

The angels are back in town.

Yes, we’re here again, The angel with the man in his eyes And we’re coming after you!

52 GSCENE

KEITH SHARPE A LOVELY PAIR THE BIBLICAL STORY OF ADAM & STEVE BY KEITH SHARPE FROM CHANGING ATTITUDE SUSSEX AND THEY’RE OFF!

COLIN HART

Leading homophobes in the Church of England did not even wait for the parade to start before raining on it. The government’s consultation on equal marriage rights for same-sex couples was launched in March 2012, but back in February two Bo-Peep lookalikes from the top of the Anglican Hierarchy were out of the stalls shouting the odds about what an abomination gay marriage would be.

The truly ghastly George Carey who used to be Archbishop of Canterbury, i.e. numero uno in the C of E, teamed up with the equally odious Colin Hart who is Director of the (virulently anti-gay) Christian Institute. Together they launched the Coalition for Marriage. Carey made a speech in which he said that opening up civil marriage to gay couples would be ‘an act of cultural and theological vandalism’, ‘a political power grab’, and ‘a hostile strike’ led by homosexual pressure groups set on destroying the meaning of marriage.

DR JOHN SENTAMU

The irony of these things being said by a former head of the Church of England, which was created for the sole purpose of redefining marriage for Henry VIII and institutionalising a ‘power grab’ from Roman Catholicism seems completely to have escaped Carey. Presumably the Pope at the time must also have felt he had been subject to ‘a hostile strike’ amounting to ‘an act of cultural and theological vandalism’.

Hot on Carey’s heels came the current C of E numero due, John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. He said the government had no right to overturn centuries of tradition and the Bible, and that it was not the role of the state to alter social structures which had been in place for centuries. As Peter Tatchell pointed out, if the state had not altered social structures which had been in place for centuries, Sentamu, as a black man, would never have been able to become Archbishop of York.

Bizarrely, Sentamu then went on to claim that David Cameron was acting as a dictator. ‘We’ve seen dictators do it in different contexts’, he said. Have we? I’ve never heard of a dictator forcing gay marriage on a society. What dictators usually do is persecute, torture and execute gay people, just as is happening at this very moment in Sentamu’s own country, Uganda.

And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

1. God created the first man, Adam, and then realised there was a problem. It does not look even as if God intended to create another human being, let alone a full blown heterosexual family. It looks much more like God created Adam in his own image and only then realised that there was a problem.

2. The rest of Creation is intended to help humankind thrive and flourish. God tries to find a soulmate for Adam by creating the animals.

And he lets Adam name them, perhaps in the hope that one of them will provide that relational bond that will fill the yearning emptiness inside him. But it is all to no avail. For Adam ‘there was not found an help meet’ for him. What is clear however, though, is that all God’s subsequent creative efforts are aimed at helping Adam to thrive.

3. God realises that Adam has to have someone like himself as a companion. He makes Eve out of Adam’s rib: And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.

So the essential point about Eve is not that she is female but that she is human. Only a human can meet the needs of another human for real companionship. The comparison being made is not that between a male/female pair and a male/male pair, but between a human/animal relationship and the deep mutual commitment which can occur between two human beings.

4. This implies that the principal divine purpose of human pair unions is a loving purpose – it is for the mutual happiness and fulfilment of two human beings. Notice here that we have got a long way through this story and there has not yet been any reference whatsoever to the purpose of marriage being procreation. The whole focus in this allimportant creation story has been on complementarity and companionship.

5. Procreation comes only as an afterthought. The absence of any reference to childbearing continues right on until chapter three of the Book of Genesis. And even then, it only occurs as a sort of incidental afterthought, and only as a minor detail in the story of God’s punishment of Eve for eating the apple and leading Adam astray.

Let us leave aside for one moment the brass neck and hypocrisy of these two unlovely people and ask if there is anything in their assertions about the biblical injunction that marriage can only be the lifelong union of one man and one woman. This is an important task because even in relation to civil marriage a lot of the argument outside church circles still hinges on fundamentally religious definitions of what is right and wrong. Is gay marriage approved by the Genesis story? So the key questions are: (1) Does the Bible ordain compulsory heterosexual marriage?

(2) Does the Bible forbid homosexual marriage?

OPEN AND WELCOMING CHURCHES

The answer to both questions is the same - no. Here is why: Let’s pick the Genesis story up at the point where God has created Adam, the first man, the first human being.

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Changing Attitude Sussex is committed to telling the truth about Christian teaching on homosexuality, and works for the full inclusion of LGBT people in every province of the Anglican Communion and more widely in all Christian Churches. For more info please visit www.changingattitudesussex.com and www.thegaygospels.com

This whole story which is so often used to justify the ‘one man-one woman’ policy is actually driven by a concern with human wellbeing, not the procreation of children. Adam and Steve would have done just as well.

GSCENE 53

BRIGHTWAVES METROPOLITAN

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX

COMMUNITY CHURCH

SEXUALITIES NETWORK

LET’S GET SPIRITUAL, SPIRITUAL!

LGBTQ WOMEN AND AGEING

BY NERINA MACKENZIE-PARR

Have you ever been in a situation where it feels awkward to talk about certain things? My experience of being a LGBT person interested in spirituality is that it can feel like you’re between a rock and a hard place. LGBT people can be uncomfortable talking about faith issues, and people from mainstream faith communities struggle to speak about LGBT issues. In a similar vein those supporting people with mental health issues can also struggle with talking about spiritual matters.

