Martlets supporter, Victoria Bryan, has written a short book about loss, “Jazz Says Goodbye”. The small, photo led book, describes the process of grief through the eyes of Tibetan terrier, Jazz.
Walking along Brighton seafront with the photogenic pooch was a great comfort to Victoria whilst her mother was ill and inspired the book.
Victoria explains what happened:
“Until my mother died from a brain tumour in November, 2011, her Tibetan Terrier, Jazz, had been her close companion. Jazz and I took care of my mother for the last few months of her life and it made perfect sense that Jazz would help me with my own journey through grief. During the brief two months between my mother’s diagnosis and death, an amazing team of caregivers supported us, including the wonderful Martlets Hospice nurses.
“In the many long walks Jazz and I took along seafront, photography and walking became my meditation and my mind wrapped around the idea of creating a book. It helped me and I hope it will help others, of all ages, who have lost someone they love.”
Polish born Brighton poet and playwright Maria Jastrzębska, is touring London and the South coast this autumn with readings from her new collection At The Library of Memories (Waterloo Press 2013).
At The Library of Memories leads the reader from the ghost of one room to another, via the senses and catching at fragments of stories. This is an invitation to examine not only individual, arresting memories — at once familiar and disturbing — but the process of remembering itself. How we come to terms with our own past and what collectively we make of it are questions running in and out of these uncompromising, vital and thrilling poems.
Maria will be reading at:
* REDROASTER COFFEE HOUSE, St James’ St, Brighton (Thurs Oct 31 at 7.30pm, ), Maria Jastrzebska along with MacGillivray will be launching The Last Wolf of Scotland, and Astrid
* POETRY IN THE CRYPT in St Mary’s Crypt, Upper Street, Islington, London (Sat Nov 2) with John Greening, Maria Jastrzebska and Pauline Stainer. Admission £4, free coffee and cakes, all proceeds go to the charity Hospice Care Kenya.
* THE ART WORKERS GUILD, 6 Queen Square, London (Sat Nov 11 at 7.30pm, ) as part of SLN Autumn Festival with Mimi Khalvati, Gillian Allnutt, Pauline Stainer, Daphne Gloag, Kay Syrad & Ruth O’Callaghan.
* THE GUN ROOM, RMA Tavern, Cromwell Road, Eastney near Portsmouth (Sun Nov 24 at 8pm, ) Maria Jastrzebska, Wioletta Grzegorzewska and singer/songwriter Krystyna Jankowska. Open Mic, admission £4/£3.
Nancy Platts, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, wants local people to fill in a survey to tell her how zero hours contracts are affecting them.
With families facing the biggest living standards crisis in a generation, Labour called a special debate in Parliament demanding action to stop rising insecurity at work under the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition, including the exploitative use of zero-hours contracts.
As many as 1 million workers are reported to be employed on such contracts and they are now used in one in five workplaces.
Last month Labour leader Ed Miliband MP announced plans to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts by:
• Banning employers from insisting that those on zero-hours contracts are available even when there is no guarantee of any work;
• Stopping zero-hours contracts that require workers to work exclusively for one firm
• Ending the misuse of zero hours contracts where employees are in practice working regular hours over a sustained period.
• Putting in place a code of practice on the use of zero-hours contracts.
Nancy says:
“Personally, I would like to see zero hour contracts banned completely. Under David Cameron we have seen rising insecurity at work, compounding the living standards crisis that working people in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven are facing.
“We can’t have a situation where families and young people don’t know what their working hours are from one week to the next and don’t know whether they can afford their rent or the weekly shop. I hope that people will take the opportunity to let me know how these contracts are affecting them.”
Comedy legend and ‘gay icon’ Joan Rivers will be bringing her show Before they close the lid to Brighton in 2014.
80 year old Joan, ‘the bitch’ with the sharpest tongue in show business returns to the UK in 2014 for a two week national tour delivering a series of rare performances that promise to be the hottest ticket in town.
Her last UK tour in 2012 saw her appear to critical acclaim in no less than 11 sold-out shows, including London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
Joan an internationally renowned comedienne, Emmy-winning television talk-show host, Tony-nominated actress, best-selling author, playwright and is currently starring in the global TV favourite, Fashion Police.
If your easily offended, don’t go. If your not, rush out and book your ticket now.
Joan says she is bringing her distinctive, irreverent brand of comedy to the queens in Brighton because she has “nothing better to do’!
Tickets are now on sale at the Brighton Centre box office.
