November 2018 saw the 40th anniversary of the assassination of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, America’s first openly gay man to be elected to public office.
EVEN though he died years before I was born, he has had a huge influence on me intellectually, politically and spiritually. He fought for gay rights at a time when they were under direct threat in the United States.
Proposition 6 for example aimed to ban gay men and women from teaching in California’s public schools. It was so extreme even Ronald Reagan was against it! Partly due to Milk’s spirited fightback and towering leadership however, it was defeated by public ballot just three weeks before his death.
Harvey’s international profile has risen following the release of the feature film Milk in 2008 with Sean Penn in the title role, but the fact he still isn’t a household name, even amongst the gay community, is hugely disappointing to say the least as we can learn so much from him.
Yes, he was the charismatic gay icon of his time that burst into City Hall and faced down Prop 6, but Milk stood for so much more than just gay rights, and I would argue that in an era seemingly devoid of inspirational political leadership such as ours we need Harvey Milk more than ever.
Here’s five reasons why;
1. He fought for not just the civil but also the economic rights of all marginalised groups in San Francisco aside from the LGBT+ communities (the Asian community, African-Americans, Latinos, senior citizens). He also set up local associations to protect small businesses against downtown corporate interests. In our world of austerity, raising far-right nationalism, and high streets dominated by globalised chains, we are screaming out for a champion for these causes.
2. He described himself as being ‘too conservative’ for the left and ‘too liberal’ for the right as he was a fiscal conservative but also believed in social equality and justice, and the liberalisation of strict anti-drug laws. Whatever your stance on these issues, Harvey’s political perspectives encompassed both left and right-wing views, and he actively sort to build coalitions and consensus as he was desperate to prove that the political system could deliver enlightenment and greater wealth, health and happiness for all. How the Brexit process would have benefitted from similar input.
3. To get elected he took advantage of San Francisco’s move away in the mid-1970s from city-wide ballots to ‘ward politics’ where each ward in the city would elect their own representative. This meant less ‘career politicians’ in the mix, and more of a connection between citizens and their elected officials as they were much more likely to know them personally. Milk believed this, combined with his radical gay politics, had revolutionary potential. To face and overcome the challenges our society will face in the 21st century, we urgently need a much more meaningful and productive dialogue between citizens and those elected to represent them, at both local and national level.
4. Milk lived most of his life in the closet before coming out at the age of 40 and moving from his native New York to California. He worked in a variety of professions during that time including as a deep-sea diver in the US Navy, a public school teacher, an insurance actuary and researcher on Wall Street, and on Broadway backstage. He was about as far from your David Cameron-esque career politician as you could get and brought real life experience to the corridors of local power. He had the ‘common touch’ and managed to win over even hardened union leaders who wouldn’t have gone near an openly gay candidate or public official with a barge pole previously. We need our leaders to truly understand the world that most of us live in.
5. He eventually saw coming out as a political tool and he was even prepared on occasion to ‘out’ those who still refused to do it themselves. Many did and do vehemently disagree with such an approach, but this highlights another reason why Milk had genuine appeal; he didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk, both inside and outside of the legislative chamber. On his first day in office for example he openly stated his opposition to the election of Dianne Feinstein as President of the Board of Supervisors, but she was duly elected on a majority vote. When the Board was asked to vote again to make the decision unanimous, Milk risked political suicide by again voting against her, the only Board member to do so the second time round. Outside of City Hall he insisted on taking public transport instead of official cars when on public duty as he felt that he couldn’t preach to citizens about improvements needed to the system and then not use it himself. How many local and national government ministers can you name that go out of their way to set a similar example?
On the evening of Milk’s death, thousands walked silently from Castro Street to City Hall to honour their slain hero. One placard, held high above the crowd and illuminated by candle light, read Harvey Milk lives. We better hope so.
To quote Cleve Jones, Harvey Milk’s close friend,“He was an ordinary man, he was not a saint, he was not a genius, his personal life was often in disarray, he died penniless…and yet by his example and by his actions he most certainly changed the world.”
An appropriate way of honouring Harvey Milk’s memory would be first that our whole community give him the full recognition he deserves, and secondly to demand of our elected officials that they meet the high standards Milk set, for the good of us all.
Emma Cox sits down with the Queen of the double entendre to establish how many more ‘minces’ he has left in him.
Photo: Eddie Botsio
IF I was expecting Julian Clary to turn up to our interview in a fanfare of sequins, make-up and high camp, I’d have been sorely disappointed.