Let’s be clear, by spiritual I don’t mean religious. Although for some people their spirituality is expressed through practising a faith, for others spirituality has nothing to do with God and everything to do with dance or sunsets or art or poetry or walking the dog or whatever it is that fills you with peace or awe or love or stillness. And the crucial connection here is that research shows that positive spiritual experiences both provide protection against developing, and aid a speedier recovery from, mental health issues.

People recovering from mental health issues say that connecting with their spirituality has given them hope, helped them to feel that they belong to something bigger, increased their confidence, and helped them to accept difficult situations and find ways to move forward.

“Research shows that positive spiritual experiences both provide protection against developing, and aid a speedier recovery from, mental health issues” So why do we find it so hard to speak about this? I think for many LGBT people their experience is that organised faiths and religions all too often lead to homophobia, discrimination and abuse.

Interestingly, the evidence about organised religion says that what is important is belonging to a community that is affirming of you, and of all that you are. Any community that affirms will have a positive impact on your mental health, whilst belonging to a faith community that judges or condemns you has the opposite impact and will have a negative effect, this is regardless of the type of religion or belief.

Another reason it is so hard to speak about it is simply that we often do not know what to say. How do we ask a person about their spirituality, especially when they do not have a specific faith? The easiest way to connect with yours or another person’s spirituality is simply to ask the question; “What is it that sustains me/you?”, or “What is it that makes me/you tick?”, or “What is it that keeps you /me going?” and to get into a conversation about it. Why not try asking yourself or somebody else and find ways of celebrating yours and others’ inner strengths and unique defences against mental health issues. ● MCC services take place every Sunday at 6pm in the URC church in Boundary Road, Portslade, BN41 1AB ● MCC is a safe place to explore your spirituality www.brightwaves.org

BY DOREEN FUMIA

Doreen Fumia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Brighton. During her time here, she will engage in a pilot project entitled: LGBTQ Women And Ageing: Organizing, Belonging And Identity In The 21st Century.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-identified and Queer women (and men) have protested for the right to be full citizens, for legitimate visibility, to come out of the closet, get married, have and keep their children and are now dealing with a return to the closet as we age. While more success has been gained in the beginning of the 21st century, allowing us to stake claims to live openly as queer folk, what happens when our safe spaces are dismantled?

“As we age, we are returned to more traditional settings under a heteronormative healthcare system” Many queer folk have formed ‘family’ or community in non-traditional ways. As we age, we are returned to more traditional settings under a heteronormative healthcare system. Thus, neither our identities nor our relationships are recognised under this system. Often we have been alienated from our families of origin. Depending on the ‘families we choose’ may leave us vulnerable to fewer supports and straining to access those relationships as our abilities to make decisions on our own behalf erodes. The fear that LGBTQ people are beginning to live with is that of extreme isolation and increased homo, bi and trans phobia.

With an increasingly ageing population in Canada and Britain, this research is timely since there is a need for community services and policy makers to understand and account for the requirements and trends of ageing populations. Little research exists about these needs or the availability of resources and services for LGBTQ folk. In the initial stages of this research, comparing Toronto and Brighton (two cities that are well known for their ‘gay friendliness’ and active queer communities) adds a dynamic dimension. As well, the research will contribute knowledge to organising possibilities with ageing LGBTQ women (and men). Doreen is conducting in-depth interviews to ask people about their coming-out stories, how they have organised their personal and political lives, their relationships and how they prepare(d) for ageing. These stories offer a rich social history to help us collectively face challenges as we age.

Doreen will hold a workshop on LGBTQ and ageing where LGBTQ women and men can come together to discuss the issues and concerns about growing old in a youth-centred, health-focused and heteronormative society. If you are interested in participating in this workshop and/or this project please contact: D.Fumia@Brighton.ac.uk.

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX SEXUALITIES NETWORK (BSSN) The BSSN is an inter-university research network aimed at supporting research and researchers who work on issues of human sexuality within the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the wider Sussex area. We are community members and academics who have an interest in current sexualities research. Our organising committee is open to all and meets about twice a year. A sub-committee organises our annual conference.

Anyone can come to these meetings to suggest and organise events

54 GSCENE

CHARLIE SAYS ROOT CAUSE MESSIN’ WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH SAYS CHARLIE BAUER PhD It seems to be that a large part of actually being gay is identified as a form of mental ‘illness’ and it’s the lack of mental ‘health’ that somehow makes one gay. Some say it’s also merely a sexual conditioning of the weak - an exploitation of the sensitive young person into the strange and isolated world of ‘the other.’ Pah! Others, (who are not Cynthia Nixon) however, think differently. They think a bit more Gaga about how the gay arrived within the current incarnation. The problem is that Nixon, who thinks being gay is a life choice, is destined to never feel as much oppression as someone who knows that they were ‘born this gay’. And within that same reasoning lies the subtle divider about gay mental health. Well actually, Queer mental health, anyone who was born different is going to have a lifelong feeling of outsideness no matter how secure they feel within their own ghetto, hence the constant need of mental health care within these communities.