The British have been crossing the channel for hundreds of years; in the past it was to fight the French, today it is to live amongst them. Over the past twenty or so years we have been descending in our hundreds on many parts of France, from Normandy to Provence but no area has been quite as popular as Poitou-Charentes in the south west, around La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Angouleme. We discovered that some long lost relatives had recently moved there and they invited us to visit. Their house being only 300 miles from Dieppe, this was an invitation that no one would refuse. Let’s go and see what hundreds of our fellow countrymen had found quite so fabulous about this particular area.
The drive was indeed very easy; the French motorways are very efficient, if a little expensive and we were soon crossing the big bridges spanning the Loire valley near the famous city of Tours and then on towards Poitiers and La Rochelle. The scenery, after the rolling hills of Normandy, becomes quite flat and very agricultural but on the motorway you really don’t see much of the country, although you do pass a lot of large signs advertising beautiful nearby chateaux. No time to stop we were ‘en route’. One of these signs is advertising Futuroscope the famous multi-media theme park. Since it opened 25 years ago it has attracted over 40 million visitors, we decided not to add to that impressive figure.
Poitiers: Place de Gaull
Just 10km further and you arrive in the ancient city of Poitiers, the regional capital. with a population of 92,000, The RAF bombed it heavily in 1944 and today, thanks to a massive amount of renovation and reconstruction it has a very modern feel. It’s an easy place to wander around, mainly for the designer shopping. The centre is being completely re-designed; again, how this new look will sit alongside its 80 historic monuments is too early to tell.
The tourist office right by the beautiful 12 century cathedral is housed in an incredibly ugly building and was probably the most unhelpful and unfriendly I have ever visited, they were possibly just having a bad day. Poitiers didn’t exactly excite us, if you live in the area then its fine, a big modern town with all the shops and supermarkets that you could want, but from a tourist point of view it seemed to lack any sort of ‘vibe’ that we could identify. You can fly to Poitiers with Ryanair from Stanstead.
La Rochelle, France
Things pick up quite a lot when you head the 87 miles to La Rochelle, one of the most glamorous resorts on the Atlantic coast of south west France. With a population of 80,000 it is one of the most visited towns in France, with 75,000 of its annual three million visitors coming from the UK. This exceptionally beautiful city is built around a wide bay and has no less than four ports and marinas, one of which, Port des Minimes, is the biggest marina in Europe.
The historic port is beautifully preserved with a quayside that bustles with boats small and large, the seafront is packed full of lively cafes, bars and restaurants
Tourist attractions are everywhere. Walk through the striking Gothic gateway, Porte de la Grosse Horloge and you enter a maze of pedestrianised streets, flanked by seventeenth and eighteenth century buildings. These are now boutique shops selling everything from high fashion, books, antiques and of course lots of patisseries selling those wonderful calorific pastries that the French love. There are plenty of excellent places to eat, there is a street, that is known locally as ‘Restaurant Street, rue Saint-Jean-du-Pérot, which is full of restaurants and cafes, some can be pricey and the cuisine is mainly seafood, but all looked pretty good to us.
La Rochelle, France
La Rochelle is not a beach resort, the man made beach is not up to much, there is an enormous selection of great beaches along the coast and on the several islands that dot the bay, Ile de Re, Ile d’Oleron and Ile d’Aix. There are plenty of hotels to suit all budgets, we stayed, at the Mercure, right on the old port., small rooms but clean and comfortable and free parking. You would expect a city like this to be quite gay, but in fact there are only a few cafes and bars and one sauna listed as being gay, but the place is so cosmopolitan the boys and girls are everywhere.
La Rochelle is served from April until September by easyJet from Gatwick and it’s on the TGV line, three hours from Paris.
Just 14 miles from La Rochelle over a spectacular bridge is the famous Ile de Re, attracting visitors such as Brad, Angelina and Johnny Depp to name a few, but that’s another story altogether.
Why are there so many Brits here?, the weather is usually very good, the countryside is lovely; the coast and beaches are great; the French know how to enjoy life, the wine is cheap, the food is good and the ambiance is very seductive. Most importantly though is the price of property, it’s about 30% of UK prices. And my cousin’s house was great, so we will be going again. Vive la France!
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has been selected to sit on the Immigration Bill Committee which held its first meeting in the House of Commons yesterday, Monday October 29.
The Government’s Immigration Bill passed its Second Reading on the October 22. It has now progressed to Committee Stage where it will be further examined by a panel of MPs, who will hear evidence from a range of experts over the coming weeks.
The aim of the Bill is to reform the immigration system so that it works in the interests of the United Kingdom. The legislation seeks to make it easier and quicker to remove individuals who have no right to be here and to prevent illegal immigrants accessing and abusing public services or the labour market.