WHEN we meet at a high-end, luvvie-friendly hotel in London’s West End, Julian slips into the room unnoticed, apologises for being a couple of minutes late, and slides into a seat before ordering a pot of tea and a plate of ‘good quality’ biscuits.
I’ve read interviews describing Julian as ‘shy’ but after meeting him I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate. He’s softly spoken and unassuming, yes, and he insists that it’s just me and him in the interview as an audience makes him feel ‘self-conscious’.
But he also holds eye contact and is confident and forthright on his opinions. He’s also, as you’d expect, very funny. And no question is out-of-bounds…
Julian let’s talk about your tour first. It’s called Born To Mince, isn’t it? “Yes. The last one was The Joy of Mincing. Before that was Natural Born Mincer, Lord of the Mince, Mincing Machine. You get the general idea. I just like to get ‘mincing’ in the title. I like the word. Mincing, mince, in any formula.”
It’s only three years since your last tour. Why did you want to do another so soon? “Because I miss it, and what I have to do with my life is rotate various activities. So children’s books are lovely, and I really enjoy making children laugh, but a part of me wants to talk filth and I’m not one for depriving myself of that pleasure.”
First ambition? “I don’t know if I realised I wanted to perform until sort of puberty time.
“And then I thought I was going to be a pop star. That was the fantasy. I couldn’t sing or play a musical instrument, but I was quite convinced. Then I realised I couldn’t sing, so I thought I was going to be an actor when I left university. Then I realised I couldn’t act.
“I wrote to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, saying, ‘How’s about it?’ I did get a few auditions, but I was hopeless.
“So, through process of elimination, I found that the comedy world was a world where all the things where I’d had a problem with acting and singing – my voice, my mannerisms – could be an asset.”
What was your first stand-up gig? “My first acting job was with Covent Garden Community Theatre, which was touring in adventure playgrounds.
“Then someone there told me to come and do a show at the Earth Exchange, which is a vegetarian restaurant in Highgate. I did an act called Gillian Pieface, who was a faith healer.
“I was terrified. I was probably drunk. I think something must have been okay to make me want to do it again.”
When did you first dabble with make-up? “My sister was a dancer, a tiller girl. She’s four years older than me, so when she was 18 I was at an impressionable age. I used to watch her putting her make-up on and I wanted to put it on myself.
“When I started doing comedy, I was looking for a gimmick or an angle that no one else was doing, so I thought, well there you are. And it was the 80s. Perfect timing.”
What was your first appearance on television? “It was a show called ‘Live From The Hippodrome’. I was interviewed by Janet Street Porter, and top of the bill was Dusty Springfield. I didn’t realise the audience in the studio couldn’t hear me. I was trying to be funny and I wasn’t getting any laughs because they couldn’t hear me.
“It was all a bit mortifying. I went home and sat by the phone thinking I’d made it, and nothing happened.”
And your first presenting job? “It was a show called ‘Trick or Treat’ on ITV with Mike Smith. It was a Saturday early evening game show on ITV. The rather daring producer called Michael Hurll had seen me on the circuit and took a chance, so that was it.”
Where was your first panto? “It was in 1999, Cinderella at the Theatre Royal in Brighton. That was lovely. I fell in love with it there and then.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is something that I can do’. And you can entertain adults and children at the same time. You could dress up, and you could wear makeup, and do what you like. Happy days.”
And your first reality show? “I’ve done Strictly Come Dancing and Big Brother but Strictly was first.
“I watch Strictly nowadays and I think, ‘Those poor souls’.
“We did 10 weeks. They work so hard now and the show is twice as long. And in my day you did your turn and then you went to your dressing room and had a snout. Now they have to stand there gurning in the background.
“I didn’t take it seriously when I did it. I was dancing with Erin Boag. She’s so lovely and she was such a brilliant teacher so I really got into it. They teach you things you never forget, the appreciation of music and of dance. I was lucky.
“I don’t think I’d do another one. I think I got in and out at the right time with all of those things. Big Brother became a bit humiliating towards the end, but when I did it we just sat around doing nothing much.”
Let’s talk about the outrage. Obviously you get a kick out of getting people to gasp, do you? “It’s one of life’s pleasures, in my opinion. It’s one of the reasons people come to see me: they desperately want to hear graphic descriptions of homosexual sex acts. They want to see if I’ll go too far. It livens up their otherwise dreary lives I expect. It gets the heart rate going, much like fairground rides or watching a horror movie.”
Was this more true when you started out in the 80s? “Yes… because prejudice, ignorance and fear were rife back then. I felt if you talked about the mechanics of gay sex, for example, it would be shocking to them but it would demystify it. They would leave better people than when they arrived.”
