menu

Hove restaurant launches new exclusive club card

Skyfall in Hove, launch The 42 Club, an exclusive invitation only card for VIP’s, and raised with a raffle £350 for Rocking Horse Children’s Charity.

web-600

Owner Jordan Tsar invited 40 VIP guest and treated them to an extravagant taster menu highlighting courses from Skyfall’s new autumn menu, the first prepared by their new young chef Nathan Pfefferle.

web-600-2

For starters we were treated to:

Tomatoes and Arancini: textures of tomatoes and basil with confit tomato arancini and smoked ricotta. Beautifully presented, simple and very tasty. The ricotta did not overpower the flavour of the sweet fresh tomatoes and all served on fresh homemade bread (£6).

Scallops
Scallops

Scallops: aubergine caviar, squid ink granola, basil and cauliflower carpaccio, a spectacular creation and my favourite dish on the complete menu at Skyfall. Scallops were cooked perfectly, complemented by the caviar and the cauliflower carpaccio provided a touch of genius (£9).

Mussel and Clam Chowder
Mussel and Clam Chowder

On an earlier visit I tried the Mussel and Clam Chowder for my starter. It was first class. A perfectly balanced slightly spicy chowder with juicy mussels and crunchy baby sweet corns (£7).

For main course we were tempted with:

Braised Oxtail
Braised Oxtail

Braised Oxtail: slow-braised oxtail ragout, 4 oz ribeye steak, sweet potato gnocci, roasted vegetables, shallots and crusty bread. The oxtail flavour was very pronounced. I had not eaten oxtail for quite a while and forgot how full on the flavour of actually is. That will be changing in the future and the gnocci was a perfect foil for the strong oxtail flavour (£18).

Fillet of Sea Trout: saffron risotto, mussels, green seasonal vegetables, seaweed and beurre blanc. Lovely flavoured trout cooked just right and served moist. Perfectly complemented by the seaweed and green vegetables (£15).

For desert we had the choice of White Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cheesecake (£5.50) or Chocolate and Hazlenut Brownie (£5.50). I was tempted by both. They were mighty fine providing the crowning glory on an evening of fine dining with great company.

Chef Nathan Pfefferle
Chef Nathan Pfefferle

Skyfall serves Modern British/European cuisine in very attractive and stylish surroundings. The young head chef Nathan is a master of presentation. The restaurant is beautifully styled, comfortable to sit in and the only little criticism that could be made about a great evening out were the sound levels when the performers were singing. They were a tad too loud for an older person like me. For a VIP evening such as this maybe not much of a problem but I would feel differently if I was out for a romantic dinner.

The Skyfall team
The Skyfall team

Entertainment was provide by vocalists Scott Howland and Keris Lea from the Sundaes, Europes biggest girl group.

All prices quoted above are the cost for the dish on the main menu.

Skyfall have a great room upstairs for hire for private parties and event.


♦ Breakfast served daily from 9 – 11.30am

♦ Set menu served 12 noon – 6pm Mon to Sat: (last orders 10pm). 1 course £9.50: 2 courses £11.50: 3 courses £14.50

♦ Dinner menu served daily from 6pm – close (last order 10pm) Mon to Sat

♦ Sunday roasts served 12noon – close (last orders 10pm)

web-600-1

Top Tip: Try a cocktail. They range in price from £7.50 – £8.50 and are expertly mixed. We tried the Long Island Ice Tea and Popcorn Martini both cost £8.50 and were as good as any cocktail you will get in town and, for a restaurant of this quality, very reasonably priced.


Skyfall
42 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN
For reservations telephone: 01273 041007

web-600-10

Mayor of Brighton & Hove leads the reading of the names on World Aids Day

The Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Cllr Pete West leads the reading of the names on World Aids Day of those lost to AIDS/HIV in Brighton & Hove, since the start of the health crisis that robbed the city of a generation of young gay men.

