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vivabrighton
Issue 20. Oct 2014
editorial
...................................................................................
You have in your hands a 64-page saddle-stitch magazine, the
twentieth issue of Viva Brighton, which has been published
in this format since we first hit the city’s streets in May 2012.
‘Saddle stitch’ is a lovely term denoting magazines held
together by staples; the alternative, more classy but more
expensive, is ‘perfect bound’, which describes the process
whereby pages are glued together under a spine. Issue twenty-one of Viva Brighton will be
perfect bound. We are on the move at Viva, having decided on a complete demarcation from our
sister publication Viva Lewes, a new office (above Marwood on Ship Street) and the employment of a new acting publisher, and a head of sales (welcome on board Lizzie Lower and Anya
Zervudachi, as well as editorial assistant Rebecca Cunningham). The move to a perfect-bound
format will include an increase in pagination (trade talk for more pages) and thus more editorial.
So we are ‘test driving’ several new slots in this issue, including ‘Local Hero’ (in this case charity
self-starter Zac Lanza), ‘Talking Shop’ (a look at EatonNott) and ‘How to…’ (take photos of
food). A period of change is a good time for reflection, and we would like your thoughts on
what you like or dislike about the magazine, which you can send us via Twitter (@Viva­_Brighton
#vivafeedback) or e-mail (feedback@vivabrighton.com). Shoot from the hip: we can’t promise
we’ll agree but we do promise we’ll listen. In the meantime, as ever, enjoy the issue…
The Team
.....................
EDITOR: Alex Leith alex@vivabrighton.com
DEPUTY EDITOR: Steve Ramsey steveramsey@vivabrighton.com
ART DIRECTOR: Katie Moorman katie@vivabrighton.com
PHOTOGRAPHER AT LARGE: Adam Bronkhorst
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Rebecca Cunningham
ADVERTISING: Anya Zervudachi anya@vivabrighton.com
Nick Metcalf nickmetcalf@vivabrighton.com, Emma Burton emmab@vivabrighton.com
CONTRIBUTORS: Joanna Baumann, Black Mustard, Antonia Gabassi, Nione Meakin, Chloë King, John Helmer
PUBLISHER / ACTING PUBLISHER: Nick Williams / Lizzie Lower lizzie@vivamagazines.com
Viva Magazines is based at 52 Ship Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1AF
For advertising enquiries call 07596 337 828
Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content. We cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations.
contents
...............................
Bits and Bobs.
9-15. Five minutes with Boho Gelato’s Seb Cole, a half in The Jury’s
Out, Roger Bamber’s Brighton and a
fair bit more, to boot.
Brighton in History.
14-15. It’s the 1964 General Election,
and it’s a close-run thing in Kemptown between a complacent Tory and
a leftist Labourite.
In town this month.
19-27. Welcome to the Palace of Fun,
comedians Sara Pascoe, Dave Gorman and Romesh Ranganathan, Steve
Made in Brighton.
Hackett of Genesis, guitar musos The
44-47. Talking shop with EatonNott,
Pop Group, and an evening of popery
a portable field camera, and a local lad
at the Brighton Early Music Festival.
working wonders in Africa.
Art, design and literature.
Food.
31-43. Photographers Anthony Lu-
50-53. We review No. 32 and Mar-
vera and Jan von Holleben, Graffitist
malade, discuss rationing of ‘shit’
Aroe, bespoke furniture designer Ben
food, and find out how to photograph
Fowler, novelist Hannah Vincent,
breakfast.
poet/performer Kate Tempest. Oh,
and an evening of Spike Milligan, too.
Active.
53-57. We witness triathlon training,
try out a session in a sásta fitness pod
and survive fresh-meat training with
the roller-derby girls.
Features.
58-62. A coffee with Caroline Lucas,
a Copper family refurbisher and the
Great Kemptown Pram Race of 1979.
....
5....
this month’s cover art
..........................................
You might well recognise the
inimitable style of this month’s
cover artist, Carlos Garde Martin.
He designed the cover of the 2013
Brighton Fringe Brochure, which
led to contracts with Citroën and
Southern Rail. When we asked
him if he was interested in doing our October cover, it didn’t
take him long to get enthusiastic
about the project. “I immediately
thought ‘Mexican Day of the
Dead’,” he remembers, admitting
that he’s been watching a fair bit
of Breaking Bad recently. “As it was
also the Comedy Festival in October, I thought I’d
add some comic elements to the piece. My way of
working is to brainstorm, then doodle ideas onto a
page, and I came out with a few figures: one skeleton
badly juggling eggs, another slipping on a banana
skin; one skull being hit in the face with a custard
pie, another flying out of a box on a string. The main
chap in the foreground is a Mariachi singer; I kind of
modelled him on the actor Danny Trejo, who was in
From Dusk Till Dawn and loads of other films. Then
I looked on Google at some examples of Mexican
....
street typography, and came up
with the fonts for the lettering.”
Having worked out the composition of the piece in his head,
and sketched out the elements
on a piece of A4 paper, he carefully hand-drew everything again,
with a Sharpie marker pen, onto
a white piece of A2-ish-sized paper. He scanned this, and the rest
was done on his computer. “The
colours I had initially thought
would look good with pinks and
limes then I researched on the
internet and found a cool Mexican weaving design,” he says, “then I selected some
of them and used the Pantone colour equivalent. I
always work with those colours.” “So much illustration takes itself seriously,” he concludes, “which is
fine, but that’s not me. I’ve always drawn comic-style
characters, ever since I was a kid. I think it’s important to enjoy the work you’re doing, and hopefully
that comes through.” In the spring you’ll see a vast
large-scale artwork by Carlos at Haywards Heath
railway station; in the meantime check out his website at carlosgardemartin.co.uk.
7....
bits and bobs
...............................
five minutes:
S eb , from Boho G elato
It must be hard selling ice creams now winter is on its way… In this country, ice cream is often seen as just
a treat when the weather’s hot, which is why people have put up with the likes of Mr Whippy for so long. Other
countries see an ice cream cone as a viable dessert throughout the year. I’m not just
talking Italy; most of the Northern European countries, too, and the USA.
Do you change the flavours you sell, to suit the season? We always have.
We’re all about making artisan ice cream in the traditional Italian way, using fresh
cream, milk and ingredients. But we like to experiment with our flavours.
The summer was all about mojito sorbets, passion fruit bellinis and strawberry,
black pepper and basil; after the clocks go back we’ll be serving things like
chocolate, cinnamon and Bloody Mary, or gingerbread and white chocolate.
Last December one chap ordered 12 litres of ice cream in as many different
flavours: he chose them to complement all the courses he was serving over the
Christmas period.
The Italians are very traditional about their food. How do they
react to your experimentation? I went to Sicily recently as
part of the Brighton & Hove Food Festival chef-swap
project. I demonstrated making strawberry, basil
and black pepper ice cream, which isn’t the sort
of thing you’ll see in your average gelateria!
The young people loved it. The middle-aged
people didn’t really approve. The old people
were suspicious, until they tried it. “That’s
how ice cream tasted in my youth!” they said.
I got kissed a lot by old ladies.
buried in brighton : william russ pugh
Before he read the article in his wife’s copy of the
anaesthesia, he was confident enough of success that
Illustrated London News, headlined ‘The new
he invited several people, including the editor of a
means for rendering surgical operations painless’,
local newspaper, to watch.
the Tasmania-based doctor William Russ Pugh “had
Born in London in October 1806, the son of a ‘rag
probably never heard of an anaesthetic”, his biogra-
merchant’, Pugh qualified as a doctor before moving
pher JD Paull says.
to Australia in his late 20s. “He was very well regard-
Nonetheless, nine days later, on June 7, 1847, Pugh
ed” as a medic, Paull says; he was also “determined,
tried it successfully on two patients, using a home-
stubborn, with no tolerance of fools or those he
made inhalation device. Though he was probably
thought were unprofessional. Often impulsive in his
the first person in Australia to attempt surgery with
response to those seeking to damage his reputation.
....
8....
bits and bobs
...............................
JJ Waller
“I was out doing my daily parkour session,” says JJ Waller, “when I saw someone who was much better than
me. Mostly I have my camera with me. I’m very glad I did that day.” Parkour, for the uninitiated, is the acrobatic urban sport of getting from A to B using urban furniture to aid your propulsion, invented in France, and
big in Brighton. That’s a spectacular leap by the kid… and quite a deft bit of framing by the photographer.
The subject of sustained professional jealousy.”
“However, he was compassionate to those needing
In 1842, after a malicious complaint from another
his services and very community minded, estab-
doctor, he ended up being charged with man-
lishing his own private hospital,” Paull says, “as an
slaughter over the death of a patient (the case was
alternative to the perceived horrors of the Convict
dismissed). About six weeks after that, an argument
Hospital.”
between Pugh and a local banker, initially over an
Pugh came back to England around 1874, and died
invitation to a ball, escalated to the point where
23 years later. It’s not clear if he ever lived locally,
Pugh challenged the banker to a duel, publically
but he was buried in the Extra Mural Cemetery.
called him a ‘liar and a coward’, and was success-
With many thanks to Dr JD Paull. A copy of his
fully sued for libel.
book, Not Just an Anaesthetist, is at Jubilee Library
....
9....
Share your skills
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Photographs by Simon Callaghan and Brighton Togs
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For more information and to book visit
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Learning
bits and bobs
...............................
pub : the jury’ s out
The Jury’s Out was so renamed by pubco Enterprise
and paintwork of the exterior and you might see
last year, presumably to reflect that it’s bang op-
why English Heritage gave it Grade II-listed status
posite the Crown Court on Edward Street. A quick
in 1971. Their website details ‘Tuscan pilasters, con-
half in there one late Thursday afternoon suggests
tinuous architraves chauffeured with run-out stops
that it’s not trying to pull in the barristers and judges
and a segmental bay of mathematical tile’. This last
for their post-session sessions. Big posters advertise
feature, sadly, has some time in the past been daubed
John Smith’s on sale for £2.90; there’s a television on
glossy white.
in the corner silently showing the racing; one of the
“It’s a pub to give you a frisson,” says Jay Collins,
three other customers there is, unlike his two scruffy
our pub artist who popped in herself for a quick pint
friends, wearing a suit. He looks nervous.
after painting the place. She was most struck by a
It’ll take locals a while to stop calling it the Thurlow
photograph of mass murderer Peter Tobin, taken
Arms, which it was named in c1815 when the build-
and displayed in the pub. “We get all sorts in here,”
ing was converted into a pub. It was named after
she was told by the landlord. “From well-dressed
Baron Edward Thurlow, a long-serving Lord Chan-
solicitors, to pickpockets, shoplifters… and mass
cellor, an arch-Conservative apologist for slavery
murderers.” The landlord’s not there when I visit:
who died in Brighton in 1806. Thurlow, incidentally,
I glug back a half of San Miguel, taking in enough
was also a patron to Samuel Johnson.
visual information to ascertain I’m unlikely to be
You wouldn’t think it from the scruffy interior (it
back, unless I fancy watching a bit of hurling one
doesn’t look like the rebranding of the place in-
Saturday afternoon.
volved a refurbishment) but think through the grime
Words: Alex Leith; painting: Jay Collins
....
11....
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column
...........................................
John
Helmer
‘Working’ from home
‘What have you got on today?’
(though not other affective
Freecell instead. Which takes
This is a worrying question.
disorders, such as those caused
us to coffee time.
My wife only asks it when she
by being stared at by an alight-
I’m religious about the 11am
wants to add something to
ing seagull in a haughty way,
coffee break – fundamental-
what I have on.
or inadvertently viewing the
ist, even. My Bialetti stovetop
‘Blog deadline and a Skype
next-door cat’s bumhole when
coffee maker is my very best
conference,’ I say crisply.
what you had hoped for was a
friend. After a quadruple
‘Can you listen out for the
glimpse of sky).
espresso things at last start to
door? I’ve got deliveries.’
