September 2016 Issue 4
© photo by Steve Ullathorne
The Pepperpot In All Its Former Glory A Quick Trip Through History
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Sue Perkins on The Great British Bake Off, Punchlines and Her Fans!
A Sawyer & Co. Publication
September 2016 Issue 4
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KempTownLIVING
September 2016 Issue 4
KempTownLIVING
Dear Reader
W
elcome to the forth edition of our Sawyer & Co bi-monthly magazine.
Since we last saw you we’ve enjoyed the bands performing on our Sawyer & Co stage at the Kemp Town Carnival, rewarded the pupils of St John the Baptist School for their fantastic pictures of our properties and taken part in charity football and volleyball matches for The Clock Tower Sanctuary and Albion in the Community. In this issue we catch up with Sue Perkins whose ‘Live! In Spectacles’ show comes to the Brighton Dome this month, we have a handy guide on how to remove rust and we travel back through time to see The Pepperpot in all its former glory.
Contents This month we....................................................04–05 Rust, how to remove it..........................................07 Property market........................................................ 08 History of The Pepperpot.................................. 09 Property for sale and rent.................................... 11 Sue Perkins Q&A...................................................10–11
June and July have been great months for us as we can very proudly announce that our Senior Negotiator Kerry-Anne Holland became a Sunday Times Best Lettings Agent finalist at their national awards ceremony, while Sawyer & Co have been named as a finalist at the upcoming Brighton & Hove Business Awards. We had a fantastic response to our ‘tell us how much YOU THINK we’re worth’ campaign in June so if you’d like us to come and value your property pop into the office and say hello or contact us now on 01273 685 111 to arrange a time that’s convenient for you. Lee Cook Branch Manager
Recently sold or let in your area
We’re always keen to discuss any future ideas for features, reviews or advertising as well as hearing about new charity events or community projects. Pop into the office and say hello or contact us now on 01273 685 111 or email jenny@sawyerandco.co.uk No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers.
September 2016 Issue 4
this month Ocean Heights TO RENT
KempTownLIVING
...we love
Luxury 2 Bedroom Eco-Friendly Apartment with South-Facing Balcony and Sea Views Contact us now on 01273 685 111 and find out more about this property
this month...
...we’re looking forward to
Taking part in the Warrior Run on behalf of Albion in the Community 04|
September 2016 Issue 4
KempTownLIVING
this month ...we’re enjoying A little something we like to call ‘The Vegan Scrambler’! Created by our very own Adam Farrell this is vegan take on the classic British fry up with scrambled ‘eggs’ as the star of the show… Heat a medium non-stick skillet over a medium heat and add 15oz of drained organic sprouted tofu along with a slither of non-dairy butter. Add ¼ tsp of black salt, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder and ¼ tsp pf turmeric powder and using a spatula, chop up the tofu in the pan until it looks like scrambled eggs. Add 3 tbsp of vegetable broth, one at a time and bring the mixture to the boil until the tofu soaked it all up. Remove from the heat and season. Then for the ultimate gut buster, add vegan sausages, vegan bacon, fried mushrooms, hash browns, baked beans, grilled tomatoes and toast!! Wash down with a big mug of tea (with soya milk of course!) and crash out on the sofa for a while to recover. Serves two.
…we’re listening to Lazy late summer afternoons deserve a good soundtrack and while he’s driving to appointments our Kemp Town office regular Bob Beaken knows a classic tune when he hears it. ‘In the Summer Time’ – Mungo Jerry ‘Summer Breeze’ The Isley Brothers ‘California Girls – The Beach Boys If you’re taste in music is a little more alternative our vegan maestro Adam highly recommends you check out these tunes: ‘Morning’ – Beck ‘Minor Work’ - SUUNS ‘Higher Than the Sun’ – Primal Scream
Listen to our Sawyer & Co playlists at find out more at: https://open.spotify. com/user/sawyerco 05|
September 2016 Issue 4
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Property Market Update Whether you voted to leave or remain in the referendum it shouldn’t make any difference to your own plans about selling a property or moving to a new home.
it’s reassuring to know that you’re dealing with experienced professionals who can advise you on the pros and cons of a change in market conditions.