Cllr Pete West, Mayor of Brighton & Hove: Photo by Billy Short
Cllr Pete West, Mayor of Brighton & Hove: Photo by Billy Short

Other dignitaries reading the names included Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion, Cllr Andrew Wealls deputy leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Gill Mitchell deputy leader of the Labour Group and Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty Convenor of the Greens, Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp from Sussex Police, Geoff Raw Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove City Council and representatives of LGBT/HIV voluntary sector organisations, social groups and health providers.

James Ledward: Photo by Sophie Cook
James Ledward: Photo by Sophie Cook

James Ledward, editor of Gscene Magazine welcomed everyone to the event and reminded them of the importance of challenging all forms of stigma. He explained the importance of regular testing in order to achieve the Martin Fisher Foundation target of ZERO HIV by 2025 and finished by calling on everyone to lobby their politicians and councillors to encourage the Government to make PrEP available on the National Health Service to all people in high risk groups. He highlighted how last year the NHS spent £80million pounds on paracetamol which can be purchased at Tesco for 29p.

Campaigners and clinicians are asking NHS England for just £20 million of that £80 million pounds to be allocated to make PrEP available on prescription for those groups most at risk and help eradicate HIV by 2025.

After a minute’s silence the names of those lost in Brighton & Hove to HIV/Aids since the start of the pandemic were read and then people laid their candles round the Brighton Aids Memorial ‘Tay’.

Photo by Billy Short
Photo by Billy Short

The Vigil was organised by the World Aids Partnership which includes: Avert, Brighton & Hove City Council Partnership Community Safety Team, Brighton Gems, Gscene Magazine, Lunch Positive, Peer Action, The Sussex Beacon, The Sussex Ecumenical Chaplaincy, Terrence Higgins Trust and The Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum who provided the staging, sound and lighting for the event.

Photo by Sophie Cook
Photo by Sophie Cook

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

University of Sussex extends Syrian refugee scholarship

Following wide consultation with UK government agencies and third sector organisations, the University of Sussex has extended the reach of The Sussex Refugee Scholarship, announced last year, and will welcome its first students onto campus in early 2017.

web-600-2

The scheme will offer intensive English language courses for up to 50 Syrian refugees and will cover the full course tuition fees.

Since its initial announcement, the University has decided to widen the scope of the offer to include:

♦ Expanding the age limit from 18 – 25, to 18 – 35.  As well as making the scheme open for students wishing to continue to further study or work it will now also be open to refugees in the Sussex area who have expert knowledge, such as teachers and lawyers but who are often held back from re-establishing their careers due to insufficient English language levels.

♦ Extending the offer to Syrian refugees who are resident in Sussex and have been awarded Refugee or Humanitarian status. Previously the scheme was only open to Syrian nationals in the UK under the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (‘SVPRS’).

These changes come after extensive consultation with UK government agencies, Brighton and Hove City Council, local authorities across East and West Sussex and charities who work with refugees.

The scholarship has also been developed in conjunction with researchers at Sussex who have accessed the opportunities available for refugees to reintegrate themselves into new communities.

Prof Ray Satchell
Prof Ray Satchell

Professor Ray Satchell, Director of the Sussex Centre for Language Studies, said: “Launching this scholarship has been a major priority for the University and it’s been critical to establish a scheme that has the full support of government officials, local authorities and charity experts.  We’re confident that our scheme will meet the needs of individual Syrian refugees who have a myriad of different circumstances, backgrounds and learning needs.

“I know I speak on behalf of the University of Sussex community that we’ve been so eager to get this scheme off the ground, it’s something we care about passionately and we are looking forward to welcoming our new language students onto campus in 2017.”

Courses are for five, 10, 16 or 28 weeks. Duration depends on the shortlisted candidates’ English language level, which will be tested as part of the application process.

To be eligible for the Sussex Syrian Refugee Scholarship, as well as meeting the English language requirements, applicants must:

Complete the application form by December 19, which includes information on previous education and a personal statement, to a satisfactory standard

Provide evidence that they have been awarded Refugee or Humanitarian status or are in the UK as part of the UK Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme for Syrian nationals (‘SVPRS’)

Be aged between 18 and 35 at the date of the commencement of the relevant English Language course

For further details and information on the application process, click here:

Brighton Council amnesty puts tenancy fraud in the spotlight

People committing tenancy fraud in council housing and temporary accommodation can avoid legal action by handing their property back as part of an amnesty being introduced by Brighton & Hove City Council.

web-600The tenancy fraud amnesty runs from 1 December 1 until January 31 2017.