Particularly admired by other
hum. The blog post gets un-
‘Not during the Skype confer-
freelancers has been the tight
derway. The world expert on
ence with the very important
working triangle between the
semantic content enrichment
world expert on semantic
‘holy trinity’ of the writerly
turns out to be your dream
content enrichment whose
workplace; desk, toilet and
interviewee – I ask him one
Dutch accent is quite hard to
refrigerator. ‘You must never
question and he talks for 45
understand, no.’
have to talk to your family at
minutes. In all this I am dimly
‘But the rest of the time?’
all!’ they gasp.
aware of activity in the street,
I tend not to mention the
but assume it’s another skip
Muttering some-
tumble dryer though.
being delivered, or scaffolding
thing indistinct
This appliance sits adjacent
being torn down.
that I take to be a
to my study, which means I
By the time Kate returns, my
comment about
have to keep the door closed
blog post is mostly done and
male absent-
to hear myself think. But with
I’m feeling pretty pleased
mindedness,
the door closed, and the white
with myself. Until I see the
she starts the
box groaning and whining and
two red fuck-you notes from
tumble dryer
throbbing, I can’t hear the de-
Parcelforce she’s holding.
and goes out.
livery men – who, it has always
‘He did have an extremely
My working
seemed to me, come and go
thick Dutch accent.’
environment
with the practised stealth of
‘You didn’t put the recycling
is in some
tooth fairies.
out either.’
I shut the door and focus.
‘Did you ask me to do that?’
able. For a start,
Only, this particular morning
‘Yes. Plus, you left the gas on.’
the study has a
the thought of entering the
For the first time, I notice an
skylight, which
phrase ‘semantic content en-
acrid quality to the air. ‘You’re
prevents Seasonal
richment’ into Google’s little
going to need a new coffee
box fills me with existential
maker.’
‘Of course.’
respects envi-
Affective Disorder
dread, so I play 48 games of
....
13....
....
14....
Photo by Adam Bronkhorst
interview
..........................................
mybrighton: Roger Bamber
Former Fleet Street photographer
Are you local? Brighton is my adopted city. I’m
of Adelaide Crescent. I went closer and saw the
originally from Leicester. I trained as a graphic
jackets had ‘Community Payback’ printed on them.
designer at Leicester College of Art, but also did
They were felons, doing community service. That
a photography course and decided to go to Fleet
one sells and sells. Anything makes a picture if it’s
Street with the idea of working in newspapers.
done intelligently. Another time there had been a
I got a job at the Daily Mail, and then, after five
light covering of snow and I saw a mountain biker
years, I moved to the Sun, where I worked for 19
followed by a jogger going on the promenade. I
years. One afternoon back in 1973 I saw an advert
photographed their tracks. That one sells a lot, too.
for a Pullman worker’s cottage near Brighton
What’s your favourite Brighton pub? The Bas-
railway station. I came down that weekend to look
ketmakers is Brighton’s classic pub, in my eyes. My
at the place, and I bought the bloody thing.
local – I live between Waitrose and the West Pier
It’s a very photogenic city… It is, and that’s
– is Temple Bar, where I have a couple of glasses of
worked well for me. While I was working on the
wine at lunchtime.
Sun I was also sending pictures to the Observer,
Where do you shop?Waitrose. I’ll never shop in
mostly quirky Brighton ones, under the name Vic-
Tesco again after what they did in their Palmeira
tor Wild. When I left the Sun in 1988 as Murdoch
Square branch, pulling down the bronze art
moved the operation to Wapping, I could work for
nouveau window frames and replacing them with
them under my own name as a freelance. A bit later
plastic ones. If I ever get the chance to sell a photo
my friend Eamonn McCabe became picture editor
that’s detrimental to Tesco, I take it. I Gigi is a
of the Guardian and asked me to come on board
wonderful shop, too, which sells coffees upstairs.
and do the same for them. I was their Brighton
It’s full of idiosyncrasies.
and South Coast photographer for 23 years. Now
What landmarks do you particularly admire? I
I mostly do my own thing via the agencies Rex and
always encourage people to visit the Pavilion; it’s
Alamy, which showcase my work online.
amazing how many people who live here have nev-
Do you take your camera everywhere? It’s a
er been inside it. I also love the Brunswicks – the
fixture. It’s a question of keeping your eyes open.
Square and the Terrace, and the other magnificent
A few years back I was in Falmer and I saw they’d
Georgian squares. You know they were planning to
painted 31 inches of double yellow line outside the
pull down the Brunswicks in the 60s? John Betje-
Swan. Thirty-one inches! The Guardian didn’t like
man stepped in and saved the day.
it but the Telegraph and the Mail took it and the
Finally, what do you think of the local press?
next day there were TV crews outside the pub.
The Argus used to be a good stepping stone for
Do you have a routine? I get up every morning
talented journalists. Now it’s much depleted. They
and drive to the Promenade at seven, and walk
don’t cover half the stories they ought to cover.
round Hove Lawns. One day I saw three or four
Having said that, I was really pleased they brought
guys in hi-vis jackets painting the balustrades
back more court coverage recently. Interview by AL
....
15....
brighton in history
..........................................
General Election, 1964
Nessie-hunting Tory vs fervently leftist Labour man
Fifty years ago, Kemptown’s MP was an Old
James a 5,746 majority in the previous election, in
Etonian, Loch Ness Monster-hunting Tory called
1959. But since then, the founding of Sussex Uni-
David James. His CV included wartime service as
versity had caused an influx of left-wing students.
a Royal Naval Reserve officer, two escapes from
Many of them joined the ‘hordes of helpers’ who
a German POW camp, and 19 months on an
‘worked with fanaticism’ on Labour’s campaign,
Antarctic expedition.
the Argus reported at the time. Conservative
Elected in 1959, James’ first term was disrupted
volunteers were ‘thin on the ground’, and less
the following year when, in his words, he ‘very
enthusiastic, a Tory official later suggested.
nearly died’ from ‘a virus of unknown origin’. His
Hobden made many personal calls to voters,
biographer John Robson writes that he had ‘a
while James’ strategy involved driving 1,000 miles
post-viral depression, accompanied by disturbing
around Kemptown in a Land Rover, hailing voters
illusions, panic attacks and phobias,’ for which he
with a loudspeaker. Both candidates faced heckling
had electric-shock treatment.
at their meetings. One Labour rally ‘almost
Around 1961, James became interested in Nessie,
became violent’ when ‘a group of young hecklers
and ‘his sense of romantic adventure and explora-
produced a Conservative Party poster,’ the Argus
tion – coupled with curiosity – persuaded him to
reported.
take a lead’ in a project to find it, Robson writes.
James’ agent, Donald Arthur, accused Hobden of
One Tory politician described James as ‘the sil-
making ‘many unjust and unkind personal attacks’
liest Conservative MP that he knew,’ according
on his opponent. And, after the Brighton Herald
to the Independent. ‘His reputation was that he
discussed his record in parliament, James wrote in
was more concerned with diving in Loch Ness in
to ‘protest with the utmost vigour… the article is
search of the monster than with poverty behind
so misleading and malicious that I would be fully
lace curtains in genteel Brighton.’
justified in suing for libel, were it not that I disap-
For the 1964 general election, there was no
prove of electioneering by writ’.
Liberal challenger, so James’ only competition
There was good weather on election day,
was Labour’s Dennis Hobden. Hobden had left
Thursday October 15, and a high turnout: 76%.
school at 14 and worked for the Post Office ever
At the results meeting that night, ‘red-scarfed
since, except during WWII, when he served in
University of Sussex students formed a prominent
the RAF. A town councillor since 1956, he was ‘a
contingent,’ the Gazette reported. When someone
fervent left-winger,’ his Times obituary said, who
held up a poster of the Tory prime minister, Alec
in the early fifties ‘spent a year as a member of the
Douglas-Home, ‘a Labour supporter tore it to
Communist Party’.
shreds. He was taken out by the police.’ The Tory
No Sussex constituency had ever elected a Labour
winner of the Brighton Pavilion seat struggled
MP, and Kemptown was a fairly safe seat, giving
to be heard ‘above the din of socialists shouting,
....
16....
Photo from John Robson’s biography of David James, One Man in his Time
stamping their feet and yelling “Tories out”.’
The count began at 9.45pm. During the meeting,
James’ agent, ‘getting progressively drunker and
more obnoxious, abused the returning officer in
front of 200 constituents, trying to hit David over
the head with an empty whisky bottle, while hanging on drunkenly round his neck,’ Robson writes.
‘He had to be forcibly evicted and taken home.’
At 2.45am, after five recounts, the mayor postponed the result till the next morning. After a
further two recounts, the result was announced:
Hobden had 22,308, James had 22,301.
One of the recounts showed James ahead by 25,
according to his biographer. ‘Then, to everyone’s
astonishment, Arthur called for a further recount.
‘some deeper undisclosed communist affiliation’.
This could have been a grave error arising from
The more obvious explanations for the defeat are
his excessive intake of alcohol; but the whole of
demographic changes, Hobden being the stronger
Arthur’s behaviour’ – for example, turning down
candidate, and poor organisation and complacency
offers of cars to help transport voters – ‘seems to
by the Tories.
point to his determination to ensure that David
‘Where were David James’ missing supporters?’
lost his seat.’
the Argus asked on the day of the result. ‘Enough
The local Tories had been somewhat prone to
to have swung the result fractionally his way were
‘internal bickering’, Robson writes, and before the
in the saloon bar of the Bristol Court Hotel,
election a party official called Banks had seemingly
Paston Place, last night, blissfully unaware of the
taken against James. Banks then ‘steamrollered the
neck-and-neck race at the polling booth only two
executive’ into appointing Arthur ‘without disclos-
minutes’ walk away. These Tories sat at the bar and
ing any of his known defects.’ For example, he ‘was
told licensee John Harris that Mr James “doesn’t
found to hold a grudge’ about having been turned
need us anyway; it has been a safe seat for years”.’
down as a Conservative candidate, and ‘he had a
Hobden’s win meant Labour entered parliament
record for drinking’.
with an absolute majority of four, rather than
‘The evidence is strong that Donald Arthur lost
two. He told the Parliamentary Labour Party the
David his seat, either by incompetence, or, far
following year: ‘If I was not here there would not
more likely, by design,’ Robson writes. His motive
be a Labour government, so you had better listen
was either ‘some collusive bargain with Banks’ or
carefully to what I say.’ Joanna Baumann
....
17....
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Welcome to the
House of Fun
Joan Littlewood’s dream-come-true
This month Brighton joins scores of other UK cities
Big Bang to Bognor’, and on Sunday my theatre
in opening its first Fun Palace. Amy Sutton, one of
company Bard & Troubadour will host a storytelling
the team behind the launch, explains all to Nione
workshop. We’re also planning a session on weaving
Meakin...
and an arts and crafts workshop around the theme of
Firstly, what exactly is a ‘fun palace’? Fun palaces
space travel. The first year is a little on the modest
were thought up in the 1960s by playwright Joan
side but we’d like this to build and become a major
Littlewood [writer of Oh! What A Lovely War}
community event.
and architect Cedric Price. Joan was frustrated by
How have other cities interpreted the idea of
the limitations of theatre spaces and institutions,
a fun palace? I know London’s Roundhouse is
specifically, how off-putting they could be to the
running an event where people are invited to build
non-initiated. She came up with the idea of a revolu-
a giant brain with a set designer then work with neu-
tionary venue for culture and science, made for and
roscientists to discover more about how the brain
with the community. It didn’t happen. There was no
works. And at Brockwell Lido people will be able to
funding to build such a place and people thought it
swim with mermaids, try underwater photography
was a crazy idea.
and learn sign language. The brief is so broad that
Until now… Until now. Joan would have been 100
communities can really put their stamp on what each
on October 6 and the first fun palaces will throw
one looks like.
open their doors just before her centenary, on the
Joan Littlewood was once quoted as saying
weekend of October 4 & 5. Instead of one big build-
‘We never have enough fun in England. On the
ing there will be more than 150 temporary venues all
continent they have fun, but it has to be a special
over the country, including one in Brighton. Some
occasion in England.’ Do you think that’s true? I
take place for the whole weekend, some just for half
think Brighton is fairly good at having fun. It’s pretty
an hour. There are fun palaces in swimming pools
much a year-round fun palace. But perhaps we’ve got
and ones that only exist online. But every one of
better generally since the 1960s? I think Joan would
them is a free celebration of arts and culture.
be impressed at how far we’ve come.