Do you feel like you have achieved that now? “Well it’s not just me, it’s just, you know, we’ve all grown up. The world’s a better place these days.”
You said people are less easily shocked, which I think is true, but they are also more easily offended these days. “I know!”
Does this give you a different challenge? “It’s funny… What were we talking about last night? I wanted to put something on Twitter. It was about the Duchess of wherever she is, the Duchess of Sussex, being pregnant. My husband said, “Yes, but who is the father?” And I thought, probably years ago I could’ve put that on Twitter and we’d have all chortled. Now, I thought,
“Well, I just can’t because it’s going to cause outrage.
“There’s this new word, ‘snowflake’, isn’t there? I would blame social media I think, where there’s people who spend all day arguing. Be very careful what you say.”
And why do you think you now care if it does cause offence? You used to court controversy. “It’s different. It’s a different sort of controversy. If it was really controversial that I was an ‘out’ gay man on television, then that’s something that I would feel more self-righteous about. Implying that the Duchess of Sussex is putting it about is probably not true at this stage of their marriage!
“So I can’t really feel self-righteous about that.
“Could you pass me the biscuits, please.”
Oh, dear me, I’m sorry. “And do have one. They’re rather more-ish.”
I’m fine, thank you. Although your humour does sometimes make people gasp, it’s also harmless and lovely and warm. Do you think that’s a fair description? “I think so. I’ve been around the block a few times and if people buy a ticket to see me, chances are they quite like me or they’ve been before. So there is a warmth and affection, but there is a sort of expectation of the boundaries being pushed a bit. So I’m happy to oblige!”
And how do you enjoy actually seeing fans in the front row – is that part of the pleasure for you?
“It rather depends on what they’re wearing. It’s a Spring tour so I’m hoping for some cheerful floral print dresses with maybe a light pashmina. That’s just the men. And did you know one in five of the general public are mad? I have to be careful who I hold eye contact with. Among celebrities the percentage is higher, of course…more like one in three. Have you ever interviewed Richard Osman? Barking!”
How much audience participation would there usually be in your shows? Should people avoid sitting in the first five rows? “No because I wander around now, so you’re not safe anywhere. I’ve always found people’s lives are more interesting than mine, and so I’m interested in talking to people and improvising, really.
“I did a straight play last year, ‘Le Grand Mort’, and it was really enjoyable, but I really had to stop myself from talking to the audience. It was in a very small theatre at Trafalgar Studios. I wanted to talk about someone’s hair and their handbag and the shoes they were wearing, and you just can’t apparently. I’m told that, when acting in play, you are expected to say the same words in the same order every night. Who knew?
“I had to stop myself from seeing the audience whereas I’m very alert to them when I’m doing my own show.
“It’s such freedom to be able to say what you want, and maybe go down a blind alley, or create a bit of comedy, magic perhaps if you’re lucky, if the wind’s in the right direction. I do like it more than anything.”
And yet there’s a line in the press release which says ‘this might be the final mince?’. Does that mean you’re thinking of retiring? “Yes, it was rather lame of me to say that but I suppose it’s because I am 60 during this tour.
“I’ll be in Bury St Edmunds and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be for my birthday than on stage in Bury St Edmunds. And I do think it might be the last one. Because at what age does it become inappropriate to talk about things that I talk about?
“I also wonder, would people want to see much more of me? I’m quite drawn to the idea of being a recluse. I’ll lock myself away, watching Cash in the Attic and live in filth. People will wander past my house in years to come and say ‘That’s where Mr Clary lives. He’s let himself go. To think he once pleasured the entire Llowestoft Rugby Team in one drug fuelled night. And now he’s lying there caked in his own excrement…”
You are very different in real life than your stage persona? “Yes. Thank goodness. I also… if I don’t become a recluse…I’m quite fanciful of a change of direction when I’m 60, doing something different. I think it’s important to stretch yourself, don’t you? Chocolate finger?
“But what I don’t want to do is say ‘This is the final tour’ then everyone will say, ‘Oh I’d better go and see him before he dies’, then five years later I’m back. I always feel slightly conned when people do that.
“So what I’m thinking is don’t be surprised if it is my last tour, but then again, the old age mincer might be coming your way in five years time. If I’ve got a tax bill I can’t afford or my husband has run off with Christopher Biggins.”