During that time, tenants illegally subletting their homes or keeping a social housing tenancy while living elsewhere, can return their properties to the council without fear of further action.

Tenants will need to leave the property unoccupied and empty of all belongings, and sign a surrender notice.

Keys can be handed in at:

Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Square, Brighton, BN1 1JE
Portslade Town Hall, Victoria Road, Portslade, BN41 1YF
Whitehawk Community Hub, 179a Whitehawk Road, Brighton, BN2 5FL
Lavender Street Housing Office, Lavender Street, Brighton BN2 1JU

The amnesty precedes a new data-matching exercise in the new year to identify illegal subletting and people not using their council property as their main home.

Legal action will be taken against all housing fraud uncovered following the amnesty.

Cllr Anne Meadows
Cllr Anne Meadows

Councillor Anne Meadows, Chair of the Housing & New Homes Committee, said: “We have a huge demand for housing in the city. Tenancy fraud deprives residents in genuine need at a huge cost to the city and it’s vital we do all we can to tackle it.

“Last year, our work on fraud returned 26 properties to us, but anecdotal evidence and national data suggests that there are likely to be many more.

“The amnesty offers us the chance to get properties back quickly and cheaply, before our next data-matching push in the new year.”

If you are a Council tenants and want more information on the amnesty telephone the Housing Customer Services on 01273 293030 or email.

James Ledward, editor of Gscene added: “I sincerely hope the Council are just as determined in pursuing any building contractor who is found to have defrauded the city by overcharging for services provided to the housing department.”

Nick Ford: Photographer extraordinaire

Eric Page catches up with one of the cities energetic creatives; Nick Ford, photographer. He’s exhibited across the city, in galleries, festivals and has worked for many years at his chosen art.

Nick Ford
Nick Ford

What was your first photo?  It would have been something colourful. I love taking pictures of big architecture, massive engineering fascinates me, I’ve been to Dubai a few times and that place is amazing. I’ve always loved capturing that sense of astonishing human creativity on film. I think the first thing might have been a building.  

Who gave you your first camera? My Dad. He lent me his Rollei 35, I remember using it.

Dorothea Lange or David LaChapelle? Lange. I’m more a realistic type. I appreciate the work that goes into sophisticated post production work from a technical point of view but if it’s on my wall I want it honest. 

How does success feel? Not having to worry about work, that’s how success feels. Knowing I have enough work, from enough people who are happy with my work. 

Photo by Nick Ford
Photo by Nick Ford

What got you into Photography?  My Dad used to take photos of peoples’ weddings, it was his paid hobby. I’d go along with him and assist. Carrying his bag and changing his lenses. I was tiny, I could hardly carry the bag, but I managed! It’s a much-loved Billingham camera bag, it’s worn and needs some attention but I still use it.

What brought you to Brighton? Ha ha! I was born here, in the Royal Sussex, lived here all my life. I’m Brighton born and bred and proud of it. I love this city, it’s mix and acceptance of all different types of people. 

Tell us something about your grandmother…  She used to take my twin sister and I off to her place and make us these most amazing Cypriot traditional treats. Her roast dinners were amazing too. Our Grandparents’ places were always busy, always welcoming. My family is mixed, English, Turkish & Greek Cypriots. 

What’s your signature style? I’m more about the physical medium my pictures end up on. I like to print on Kodak Endura (metallic photographic paper) it gives me the look I like. My Studio is open to the public, people can come along and check my work out. 

Photo by Nick Ford
Photo by Nick Ford

What else do you do in the city? I sing, for the Brighton’s Gay Men’s Chorus which has given me so much. I’ve learnt and grown as a person since singing with them and I recently gave my first paid gig on my own, as a Kate Bush impersonator. Some girls in the front thought I was miming but it was my own voice. 