What can we expect from Brighton’s? The pro-
Brighton Fun Palace, 11am – 5pm, Sat 4th and Sun
gramme isn’t set in stone as yet but on the Saturday
5th, Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Brighton.
we’ve got Richard Robinson, director of Brighton
Suitable for all ages. Free.
Science Festival, giving a talk called ‘From The
www.funpalaces.co.uk/discover/brightons-fun-palace
....
19....
Comedy festival
..........................................
Sara Pascoe
Sexual anthropology stand-up
“I’ve got no idea, but it was something to do with
willies,” says Sara Pascoe. The Perrier-nominated
comedian is trying to recollect the heckle, at a Leeds
student gig, which first provoked her to talk about
sexual anthropology on stage. “It was very clear that I
was off script. Someone afterwards said ‘you really have
to write it up, it’s so interesting’”. It’s now a key part of
her show, Sara Pascoe vs History.
“The point I found very interesting was that all of
the first anthropologists, people like Charles Darwin,
because they were Victorian, were conditioned to
believe that women innately behave in certain ways.
Anyone who’s strongly conditioned filters informa-
of the men that have gone before him, because the
tion through how they already believe the world to be.
females would have slept with lots of men, and often in
That’s how they were with female sexuality. They were
the same evening, or the next couple of days.
writing interesting things about how men went about
“And there’s ‘sperm selection’; sperm fighting inside
mating - especially our closest relatives, chimpanzees
women. If you mix different men’s sperm together they
and bonobos - but they ignored all the things that the
fight each other, and if a man thinks his wife is cheat-
females did.
ing, he releases different hormones, and his sperm live
“In terms of our hominid ancestors, women have very
for longer and become more aggressive; they can form
active sexuality, and it’s been kind of ignored. Women
a barrier on the cervix.”
have always been seen as kind of passive, and they’re
So why isn’t it Sara Pascoe vs Biology? “Basically the
most certainly not.
show is a three-pronged look at what we take into rela-
“The idea of monogamy is cultural… learning the
tionships with us. You have your personal relationship
science of it, pair bonding is something that exists in
history, then the pattern that’s set by your parents, so I
nature because a baby is more likely to survive into
talk about how my parents met. The history is our evo-
adulthood when it has two parents investing, and
lutionary history; of course, it encompasses the science
sharing resources and protecting it. But it was never
of it as well, but it’s really about how human beings are
supposed to be that you wouldn’t have sex outside of
a battleground, because you have a civilised mind, and
that relationship; every single species that they thought
animal instincts and drives that have propagated our
was monogamous, when they’ve actually DNA-tested
species. So in a really dry sense, that’s what the show’s
the children, the partner is often not the father, because
about, but it’s really some jokes about ex-boyfriends,
females in every species often cuckold, and men sleep
jokes about how my parents met, and then an explana-
around as well.
tion of sperm selection.” Joanna Baumann
“Apparently, the shape of the human penis is to do with
Sara Pascoe vs History, part of Brighton Comedy Festi-
being able to act as a plunger to bring out the sperm
val, Fri 24, Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, 9.15pm, £13
....
20....
Comedy festival
..........................................
Dave Gorman
‘I just think it’s a fun thing to do’
“God, that’s more than half my life ago… there was
something - I won’t get the phrasing right… I used to
start with a thing about having done a gig the night
before in Bury St Edmunds: ‘Somebody called me up
and said “we’re going to Bury St Edmunds, do you
want a gig?”, and I thought they said “we’re going to
to go to a workshop for aspiring comedians, which
bury Noel Edmonds, do you want to dig?” I’m a fool
Frank Skinner was running as part of an Amnesty
to myself really, the night before that I was in Bury St
International fundraising tour. Tickets cost £2. “It was
Chegwin.’ Something along those lines. All I can tell
my friend saying ‘you should go to that’; that was the
you is that it used to work. I’m not selling it as best I
moment it occurred to me I was actually allowed, it
can right now.”
was possible for me.”
This is Dave Gorman, trying to recall one of his early
Skinner encouraged him, and later got him a benefit-
stand-up jokes, from when he was 19. Though best
gig spot, then a paid gig, providing ‘the most blessed
known for his ‘narrative shows’, like Are You Dave
start in comedy that you could ever hope for,’ Gor-
Gorman and Googlewhack Adventure, he’s since gone
man told the Independent.
back to more straightforward stand-up, which is how
Did he get nervous before his early gigs? “No, I’ve
he started out.
never been a nervous performer… there are some
He’d developed a comedy obsession in his teens,
people who have to throw up before they go on stage,
which was made somewhat difficult by the fact his
and things. If I was one of them I just wouldn’t do it.
hometown had no comedy club. He would follow it
But the thing is, it’s fun.
keenly on radio and TV, and go to Edinburgh every
“The language that surrounds it is very dramatic. If
year to watch something like 50 shows in a week,
you have a great gig you killed, and if you have a bad
mostly comedy. “I was in awe of it all, and I don’t
gig you died. Actually neither of those things are true.
think it occurred to me that [being a comedian] was
It’s more collaborative than that: An audience and you
even a thing you were allowed to do.”
had fun together. You enjoyed it, they enjoyed it. The
So he went to Manchester Uni to study maths, which
language suggesting victory or triumph, or sometimes
was “absolutely the path of least resistance. I’d never
they died; none of that makes sense to me. I just think
sat down and thought about what career I wanted or
it’s a fun thing to do.” Steve Ramsey
what these qualifications would lead to; I was just do-
Dave Gorman Gets Straight to the Point (The Power-
ing the next thing put in front of me by adults.”
Point), part of the Brighton Comedy Festival, Sat 11,
Aware of his fixation, Gorman’s uni flatmates told him
Dome Concert Hall, 8pm, £21
....
21....
WIN TICKETS
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good luck for you!
Viva and the Comedy Festival have
teamed up to give you the chance
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comedy festival shows including
Chris Martin, Briefs: The Second
Coming, Shappi Khorsandi, Best of
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anya@vivabrighton.com with your
name, postal address and email for
your chance to win! Best of luck.
comedy festival
..........................................
Romesh Ranganathan
Crawley’s finest
So Romesh Ranganathan is on the Royal Mile
That’s when I decided to try it again. The first gig
in Edinburgh with his mum, who’s embarrassing
was a one-off aberration, and it was in Brighton that
him by filming one of the human statues. This is
I actually started doing it properly.”
August 2014. Romesh has only been a full time
He didn’t really tell his colleagues, or his students.
comedian for about two years; before that, he was a
But they started coming to some of his early gigs,
maths teacher, fitting in gigs after school. He’s been
in front of sometimes unappreciative audiences.
performing at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, but has
“I knew that teachers used to come, and they’d go
a policy that he never wants to be told if reviewers,
‘Jesus, I think Romesh is having some sort of crisis’.”
or journalists, or Perrier Award judges, are in the
His students were “very supportive,” though it
audience. Which means that when his agent rings
“sort of feels a bit humiliating” to struggle in front
with the news, that he’s been nominated, it’s a real
of them. “You’ve got to maintain an illusion as a
shock, a “proper X Factor moment of surprise; you
teacher that you’re some sort of authority figure,
know when they go ‘AAHMAAHGAAD’”. But
and you can’t do that when you’ve failed to land a
despite his sudden outburst, the living statue doesn’t
knob gag in some pub, and they’ve seen it happen.”
move, not at all.
That wasn’t why he quit teaching, though. “I’d got
That’s how Romesh remembers it, anyway. “I think
through the difficult phase by the time I left teach-
we ended up leaving a tip; if that statue can maintain
ing.” The problem was that he was getting too many
that level of professionalism in that context, good
gigs and not enough sleep. “My marking policy be-
for you mate, well done.”
came a lot more light touch, put it that way. Lesson
Romesh, who grew up in Crawley
planning was cursory.” Being merely “functional” as
and still lives there, had become
a teacher wasn’t fair to his students, he decided.
a teacher partly because “I had
He doesn’t sound like he misses teaching that much.
a terrible maths teacher at
He’d been getting disillusioned anyway, “not with
school, so I thought it’d be
teaching in itself but the moving of the goalposts,
nice to try and be a good one.
in terms of what teachers are expected to do.”
“But I knew I wanted to do
And, as he reveals – an exclusive for Viva
[stand up] once, give it a go.”
Brighton readers – “exam invigila-
So he got himself a place
tion is dull as shit, mate”.
on a new-act night in
Joanna Baumann
Shoreditch, without telling
Romesh Ranganathan:
anyone he knew. It was a di-
Rom Wasn’t Built in a
saster – “not only were they
Day. Part of Brighton
not laughing, they looked
Comedy Festival. Thurs
angry” – but “I still enjoyed
23, Brighton Dome
it. I found out Brighton had
Studio Theatre,
this thriving open-mic scene.
7.30pm, £13/£11
....
23....
Gigs In
Brighton...
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Tuesday 21st October
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music
..........................................
Mark Stewart
Pop Group frontman
“The reason the Pop
ing of dub, funk,
Group formed was
avant-garde noise
the kind of [punk]
with paranoid, often
anti-hero thing, that
politically charged,
anybody could do it.
lyrics,’ in the Guard-
Just a gang of mates
ian’s words. Having
from two different
released two studio
schools, suddenly
albums, the band
we had the same
split in 1981, not
sort of shoes on, or
reforming until
something, and said:
2010.
‘You go and get a
Stewart was quoted
drum-kit, you get a bass…’”
as saying, in 2005, ‘people are offering me stupid
This is Mark Stewart, frontman of the Pop Group.
money. To do one cabaret-pop-group-thing.’ He says
Though musically inexperienced when they formed
now, “they were, and still are,” but he continues to
in 1977, they were evidently quite successful quite
refuse. Instead, the reformed Pop Group are playing
quickly. “When we were still at school, we got to tour
their early-recordings compilation We Are Time on
with Patti Smith.”
tour, and working on new material which “doesn’t
Those kind of experiences were “like going on a
sound anything like the Pop Group.
school trip, because we were a gang of mates, and
“It’s the first time for ages that I’ve been in a situation
we’d be taking the piss out of each other on the
where I really don’t know what’s going to happen in
plane, on the train, even in the clubs. Then we started
the studio. We’re going to bang a lot of stuff down,
doing it in meetings, with Seymour Stein and big
let it happen, let it grow, breathe, mutate into some-
[executives]… It’s like Enid Blyton, Five go Mad at
thing else, see what that is, and keep it really kind of
the Seaside, you know? People don’t really get that;
feral. It’s weird for me; I’m going completely off piste.
some people think the Pop Group are this stern,
“My mum was a childminder. You know the plastic
serious thing.
things, where there’s a round brick and a square
“Those [political] subjects I’m talking about, it’s life
brick? These little kids would spend all day trying to
to me, it’s reality to me, it’s not separate to anything
put the square brick into the round hole. How long
else, but there’s the real humour, the taking the piss
have I been doing that? But then, after a while, some
out of each other, and breaking down boundaries.
sparks happen, it catches on fire, the house burns
The humour amongst the band is kind of what makes
down, and in the embers maybe you find a ring which
us. It’s this thing, that play makes you free; we’re not
you take to the shop. Don’t ask me, mate, I’m as
too self-conscious to put a backward saxophone on,
much interested [as anyone] in seeing what happens
or play a children’s toy. When you’re messing about,
with this thing.” Steve Ramsey
something happens.”
The Pop Group, Sat 25, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, 7pm,
In the Pop Group’s case, this was ‘a chaotic merg-
£17.50, www.thepopgroup.net
....
25....
Resident Music
Dome Box Office
Union Records
Music’s Not Dead
(Bexhill)
Pebbles
(Eastbourne shows)
The Vinyl Frontier
(Eastbourne)
Venue if applicable
seetickets.com
ticketweb.co.uk
Age restrictions may apply.