In the meantime you’ve got a panto coming up this year and that’s something you’ve done many times. Why do you like panto so much? “It’s kind of a perfect hybrid between stand-up comedy and storytelling. You’re allowed to step out of the scene and comment, and I’m allowed to talk about someone’s coughing. I’m allowed to pick on the audience. It’s a pity they let children in, but you can’t have everything.
“I like being part of a big ensemble and these shows are very lavish.
“I’ve got about 13 costumes this year and they’re not being made by the costume department, they’re being made by the scenery department because they’re so huge. You’ll be able to see my head poking out the middle.”
And you’ve got Dawn French joining you this year as well, of course? “Yes, that’s very exciting. She’s a game old gal, much like myself. We have met over the years but we’ve never been on stage before. It should be a scream.”
Your tour goes to the Palladium as well? “Yes, I finish up the tour there. So that’s a perfect full circle.
“I did my show there years ago, ‘My Glittering Passage’, I think it was, and it’s a Frank Matcham theatre like the Hackney Empire. They’re built for variety, so they really work for comedy. There’s no getting away from it, it’s got a certain magic about it, the Palladium.”
Do you enjoy the actual travelling part of touring? “Yes, I tour with one tour manager, and we travel together. Bertha has done my tours for the last 25 years so we know each other. When she first came to be my driver she was lactating, she’d just had a baby, and she’s a very safe driver, part of her motherly instincts, self-preservation for her children.
“She’s the only driver that I’ve ever had where I’ve dared to close my eyes, because I’m a very nervous passenger. Her children are now at university, if they haven’t graduated already. So, yes, we know each other really well, I trust her, and we have a laugh but I don’t have to make small talk either.
“I like being in a different town each night, a different theatre.
“I never get bored because it’s always really … “Harrogate, hurrah!”
Do the audiences vary hugely, depending on where you are in the country? “Yes, they do. The rumour used to be that they’re more extroverted up north, and they’re more sitting with their arms crossed in the south, but I don’t think that’s true any more. You never know how it’s going to feel. I don’t play Chatham any more because it’s a s**t hole.”
Why? What happened at Chatham? “They didn’t laugh. Fifteen years ago, it was. Scarred me for life.”
Is there a particular favourite town or city? “Glasgow. They’re so funny, so witty. And they heckle, which I’ve always liked. I love everywhere I’m going, or I wouldn’t go there, and the Palladium will be special. Cardiff, St David’s Hall, that will be lovely. Harrogate’s a beautiful theatre.”
And how do you feel about heckling? “I think if you’ve paid for your ticket, you can do whatever you want. I often have a set-to with the theatre staff because people take photos, and you see the ushers creeping down the aisles and shh-ing and wagging their fingers and telling people they can’t, so then I go down and say ‘yes you can’, and pose for photos with them.
“Of course you can take a photo, you paid £25. I mean, why not? It’s not a Chekov play, you can eat, drink, take photos, you can shout out. You can urinate in an empty cider can if you must, I don’t care.”
Photo: Steve Ullathorne
Do you have any other unfulfilled ambitions that you haven’t done yet? Other than the straight acting that you mentioned earlier. “I quite fancy doing another volume of my autobiography. I want to call it A Night at the Lubricant. I spent weeks thinking up funny titles. My last autobiography finished in 1993 so there’s a lot to say.”
Did you enjoy writing it? “Oh, I loved it. I love delving in. It’s funny, the human brain. You think you don’t think you remember but you start digging around and it’s all still in there.”
Do you think the tone of the second one will be quite different from 1993? “Yes. I think you’re different from your 60s to your 30s. Thank goodness.”
Are you happier now than you were in your 30s? “Yes, and I think that’s the compensation for getting older, isn’t it?”
BORN TO MINCEJulian Clary’s brand new stand-up show, tours the UK from March 13 – June 8, 2019 and comes to the Brighton Dome for one night on Sunday, April 28. Julian’s fourth children’s book THE BOLDS IN TROUBLE is out now, and his fifth book THE BOLDS GO WILD is out in March 2019. Tickets cost £26/£24.
A prestigious Blue Plaque was unveiled in London on February 19 to commemorate the avant-garde film-maker, and LGBT+ activist Derek Jarman on the 25th anniversary of his death from HIV in 1994.
THE unveiling was performed by the actor and director Dexter Fletcher and took place at Butlers Wharf Building, 36 Shad Thames, SE1 2YE, where Derek once lived and worked.