I don’t want to be too Darwinian or mammalian here, but it all gets a bit chicken and egg from this point on. (Think Hegel and the fact that God didn’t create man but the other way around.) Being gay is not a mental illness, rather mental health issues are foisted upon us because wider society can’t fully accept anyone being gay. Maybe it’s that any form of long-term victimization is bound to result in some form of mental illness. Maybe being straight and depressed means that you could probably nip it the bud (even if it were hereditary) as a single issue. But being gay and depressed means that unfortunately you can’t, as the oppression will always remain in a continuum, since the negative responses to queerness may never go away within a wider straight society.

“Being gay is not a mental illness, rather mental health issues are foisted upon us because wider society can’t fully accept anyone being gay” This is why gay mental health support groups are more important now than they ever have been. We can’t keep thinking that appropriate help and support will come from a night at the club getting legless and dancing like you just don’t care. It’ll catch up, just you see… anyway I don’t have to explain why gay people are really gay, we know that we have a thicker skull - which also means that we can’t be blamed if we were dropped on the head as babies by our straight parents.

I immediately thought of a recent film entitled Shame which features a somewhat sexy, sex addict. This film is about a promiscuous straight man who is obsessed with never-ending sex. (Sound familiar?)

Remember that most representations of gay men within popular culture tend to be either based on Gok Wan or this type of promiscuous predator, which is because greater society likes to think that all gay men are sexually veracious and corrupting. So, when the same is applied to this straight man it’s viewed as kind of creepy and a little bit ikky – in fact someone with extreme mental health issues, based on their own bad, historic self-image.

However, when our leading man is faced with an all time low, base, gutter-level experience (being blown by a gay man in a ‘seedy’ faggot club) his self image is then cast down beyond any form of redemption.

And because of this one act we then know that he will never be healed. Or saved. Bring in the therapists!

It also doesn’t seem to matter about the other low-lives surrounding him in the gay establishment, as if they were beyond any redemption from the onset due to the type of sex that they have – our hero has done even worse and sunk to their level. A good boy made very, very bad.

Only later in the film, via an exposé of self-harm by his sister, have the filmmakers attempted any reasoning to the ongoing mental health issues of the siblings. They are of course on dangerous ground here as it not only presupposes that adult sexual ill-health is only a result of traumatic childhood experiences but that normative sex is only what exists outside of the representations in this film.

I’ve decided that I’m with Cynthia Nixon on this. Since being gay was a choice, so too was all the crap and oppression I’ve chosen to experience throughout my life, which has forged my ongoing warped mental state. Just to think, I could have saved myself a lot of mental anguish if I’d just made the choice not to be gay before that day in July 1979 when I was so badly queer-bashed in the school playground.

Using similar reasoning, maybe it was also this very abuse that has made me want to go down on lots of other men, and glory be, maybe a straight man, just like in the movies!

“Just to think, I could have saved myself a lot of mental anguish if I’d just made the choice not to be gay before that day in July 1979 when I was so badly queer-bashed in the school playground” Just imagine how my exercising a choice to escape all that oppression would have improved my mental health as a developing young adult!

How much I could have saved the NHS and myself on all of those therapy sessions. Not to mention screwing up my body with all manner of excesses along the way. What must I have been thinking by making a decision to remain gay after such a horrible ordeal! Now that really is mental madness. What a bottom - I obviously deserve all that I get.

GSCENE 55

TRANS

SCRIBE

AIRWAVES

BY NICK DOUGLAS

BY MARCUS PATRICK

THE RELUCTANT PATIENT

DEPRESSION

I’m a mental health service user, albeit a very reluctant one. Let me explain. According to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, gender identity disorder is a mental illness. The fact is, you cannot legitimately get access the to the hormones and surgery that transsexual people use to realise their gender without being diagnosed by two psychiatrists. My very existence as a transsexual man is dependent upon having a diagnosis imposed on me. And it is imposed.

And I resent it utterly. Why? Because I am not actually ill.

As the old saying goes,“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again”. So pity the lot of 47-year-old Stephen Stubbs, who’s visually impaired and a qualified bookkeeper who was made redundant 15 months ago. Until recently, he’d notched up over 2,000 job applications, had a mere 3 interviews, which sadly yielded zero offers of work. Enter: Channel 4 News, who having discovered his plight, decided to follow his progress in his quest for work; at one point, even managing to fix an interview with Chris Grayling, the Employment Minister.

Before my transition, if I wanted to make changes to my body, I simply needed to be of age and able to consent. When I wanted to do that to change my gender, I had to accept a psychiatrist interfering in the decision. It leads to some blatant absurdities. For example, if I wanted to have plastic surgery to make my breasts so unfeasibly large that I might actually fall over (we’ve all seen the online photos) I needed only to walk into a surgeon’s office with the cash. If I wanted them removed (which I desperately did) I needed a psychiatrist’s permission. If I wanted to take hormones to control my fertility, I could have walked into any clinic as a teenager. If I wanted them to grow a beard I needed a psychiatrist’s permission. Granted, not everyone would want to make the choices that I did but as a mentally competent adult I should have had the right to make them without interference: my body, my life! But no, I had to convince a psychiatrist to ‘let me’. As a mature, independent adult I found that profoundly disempowering, demeaning and humiliating.

“If I wanted to have plastic surgery to make my breasts so unfeasibly large that I might actually fall over I need only walk into a surgeon’s office with the cash. If I want them removed I need a psychiatrist’s permission” And the fact is, psychiatry doesn’t work. Now that I live as a man I feel immeasurably better. But it wasn’t changing anything in my mind that made the difference, it was changing my body. Psychiatry had nothing to offer me: endocrinology and surgery were what brought about the greater sense of comfort and ease. And it sickens me to think of the money that has been wasted forcing me to see psychiatrists who could have been treating people who actually want what they have to offer.