Tuesday 7 October — Komedia
Wednesday 5 November – Komedia
Wednesday 8 October — Komedia
Thursday 6 November – Winter Garden, Eastbourne
Kilimanjaro, in association with Eastbourne Goes Live
and Eastbourne Theatres present
King Creosote
Ben Watt Trio + support
+ Charlie Cunningham
Grant-Lee Phillips
& Howe Gelb
Example + Delta Heavy
Friday 17 October — St. George’s Church
Alphabets Heaven
+ Shinamo Moki + Momotaro
+ Foreign Skin/Friends DJs
A Winged Victory
For The Sullen
+ support
Wednesday 12 November — Green Door Store
Foreign Skins with MV and GD present
Monday 24 November — Komedia
Ásgeir
Nick Mulvey + support + Tenterhook + DJ G
Monday 20 October — Komedia
Thursday 23 October — Winter Garden, Eastbourne
Eastbourne Goes Live and Eastbourne Theatres
Perfume Genius
+ support
Monday 27 October — Green Door Store FREE show
Thursday 27 November – Brighton Corn Exchange
Haley Bonar
+ Garden Heart
Tuesday 28 October – Komedia
Real Estate + Alvvays
Pictured: FERAL, 28 Oct
Wednesday 26 November – The Haunt
St. Vincent + support
Thursday 30 October — The Hope FREE show
Pale Seas
+ Sophie Jamieson
Sharon Van Etten
+ support
Monday 1 December – The Hope
Xylouris White
+ Thus Owls
Monday 15 December – Komedia Studio
Lætitia Sadier+ support
meltingvinyl.co.uk
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music
..........................................
Steve Hackett
Ex-Genesis guitarist
“Pete phoned me up, because
Hackett has said Gabriel ‘sold the
he could tell that I was obvi-
band to me… [as] a songwrit-
ously a fellow lunatic,” says the
ers’ collective’. He says now: “I
guitarist Steve Hackett, of how
imagined that we would all bring
he was recruited for Genesis in
in our own songs, and the band
1971. “I thought it might last a
would record songs as designed
year, because most bands lasted
by everyone democratically, but it
about a week in those days,
didn’t really work like that. What
and a year seemed like a very
tended to happen was, I think,
long time for me when I was
that when Tony [Banks] came
21. Of course, I stayed for six
up with ideas, Mike Rutherford
or seven.”
tended to vote with him, in order
Hackett had grown up “listen-
to sort of retain a power base
ing to the Beatles, Bach and
within the band. I think you tend-
blues,” and spent his late teens
ed to have to get the cooperation
doing menial jobs while trying
of Tony and Mike in order to get
to recruit a band who were “really serious about try-
anything through, really, as they voted as a bloc…
ing to push the envelope”. Eventually, Peter Gabriel
Great music came out of it, there’s no doubt about it,
responded to an ad Hackett had placed in Melody
but nonetheless, you’re dealing with the dominance
Maker, which said: ‘Guitarist/writer seeks receptive
of two very strong characters, I think.”
musicians determined to strive beyond existing,
But, when Peter Gabriel started developing a theat-
stagnant musical forms’.
rical performance style, “he didn’t bother to try and
When he joined, Genesis had released two albums,
put it through the committee, because if he had, it
but weren’t yet a mainstream success; Hackett recalls
would have been turned down.
a package tour where they were the opening act,
“I think the theatrical performance style was the
ahead of Van Der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne.
thing that first caught the ear, or the eye, of the
“I remember being very nervous [on stage] in the
press, and although we were doing the same songs
early days,” Hackett says. Before his third gig with
live before Pete started to depict the action, without
Genesis, at the Lyceum Theatre, “I was practically
that the band might have been an also-ran. No mat-
throwing up in the wings. I’d rehearsed everything
ter what we may have achieved musically, the fact is
except leaving the stage, and it was the sound mixer,
that we weren’t getting reviews and we weren’t get-
Richard, who came up at the end and said: ‘Steve,
ting front pages of music papers until Pete dressed
the gig’s finished, mate, you can leave the stage.’ He
up in his wife’s red dress and wore a fox’s head.”
took me by the arm and led me away from my guitar
Words: Steve Ramsey; Photo: Tina Korhonen
stool, like some shell-shock victim – is the battle still
Steve Hackett: Genesis Extended, Wed 22, Brighton
going on?”
Centre, 6pm, £29.50-£27.50.
....
27....
classical music
..........................................
Rome: Popes, Patronage and Power
Machiavellian antics at the Vatican
“They were like any other
“No, actually, I think the worst
monarchs of the time, these
pope I’ve come across was
popes. They fought to get
Innocent XIII,” Roberts says.
power, they used corruption
“Apart from having possibly
and bribery to get elected; they
fathered as many as 100 children,
bought votes. Once they were
all called ‘cousins’ and ‘nephews’,
there, they were concerned
he promoted the slave trade,
about getting as much money
encouraged witch-hunts all over
as they could to keep all their
Germany, and bribed his way
mistresses and children. They
into office. He gave power to
tended to have an amazing
the Spanish inquisition. He was
number of ‘nephews’, who they
so violent; I can’t find anything
good about him.”
put into top jobs, just as a king
or a prince would do.” Those who objected were
How about some of the others? “Well, they’re all
fairly powerless to do anything; “not if they wanted
pretty bad actually… There’s one that looks as
to stay alive… there were an awful lot of assassina-
though he was going to be a reformer, Marcellus II.
tions going on.”
But actually he was only pope for 22 days, so didn’t
This is Brighton Early Music Festival co-founder
have much chance to become the usual nepotist, etc.”
Deborah Roberts, sitting in a quiet-ish coffee shop
Despite all this, the Renaissance popes were great
and discussing Renaissance popes, sometimes need-
patrons of the arts, and Rome was “a huge musical
ing to check the printed notes she brought along.
centre” at the time. “In some cases, I think the popes
“There are so many popes we could refer to, particu-
genuinely loved the arts,” Roberts says, though also
larly in the second half of the programme, and some
“it was a kind of currency of power. ‘I’ve got this
of them only lasted a few days.”
composer or artist; you haven’t got one as famous
The programme is Rome: Popes, Patronage and
as me’. It’s a little bit like trading players in football
Power, which Roberts is directing, and singing
teams now.”
soprano in, for this year’s Festival. As well as Allegri’s
“I think some people will be shocked” at the tales of
Miserere, and works by other Vatican composers of
corruption, Roberts says, “but they’ll have to realise
the mid-late 15th and mid-late 16th centuries, the
that life was a lot more openly brutal then than it is
performance will include a narration on the papal
now. Life was often short and violent with a lot of
corruption and vice of the time.
extremes, but there was great beauty and creativity
I tell her I’ve read in a Reuters article that late-15th-
there as well, so it’s a fascinating world.” Steve Ramsey
century pope Alexander VI, of the notorious Borgia
Sat 25, 8pm, St Bart’s Church, £16/£14. Promenade
family, ‘is generally agreed to have been the worst
tickets (non-seated) available for £5. BREMF prom-
ever’, and was alleged to have ‘presided over more
enade passes, giving entry to almost every event, are
orgies than Masses.’
£50. bremf.org.uk/lovemusic
....
29....
art
.........................
focus on:
Assembly
‘Assisted self-portraits’
by Anthony Luvera
“I invited Odette, but I’m afraid she couldn’t make it.”
commissioned by the Brighton Photo Fringe to create a
new body of work to be exhibited at the Phoenix Gallery
throughout the festival. The lady in question (see overleaf)
is one of the subjects (he calls them ‘participants’) of his
project, Assembly, featuring portraits of homeless people
in Brighton. Or what he calls ‘assisted self-portraits’, to be
precise, since Odette, having been given some training by
Anthony, took the picture herself. Look closely, and you
can see the cable shutter release in her hand.
Photo by Anthony Luvera, from Assembly
I’m in Red Roaster, chatting with Anthony Luvera,
Anthony first worked with homeless people back in 2001.
the focus, and how to check the composition, and the way
He wondered what his images would have looked like had
she was represented in the photograph.” She took him to
the homeless people been on his side of the camera; he’s
the street where she was born, and went to school. The
been developing that idea ever since.
building was bombed in the war; her father rebuilt it with
He’s been working on this particular project in Brighton
his own hands.
for a couple of years now. For eighteen months he volun-
“By representing other people’s point of view I hope to
teered on Friday mornings at First Base, a drop-in centre
offer a more complex picture than if the work was simply
at St Stephen’s Hall in Montpelier Place, inviting the
from my own perspective,” he says. “There can’t be a
‘clients’ there to get to know how to use a medium-format
perfect way to document other people’s experience, but
camera, and a digital sound recorder. He’s also been
there can be better ways.”
working with the residents of the Brighton Housing Trust
The exhibition will also feature recordings made while
project Phase One in Oriental Place. In order to create
Anthony discussed the photographic process with the
an assisted self-portrait he asks participants to take him to
participants, and while he was rehearsing in St Stephen’s
places in the city that are important to them. There, he
House with the Cascade Chorus, a community choir for
teaches them the modus operandi of portraiture.
people in recovery. The photographs will be 60 by 40
“Odette has been coming along to the photography drop-
inches, ‘more or less life size’, and hung at a level whereby
in sessions I run for six months or so and this was the
the eyeline of the participants is higher than that of the
second time we had met to do an assisted self-portrait,”
audience. “Most people are used to looking down on
he tells me. “She was very interested in the process and
homeless people,” he says, “and it will be interesting for
showed an aptitude for it. I taught her to use the flash and
the audience to know what it feels like to be looked down
the cable shutter release and how to tether it to the laptop,
upon.” Alex Leith
and how to alter the white balance and the exposure and
Assembly, Phoenix Gallery, Sat 4th- Sun 26th
....
31....
....
32....
Assisted self-portrait of Odette Antoniou by Anthony Luvera 2013-14
....
33....
Assisted self-portrait of Ben Evans by Anthony Luvera 2013-14
graffiti
Photos by Kevin Meredith
...................................
Aroe, graffitist
Neither vandal, nor street artist
I know who I’m expecting to meet as I approach the
hoardings surrounding the site of the Brighton i360,
but the man I see standing, mug of tea in hand, chatting to a couple of police officers is not exactly who I
had in mind. Aroe, one of the most respected graffiti
artists in Brighton, is quick to tell me that he’s just
‘a 44-year-old man with a mortgage and 5 kids’. But
the stories he has to tell are anything but your aver-
and other graffiti artists in Brighton have been met
age dad anecdotes.
with a greater acceptance and appreciation than they
He says not to bother with the usual ‘boring’ ques-
would otherwise. ‘My greatest tool in my graffiti
tions (how long have you been doing graffiti?) so
arsenal is my ability to communicate with people’ he
we get straight to talking about the time he almost
tells me, unlike the graffiti artists who call them-
got trapped in the Madrid subway while trying to
selves ‘illegal writers’, the ones who ‘haven’t got the
paint a train with the passengers still inside. ‘We
get-up-and-go to deal with social situations.’
hooked up with this gang of Madrid graffiti writers
Aroe earns a living by doing graffiti. But there is a
with our cans and we waited in the station and the
very definite line between what he does and street
train comes in – this guy gets on the train and pulls
art: ‘graffiti doesn’t exist in order to be sold, it exists
the brakes, and we start painting the train with the
to be itself.’ Graffiti, he says, is ‘the promotion of an
people in it.’ He tells me they had to escape from
individual’, it’s ‘honest’ and ‘real’. Street art, on the
the subway by setting off the fire alarms, putting the
other hand, is created ‘in bedrooms, in universities,
whole station into lockdown. ‘It was idiotic. But once
in studios, and then installed in the street’. Graffiti
you’ve had a taste of proper graffiti, everything else
artists often find themselves compared to artists like
is diet. You need the real sugar.’