Short speeches were given by David Olusoga from English Heritage, artist Peter Logan, composer and musician Simon Fisher-Turner and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
Peter Tatchell
Speaking at the unveiling, Mr Tatchell said:“Derek was a personal friend and I worked with him for many years. He was a strong supporter of the LGBT+ direct action group OutRage! and was arrested in 1992 when we tried to march on Parliament to demand the repeal of anti-gay laws. As he often reminded people, he spent most of his life as a criminal under legislation that outlawed homosexuality. He gave me and other OutRage! members a cameo part in his film Edward II, to highlight the parallels between Edward’s violent demise and contemporary anti-LBGT violence.
“Derek was the first UK public figure to come out as HIV positive, at the AIDS & Human Rights conference that I organised to parallel the World Health Minister’s first summit on AIDS in 1988. He was a trailblazer in every aspect of his life and work – a fierce critic of everything conventional and orthodox. A true innovator.
“One of his favourite quips was from Dorothy Parker: ‘Heterosexuality is not normal. It’s just common.’ I was honoured to have Derek as a friend and comrade.”
Simon Fisher-Turner, David Olusoga, Peter Logan, Andrew Logan and Peter Tatchell
English Heritage Trustee and Blue Plaques panel member, David Olusoga, added:“Jarman was a major cultural figure of the last quarter of the twentieth century. He was a unique voice in cinema, an important campaigner for gay rights, a painter and a gardener. He brought a creative and disruptive energy to everything he did, at a time when it was urgently needed. We are delighted to honour him here on the South Bank, where he began to create his Super 8 universe.”
Exploring the diverse and supportive drag scene in Brighton, by Violet Valentine (Zoe Anslow-Gwilliam) @zoe_ag
BRIGHTON is generally known as being one of Britain’s quirkiest cities with eccentricities like independent queer events and independent fashion companies on every street. Brighton is a brilliant place to let your pride and freak flag fly. It’s the perfect example of colliding British subcultures from old school skate culture, the hippy movement, unavoidable modern lad culture, the prominent gay scene and the queer punk revolt.
Brighton’s unique and diverse styling remains a significant influence on the type of drag that comes out of Brighton. Brighton has everything: traditional drag queens, club kids and drag kings of all gender expressions. Exploring gender in drag is a pleasant experience in Brighton with AFAB, trans and non-binary performers being aplenty. Apart from snide remarks from some public, I’m supported by fellow performers around me that my drag is indeed very valid.
Brighton seems to produce some of the weirdest and notably, creepiest, drag on the UK scene. With performers such as Dick Day, the winner of London competition, Gold Rush, opting for an eclectic, bold style with the silliest of gags. He is a brilliant example of Brighton’s unapologetic comedic approach to performance, with no drops or splits necessary. He stated; “Within Brighton, there’s undoubtedly a more immense comedic value to performers’ viewpoints on performance.” Brighton is where he started his drag journey and he commented there is; “A very accepting and cohesive community.” Despite very few venues for the sheer amount of talent Brighton has to offer, he thinks; “On the most part we support each other and book a broad range of performers, some of the best the UK has to offer.”
Dick tends to base his looks on specific acts however comments he isn’t “a very femme presenting queen,” despite the fact he does pad and cinch he “still rocks a moustache and body hair, which is another thing we don’t consistently see on more ‘famous’ queens” a lot of the scene also “follows this mantra.”
Alike to others, I get my inspiration from everywhere; from the runway, current music and popular films to name a few. I draw my most recent inspiration from fantasy art and games such as League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering. But I’m obviously influenced by other drag artists that employ an alternative style, on Brighton drag scene, notably, Lydia L’Scabies for her combination of glamour and gore with use of prosthetics and pout, and Nosferatu for his brilliant concepts and the fact that he has big pointy ears too.
Brighton has allowed me to be more unapologetic with my drag style with reduced worry. I continue to be comfortable with exploring my style of cartoon-like and eccentric drag with prosthetics and a multitude of coloured face paints. Some of my recent styling and performances have been made easier to explore by the welcoming nature towards alternative drag.
I have the pleasure of being best friends with up and coming successes on the Brighton circuit: Electra, best described as a vintage c**k destroyer (an aesthetic), and Calypso, best described by the word ‘spoopy’ (sorry, Joshua). We often function as a dysfunctional group, which means stealing each other’s wigs and Kryolan sticks but more importantly our closeness has resulted in dramatic personal development within our drag over the past year helped by the fact we’ve all been doing drag for about two years. We learn from each other’s styles, such as trying different looks that encourage us out of our comfort zones, and in turn discover alternative assets to use in our drag whether it’s something as simple as a new colour combination or a new performance trick.