Life goes on and here at Sawyer & Co. and we’re always here to find the best solution, the best deal and the best outcome for you no matter what’s happening in the news headlines.
Our experience helps us to help you and we’re always happy to offer you our professional advice on everything from whether this a good time to move to if there are any good mortgage deals available.
Over the years we’ve seen most things, from booms, bust and uncertainty to elections, budgets and credit crunches, so as the saying goes, ‘we’ve been there and done that’. IF there is a change to market conditions
Vote for a multi award-winning team and contact our property experts now on 01273 685 111 or pop into our branch at 113 St. George’s Road and allow us to get things moving for you.
Sovereign Court TO RENT
Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment with Beautiful Views of the Sea and the Marina Available from the 23rd September unfurnished. Contact us now on 01273 685 111 and find out more about this property.
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September 2016 Issue 4
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The Italianate Tower of Queen’s Park
a quick trip through history Brighton and Hove is well known for its quirky and eccentric approach to things and that extends to the buildings dotted around the city. The i360 is only the latest in a long line of constructions that have won admirers and caused consternation in equal measure through the ages. Standing 60 feet above the level of Queen’s Park and with the top of its cupola 200 feet above sea level, The Pepperpot in Queen’s Park is a great example. Designed and built in 1830 by architect Charles Barry it originally stood in the grounds of Attree Villa which was built for the owner of the park. The villa is long gone, but the square building in the Quattrocento style remains. Its original function is not clear and theories include it being a water tower for the villa, a vent for the network of large Victorian sewers beneath Brighton, an observatory or simply a folly. 08|
Over the years the building has had various uses. The Brighton Daily Mail was printed and published there and it was also an important part of the defences in the Second World War having a role as an observation tower. At other times it was also a scout headquarters, an artist’s studio and even a public toilet. Although known as the “Belvedere Tower” in its early days, the shape of the circular Italianate tower soon led to it being widely known as the Pepperpot. The iconic structure is owned by Brighton and Hove City Council and is protected as a Grade II listed building. Sadly today it is not used for any purpose. In January 2010 The Friends of the Pepperpot group formed to promote the conservation of the Pepperpot and try to get it back into use. In 2011 Brighton and Hove City Council undertook a £50,000 restoration of the exterior but more structural work is needed and various funding options are still being considered. Thanks to Andy Garth at Brighton and Hove Stuff
September 2016 Issue 4
KempTownLIVING
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This stunning period conversion apartment forms part of the first floor of the former French Convalescence Home, built in 1898. Carefully converted in 2007, the building has been beautifully preserved and the fourteen apartments have breath-taking features that make the French Apartments stand out as one of Brighton’s premier seafront homes.
Contact us now on 01273 685 111 for more details.
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September 2016 Issue 4
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Kemp Town Living catches up with Sue Perkins ahead of her show at the Brighton Dome Q: What prompted you to hit the road with your new tour, “LIVE! in Spectacles”? A: It’s a good time to look back on my life so far. I fully intend to live to the age of 92, so this is half-time. Essentially this tour is handing out the orange segments. Q: Tell us more. A: Writing a memoir begins a process that doesn’t necessarily end with publication. You begin to think about family life and stories and relationships, and those are ongoing. Once the book was published, I thought, “There is so much more still to ay without necessarily writing another book. Why not animate the book with a live tour?” It’s like a companion volume, I guess. A big, technicolour puke of thoughts. Perhaps I should put that on the poster… Q: You have always relished live performance, haven’t you? A: Yes, I love live. I really enjoy playing with an audience. At book events, I do Q&As and it’s often then that the madness starts. It often feels like an anarchic version of Question Time. Q: What do you particularly like about interacting with the audience? A: It enriches me. Performing live challenges you to be more engaged. And the great thing is, each venue is completely different. What I have done lately has been TV-based, so I haven’t had the same feedback as I get live, and that’s what I love. I adore the raw surprise someone of asking a question you would never have expected. I love the spontaneity of it. I don’t encourage hecklers, but sometimes a heckler is the funniest person in the room - why not embrace that? The audience is a big pool of fun you can swim around in. But remember - no petting.