I tend towards the view that psychiatry is to be avoided if at all possible. Of all the medical professions, this one has the most shameful history of the abuse of human rights and medical ethics, involving many groups of people but especially LGB people. With its pathologisation of LGB people and sham ‘cures’ for homosexuality queer people have every reason to be deeply suspicious of psychiatry in my view. I will leave it to others to say to what extent things are different now for LGB people but we have at least succeeded in challenging the notion that homosexuality is a mental illness. We trans folk still have a way to go.

My dream is of a day when we can remove psychiatrists from our lives as trans people unless we actually want them. I imagine a time when we can choose instead of having psychiatry forced upon us. When psychiatrists stop inappropriately interfering in our lives and the outrageous arrogance of presuming to speak for us ends. It is not inevitable that psychiatry has to be involved in trans people’s lives, it is a choice made by medical professionals and healthcare planners and that means it can change.

Finally, towards the end of February, he attended an interview with The Student Loan Company, who were so impressed with his performance, that they offered him a job. Quite what all those positions were that he applied for isn’t known; for all I know he may have been applying for Neurosurgeon positions at the local hospital or the role of astronaut for NASA, but, nevertheless, that’s a lot of applications for very little return. Equally, I’m sure being featured on Channel 4 probably helped just a little.

But what struck me most was the human cost of being rejected so many times; 2,000 ‘nos’ seems like an awful failure for one man’s self-esteem and selfworth to bear. I can relate to it a certain extent, having applied for 70 plus jobs in a year and a half, with nine interviews and no job offers.

To say this is demotivating is an understatement, but to a certain extent, I’m a single bloke, working as a freelancer in the media, so know how it rolls. But if I was Stephen, with a wife and kids, I’d find it pretty desperate. For a start, the financial sums become very difficult to add up; despite the rhetoric, unemployment benefit is so pitifully small for most people, it allows for only the most basic of existences.

Secondly, many people gain a sense of self-worth from the satisfaction of having a role and a purpose; when that’s not there, lack of control and social interaction can be crippling. For those on the dole, this combines with the wonderful attitude we have in this country that all claimants are ‘scroungers’ and are ‘on the make’; what a delightful cocktail to have to swallow, when you’re looking for work!

“With unemployment set to rise to 3 million by 2013 and only half a million vacancies up for grabs at any one time, are we set for further surge in depression?”

So it comes as no surprise that in the North East, Stephen’s home region, prescriptions of anti-depressants have risen by a third since 2008. Though there’s an argument that better awareness of Mental Health issues has caused some of the rise, that’s still a hefty spike.

So with unemployment set to rise to 3 million by 2013 and only half a million vacancies up for grabs at any one time, are we set for further surge in depression? Plus what if the cure for this is work that just isn’t there? All the Talking Therapies and Work Programmes in the world aren’t going to detract from the dismal depression of life on the dole.

56 GSCENE

LUNCH

TWISTED

POSITIVE www.lunchpositive.org

GILDED GHETTO

SOUL FOOD

THE DONKEY WHO SANG FADO

We gay men are over three times more likely to experience problems with our mental health than our straight peers. Some of the things that are thought to contribute to this are based around the history of stigma and discrimination that we as gay men have experienced, and the very difficulty of being different from the majority. This can lead to, amongst other things, negative feelings about ourselves and isolation.

A long time again in the dusty Côa Valley in Portugal there lived a donkey called Sau’Dade. He was a proud and talented donkey and respected for his wisdom. He lived a deceptively simple life, watching humans patiently with his huge deep eyes, which, unknown to them, could see the very texture of their souls and perceive their dreams.

For us gay men with HIV there’s a double whammy: the higher risk of mental health difficulties that being gay brings us plus the risk associated with having a highly stigmatised chronic condition.

In the most recent evaluation of Lunch Positive we found that just under a third of people completing questionnaires reported that their mental health had been poor or very poor over the last 12 months and just over a third reported that they often or always felt isolated.

“Taking up appropriate social opportunities can help protect us from mental health difficulties in the future, and also help us recover from any difficulties we may be experiencing in the present” HIV can and does both subtly and sometimes quite dramatically affect our relationships with many of the people in our day to day lives. Letting people know your HIV status is a bit like coming out all over again, you can’t predict what people’s reactions might be and once it’s said it can’t be unsaid. If we choose not to tell people we then hold a secret that might be betrayed at any time, which can be a source of stress and anxiety. We often don’t tell because we fear what people’s reactions might be, or that it might more subtly change the way people might relate to us. Some of us may even feel shame.

These changes in our relationships can often lead to feelings of isolation.

We know that having good social support and networks, and being able to talk openly to others is good for both our mental and physical health.

We also know that isolation can be both the cause and/or effect of depression; and that people who feel isolated are significantly more at risk of suicide. Taking up appropriate social opportunities can help protect us from mental health difficulties in the future, and also help us recover from any difficulties we may be experiencing in the present.

Apart from the nutritional benefits of coming to the lunch club, including the beneficial effect it appears to have on many of our members’ diets at home. The principal benefits that most people in our evaluation reported were the social aspect, peer support and/or reducing isolation. Lunch Positive offers the opportunity for these for all people with HIV in Brighton & Hove and from our recent evaluation this opportunity is taken up and well valued by its members: “It’s good to have a place where having HIV is not an issue”.