I chatted with Electra, Connor Harriott, about how her drag has developed because of Brighton. Connor spent his childhood in Newcastle, miles away from this seaside town, then moved down to Brighton to study Law. Electra was created in Newcastle but wasn’t truly actualised until Brighton. Connor commented that; “Coming from a smaller scene, I was given the foundations of drag but Brighton has developed me hugely as a queen and performer because it’s allowed me opportunities that more intimate scenes just don’t have.” He also stated the cabaret scene allows him to explore new performance areas. “The close group of friends I’ve made through drag have allowed me to improve and develop my drag character massively to what it is today.”
From our recent conversations about progress and motivation, we have discovered some of our motivation is drawn from our support for each other. It is comforting to be able to express mutual support at shows and even perform all together on multiple line-ups such as the most recent final of Lip Sync for Your Life at Club Revenge. These shared experiences help us to critique and praise each other’s work to then develop new acts and looks.
Electra, Violet and Calypso
I knew that Calypso would want in on the discussion, so I asked about her development on the local scene. Calypso, Joshua Hughes-Davies, made his way down to Brighton from what I like to refer to as ‘The Shire’, Welwyn Garden City. Josh arrived in Brighton about a year ago with Calypso in tow. Calypso was never truly realised until she started performing in Brighton, namely at Sussex Drag Soc, where she is media and promotions manager.
Joshua explained;“I spent my entire A-Levels dreaming of Brighton and becoming part of its scene. I wanted the challenge of a saturated and diverse scene after having been exposed to drag through Live Action Role Play and things like Rocky Horror as a child.” He expresses a distinct impression that drag requires; “Creativity, a fiery devotion, passion and a sense of fun.”
He continued further;“Being accepted with open arms when you aren’t necessarily a mainstream kind of drag performer was unexpected and appreciated. You nonetheless have to work hard as there’s so much drag representation; you have to work just as hard to get recognised.”
We all agree that Brighton is a pleasant place to start out with drag and feel it sets an example for the UK in terms of offering opportunities for drag artists to perform or partake in events, with the willingness to help each other grow.
Local homeless charity Sussex Nightstop marks 10-year anniversary with new Sleep Safe campaign to help young people at risk of homelessness stay off the streets.
THE campaign will raise awareness of the many young people, often as young as 16 in Sussex at risk of homelessness.
With rates of homelessness on the increase, young people are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless, especially when family breakdown is involved.
Research shows as many as one in five young people find themselves in the unpredictable and risky situation of sofa-surfing and of these, roughly half will have sofa-surfed for more than a month.
Government data for 2017 illustrates Brighton had the second highest level of recorded rough sleepers in the country after Westminster. At 178 individuals, this represents a 24% increase on the previous year. Six percent of these people were under 26 years old.
Sleeping rough and other temporary living arrangements have a considerable and chronic negative effect. More than half of young people involved in 2017 research by homelessness charity De Paul UK said that not having a stable place to live had damaged their mental or emotional health, and the majority said that their physical wellbeing had suffered. Nearly half said that temporary living had had a negative impact on their relationships and more than four in 10 said it had damaged their education or their ability to find or keep work.
Sussex Nightstop provides a safety net for these young people, preventing them from becoming homeless. The charity matches vulnerable young people (aged 16-25) with volunteer hosts who put them up in their spare room, on a night-by-night basis. This gives the young person a safe space to resolve their housing problems, so they don’t risk spiralling into long-term homelessness or the dangers of rough sleeping.
The Sleep Safe campaign is urging people to help alleviate this often-hidden problem of youth homelessness by supporting Sussex Nightstop’s work.
The Sleep Safe campaign will also raise £10,000 towards developing and delivering services to young people including the recruitment and training of more volunteer hosts.
Sussex Nightstop are calling on commercial organisations and the Sussex communities to get behind their fundraising campaign and help them in their ambition to have a safe bed available on every night of the week.
The work Sussex Nightstop does with vulnerable young people has already had very tangible results during their 10 years of operation:
Since the project began, they have received 750 referrals of young people and matched 3000 bed nights to 345 young people.
45% of young people accessing Nightstop are in work or learning.
90% of young people using the Sussex Nightstop service go on to secure safer, more suitable housing.
Sussex Nightstop Executive Director Alison Marino said:“I am delighted to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. The achievements accomplished through the efforts of our local volunteers and the Sussex Nightstop team cannot be underestimated.
“However, there is more work for us to do. We see first-hand the increasing and deepening challenges that young people face with regard to securing a safe and stable place to live. We need to continue to be there for them. We have tasked ourselves in providing a service that supports a range of different needs and we want to develop our volunteer host pool, both in numbers and skills. All of this will enable us to reach more people and move towards our goal of offering a safe bed night every night.