Banksy, who use art to put across political or social
Aroe is quite upfront in telling me that graffiti has
messages. ‘What Banksy does is absolutely genius.
got him into trouble more than once. ‘They tried
But it’s not graffiti, it’s art.’
to put me in prison in 2007 for 5 years, but I got
The coming together of old and new, the heritage
away with it.’ Watching him paint this huge piece in
of the West Pier and the futuristic i360 which is to
the middle of the afternoon, it’s easy to forget that
come, the changing perceptions of graffiti as an art
graffiti is still illegal, even in Brighton where famous
form are perfectly summed up by a woman wheeling
graffiti spots have become major tourist attractions.
her elderly grandmother past the scene: ‘It’s not van-
By being open and upfront about their work, Aroe
....
dalism anymore, Nan, it’s art.’ Rebecca Cunningham
34....
art
.........................
focus on: Jan von Holleben
The Amazing Analogue: How We Play Photography
To generate this Brighton Photo Biennial exhibi-
made filters for special effects.” For his exhibition, The
tion, the curators of Hove Museum and Photoworks
Amazing Analogue, Jan reflects the ‘abstract character’
co-commissioned German photographer Jan von
and ‘wild variety of images’ shown on the slides, but
Holleben to collaborate on this exhibition inspired
in a way that is adapted to today’s viewers.
by a box of Kromskop projector slides made by early
Jan often involves children in his work, because
film-makers in Hove. He was invited to work together
of their uninhibited creativity. This playfulness is
with a group of children to create this playful explora-
something inherent in all his work, but as he explains,
tion of where these images really came from, why
“most adults have forgotten their skill to learn
they were made and what they might actually depict.
through play.” His own work ethic is summed up
Surprisingly, given their abstract and slightly surreal
perfectly by a great Mark Twain quote: “What work I
nature, all of the images in the exhibition were cre-
have done I have done because it had been play. If it
ated entirely in analogue, without the use of digital
had been work I shouldn’t have done it.”
tools such as Photoshop. “All we applied is traditional
Each image in the exhibition begins as a discussion:
techniques of collage and manipulation,” Jan explains.
“We talk a lot with each other and the kids make
“Once you look closely enough and go through the
sketches of their ideas.” From these sketches the
entire exhibition, one will understand not only how
final images begin to take shape, with the children’s
the images were made, but also how that process re-
opinions and feedback guiding the process. Some
lates to all the machines and magic that was used and
details of the images come directly from the children’s
applied to photography some 100 years ago.”
sketches, and some from a culmination of the ideas
Each image in the exhibition responds to a single
they communicate during the workshop sessions. “I
slide from Hove Museum’s archive, and reflects the
see myself as editor and director in such workshops.”
way that the photographic pioneers playfully invented
Through The Amazing Analogue, Jan hopes to re-
all sorts of techniques and equipment in order to
ignite our playfulness and creativity, and to show his
achieve imagery that had never been seen before. “It
audience that “life is quite simple once you know the
was quite amazing at the time to see moving images,
rules and how to play it.” Rebecca Cunningham
artistic editing of images and creative use of hand....
Hove Museum, 4 October - 3 March, bpb.org.uk
35....
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......................................
Ben Fowler
‘Professional imaginer’
Describe your design practise… I design ev-
What is your design manifesto? The customer
erything from coffee tables for ladies in Hove to
is generally wrong! However, he or she often has
complete ranges of furniture for high-street retailers.
the nub of a really good idea, and some of the best
My claim to fame is making the karzi doors for the
things that you do come out of teasing out ideas
royal barge Gloriana.
for things that people want to get made, into things
Your Hat Tree recently won a prestigious
that are practical and gorgeous. People are insecure
Design Guild Mark. Tell me about the design…
about their taste and so I think it’s the job of design-
I was trying to design coat racks for a retailer and
ers to try and develop people’s idea of what they
I sketched out a sort of hedge with coats hanging
like… We are professional imaginers.
on it. Needless to say, the retailer didn’t like it, so I
So, the manifesto, to come back to that, is that you
decided to manufacture it myself.
should have nothing in your home that is not either
Do you find that happens with a lot of your best
useful or that you do not believe to be beautiful, as
designs? Lots of things get dropped just because
William Morris said. I think that is the best design
someone just doesn’t like them. You end up with a
manifesto ever.
lot of stuff, some of which are good ideas.
What are you working on right now? A £30,000
So what do you do with all those? I try to sell
walk-in wardrobe for an heiress in Kensington. It is
them as small-scale produced furniture rather
going to be made with special dyed veneers and faux
than as mass-manufactured pieces. This means we
ostrich-skin cabinet backs.
can make things that are really nicely made, and
What do you most like about your job? Doing
although they are more expensive, they are unique.
different things every day and having the sense of
We should be making things locally. People should
smug superiority that comes from actually making
be prepared to pay a little bit more for lovely furni-
things instead of simply consuming them.
ture because it’s been raised in a happy environment
And what annoys you? I’m bored with people
rather than shipped halfway round the planet.
always wanting oak; people have got to stop thinking
And what happy environment do you occupy? A
that it’s the only quality hardwood. My favourite is
Dickensian workshop in Portslade filled with young
European sweet chestnut, because it’s golden, beauti-
bloods that get off on making things.
ful, easy to work, with fantastic grain and light in
Where do you look to locally for inspiration? I
weight; and elm, ‘cos it’s just wild, a mad timber.
think Brighton’s sense of freedom and arty bohemian
Tell us a secret... Secret mitred dovetails can’t be seen
nature is conducive to creativity. It’s the atmosphere
so nobody knows if they’re really there. Chloë King
more than the place.
www.fowlerco.co.uk
....
37....
l i t e r at u r e
..........................................
W h at e v e r yo u d o d o n ’ t s to p
On November 1st, nearly half a
write my story, I ask myself, “Why
million writers around the world
go through it again?” Every year
will step into the arena and tangle
the same thing happens: life gets
with the beast that is NaNoW-
in the way. By day twelve, I will be
riMo (National Novel Writing
so far behind the word count that I
Month). At least 3,000 of those
will consider copying articles from
live in Brighton. NaNoWriMo
obscure magazines just to keep up.
is a peculiar American inven-
I do improve year on year, however,
tion established in 1999, which
and last year I counted my best tally:
encourages would-be wordsmiths
30,000 words. All writers know that
to knock off a 50,000-word novel
it is easier to revise something, even
in a month. You register for free
a rambling mess, than to stare at a
on a website that logs your word
blank page. I might not have a coher-
count, you download pep talks from authors, and
ent, fully formed novel at the end of November,
seek (mental) help from other writers via internet
but I will have the start of one. And that’s what
forums or in person, locally. If you reach 50,000
keeps me going.
words by 11.59pm on November 30th, you receive
Let NaNoWriMo foster in you a love of storytell-
a badge of honour! How hard can it be? Much
ing made real through discipline and, if you do
harder than you think. I should know – this will be
want to finish that damned book you have been
my fourth year.
writing in your head for years (even decades), don’t
As the time approaches and I accumulate piles of
let the discipline wither come December 1st.
scribbled notes planning copious twists and turns
Barbara Doherty for Black Mustard
for a plot that will inevitably change as I start to
See the Brighton forum at www.nanowrimo.org.
bookends
Festival season. You thought it was all
autumnal Lantern Fayre on The Level
over. But if anywhere knows how to
offers up a literature tent for the first
remain festive all year round, Brighton
time - supported by local publishers
does. Highlights at Shoreham WordFest
Salt Publishing and Myriad Editions -
include Brighton resident Ed Hogan
alongside the arts and crafty festival’s
regular harvest of short films, mulled
(pictured) talking about his best-selling
novels for teenagers, and Nigel Pickford, the
cider, Circus PaZazz, ska, jazz and blues.
world’s foremost authority on the whereabouts of
Shoreham Wordfest until Sun 12th, tickets from
high value shipwrecks. ‘You can almost taste the
www.shorehamwordfest.com Lantern Fayre, Fri 3rd
salt, feel the heft of the gold bars,’ says one review
- Sun 5th, free except for Circus PaZazz.
of Pickford’s new book. For land-lubbers, the
www.lanternfayre.co.uk
....
38....
l i t e r at u r e
..........................................
Girl interrupted
Hannah ‘Twenty Questions’ Vincent
Debut novelist Hannah Vin-
an adult in the same situation
cent is as peripatetic as a pop-
might be.
up restaurant, as elusive as the
Sounds technical. You don’t
Scarlet Pimpernel; shortlisted
teach creative writing, do you?
for literary prizes from here
You guessed it. I teach for the
to the northern border, she is
Open University and I’m doing
much in demand. We caught
a PhD in Creative Writing at
up with her at home in Bright-
Sussex at the same time. My the-
on. In her unsettling first book
sis title is The Politics of Form:
Alarm Girl, she examines grief
Female Autobiographic Writing
and loss from the viewpoint of
and the ‘Social Novel’. Pretty
an eleven-year-old girl.
serious stuff! I plan to write a
Your novel is set in South
novel as part of my research. But
Africa. Have you been there
I was a playwright first. I studied
yourself? In my mid twenties
drama at East Anglia. One of my
I travelled through Africa on a
plays was put on at the Royal
truck with twenty strangers. It
Court and Hang was on at the
was during Apartheid so we couldn’t go into South
National Theatre Studio. I also worked for the
Africa. My protagonist, Indigo, loses her mother. I
BBC as a television script editor. Now I study part
used a foreign country as a metaphor to represent
time, I write part time and I teach part time. It all
the otherness that a child without a parent would
adds up to a full-time occupation.
experience.
You write plays too! What are you on? I’ve
Indigo is a serious girl. What were you like
always kept myself busy, even when the kids were
as a child? When I was younger, I was known as
younger. Creative practice is an inner resource.
Hannah Twenty Questions Vincent because of
You draw on it and don’t rely on other people to
my interrogative bent. As I approach middle-age
validate who you are. I feel sustained by my work.
though, I’m afraid I ask fewer questions – not a
Would you rather jump in a patch of nettles
good thing.
or queue for five hours in the passport office?
What is the hardest thing about writing in a
Neither of these experiences sounds too pleasant
child’s voice? The challenge is to give a full pic-
– oh, I guess that’s the point, right? Ok, much as I
ture of what’s going on, without making the child
prefer the implied rural setting of the nettle patch
sound older than her years. In Alarm Girl, I added
to the hideousness of the passport office, I’ll stand
details in descriptions that the girl wouldn’t neces-
in the queue…with a good book to transport me
sary observe in her narrative - like the expressions
elsewhere. Black Mustard
on her father’s face, or her grandparent’s body
Alarm Girl by Hannah Vincent is published by
language. So she didn’t have to be all knowing, like
Myriad Editions.
....
39....
l i t e r at u r e
..........................................
Kate Tempest
Next-generation poet
28-year-old poet, songstress and
that if you get closer to the way
rap-artist Kate Tempest’s new work
things were, you can get closer to
Hold Your Own is hotly anticipated
the way things are. The ancient
by the poetry fraternity, for whom
stories are inherently dark and
Tempest has become an almost
deep and about the real things in
talismanic representation of modern
humanity. These days we shy away
talent. She’s been named one of the
from all that is bloody and venge-
20 Next Generation Poets by the
ful. I want the truth.
Poetry Book Society and has just
Many of the poems in your new
been shortlisted for the Mercury
collection are overtly sensual.
Prize for her latest album, Every-
Are you comfortable explor-
thing Down.
ing love and sexuality? No. Not
Your poems speak to the next
comfortable at all. But I thought
generation. Do you think children
it was time to address that stuff.
should be made to read? They have to find it
Tiresias has lots of sex. He finds out what he likes
on their own terms. If you say ‘read a poem, don’t
and doesn’t like. What he enjoys. In the media,
go on Facebook’, what are they going to say? No,
female sexuality is represented in ways that have
of course. I don’t think you need to encourage
always alienated me. Tiresias changes gender –
children or teenagers. They will seek out ways of
from a man to a woman. I wanted to face up to the
expressing themselves.
difficulty of my own sexuality, and I saw a way of
Do you write as fluently as you rap? A first draft
doing it through Tiresias’s story. I wanted to give an
has energy and force but it can also be sloppy. It can
honest response.
drift and feel immature. I am learning all the time –
You’re a bright young thing. How are you going
now I go with the drive but then go back and make
to avoid becoming cynical? I don’t know, but this
it clearer and cleaner. I am more disciplined. Back
afternoon I went to a friend’s play. As I was watch-
when I started, when I was rapping at strangers on
ing, I felt connected again. Great work takes you
buses at sixteen, I felt the poems happened to me.
back to the core. It’s about staying in contact with
Now I feel party to the process.
great work, great art, great friends. All these things
Hold Your Own is woven around Tiresias, the
make you feel. That’s the point of everything, isn’t
transgender blind prophet who appears in many
it? The book tour, the gigs, the media frenzy – they
of the Greek myths. How did you come across
separate you from what matters. Black Mustard
him? My granddad was into Roman stuff. I grew
Kate Tempest is performing Hold Your Own at the
up in a big noisy family in South London. There
Ropetackle Art Centre, Shoreham, 27th. Tickets from
were always books in the house. I went back to the
www.citybooks.co.uk. Everything Down tour, The
ancients in order to understand myself. I struggled
Haunt, Brighton, 13th November
with them. Didn’t get it. But later it seemed obvious
www.katetempest.co.uk
....