Lunch Positive is every Friday, noon–3pm, Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, lunch 1–2pm, costs £1.50. For more info: info@lunchpositive.org • 07846 464384 • www.lunchpositive.org

BY ERIC PAGE

One day he met a Welsh donkey called Hiraeth, she had been walking across Portugal and they fell in love. Then she went back home where the grass was always green and the rain fell like the sweet dew. Wales sounded like donkey heaven and Sau’Dade decided that Hiraeth was an angel.

At night he sang, of beautiful Hiraeth and her long soft thrilling ears, he sang of the mournful separation of his heart and the warm pain that filled him wherever he thought of her beautiful soft eyes, like dark Welsh tarns of mystery, pulling him down into the depths of donkey love. His voice pressed all the melancholy pain and soft agony of resignation, fatefulness and separation into its rich tones and as he sang with so much power that birds wept and moles came out of their burrows to hear such doleful melody under the moon.

Donkeys have been very careful to ensure that humans never learn that they can sing, watching with horror what humans did to entertaining animals and decided at the 2nd Council of Equus to keep their astonishing talent a secret and be useful pack animals, thus ensuring the humans fed them, rather than suffer the fate that befell the songbirds, caged, singing for their supper, living puppets for the humans thrall.

“He sang with so much power that birds wept and moles came out of their burrows to hear such doleful melody under the moon” But this night, as Duncan allowed his soft voice to sing of the love that remained and to lilt with the rich texture of his loss, softly singing an accompaniment to his tears as they fell to earth he was overheard; a small child Maria, had run away from the local village and had hidden in a tree, scared of the night and the wrath of her father.

Sau’Dade sang on, and the child hypnotized by this unearthly song fell sound asleep. Each night the child would run up to the hollow tree and wait for the beautiful singing to begin, and fall asleep humming to herself the comforting but sad tunes. The music pervaded her soul.

Years later Maria left for Lisbon and having little else to sustain her but her looks or the music that kept her safe, she sang out, night after night in the bars of Lisbon, her strange emotionally compulsive new music caused a sensation, and Maria Severa Onofriana became known as the mother of Fado until she died from TB. The Donkey Council heard that the humans had started singing their song of longing and loss and tracked the thematic melodies back to Sau’Dade, who was then chastised and banned from singing ever again and was told to learn to paint, be exquisite and never explain.

BRIAN & ANDY

SKYE’S THE LIMIT ...for Andrew Modd and Brian Stacey

Let me tell you about the rain. It rains a lot.

In fact, we only had forty dry days last year.

That means we had 325 days when it rained. I sometimes feel similar to the Eskimos, but instead of many words for snow, I find myself thinking of new words for the different types of rain. At the moment, it is a persistent drizzle that shows no sign of clearing up or of getting worse. I shall call it a pizzle.

However, when the weather is good, we begin to understand why we moved up here.

Sometimes, on a perfect summer’s day, under a cloudless sky, there is a vista of the white sandy beaches of the Outer Hebrides across the calm azure sea and you could easily imagine you were in the Aegean.

THE OLD MAN OF STORR

We moved up here almost three years ago, feeling that there must be more to life than Brighton and also wanting less stressful lives.

We found a good solicitor in Inverness (you need a Scottish solicitor to purchase property

up here) and once we had found a house, the purchase went through in two weeks.

Our glen is only 20 houses, but it contains an amazing cross-section of people from all over the world including artists, composers and poets. There are also people who have embraced the concept of The Good Life and who keep animals, grow vegetables and are virtually self-sufficient. Everyone has been very friendly and totally accepting of us being gay. We have met other gay and lesbian people living on the island and the surrounding areas. There is also a strong arts and crafts tradition here, with art trails in the summer similar to the Open Houses, at Festival time.

However, when I look back at the highlights any negatives are quickly forgotten. To walk with the Highland Rangers across the whole of Skye, to see the Aurora Borealis above our house and to go out on our motorbike along winding empty roads with breathtaking views.

The intangible benefits, the peace and quiet, the relaxed lifestyle, the sheer beauty of the ever-changing landscape and the truly astonishing wildlife are all I want now. So, occasionally at night, I look up and see the broad band of the Milky Way crossing the sky. I pause and think of being at the end of a dark pier, looking back at the town and seeing the lights reflected in the water around the bay and sometimes, just sometimes, I dream of Brighton again.

We run the house as a B&B from April to October and welcome guests from around Europe, who seem to know more about Scotland than the English. Steadily, the number of gay guests has increased as more people look for something different for their summer breaks. We are registered with Visit Scotland, who have helped us immensely and are also on the gayjourney website, which has brought intrepid gay travellers from all over the world.

So what have we learnt from our time here? I didn’t realise how dangerous it is to drive around at night in the winter, due to the number of animals wandering freely – sheep, deer, foxes etc. I didn’t realise that we would need the wood burner lit in August as it only gets above 20C a few days of the year. I didn’t realise that growing plants and vegetables in the garden would be such hard work due to the wind and rain. Also being isolated means a 25 mile round trip to the shops and at home, no mobile signal at all.