Mr Kirby said:
“I am honoured to be representing my constituents on the Immigration Bill Committee, because I know that this issue is very important to people in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven. Immigration has improved our country enormously, but people want to ensure that the system works in the interest of the UK by attracting people who will contribute to our economy and society. We need a system that is fair to British citizens, and prevents people with no right to remain in the UK from flouting the law and abusing public services.
“This Bill is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to sorting out the mess of an immigration system that it inherited from Labour. It will cut down bureaucratic red tape, streamline decisions and restrict the number of opportunities for appeal. I believe there is a widespread consensus that it should be easier to remove people who are here illegally, and I urge my constituents to let me know their views. I will be sure to keep them in mind throughout the Committee proceedings.”
Brighton & Hove’s Licensing Panel have approved a new alcohol licence for the Co-Op store at 268-272 Portland Road, Hove from 8am to 8pm.
Southern Co-Operative Group applied to sell alcohol from 8am to 11pm every day, but the Panel decided to restrict the hours until 8pm after taking into consideration the representation of Director of Public Health Tom Scanlon who spoke about the need to reduce the availability of alcohol at night to combat pre-loading, binge drinking and anti social behaviour.
In a letter to the Licensing Panel Dr Scanlon highlighted that there is considerable proxy purchasing from off-licences for underage drinkers, despite the best efforts of responsible retailers. He also noted that the location was close to supported accommodation for young people and that there were other venues selling alcohol close by.
He also asked the Co-Op to sign up to the city’s ‘Sensible on Strength’ campaign by agreeing not to sell super-strength alcohol.
The Southern Co-Operative Limited, although part of the bigger Co-Operative Group, sets its own operating policy and had agreed not to sell or store super-strength alcohol after the council’s licensing authority contacted the company. It has three outlets in Brighton & Hove and already has a condition on the other two stores (at Sussex University and Western Road, Brighton) not to sell beer, cider or lager with an alcohol by volume (abv) of more than 6%.
Cllr Stephanie Powell
Councillor Stephanie Powell, who chaired the Panel, said:
“We listened very carefully to all the representations, took into consideration national and local policy and looked at the application on its individual merits.
“The Panel considered the location is a mixed commercial and residential area where local consultation has shown that additional alcohol licences are not desirable unless there are exceptional circumstances.
“We took into account Southern Co-Operative’s good record of responsible alcohol sales, the fact that they consulted with Sussex Police and their willingness to voluntarily not sell or store super-strength lager, beer or cider in this and their other stores.
“However, we were also concerned that alcohol sales after 8pm could adversely affect crime and disorder and the protection of children, and that this store is close to accommodation for vulnerable young people. Therefore we decided to grant a licence, but only until 8pm.”
Also on the panel were councillor Penny Gilbey and councillor Lynda Hyde.
Conservative and Labour councillors have voted to allow free parking in some city centre car parks during the run up to Christmas in an effort to boost business.
Andy Cheesman is from the newly formed lobby group Unchain the Brighton Motorist, which includes the Federation of Small business, the Tourism Alliance, GMB union, Unite and many trader groups and individuals across the city.
He said:
“I was disappointed to see that the Greens in the final vote, voted against Small Business Saturday.”
The Green administration estimate the cost to the taxpayer will be between £200,000 – £300,000 a figure dismissed by both Conservative and Labour councillors.
The Conservatives say free parking will help boost trade for local businesses who are currently suffering from the dramatic increase in parking charges brought in by the current Green Administration and they put forward a proposal, calling for free parking at the Norton Road, London Road, Regency Square, High Street and Trafalgar Street car parks on December 7,8,15 and 22.
SImon Kirby, MP
Simon Kirby, MP for Portslade and Peacehaven has spearheaded a long-running campaign against the Council’s rise in parking charges, raising the issue in Parliament and many times directly with the Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove City Council.
Simon welcomed the news, saying:
“I welcome the free parking which will aid local businesses in the area during one of their most important shopping periods.
“Local business have been hit hard by the hike in parking charges that the Council have brought in and it is important that we support them in the run up to Christmas.”
Cllr Graham Cox
Conservative councillor Graham Cox, said:
“This is not pro or anti motorist but about the city’s reputation, a reputation which has been gained by the massive hike in parking prices which means Brighton and Hove is seen as a place where the motorist gets ripped off.
Brighton & Hove council is doubling the number of collection points in the city for old and broken kettles, hair dryers, toasters, DIY tools and irons.