41....
the lowdown on...
.....................................
Spike Milligan
Goon, says John Henty... but not forgotten
The Goon Show was an awakening for young
people, in a sense. The days of rock and roll were
beginning to move, but in terms of humour, it was
all very format. Milligan threw out all the rulebooks,
introduced silly noises, silly words, and was surreal in
the strict sense of the word. In fact, I would say MilPhoto of John Henty by Hannah Rowsell
ligan almost invented surreal. Undeniably a lot of the
Goon Show stuff is infantile now, but you’ve got to
see it in context: at the time it was revolutionary.
I went to a recording of the Goon Show, one dark
Sunday night around 1957. It was complete mayhem. Milligan was always demanding the most impossible sound effects, like someone being hit with a
sock full of custard. He could be very demanding, if it
wasn’t the right sort of custard or the wrong coloured
sketches and books, he created his own world.
sock. It was absolutely brilliant, inspiring stuff.
At one point, during an interview, I suggested to
The Goon Show nearly killed Milligan, because
him that he wouldn’t like to be called a clown. He
he had to write a different script, week after week, he
came back quite sharply on that, and said: ‘Oh no, that
had breakdowns. He was a very troubled man, but
would be lovely, I would love to be called a clown.’
whenever I met him he was quite gentle. You never
You could never say a straight sentence to Spike
knew which Milligan you were going to meet, actually.
without him reinterpreting it. I said to him, ‘Spike,
On more than one occasion, I met more than one
welcome to Eastbourne’, and he immediately said
Spike Milligan.
‘you’re welcome to Eastbourne’. He was a very, very
His war service must have had a serious effect on
funny man.
him. His books about it are unbelievable. What is
My favourite Milliganism… this is a Goon Show
so remarkable about them, to me, is his recall. Every
quote: ‘Eccles’, ‘Yes’, ‘Why are you not wearing any
incident, not only on the battlefront, but also in the
trousers Eccles?’, ‘Ooh, um, it’s lunchtime’, ‘What did
bedroom… He was obviously quite an attractive
you have for lunch Eccles?’, ‘My trousers’. That, to
bloke, and had lots of girlfriends.
me, encapsulates it. As told to Joanna Baumann
He wrote numerous books largely aimed at kids,
John Henty presents Goon – But Not Forgotten, a
because he loved children far more than grown-ups.
celebration of Milligan and the Goons, with Sarah Sell-
Ideally, I think Spike would have liked to live in
ers and Jane Milligan. Including clips of Milligan being
Spike’s world, though to describe it would be almost
interviewed by Henty, excerpts from a rare Milligan
impossible. He probably had an image of what it
stand-up performance on the Palace Pier, and a Ying
would be like, but it was so far removed from reality.
Tong Song sing-along. All profits go to local charities.
That’s why, in a sense, with the programmes and
Sun 5th, Komedia, 8pm, £15, 0845 293 8480
....
43....
....
44....
Photos by Hannah Rowsell
talking shop
..........................................
EatonNott
A
‘ ll of our items have a story’
What can shoppers expect to find at Eaton-
get requests for clothing, shop displays and pieces
Nott? Anything from interior design products to
for bars and restaurants. We also get a lot of pets
fashion accessories, unusual antiques to general
– quite often people don’t know what they want
oddities. All of our items have a story or a history,
immediately, so we’ll look after the body and work
something that our consumer society has lost. Ev-
with them to design a piece which preserves the
erything in the shop is a conversation piece – each
natural qualities and beauty of the animal.
item changes the character of the room. The only
Is there anything you wouldn’t want to sell? I
criterion for it being in the shop is that me and Jon
don’t sell vintage furs, because I like to do every-
[Nott] like it.
thing myself. As a rule, we don’t pay anyone for the
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever
animals we use. We don’t want to encourage killing
sold? It’s hard to say which is the most unusual,
of animals, so everything we sell has to be ethically
because what might seem strange to you probably
sourced. And generally I won’t use anything exotic,
seems perfectly normal to me. We’ve sold human
unless it has come from nearby. So at the moment
foetuses. We also sell a lot of old prosthetics, mainly
we have an emu skeleton and some fashion accesso-
Victorian, but Brighton Museum recently bought
ries made using its feathers in the shop, but this was
some World War I prosthetics to use in an exhibi-
brought in to us from a farm where it had died.
tion. We also had a fantastic Victorian, Jack the
Have you had any negative response to using
Ripper-style post-mortem set, with the bone saws
dead animals in your products? At first we did –
and everything in it.
people saw the fur and immediately we were made
Where do you source the items you sell?
a target. But generally the only negative com-
Most of the animals we find ourselves, or they are
ments come from people who don’t understand
brought in by farmers or gamekeepers. Some come
the concept of the shop. Once people understand
from butchers or abattoirs, where there are parts of
where the animals we use are coming from, they
the animal which wouldn’t have been used other-
can appreciate that it’s not about celebrating death,
wise. The antique and Victorian items often come
it’s about saying: ‘Isn’t nature amazing?’
from markets or general foraging around.
Jess Eaton interviewed by Rebecca Cunningham
Do you work on customer commissions? Yes, we
26 Preston Road, www.eatonnott.co.uk
....
45....
local hero #1
..........................................
Zac Lanza
Roof raiser
It all started, I guess, when I met this girl with frizzy
pink hair who’d just been back from volunteering in
East Africa, who really inspired me. I’d just finished
at Bhasvic, I didn’t want to go to university, and I
didn’t have many options. I found this organisation
called IVHQ who send volunteers out to different
places, and within two months they’d sent me out on
a teaching job in Tanzania.
A couple of other volunteers were looking for sponsors to fund kids who couldn’t afford the school fees
anymore. I decided to get involved, and that’s when I
first met Mama Mary.
She was living in a tiny one-room wooden house,
with the walls at about sixty degrees, with her seven
daughters, one of whom was pregnant. There were
holes in the roof so in the rainy season they all slept
together, and went for it. We built a three-room
in the wet. There were rats and cockroaches all over.
L-shaped house with an outside toilet. I knocked
It wasn’t Mama Mary’s fault – she was as hard as
their old shack down and moved them in on De-
nails and did what work she could pick up. It was
cember 24th 2012: they were very Christian, and
circumstances – her husband was a drunkard who
it was my Christmas present. I also made sure the
desperately wanted a son, and disappeared for years
family wouldn’t go hungry by digging a vegetable
on end.
garden and giving Mama Mary money to set up a
I’d never met a woman quite like her, actually, and I
business buying vegetables in bulk from the market
made a connection with the family and kept visiting
and selling them on at a stall. The whole thing cost
at weekends and after school, bringing them food
about £7,000, and that includes a fair bit of me being
and money for soap and stuff. Before I went back to
ripped off, which won’t happen again!
England, Mama Mary asked me if I’d fix the roof.
Since, with the help of a donation of £5,000 from
I had an idea. I spoke to the director of the school,
Rizzle Kicks, I’ve built a second house for another
got a few quotes and told Mama Mary: “I’m going to
family – Mama Dora and her three children – and
build you a house.”
a couple of toilets. I’ve also set up a registered
When I went back to Brighton I contacted a few
charity – The House that Zac Built. At the moment
charities, but none of them really worked out, so I
I’m looking to get 500-800 people to donate £5-10
decided to do it myself. I went out to Australia, got a
a month so we can build at least a house a month
job cleaning out air-conditioning systems, and came
out there. You can find out more on our website,
home with enough money to fulfil my promise.
thehousethatzacbuilt.org, or follow us on Twitter
So I went back to Tanzania, got a team of builders
@thehousethatZbuilt. As told to Alex Leith
....
46....
brighton maker
..........................................
Maxim Grew
Intrepid Camera inventor
What is The Intrepid Camera? It’s a re-design of
Is it easy to carry around? The camera weighs
the classic 4x5 field camera. Large-format photogra-
about 900g and folds down compactly enough to fit
phy is very close to my heart, so I wanted to design
in your backpack. This was an important aspect of
a camera which would make it more affordable
the design; I wanted the user to be able to escape the
and accessible. The Intrepid Camera is a compact,
working world and enjoy photography, without the
lightweight alternative to the traditional bellows
burden of carrying a large piece of equipment.
camera design.
How long do you think this format of photog-
Will complete beginners be able to use it? Yes.
raphy can last? I think that analogue photography
While providing all of the functions you’d expect
will always exist. Many photographers are beginning
from a large-format camera, The Intrepid Camera
to see that the speed of digital photography can
is designed for simplicity. It will come with physical
make it somewhat clinical, whereas the process of
instructions and will also be part of an online com-
using analogue photography is very human. It has a
munity, where both new and experienced users can
certain warmth, in the same way that listening to a
share tips and tricks.
vinyl record has a richer quality to it than listening
Can the camera achieve different qualities of
to a CD. The way that analogue photography is used
photos? The user can manually focus the camera by
continues to change and fluctuate, but the camera
varying the distance between the lens and the film.
itself will last.
The Intrepid Camera can be used with either instant
Interview by Rebecca Cunningham
film or sheet film, giving the user complete freedom
Find The Intrepid Camera on Kickstarter, or find out
and control over the photos they produce.
more at www.theintrepidcamera.co.uk
....
47....
food column
...........................................
Chloë King
Ration rubbish, not staples
When I was a kid, I ate a whole
more complex. It’s not just
range: microwave curries, chilli
nutritional info; we consider
con carne, Quorn fillets, fish ‘n’
price, origin and ethics.
chips and, annually, my body-
I read a Cambridge University
weight in pasta pesto. You see,
study recently, predicting that
my mum loved to cook, but as
carbon emissions from meat
a disabled person, she couldn’t
consumption alone will create
much. Our meal plans improved
climate catastrophe by 2050.
when Mum had a carer who en-
The authors advise eating no
joyed cooking, and when I got
more than two portions of
old enough to experiment.
red meat a week, but it’s not
even that simple. On greenra-
Fast forward a bit, and I lost
both my folks in their mid-fifties. Among many
tionbook.com I read tomatoes produce more CO2
things, it led me to wonder whether diet helped
emissions than pork; this is all confusing, and I
three of my grandparents live between 30 and 40
haven’t even touched on food waste.
years longer than their children.
Additional EU food-labelling legislation arrives in
My grandma Winifred used to cook chicken kiev al-
December. Will we soon be checking everything
right, but she made it from scratch. A trip to Sains-
from sat fats to CO2e? Increasing the amount of
bury’s cafe was such a horror she even wrote me a
information we must consume doesn’t stop manu-
letter: “I think it was scampi (a sort of shrimp, did
facturers peddling empty calories or people from
you say?).” When Winifred died, she left behind a
buying too much; eating is emotional.
well-used handwritten journal entitled Ration Recipes
The way ahead is surely to make choices straight-
with over 300 recipes for everything from economi-
forward. Prescribe people a fixed amount of conven-
cal hors d’oeuvres to margarine-laden bakes.
ience products and make whole foods tax exempt.
My paternal grandma wasn’t of the same mould.
Ration shit, not staples.
When she died, her freezer was stocked with
Of course, processed food has a place. Where would
monochrome meals; her cupboards with corroded,
it have left Mum if pre-made meals were banned?
even exploding tins of processed meat. Still, wartime
Still, a rationing system could help keep sales of
austerity may have had a positive impact on her too;
processed food within sensible limits. Harder
she lived to 88.
restrictions could be imposed on those with poor
I don’t need to look very far to consider the impact
nutritional value or even those with more than five
of poor diet. I lost my father and godmother to
ingredients, which author Michael Pollan says we
colon cancer and there is diabetes in my partner’s
should avoid.
family. Something extreme needs to be done to
Because, if we ration processed and high-waste
help us make healthier food choices, and I wonder
foods - including pesto and £10 Meals for Two
whether ‘choice’ is partly to blame.
- maybe our food choices can revert from being
We seem compelled to make our dietary decisions
complex, to creative. www.gannetandparrot.com
....
48....
food review
...........................................