INFO Vatersay House, Glenhinnisdal, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9UZ email: mail@vatersayhouse.com tel: 01470 542284 www.vatersayhouse.com www.isleofskye.com www.isleofskye.org.uk www.skye.co.uk

VATERSAY HOUSE GLENHINNISDAL

Having lived in Brighton for twenty years, the contrast with moving to the Inner Hebrides has been extreme. The Isle of Skye is in the North West of Scotland with some parts of the island being further west than Land’s End. The capital of Skye, Portree, is an old fashioned village with one main street. You can walk down it and feel that the last thirty years never happened.

58 GSCENE

SERVICES

DIRECTORY LGBT SERVICES ACCESS 4 ALL

LGBT disabled people’s forum. Safe and welcoming, support, activities, awareness.

Tel: 07981 170071 or access4all@fsmail.net

MINDOUT Independent, impartial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems. 24 hr confidential answerphone: Tel: o1273 234839 or info@mindout.org.uk www.mindout.org.uk

RAINBOW FAMILIES

Support group for lesbian and/or gay parents Tel: 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies.org.uk www.rainbowfamilies.org.uk

VICTIM SUPPORT

ANYTHING BUT…

Practical, emotional support for victims of crime.

Tel: Brighton 01273 234009 or Hove 01273 439942

Youth social support group for LGB or unsure under 26, meets every other Wed. Tel: 01424 724150 or 01424 447033

HIV PREVENTION

ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT

Drop in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5.30-8.30pm. Tel: 01273 721211 or info@allsortsyouth.org.uk, www.allsortsyouth.org.uk

BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE

Report all homophobic and transphobic incidents to: • The Police 0845 6070999 (for emergencies 999) email: LGBT@sussex.pnn.police.uk tweet: @policeLGBT • Civilian LGBT caseworker Clare Brisco on 101 ext 50427 or 07769 162594 • or use True Vision self reporting pack

BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD Telephone Helpline, Hate Crime reporting, Counselling service, Proud2connect service (relationship counselling in partnership with Brighton Relate). www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton • Helpline from 5pm daily: Tel: 01273 204050 • Services info 01273009 • email brighton.manager@switchboard.org.uk • or brighton.admin@switchboard.org.uk

BRIGHTON OURSTORY PROJECT

Oral history projects including shows, exhibitions, books, support to researchers Tel: 01273 207757 or 01273 328592 or www.brightonourstory.co.uk

BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE

Info, counselling, drop-in space, support groups.

Tel: 01273 698036 or www.womenscentre.org.uk

FTM BRIGHTON

Social/support group for all female-to-male trans people.

Meets every 3rd Sat of month, 6–8pm, THT Office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, BN1 1AE. Tel: 07504 652129 or FTMBrighton@hotmail.co.uk

GEMS (GAY ELDERLY MEN’S SOCIETY)

Twice monthly meeting for over 50s Tel: 01273 884285 or peterotto337@btinternet.com www.gems-bh.org.uk

LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON

Local social group offers friendship, social events Tel: 07594 578035 (eve) www.lesbianlinkbrighton.co.uk

LESBIAN & GAY AA

12 step self-help programme for alcohol addictions. Sun 7.30pm, Chapel Royal, North St, Btn (side entrance).

Tel: 01273 203343 (general AA line)

LGBT NA GROUP

Brighton based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6.30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St. Tel: NA Helpline 604604

LUNCH POSITIVE

Lunch club for people with HIV to meet, make friends, find peer support in safe environment. Every Fri, noon–2.30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton. Lunch £1.50.

Tel: 07846 464384 or www.lunchpositive.org

TREATMENT & CARE SERVICES AVERT

Sussex HIV & AIDS info service, available by phone Tel: 01403 210202 or email confidential@avert.org

BRIGHTON & HOVE CAB HIV PROJECT

Money, benefits, employment, housing, info, advocacy.

Appointments: Tue-Thur 9am-4pm, Wed 9am-12.30pm Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, 1 Tisbury Rd, Hove, Tel: 0845 1203710 www.brightonhovecab.org.uk

CLAUDE NICOL CENTRE/ WILDE CLINIC

Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Out Patients Dept of Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Rd. Tel: 01273 664721 www.brightonsexualhealth.com

LAWSON UNIT

Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials. Tel: 01273 664722

SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICE

CRI / Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust. Open Access Drop In, Assessment, support, advice, info on drug & alcohol issues Tel 01273 607575 An LGB&T worker is able to provide a confidential, non judgemental outreach service.

Offering support for people over 18 wishing to address their substance misuse Tel 07717 774 658

SUSSEX BEACON

24 hour nursing & medical care, day care.

Tel: 01273 694222 or www.sussexbeacon.org.uk

TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES

• Venue Outreach: info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug/alcohol use, free condoms/lubricant for men who have sex with men.

• The Bushes Outreach Service @ Dukes Mound: advice, support, info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety. Free condoms, lube, tea/coffee from Outreach van parked next to ‘The Patio’ at the Bushes.

• Netreach (online Outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services.

THT Brighton Outreach workers online @ Gaydar: Thur 7–10pm, Sat 1–4pm, chatroom HEALTH INFO THT • Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to commercial gay scene in East & West Sussex.

• Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV. • Fastest (HIV Testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men. Pre & post test discussion with clinical staff. Results in an hour.

10 men max tested per session. Mon: 6.30–8.30pm (waiting room open: 6pm) • Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men. Face-2-face or phone. Up to 3 one hour appointments.

• Specialist Training: wide range of courses for groups/ individuals. Specific courses to suit needs.