“The Sleep Safe campaign– the messages it spreads and the funds it raises – will help us towards our goal. People have real concern for this issue and on behalf of Sussex Nightstop I offer encouragement and thanks for supporting our campaign.”
A young person who has used Sussex Nightstop’s service said:“Thanks to you guys I achieved the impossible, I’m now living in Central Brighton. You gave me the strength to fight. Thank you so much for giving me a unique look into your family and home.”
One of Sussex Nightstop’s volunteer hosts, Liz, added:“Most of us are concerned about the growing plight of young people who cannot rely on having somewhere to sleep every night. Being able to offer them a warm welcome, a hot meal, and a bed so that they feel safe is such a rewarding yet easy thing to do. As hosts we’ve seen ourselves the positive difference Sussex Nightstop makes to the young people who have stayed with us. We hope the Sleep Safe campaign will help Nightstop to continue to be there for young people when they need it most.”
People who want to support Sussex Nightstop’s work can do this by donating to the Sleep Safe campaign, by becoming a volunteer host, fundraising for them or by simply spreading the word about youth homelessness.
To help Sussex Nightstop raise £10,000 in their tenth-year click here:
Close to 8,000 runners turned out to run The Grand Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday, February 24, enjoying beautiful sunny weather to run 13.1 miles around the city under crystal-clear blue skies.
THE klaxon sounded at 9:30am, to start the runners on their journey around the city’s sights, which included the seafront cliff tops of east Brighton, The Royal Pavilion, The Grand Brighton hotel, the British Airways i360, the colourful beach huts of Hove seafront and the iconic Brighton Palace Pier.
Now in its 29th year, the race was once again sponsored by The Grand Brighton.
Thousands of spectators lined the route to cheer on the runners, and crowds were entertained with music from The Sundaes, playing live from The Grand’s second floor balcony.
In the main race, the field featured hundreds of runners new to the half marathon distance, plus experienced half marathoners and runners training for a full Spring marathon.
The men’s elite race featured a podium of Pauls –
Paul Navesey took first place in the elite race, setting a new course record in a time of 64 minutes and 56 seconds; followed by last year’s winner and Irish Olympian Paul Pollock, in 66 minutes and 35 seconds; third place went to four times race winner Paul Martelletti in 67 minutes and 6 seconds.
The women’s race was incredibly tight, with Fiona de Mauny storming home in 80 minutes and 26 seconds, narrowly beating Emily Proto, who finished in 80 minutes and 46 seconds. Third place went to Rose Penfold, in a time of 81 minutes and 20 seconds.
The Sussex Beacon Wheelchair Race also returned this year, with six entrants from around the UK racing. Paralympian Tiaan Bosch smashed the course record with a time of 53 minutes and 27 seconds. Jazz Turner, was the first female finisher, in 1 hour, 50 mins and 21 seconds.
The Youth Race found a new home this year on Hove Lawns, and was started by Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion. Over 300 children between the ages of 7-17 completed the one-mile course.
Alongside the elite field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets of the city, raising vital funds for over 35 charities, including local charities The Sussex Beacon, RISE and Chestnut Tree House, and national charities including Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan.
Martin Harrigan
Race director Martin Harrigan said: “What an incredible race we had today – stunning weather and two amazing new course records set by Paul Navesey in the men’s race and Tiaan Bosch in the wheelchair race. But, the biggest shout out must go to all the amazing runners, families, spectators and volunteers who turn up every year and make The Grand Brighton Half Marathon such an incredible event! We couldn’t be more grateful to you all.
“I would also like to say a huge thank you to our headline sponsor, The Grand Brighton hotel and all of the other sponsors and charities who support this fantastic event.”
Andrew Mosley
Andrew Mosley, general manager at The Grand Brighton added: “We are delighted to have been headline sponsors of The Grand Brighton Half Marathon for the second year running. It is a fantastic event, and together with The Sussex Beacon and all of the other race partners, we are dedicated to developing the race. We are already looking forward to next year! It’s always a joy to see our beloved Brighton community come together and raise funds that make a real difference to such a lot of people. Well done to all that took part.”
The race is organised by The Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity which provides a range of services for men, women and families living with or affected by HIV across Sussex.
For more information about Sussex Beacon, click here:
BBC LGBT+ correspondent Ben Hunte reveals appalling levels of homophobia he is facing before even starting in his new role at the BBC.