No. 32
Lobster in Duke Street
For an August payday treat
The ‘raw beef’, as Antonia
Antonia and I decide to
has imagined, is steak
check out No. 32, named
tartare and she says it’s
after its position on Duke
every bit as good as that
Street. The last time we
she had in Paris earlier in
visited, one lunchtime in
the summer. My shrimps
late June, the place was
are good, too: ‘torched
called Havana; we cel-
cucumber’ adds an inter-
ebrated her birthday here
esting crunchiness to the
after we discovered Yum
tiny shellfish. Our wine
Yum Ninja was shut.
arrives as we finish the
That early-summer afternoon she told me Havana
starters – a Portuguese vino verde we’re delighted
had been her favourite restaurant a few years ago:
to have found on the list.
her visiting mother would take her there for treats.
We’ve booked fairly early – we arrived at 7.30 – but
We were the only customers, apart from an old
the place is heaving. This isn’t the sort of joint that
man drinking coffee. It wasn’t a great success.
appeals to identikit North Laine hipsters; it’s at-
Boy, the place has changed. The minimalist decor
tracted a mixed crowd of dressed-for-the-occasion
has been replaced with a lot of carefully considered
punters. We get chatting to the lads on the next
clutter: on the nearest wall there are several framed
table, who rave about the place.
Fred-Perry-era tennis rackets next to a pop-art
The lobster, a dish I very rarely treat myself to, is
triptych of a Jumbo Jet. Upstairs has been made
perfectly cooked. When I ask for a pointy metal
out to look like a Victorian library. They’ve created
fork to help me get flesh out of the claws, Antonia
a gloriously retro-looking bar at the end of the
recognises the bloke who brings it to be the owner
main room. “Is that the Blackpool Tower?” I ask
of Havana. We put two and two together, and real-
one of the black-clad waiters, pointing to a seven-
ise why a couple of the waiters have seemed famil-
foot-high wooden structure in the corner. “No,” he
iar. No. 32 isn’t a new restaurant, it’s a rebranding
says, in a French accent. “The Eiffel.”
of the old one.
We order aperitifs – Antonia a Pignoletto prosecco,
I always thought ‘Havana’ was a curious name for a
me a vodka Martini – and, having consulted the
restaurant, anyway. Nobody, after all, goes to Cuba
refreshingly adjective-light menu, printed on an
for the food. ‘No. 32’ has a pleasingly non-specific
A3 card, choose our food. I go for ‘shrimp, torched
ring about it, suited to its eclectic menu. The bill
cucumber, cocktail sauce’ for starters, while Anto-
comes to £110, which doesn’t come as a shock.
nia opts for the ‘raw beef, honey, mustard, rye’. We
Unlike our last visit, we leave happy with the
both go for half a lobster as the main, with fries.
experience. The lobster claw meat, in particular, is
We’re brought succulent olives and slices of black,
to die for. Alex Leith
nutty bread while we wait.
www.no32dukestreet.com
....
49....
f e at u r e
.....................................
How to...
Photograph food, by Lisa Devlin
I was a music industry photographer
up. In this case I’m photographing a broccoli
throughout the nineties, working on every-
breakfast – made by Turia in Marwood Café in
thing from Smash Hits to Eric Clapton’s tour
Ship Street. Every dish has a story, and in this
programmes. Going on tour with Steps was
case the story is the yolk running down into the
such a toxic experience I decided to get out. I
broccoli. So… [She slices into the yolk with a
went into weddings, and portraits, and food.
knife and gently pushes on it until it drips] …
Plus I run a school for photographers who want
there you go.
to improve their technique.
I’m using a macro lens here, with the aper-
My first food piece was for 19 Magazine in
ture set to its widest, 2.5. The ISO’s at 800, the
1995, just as chefs were starting to get rock and
shutter speed at 400. This means I can focus on
roll. I shot four chefs in grainy black and white,
what’s important.
and their food in colour, I just shot the food
Any top tips? Even if you’re just photo blog-
naturally in the available light with a wide open
ging, use as good a camera as you can. Your
aperture. That style became all the rage.
iPhone is all very well, but you’ll lose on the
Before then food photography was generally
colour temperature. If you want to remain a
very glossy. They’d add a sheen of glycerine on
bit incognito, they do great low-light compact
dishes, and use plastic ice cream, and things like
cameras nowadays which are perfect for the job.
that. Now that food has become ‘sexy’, and you
Think carefully about lighting. If necessary
see full-page images of dishes in the weekend
take the food close to a window to get some
supplements, we like it more matt… more natu-
natural light. And think about the angle you’re
ral. Food photography has become very sensual.
taking the shot from. If in doubt, take it from
I like putting food in its context. I like to
directly above the food.
create a narrative in a picture. For example I
Finally, the food has to get eaten, but it’s nev-
was photographing some chocolate cake for a
er a good idea to go into a shoot hungry, or you
recipe book by the French pastry cook Murielle
might hurry things even more than you have to
Valette recently. There was orange zest in it,
anyway (in a kitchen environment you’re often
so I put the zester in shot. I thought it was the
in a rush). Plus things always seem to come out
sort of thing you’d offer your mother-in-law
in a funny order, so you get something sweet,
with a cup of coffee, so I added a coffee cup
then savoury, then sweet again… Anyway, if you
as well. The reader doesn’t have to get exactly
ate everything that was on offer, you’d get really
what I mean; it’s just important that there are
fat. As told to Antonia Gabassi
some clues, so they can make their own story
devlinphotos.co.uk
....
50....
Marmalade
Worth the walk
“This had better be worth it,” I think, having walked
past Brighton College, past the hospital, and past St
Mary’s Hall to find Marmalade, the café I’ve been
hearing so many good things about. It’s meant to
be like early-days Bill’s (the original one, in Lewes),
and it’s run by Bill Collison’s long-time collaborator
Louise, and his sister-in-law Tanya.
As soon as I walk in, I feel welcome. The place used
to be a dairy, apparently, several incarnations before
becoming a café, and they’ve scrubbed everything
back to its original form. The menu – more often
than not advertising different ways of eating eggs – is
written in marker pen on rolls of brown wrapping
paper; industrial pendant lights hang from the ceiling; there are interesting tile designs on the floor and
counter. There’s an ‘upstairs’ of sorts: some diners are
squidged into a mezzanine section. The word ‘loo’ is
scrawled on the toilet door.
I go for scrambled egg and smoked salmon, and sit, in
plenty of space, at one of the square wooden tables.
It’s 2pm and while not jammed full, it’s crowded
enough: the three aproned staff members (or is it
four?) scurry contentedly around. “Do you want
Tabasco?” says one of them, as she brings my plate.
“Yes I do,” I say.
It’s unneeded. The egg tastes like the chicken had a
wholesome and fulfilled life, and the salmon (more
than I would have dared to serve myself at home) is
delicious. But it’s something about the succulent salty
tang of butter and the crunchiness of the sourdough
toast that is the highlight. Well worth the trudge, I
decide, though I do take the No.7 back to town. AL
....
51....
w e t r y. . .
..........................................
Roller Derby
Nione Meakin is fresh meat
Before I have learnt the names of the players in the
finessing the fall and no one moves on to the ‘Rookie’
Brighton Rockers women’s roller derby team, I have
level without demonstrating they can do it safely.
learnt about their injuries. It’s a sobering roll-call of
Stopping, too. No, you’re not allowed to use that
broken ribs, dislocated fingers and metal plates in
handy rubber stopper on the front of the roller boots.
place of shin bones. When ten women roller-skate at
Nor slowly glide into the wall. With all this mastered,
high speed around a track, their main aim to physi-
learners can then start to get to grips with the 46-
cally knock away the competition and gain the lead, it
page roller-derby rulebook.
seems, accidents will happen.
In essence, Danielle explains, the game involves two
I imagine myself a day from now, looking back nos-
teams of five girls skating around an oval track. Each
talgically on a time when I had perfectly functioning
team has a point scorer who is helped to get round
limbs. But it’s too late to back out; elbow pads are
the track by four ‘blockers’ who also work to stop
being duct-taped to my (apparently rather weedy)
the other team’s point scorer getting ahead. The
arms and the strap of my helmet tightened around
point scorer who gets through all the blockers first
my chin. The other newbies, the so-called ‘fresh
becomes the lead jammer and must skate all the way
meat’, are wheeling around the hall at Moulsecoomb
round again, passing the hips of opposing team. For
Leisure Centre, baring their gum shields. It’s fair to
every hip she passes, she scores. There are strict rules
say I’ve felt more relaxed.
about contact. Players can’t elbow someone, nor
I’m a long way from going hip-to-hip with the play-
punch, kick or trip them. Seven referees preside over
ers on the track however. Before any beginner can
each game to ensure fair play.
live out her fantasy of being Ellen Page in Whip It,
Nonetheless, the violence is a large part of the game’s
she must first learn to fall over. Now this I can do.
appeal. “It’s controlled aggression,” grins coach Kris
But learning to fall well is a different thing entirely.
Worlidge. “Society doesn’t let women be aggres-
“Whatever you do, fall forwards,” advises Brighton
sive – it’s not ‘okay’. Here you can put on skates and
Rockers’ director Danielle Leggatt, as I wobble
if you’ve had a bad day, knock a few people over. But
around like a pissed Bambi. “You don’t want to hit
it’s a game. In the pub afterwards, we’re all hugs.”
your tail-bone or the back of your head. But don’t fall
too far forwards on you’ll get a chin-jury. And don’t
Brighton Rockers play Ghent GoGo Girls on No-
put your hands out – they’ll get run over.”
vember 1. For details, or to enquire about joining
Much of the 12-week Fresh Meat course is spent
the team, visit www.brightonrockers.co.uk.
....
53....
fitness
..........................................
Triathlon
Free, friendly... but not for the faint hearted
“We are not a club…” says Kurt Charnock, perched
Oscar, is 75 years old. The youngest has been a
on the barrier dividing the road from a parcel of
14-year-old girl, not here tonight: ‘you should have
land that has been converted, as it is during every
seen her go’. People come from as far as London to
Wednesday night in the summer ‘season’, into a
participate.
triathlon transition zone.
There’s an atmosphere of buzzy camaraderie in the
“We are a…. ONE LAP TONIGHT, FABRICE,
air. I watch everybody walk into the sea and set off
THERE’S NOT MUCH LIGHT, BE SAFE! …
towards the buoys, then I head back up to the transi-
we are a family. Everybody is welcome to join in. Ev-
tion zone to capture the excitement of the change-
erybody.” Fabrice has just completed the swimming
over as, back on dry land, they discard their wetsuits,
section of the race – 800 metres out to a buoy and
don their cycling gear, and ride off East. Kurt,
back – and is setting off on the cycling leg, a 10k ride
clipboard in hand, clocks all their interim times.
to and from Ovingdean Roundabout. On normal
About twenty minutes after the now-cyclists (riding
Wednesdays it’s two laps, but we’re nearing the end
an array of bikes from racers to MBs) have set off,
of the season; as Kurt puts it: ‘The English winter
they return, and it’s all change again, for the final
doesn’t like Triathlon’.
run, 5k tonight, to Black Rock and back. Tonight’s
Four years ago Kurt, a well-travelled triathlete
race is the shortest possible, a ‘Sprint’, which’ll take
whose career has been in the pharmaceutical
the best of them little more than an hour. As I see
industry, set up the Brighton Triathlon Race Series
the first man come in, an unfeasibly short time later,
(BTRS), having realised that it was hugely expensive
through the deepening gloom, I think… “Could I…
for people to compete in official events, and that it
next year… maybe… just?”
was perfectly possible, with the right level of organ-
“Of course you could!” booms Kurt, as I voice my
isation, to hold a weekly event for free. “It doesn’t
thoughts. Throughout the autumn and winter,
matter your age, it doesn’t matter your fitness level,
almost every day of the week, there are training
it doesn’t matter your experience. From April to the
sessions, from off-road Duathlon events, to a winter
end of September we’re here, 6.30pm on a Wednes-
trail-running series. There are even weekly ‘cycling
day.” There are various fundraising events, including
for softies’ training sessions, from October onwards,
a black-tie Gala Awards dinner (on October 4th),
to help people who aren’t confident riding in traffic.
and donations are welcome, but otherwise it doesn’t
“Look on the web page,” says Kurt. “It’s all there.”
cost participants a penny.
brightontriathlonraceseries.co.uk. Thanks to Stephen
There are 26 participants tonight; this number can
Roche from Prestige Cycles in Hove, our cycling
rise to 50 and above. The oldest racer this year,
consultant, who set up this piece.