• Counselling: from qualified counsellors for up to

12 sessions for people living with/affected by HIV • HIV Health Trainer: Face-2-face/phone/email support to help understand diagnosis, manage side effects, sex & relationships, understand meds, talk to doctor, diet & nutrition.

• Informed Passions: Expert Volunteers project to identify & support sexual health needs of local men who have sex with men and carry out wide-ranging field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health. Extensive training provided.

• Lounge (Group for Gay Men Living with HIV): fortnightly peer support group for gay men diagnosed with HIV for at least 1 year, on HIV medication or not.

• What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer support group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men.

• Co Infection group: 6 week peer support group work programme for gay men with HIV & HEP C. • Telling it Straight: monthly Tues eve support group for straight HIV+ men/women. Guest speakers.

• HIV Support Services: info, support & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV. • Volunteer Support Services: 1-2-1 community support for people living with or affected by HIV. • HIV Welfare Rights Advice: help & advice line Wed: 10am–1pm 01273 764205. 1-2-1/group support to claim DLA. Guidance on return to work & in-work benefits.

For more info about these FREE services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Btn, Mon–Fri, 9.30am–5.30pm Tel: 01273 764200 or info.brighton@tht.org.uk

TERRENCE HIGGINS EASTBOURNE

Covering East Sussex, Services: Health Promotion Outreach, free condoms, lube, sexual health info & advice; HIV Health Coach, Short term support for people living with HIV; Counselling; Positive Grants; Face-2-Face 1-2-1 support & advice on sexual health, HIV; Condom Male: free condoms by post; Fastest: 1 hour HIV tests; Positively Social: group for people living with HIV; Volunteering.

Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, Tel: 01323 649927 or info.eastbourne@tht.org.uk

WARREN BROWNE UNIT

Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Shoreham based. Tel: 01273 461453

WILDE CLINIC

Gay men’s sexual health clinic. Wed 5-6.30pm. Opposite Royal Sussex County Hospital entrance Abbey Rd. Tel: 01273 664721

NATIONAL HELPLINES BROKEN RAINBOW

LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline, Mon 2-8pm, Wed 101pm, Thur 2-8pm Tel: 08452 604460

LONDON FRIEND

LGBT bereavement helpline, Tues 7.30-10pm, Tel: 020 7403 5969

LONDON LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD Tel: 02078 377324

POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm Tel: 0800 1696806

MAINLINERS Tel: 02075 825226

NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE 08005 67123

NATIONAL DRUGS HELPLINE 08007 76600 THT AIDS TREATMENT PHONELINE Tel: 08459 470047

THT DIRECT Tel: 0845 1221200

GSCENE 59

APR

CLASSIFIEDS CALL 01273 722457 BY 13TH APR

2012

TO GUARANTEE ADVERT PLACEMENT

COUNSELLING, MASSAGE THERAPY, HEALING, TREATMENTS + HEALTH SERVICES GSCENE SUGGESTS READERS VERIFY THERAPISTS QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

RUSSELL 48 (VTCT Qualified) Holistic Body Massage Aromatherapy • Swedish Massage Sports Massage • Reflexology Indian Head Massage • Hot Stones Waxing • Shaving Kemp Town seafront (opp Naturist Beach)

07887 973399

Gary Mobile Massage Therapist Level 3 VTCT Qualified

I am fully mobile so I am able to visit you in your own home.

I am also able to visit hotels • Swedish Body Massage • Aromatherapy Massage • Reflexology

07789 655102 www.thebrightonmobile massagecompany.com

HOLIDAY LETS PATTAYA THAILAND Stunning Appartment Very Near Bars Good Transport & Shops Must See The Pics!!! www.jomtien.net

ESCORTS +CHAT SEBASTIAN Saltdean In/Out Call Overnight

07003 755082

60 GSCENE

APR

CLASSIFIEDS CALL 01273 722457 BY 13TH APR

2012

TO GUARANTEE ADVERT PLACEMENT

BUILDERS, CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS, HANDY MAN, PLUMBERS, PLASTERERS, PAINTERS & DECORATORS, TILES FRED’LL FIX IT

Est 1990

RAINBOW DECOR

07749 471497

CITB Qualifie d

Guaranteed Work carried out by Gay Professional Man •Painting & Decorating •Tiling •Kitchens/ Bathrooms fitted •General plumbing MOST OTHER TRADES UNDERTAKEN

All Aspects Of General Household Maintenance/Repairs

• Plumbing • Electrics • Painting • Bathrooms No Job Too Small Gay Man Central Brighton Part P Registered

07768 911043 www.fredllfixit.co.uk

PHIL HARRIS Carpentry, Joinery & Building Renovation Built-in furniture, Maintenance & General Building

Call Phil on

0793 1157822 philipbarryharris @hotmail.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

E L E Brighton C T Rbased ICAN For all your electrical requirements No jobs too small, rewire, phone points etc.