What’s your fave song to sing? I love to sing Laura Palmer by Bastille – it suits my tenor voice. I come back to it time and time again. 

What’s your biggest headache? Juggling different parts of my life can be a headache but also heartache. My parents have a strong faith, which like many faiths, condemns homosexuality. We all live in the same house so out of respect for them I sometimes feel that, unfairly, my life is compromised.  

What makes you cringe? People saying that they’ll get their friend to do their wedding photos. You’ll take three things home with you after a wedding; your ring, your partner and your photos. They are your memories and to let someone who says they’ve got a decent camera capture the most important day in your relationship makes me cringe. People think anyone can take a beautiful picture, but like anything else it takes skill, experience and training to do really good work. 

Photo by Nick Ford
Photo by Nick Ford

When did you last cry? There was a man in the street near my studio. He was distressed, ill, and harming himself with a knife. People were scared. I called the police to assist him, and I took control until they arrived. Afterwards a journalist asked if I had any photos of him with the knife for their article. This lack of care, of social consideration for people, of basic human decency made me cry. 

Monochrome film or DSLr? Film every time. Digital is great and very easy to work with, but if I could afford to I’d use film all the time. 

How has being LGBTQ influenced you? It’s given me contacts and allowed me to offer my work and skills to support charities I believe in. I’ve supported The Sussex Beacon, The Dogs Trust, Sussex Wild Life Trust. It’s great to give to the local community. 

Advice for budding business folk? I worked on cruise liners for years, toured the world, then thought that’s it! I want a studio, I want it here, so did it. That’s my advice: do it, if you want to.

Photo by Nick Ford
Photo by Nick Ford

You can see Nick’s work during the Christmas Artists Open Houses until the 2nd weekend in December (10 & 11th) 10am-5pm, at Oxford Street Studio, 19 Oxford Street, Brighton, BN1 4LA. Tel: 07834 912247.

May Festival Artists Open House, & Fringe shows (TBC in the new year)

Hear Nick sing with the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas show Pull a Cracker, December 10, at the Dome, Brighton.

For more information about Nick Ford, click here:

BOOK REVIEW: Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache: Martin Aston

heartcahe-hi-resBreaking Down the Walls of Heartache

Martin Aston

Aston has produced an excellent book charting how music came out. ‘All rock and roll music is homosexual’ the Manic Street Preachers claimed and most music performers defy social and political conventions of their time, pushing and progressing many other social groups along with their music.

Popular music’s queer DNA is inarguable, from Elvis in eye shadow to k.d. lang’s female Elvis; from the far-reaching influence of Little Richard’s ‘Tutti Frutti’, the Velvet Underground and Bowie’s bisexual alien Ziggy Stardust; from Frankie Say ‘Relax’ to house music godfather Frankie Knuckles; from Kurt Cobain in a dress to lesbian icon and couture model Beth Ditto and 21st century trans ‘future feminist’ Anohni. It’s a comprehensive history – spanning a hundred years, starting in 1920s Harlem – of the queer pioneers of Popular Music with over 90 new interviews.

Check out more info on the book on Martin’s website here

Aston argues with delicious well informed observations, discussion and documentation over the last hundred years of popular music how it’s influenced LGBTQ rights and pushed for equality, but also shows us the regressive steps in Russia and Africa where songs from the LGBTQ experience show in sharp contrast how the fight between bigotry and freedom is far from over. Superb and the right stocking filler for the LGBT music fan in your life this is THE definitive guide to the way in which the LGBT Q world has molded and influenced popular ,music and culture today.

Out now, for more info or to buy the book see the publishers website here, they have a superb range of books of interest to the LGBTQ readers. Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache is a story for a wide audience, not just the LGBT community but a broad spectrum of music lovers who are fascinated by these characters, events, stories and songs

Hardback £19.99

Paperback £9.99

April Ashley to be honoured by University of Liverpool

April Ashley, one of the first people in the world to undergo pioneering gender reassignment surgery, is to receive an honorary degree from the University of Liverpool this week.

web-600

Born in Liverpool in 1935, April Ashley MBE is a former Vogue model, actress and restaurateur who became one of the most famous transgender people in the world.