Following the success of the ‘Bring banks’ for small electrical items introduced to the city last year, the council is setting up 10 new collection points. The council claims the new banks will make ‘recycling on the go’ easier for residents, especially those who find it difficult to get to the council’s household waste recycling centres.
The new sites can be found at:
• Marine Cliffs Car Park, Rottingdean
• Asda Marina
• Whitehawk Family Centre
• Leybourne Parade, Lower Bevendean
• Withdean Stadium
• Outside Hikers Rest P.H., Coldean Lane
• Opposite 57 Ladies Mile Road, Patcham
• Montpelier Crescent
• Opposite The Glass Centre, 224-226 Portland Road
• Goldstone Retail Park
The scheme is being expanded by the council and Veolia Environmental Services, as part of a drive to encourage residents to reduce waste, and to recycle more.
Councillor Pete West, chair of the council’s Environment, Sustainability and Transport Committee, said:
“We are constantly on the lookout for new locations for recycling points so many more residents can easily recycle their unwanted items.
“The average resident accumulates three new electrical items each year but only one in five of our small electrical items gets recycled. Hopefully, with 20 bring banks now available across the city, we can change this.”
Electrical items can contain hazardous and toxic metals which can be damaging to the environment when thrown away. Recycling these items helps preserve natural resources and protect the environment. Some electrical items also contain valuable raw materials such as silver while others can be used to make other items. For example – one iron contains enough steel to produce 13 steel cans!
All small items, broken or usable, are accepted including toys, shavers, phones, DIY tools, mobile phones and kitchen appliances. They just need to be small enough to fit through the chute.
Existing Electrical recycling points can be found at:
• Kingswood Street
• Little East Street (east of Brighton Town Hall)
• Whitecross Street
• Regent Street
• The Level, Union Road
• Tisbury Road – outside Hove Town Hall
• Upper Rock Gardens
• Wickes DIY, Davigdor Road (Lyon Close)
• King Alfred Leisure Centre Car Park
• Norfolk Square, Western Road
Larger items can be taken to the council’s household waste recycling centres or collected using the bulky waste service featured on the council’s website.
The electronics will be collected and taken to Lewes to be chipped and then sent on to Lincolnshire for further granulation and sorting, producing various mixed plastic and metals.
For more information on recycling and reusing electrical items, CLICK HERE:
Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove & Portslade is claiming that Councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council’s King Alfred Project Board were misled by Council Officers on Sport England’s position on dividable 50m pools for the proposed new swimming pool planned for the King Alfred site in Hove.
The Project Board’s initial report in May 2013 contained claims that Sport England, the publicly-funded sports organisation, recommended against a 50m facility for the people of Brighton & Hove.
It has now been revealed that Sport England made no such recommendations. Sport England has stated in an e-mail to Mike Weatherley MP that it only makes recommendations on swimming pools after detailed research has been carried out. No such research has been carried out in Brighton & Hove.
Mike says the revelations beg the question of exactly who at Brighton & Hove Council is against building a 50m pool for Brighton & Hove. It is generall accepted that dividable 50m pools are cheaper, more compact, more flexible and better-used than an arrangement using separate pools. Campaigners can’t understand why Council Officers aren’t backing the 50m option and many suspect that the answer is connected to a prejudice against high-level sporting success.
The campaign for a 50m pool in Hove has come together following discussion between local residents, sports groups, Shiverers Swimming Club, the Amateur Swimming Association and various Olympic athletes including diver Chris Mears. The 50m option has only been on the table after Conservative and Green Councillors voted to consider a proposal tabled by Mike Weatherley MP’s in July.
Mike said:
“We all know that a dividable 50m pool is cheaper and more flexible than three little pools. The problem though is that the hidden figures against a decent 50m pool for Hove have yet to rear their heads, with residents asking if Officers are simply against competitive sport.”
Sport England said:
“Sport England does not give general support to one type of pool over another, rather it makes recommendations specific to local circumstances, having looked at the evidence with the local authority and other stakeholders.”
Mark Cannon, Chairman of Shiverers Swimming Club, added:
“Our hundreds of local young swimmers fill the current small pools at the existing King Alfred. Membership is up 20% this year and if we are to help keep the Olympic momentum going then we simply need to provide them with the pool that they deserve. And the beauty is that the 50m option that swimmers are requesting costs less than building separate pools.”
Brighton & Hove Council have been asked to respond.
Martlets supporter, Victoria Bryan, has written a short book about loss, “Jazz Says Goodbye”. The small, photo led book, describes the process of grief through the eyes of Tibetan terrier, Jazz.
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