....
55....
T HE L A IND ONS
B E D & B R E A K FA S T
A Contemporary Seaside Escape in
The Heart of Hastings Old Town
Offer: Welcome gift included to guests
booking a min. 2 night stay between
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For further details call: 01424 437710
or mail: info@thelaindons.com
www.thelaindons.com
w e t r y. . .
..........................................
Sásta Brighton
Running in a vacuum
“Just put your arms over your head...” says Manni,
who has recently opened the UK’s first sásta fitness
studio in Brighton Marina, “...and I’ll slip it on.”
‘It’ turns out to be a cross between a wetsuit and a
tutu skirt, which Manni fastens tight across my chest.
He then opens the back door of the fitness pod,
and invites me to step in. Having closed the door
he stretches the hem of the ‘suit’ around the rim at
to a half-hour programme at ‘saunter speed’ (around
the top of the pod, so I can no longer see my legs.
5mph): a graph on a screen in front of me, with three
I’m about to have a half-hour session in a vacuum-
horizontal lines and one vertical line, shows me why,
assisted lime-green treadmill-based machine.
sometimes, the going gets tough.
Manni has previously, in his office, measured my
I really enjoy the process, though I must say that
height and stood me on a machine which is much
trying to drink a cup of water while sauntering in a
more than just a weighing scales. Thanks to some
vacuum pod is no easy feat, especially as this is the
clever electrode technology it also measures my fat
moment I’m introduced to Fiona, the woman who
percentage, muscle mass, visceral fat rating and my
has modified and marketed the machine I’m on,
metabolic age, plus a lot more besides. Without go-
and made it a big success in her native Ireland, with
ing into too much detail, I’m far fatter than I should
centres opening all around the country. Fiona tells
be, and my body thinks I’m six years older than I
me she lost four stone using the sásta programme
really am.
she is promoting.
It seems that getting in the pod on a regular basis,
Afterwards, Manni takes me through a no-muscle-
alongside a ‘body-sculpting programme’ and a
left-out weights routine, and hands me a ‘Low
healthy meal plan (both provided in the sásta service)
GL Meal Plan’ booklet, telling me that he offers a
is a damn good way to lose weight, get fit and build
money-back guarantee for anyone who follows the
up useful muscle tone. Apparently exercising your
programme and doesn’t feel the benefits: a pretty
lower body in a vacuum gives gravity more pulling
safe bet, from where I’m standing. I arrange to fol-
power, meaning you need to expend more effort
low the sásta programme throughout October, to try
every step you take.
to get those scary figures down. Watch this space.
My pod is set to a programme whereby the amount
Alex Leith
of air let in is modified, as is the speed of the
sásta fitness, 8 Mermaid Walk, Brighton Marina,
treadmill below my feet, and its incline, too. Having
01273 610660/sastafitness.co.uk. sásta fitness are
peaks and troughs in your routine, says Manni, is
offering free trials of their service; please quote Viva
beneficial to you in all sorts of ways. I’m geared up
Brighton if you apply.
....
57....
A coffee with...
..........................................
Caroline Lucas
‘I have an enormous sense of urgency’
“I hate these questions!” Caroline Lucas says,
sibly be thinking about something else while you
laughing, after one of my many personal queries.
were trying to decipher these notes and so forth.
“I’m much happier talking about politics, or about
It was a wonderful thing to take your mind off any
what I believe and what I’m working on and so
other worries.” So it’s “probably true” that she has
on, than feeling that I want to bare my soul in any
difficulty switching off.
greater detail.”
Lucas sees herself as “a very impatient campaigner,
If you ask Lucas about politics, you’ll get a long,
I suppose, but also still with that sense of horror at
eloquent, impassioned response. But if you ask her
injustice. I see this government as a government
about her, you generally won’t, unless her answer
that is absolutely meting out injustice, particularly
veers off into political territory. So I’m still not sure
to many of the constituents that I see in my weekly
what kind of person Caroline Lucas is. But I’m
surgeries who are really struggling with things
developing a theory.
like the bedroom tax, or with changes to disability
She’s a well-respected MP, but also still the kind
benefit or housing benefit. It feels as if we’ve got a
of activist who could forget how many times she’s
government that is absolutely punishing the poor.
been arrested while peacefully protesting. Balcombe
That sense of injustice is still very alive in me.”
was “the second time, I think. Or the third.”
But why is she so bothered? Lots of people accept
She’s “terrified” about the possibility of serious
that bad injustice exists, and then get on with their
climate change, but is “definitely” an optimist. She’s
lives. “I don’t know if there are lots of people that
someone with huge “ambitions for the Party and
accept that. I think perhaps I have a stronger - not
ambitions for green politics”, but so little personal
necessarily better grounded but still a stronger -
ambition that she gave up the role of party leader
optimistic belief that we can change things, that
so it could ‘be used as a vehicle to boost the profile
injustice is not accidental, it’s human-made and
of other potential Green MPs,’ in the Independent’s
therefore it can be changed. I think once you’ve
words.
recognised that there’s nothing inevitable about
She’s an “assertive” – she corrects me when I say
poverty, for example, that it’s the result of a set
“strident” – campaigner on global and national
of human decisions, then it becomes much more
issues, who still finds the time and energy to be
possible and inspiring to think about how you can
“fighting for my constituents”. And when she’s off
actually change those decisions.”
duty, “one of the things I like to watch is The West
Born in 1960, Lucas had “a perfectly happy child-
Wing. So perhaps that does confirm your theory
hood” in “a very non-political household”. She
that I am an obsessive.”
went to an independent school, and took a diploma
She likes taking her rescue dog for long walks,
in journalism and a PhD in English Literature. “I
and is, or was, a “very bad” hobbyist piano player.
came to [politics] through pressure groups really.
“What I loved about it was that you couldn’t pos-
I was very involved with the CND, I was very
....
58....
involved in some of the environment groups and women’s
groups, and I felt that I was
being pulled in lots of different
directions.
“In 1986 I read a book by Jonathon Porritt called Seeing Green.
It kind of put all the different
things that I was concerned
about into one rigorous package
… I joined the Green Party on
the same day that I finished the
book.”
Lucas evidently never wanted to
be famous – she even denies that
she is famous – and, when asked
if she’s at all personally ambitious, says: “No. I’m ambitious
for green ideas. I want green
ideas to come into practice and
being as soon as possible.
“I have an enormous sense of
like fracking and more subsidies
that’s hell bent in an opposite
urgency. More than anything
to North Sea oil extraction and
direction. Those are the things
else I’m terrified that the sci-
so forth, at exactly the time we’ve
that really concern me.”
ence around climate change is
got these two big UN reports
It’s premature to ask, but how
essentially saying that we need to
talking about how important
would Lucas like to be remem-
get off the collision course we’re
it is to replace fossil fuels with
bered? “Well, my kids are deeply
currently on within the next 8-10
renewables, at exactly the time
important to me, so I hope I’ll
years. In that time we need to
experts are saying we need to
be remembered partly as a mum
stabilise our emissions, and start
leave 80% of known fossil fuel
who tried hard. And as a cam-
to get them to come down.
reserves in the ground if we’re
paigner who didn’t give up.”
“Yet we are not going in that
to have any hope of avoiding
‘Are you happy?’ I ask at the end
direction at all. We have a gov-
two-degrees warming. At exactly
of our scheduled 35 minutes.
ernment that’s pursuing things
that time we have a government
“Yes. Are you finished?” SR
....
59....
THE ARCHITECT SAYS WE NEED LIGHTING.
THE CLIENT SAYS AT FLOOR LEVEL.
We say, how bright?
Middle Yard Barn, Lambleys Lane, Sompting,West Sussex, BN14 9JX
Telephone: 01903 217 900 Telephone: 01273 622 191
email: info@nutshellconstruction.com
Nutshell Construction
CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION AND RESTORATION.
trade secrets
..........................................
Ben Copper
Nutshell Construction
Describe your business. We are a family-run con-
oak timber framed house in Cowfold. Everything
struction company working on both newbuilds, and
from the Horsham stone roof down. It was a huge
the refurbishment and restoration of old buildings. We
project but we managed to maintain all of the integrity
have 20 full-time employees and a team of up to 30
of the building whilst making it a comfortable home.
day-workers on site. We’ve expanded over the past 18
We set out project charters based on historical
months, and take on projects of all sizes across Sussex,
research – 1,000 years in the case of Cowfold - which
Surrey, Kent and Hampshire.
help to enthuse the team on site.
How did the company start up? We built a green-
And the most challenging? Everything’s a challenge!
oak, timber-framed house for the family and enjoyed
But the recent refurbishment of the Tasting Room at
working together so much that we set up the business.
Ridgeview has been incredible. Completing a total
How long ago was that? Almost seven years, but the
refurbishment on a busy working wine estate in just
three directors - myself, my brother Tom and cousin
eight weeks kept us busy.
Sean - each have 15-20 years experience in various
Do you still work on site? I’m not involved in hands-
trades, so we had all the bases covered.
on construction myself anymore, but I’m regularly on
What’s the best thing about working with family?
site checking everything is going to plan and that the
As members of The Copper Family, we have a tradi-
client is happy. We have nine projects under way at the
tion of singing together which leads rather naturally
moment.
to a tight, harmonious working relationship. We have
Did you build your own house? No, but I’d like to.
owned many pubs and businesses in the family over
It would be a modern green-oak frame but, as I plan
the years and bring a customer-services focus to our
to stay in the centre of Brighton, it might be difficult
construction business.
to find a plot.
What sets Nutshell apart from other builders?
Do you have any tips for our readers? If you are
Our family ethic and attention to detail. We are care-
planning a building project, set out to enjoy the expe-
ful to look after everyone involved; clients, staff and
rience. Getting a good architect on board early to help
suppliers. We all loved working in construction but
you think out your design will save problems later on.
didn’t always love the culture on site, so we set up our
Then develop a relationship with your builder – if you
business to be tidy and respectful. That way everyone
create a team that you will enjoy working with the
has a pleasant experience.
process will be a lot less painful.
What has been your favourite project to date? Our
Interview by Lizzie Lower
recent total refurbishment of a 17th-century, listed,
nutshellconstruction.com/01903 217 900
....
61....
i n s i d e l e f t : K e m pt o w n , 1 9 7 9
...................................................................................
It’s August Bank Holiday Monday, 1979, and the streets of Kemptown are lined with spectators
witnessing the first Great Kemptown Pram Race - a charity event organised by the publicans of
Kemptown. The race ‘course’ was a circuit that started at the car park then opposite the Royal
Sussex, down Great College Street, Clarendon Place and Somerset Street, back eastwards along
Upper St James St and St Georges Road, and ultimately back to the hospital car park. Every
pram featured a ‘nanny’ pushing the vehicle, and a ‘baby’ passenger; both were expected to drink
half a pint at each of the pubs on the circuit.
The photo was taken by Barry Pitman, outside the Barley Mow. At the time he was running a
photography project at the Brighton Community Arts Workshop in Kemptown and working as
a barman in the pub. “I don’t recognise the passenger, but the guy pushing the Wellington pram,
in full Welsh national costume, was called Taffy,” he recalls. Barry ran the circuit himself photographing the event, and has an archive of pictures from this and the two (or was it three? Memories are hazy) subsequent races. “A number of the pubs on the circuit have now closed down, but
I’m exhibiting pictures in seven of those that participated during the Brighton Photo Fringe,” he
says. There will be four pictures in each pub with eight in the Barley Mow; anyone following the
trail might consider capturing the spirit of the race by downing a drink in each of the pubs.
The organisers of the Pram Race produced a number of wonderful posters and t-shirts promoting
the event. If anyone has kept hold of any of these, or has any memories they want to share about the
race, please contact Barry via his website, www.pixelsonapage.com. From that site you can download
a trail map of the participating pubs. The photos will be on display throughout the Photo Fringe
from October 4th – 2nd November.
....
62....
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Every Saturday
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Breeze
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for journey planning
Kids go FREE! See ‘Breeze’ leaflets for details
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For times, fares, leaflets and walk ideas:
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/breezebuses
Phone 01273 292480