She was instrumental in lobbying the government to pass the Gender Recognition Act in 2004 and in 2012 she was appointed an MBE for services to transgender equality.

An exhibition of her life April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady held at the Museum of Liverpool attracted more than 1.3 million people.

April will receive her honorary degree at a ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Wednesday, December 7.

PREVIEW: Murder at Lezzton Abbey

Tickets are now on sale for the new show from the Lezzwood Players; The Lezzwardians – Murder at Lezzton Abbey – a sapphic slapstick sing-along send-up of Upstairs Downton Abbey.

web-600-2

In the picturesque village of Lezzton-Under-Weald (twinned with Dul-las-Ditchwater), the strict social order of an Edwardian household is upset when a mysterious murder leads to implausible plot-lines and tragic lapses in continuity.

web-300What is Miss Scarlet up to with the rope and the lead piping? Who has been tipping the velvet with Mrs White? Why is Mrs Danvers so weird? And with whispers of insurgent Suffragettes, will the old order survive until tea time?

The Lezzwardians  – Murder at Lezzton Abbey is an original Lezzwood Players show with murder, mischief, mystery and music-hall style songs.

You are welcome to enter the BUTTONHOLE and BAKE-OFF competition: During the interval, they will be awarding prizes for the kinkiest cupcakes and the most decorative floral buttonholes. Don’t forget to bring your entries along!

The Lezzwood Players have been startling audiences in and around Brighton since 2012 with their sensational saucy satires of well-loved theatrical genres.

A quirky bunch of queer women from the Brighton area, on a madcap mission to create unique entertainment for broad-minded audiences in the Brighton area and beyond.

At the core of all their shows is the warped genius that is Catriona Norrish who writes the scripts that are developed on a shoe-string by the rest of the cast.

web-600

Previous productions include:

Lezzington Towers: A riotous, irreverent re-working of everyone’s favourite girls’ boarding school adventure story. [Nov 2013]

‘Mallory Towers meets Carry-on Spanking’ – Forgotten Tomatoes

Murder at the Lezzwood Saloon: A whip-crackaway-ride through the worst cliches of the Wild West musical. After sell-out performances in Brighton, the show was revived for audiences in Eastbourne and somewhere up north. [2014 and 2015]

‘Proof if it were needed that the duelling dildo scene should never have been cut from Annie Get Your Gun’ – Doris Day (Bus Driver, Bexhill)


Event: THE LEZZWARDIANS – MURDER AT LEZZTON ABBEY – The Lezzwood Players

Where: The Barn Theatre, 24 Southwick Street, Southwick, West Sussex, BN42 4TE

When: February 10 & 11

Time: 7.30pm

To book tickets online, click here:

Or telephone: 01273 597 094 (open evenings only and manned by volunteers)

For more information about The Lezzwood Players, click here:

PREVIEW: Fourth meeting of LGBTQ+ History Club

The next LGBTQ History Club meeting will be on Sunday, December 11 at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

web-600

Guest speakers this month are John Walker and Alf Le Floric. John will be talking about how the deaf community in Brighton found its place within the wider LGBT community. Expect stories of the late Princess Diana, Punch and Judy club, and flirts in sign language classes.

Queer in Brighton have updated their website with a blog section, and are now looking for contributions!

Get in touch if you have an anecdote, a story, if you were there when it all happened, or have photographs, zines, papers, and other archive material that helps illuminate Brighton’s LGBTQ+ heritage!

Email info@queerinbrighton.co.uk if you would like to submit something or find out more. 
web-600


Event: The Fourth LGBTQ History Club meeting

Where: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE

When: Sunday, December 11

Time: 3pm-5pm

Cost: Free but important to follow this link to RSVP – so organisers can cater accordingly

For more information about Queer in Brighton, click here:

X