“Sometimes a heckler is the funniest person in the room” 10|
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September 2016 Issue 4
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Q: You will be giving each ticket-holder a copy of your book, “Spectacles”. What’s the thinking behind that? A: It gives me the opportunity to meet the whole audience one by one afterwards during the signings. A gig is a two-way street. It’s not about me broadcasting. It’s not, “This is what I’ve got to say about this.” It’s as much about how people respond to the material. My memoir is a story of family and childhood, and everyone has had one of those. Mine is not the definitive version of childhood, but it’s a great way to start a conversation. I love it when someone says, “It’s weird. I lived next to an electricity substation for 20 years as well.” Or, “We had a cat that dragged our turkey across the room at Christmas and we had to eat boiled eggs for our lunch instead.” The book is a recorded history of my life so far, but the tour brings extra stuff to it. The audience adds so much on top of that. It’s important to have that double act thing going on with them. Q: So what subjects will you be covering in the show? A: Births, deaths, lemon drizzle and getting fondled by a Cambodian hermit. I’ll talk a lot about the catastrophising that went on in my family. There was always a sense that something awful, that imminent doom, was around the corner. It came from my mum – she’s a worrier. Everything was a potential trip to A & E!
Q: What else do the fans ask you? A: They always want to know what Mary Berry is like. Well, Bez is the best. End of. She’s the nation’s sweetheart. I love her – so much so, I’ve been trying to get her to adopt me for the last seven years. Q: Why do you think The Great British Bake Off has proved so popular? A: I think the chemistry between the four of us – Mary, Paul, Mel and I – works so well. We’re all big kids at heart. We’re all very playful. We don’t approach it as a job. We approach it as a day out at a country fair! But the real reason why the show is so successful is the 12 people who come to bake every year. Although we four have received a lot of attention, I really do believe that the bakers are where the magic is. Q: Finally, do you believe that a sense of humour is vital? A: Of course. Life is boring without the punctuation of punchlines. If you laugh at a joke, it’s because someone has put something you already know in a way you had never thought of before. You’ve always been aware of that idea, but it’s the expression of that idea that catches you. The other person encapsulates it or puts a new twist on it. It illuminates and cheers in one fell swoop. Without humour, what’s the point? Life would simply be one long argument with a man from the BT helpdesk.
Q: I believe you will also be showing some slides. A: Yes, there will be lots of slides. There is only one picture of me in the book and I have this horrific haircut in it. People say, “Surely that was just one bad haircut day.” But I’m afraid I have 150 slides of myself at different ages, all with the same haircut! My mum had someone round to cut my hair who, it transpired, had only done dog grooming before. So I had a low Dougal-style fringe that was perfectly straight. It swayed like a trimmed, bearded collie! A bowl for all seasons. Perhaps that should be the title of the second volume…. Q: You have a wonderful relationship with your fans. Do they frequently stop you in the street? A: Sometimes, yes. Often they’ll want to ask about the weird things I’ve eaten. I’ve eaten everything. There’s nothing I haven’t eaten. I’ve eaten peacock, rat, squirrel, wigeon, teal, snipe, snake, moose and yak. Bear Grylls, eat your heart out! In fact, he probably has eaten his heart out…
Sue Perkins Live! in Spectacles will be at Brighton Dome on Sat 10th Sept at 7.30pm, please call the box office on 01273 709709 or go to brightondome.org to book tickets 11|
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Lee Cook, Branch Manager
Kemp Town 113 St George’s Road, Kemp Town, Brighton BN2 1EA 01273 685111