Call Barry for free advice on

01273 624610 / 07889 730640 barry.butcher2@ntlworld.com

Electrical Mechanical Services

paint works G AY P A I N T E R & D E C O R AT O R * * * *

Competitive Rates Interior / Exterior Artexing / Coving Quality & Reliability Guaranteed

HOME 01273 589329 MOBILE 07973 839214 over 15 years experience

EDUCATION SERVICES LEARN SPANISH & BUSINESS SKILLS

0034 628 991 703

german_beroiz@hotmail.com

ADVERTISERS MAP HORE

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12 BASEMENT CLUB (below Legends) 31-34 Marine Parade, 624462

G ESTATE AGENTS

37 JUSTIN LLOYD (Kemp Town) 118 St James’ St, 315612 38 JUSTIN LLOYD (City) 111 Western Rd, Hove, 315613 39 JUSTIN LLOYD (Hove) 176 Church Rd, Hove, 315614

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32 CARDOME 47a St James’ St, 692916 33 PROWLER 112 St James’ St, 683680 34 SPECS 22 Kensington Gardens, 676796 35 SUSSEX BEACON Charity Shop 130 St James’ St, 682992 36 SUSSEX BEACON Charity Shop 83 George St, Hove

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1 A-BAR 11–12 Marine Parade, 688825 28 AVALON HOTEL 7 Upper Rock Gardens, 692344 48 COURTLANDS HOTEL 19-27 The Drive, Hove, 731055 T 29 GULLIVERS HOTEL 12a New Steine, 695415 30 COWARDS HOTEL 12 Upper Rock Gardens, 692677 12 LEGENDS HOTEL 31-34 Marine Parade, 624462 31 NEW STEINE HOTEL 10/11 New Steine, 681546 49 QUEENS HOTEL 1/3 Kings Rd, 321222 22 VAVAVOOM 31 Old Steine, 603010

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27 DANCETERIA @ The Font, Union St, www.aeonevents.co.uk 8 ENVY (above Charles St Bar) 8-9 Marine Parade, 624091 24 FUNKY FISH @ New Madeira Hotel 19-23 Marine Parade, 01273 698331 25 REBEL @ DIGITAL 187-193 Kings Road Arches www.aeonevents.co.uk 26 REVENGE 32-34 Old Steine, 606064

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1 A-BAR 11–12 Marine Parade, 688825 2 AQUARIUM 6 Steine St, 605525 3 BAR REVENGE 7 Marine Parade, 606064 4 BEDFORD TAVERN 30 Western St, 739495 5 BULLDOG TAVERN 31 St James’ St, 696996 6 BRIGHTON TAVERN 99-100 Gloucester Rd, 680365 7 CAMELFORD ARMS 30-31 Camelford St, 622386 8 CHARLES STREET BAR 8-9 Marine Parade, 624091 9 CHURCH STREET 112 Church St, 606864 10 DR BRIGHTONS 16 Kings Rd, 208113 11 GROSVENOR 16 Western St, 770712 12 LEGENDS BAR 31-34 Marine Parade, 624462 13 LOOP 16 Marine Parade, 677944 14 MARINE TAVERN 13 Broad St, 681284 15 MARLBOROUGH 4 Princes St, 570028 16 POISON IVY 129 St James St 17 PROJECT 56 56 George St, 623399 18 QUEENS ARMS 7 George St, 696873 19 REGENCY TAVERN 32-34 Russell Sq, 325652 2O STAG INN 33 Upper Bedford St, 01273 780313 21 SUBLINE 129 St James St, 01273 624100 22 VAVAVOOM 31 Old Steine, 603010 23 ZONE 33 St James’ St, 682249

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1 A-BAR 11–12 Marine Parade, 688825 3 BAR REVENGE 7 Marine Parade, 606064 8 CHARLES ST BAR 8-9 Marine Parade, 624091 41 FISHERMAN’S REST 123-125 Kings Rd, 323888 12 LEGENDS BAR 31-34 Marine Parade, 624462 13 THE LOOP 16 Marine Parade, 677944

31 NEW STEINE BISTRO 12a New Steine, 681546

G SAUNAS

G COMMUNITY

46 BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE 72 High St, 698036 www.womenscentre.org.uk 43 BRIGHTON SAUNA 47 LUNCH POSITIVE 75 Grand Parade, 689966 Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, 44 TBS2 SAUNA 07846 464384 www.lunchpositive.org 84-86 Denmark Villas, Hove, 723733 MINDOUT Community Base, 113 Queens Rd G LEGAL & FINANCE 234 839 www.mindout.org.uk 45 ENGLEHARTS SWITCHBOARD 49 Vallance Hall, Hove St, Hove, 204411 Community Base, 113 Queens Rd 204050 (5–11pm)

info@justinlloyd.co.uk

01273 692424 justinlloyd.co.uk

K e m p To w n / C it y / H ov e/

118 St James’s Street, Brighton BN2 1TH 111 Western Road, Hove BN3 1DD 178 Church Road, Hove BN3 2DJ

£459,950

Furze Hill, Hove Spacious three/four bedroom mid-terrace house in a private cul-de-sac, located next to St Ann's Well Gardens within walking distance of the city centre and seafront. The property benefits from having a balcony, garage and garden.

£379,950

£399,000

You can now browse our properties on Facebook Richmond Terrace, Brighton

Adelaide Crescent, Hove

Three bedroom duplex apartment on the top two floors of a listed building. Communal gardens.

Spacious two bedroom flat in a Grade II* listed house on Hove seafront. Patio garden.

£267,500

£185,000

£369,000

Shirley Street, Hove

Lorna Road, Hove

Prince Regents Cl, Brighton

Bright two bedroom maisonette situated on raised ground and first floor. Loft and garden.

Delightful one bedroom flat on the first floor of a converted period house. Additional room.

Immaculate three bedroom end of terrace house in secluded cul-de-sac. Garage and garden.