Ben Hunte – BBC LGBT+ Correspondent
BEN told an audience at National Student Pride, “I have never received so much abuse in my life… I knew it’d be bad, but not that bad”.
The new BBC LGBT+ correspondent explained the lengths some people have gone to find him and send him comments like: “Since when did the BBC allow negroes on the TV’”.
Ben was appearing on a discussion panel at National Student Pride with Munroe Bergdorf (Trans Activist and model), Shahmir Sanni (writer and activist), Moud Goba (UK Black Pride), and Reece King (model), chaired by Attitude Magazine Editor Cliff Joannou.
The event took place on Saturday, February 23, on campus at the University of Westminster Marylebone during a discussion about the despicable issue of racism on the LGBT+ scene.
Lunch Positive, is the local weekly HIV lunch club charity that brings people with HIV together to share social and peer support over an enjoyable and healthy meal.
Tony Russell
SINCE first starting in 2009, the lunch club has provided over 25,000 hot meals and over 7,000 emergency and crisis food parcels delivered by an enthusiastic and skilled team of volunteers.
Central to the regular food offering are high standards of quality, sustainability, and the effective use of food stocks that are re-distributed from donors and gleamed from within the community.
As part of this approach, one of the charity’s key volunteers Tony was recently invited to attend Tesco’s inaugural Community Cookery School. The experience and learning will directly support the ever busier HIV lunch club, and together with many other participants, Lunch Positive is also offering to share this insight and learning with other food projects that might find it of benefit.
Tony Russell, who attended the training in London said; “At Lunch Positive we cook with 10 tonnes of surplus food each year that would otherwise be wasted and go to landfill. Tesco Cookery School was a fantastic way to connect with other cooks, share ideas, learn new skills and be inspired to get the most out of ingredients. We are so very grateful for the support we receive to help provide the weekly lunch club for those living with or affected by HIV.”
Lunch Positive celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with an open Community Lunch at the B.Right.On Festival on March 30. This will be free to all, and everyone is invited!
Brighton-based actor Tony Maudsley chats to Brian Butler about his starring role in Benidorm, the smash hit TV comedy series, about playing Hagrid’s 16-foot high brother, and his penchant for rude T-shirts and hot pants.
TONY Maudsley, whose 21 year acting career spans everything from period drama to panto and hit stage musicals, admits he was a bad boy at school in Liverpool. “A drama teacher fished me out and took me to his youth theatre and then I went to do a college course and then gave it all up.”
After travelling and working in an MFI warehouse, he decided at 23 to give acting a go and went to drama college in Wales. After graduating, he was in a tour of South Pacific which didn’t sell and was closed, but Tony had been spotted and was called to audition for the part of wrongly convicted supposed child killer, Stefan Kisko, in the TV film A Life For A Life.
“I hadn’t done much television but it was to play opposite the award-winning Olympia Dukakis, and I got it.”
It created a huge boost in his career, catapulting him into the spotlight and winning him the Royal Television Society Best Newcomer Award.
“Tim Burton had seen it and asked me to audition for Sleepy Hollow so it boosted me up my career ladder.”
He originally auditioned for a different part in the hit TV series Benidorm but didn’t get it. “Then three years later I auditioned for Kenneth, the hairdresser. The other guys were all small and thin. I was 20 stone and sweating heavily and was flustered because I’d rushed across London from a play I was rehearsing. I guess they saw what they were looking for.”
And so began eight years in the series which finished last year.
“The character was written but then they see what you can bring to it,” he says. Two of the things he’s brought are rude T-shirts and his famous hot pants. “I drew up a list of slogans for the T-shirts and the lawyers decided if they were too mucky for ITV at 9pm.”
I asked him why it had been so successful, still playing to six million viewers when it was axed? “We did more episodes than Only Fools & Horses and I think it’s because it’s about working class people having a great time on holiday. Many people recognise their dad or mum or grandma in the characters.”
Such was the enthusiasm of its fans that they went on holiday to be at the location during filming.
“We had to promise them they’d be in the background shots to keep them quiet.
“All the characters have back stories and they all have big hearts. It’s shown in the winter on TV because it brings sunshine into people’s lives.”
And now he’s reprising his role as the camp coiffeur in Benidorm Live on tour and on stage.
How different is it to be in a touring version of the show? “Live audiences are great. When each of us has our first entrance, the audience roars. They’ve invested in the characters over the years and they want to show it.”
Tony admits audiences up north have been more raucous. Down south they seem to listen more. It will be interesting to see what the Brighton audience is like.
“There will be my friends who I drink with at the weekend and who’ve never seen me on stage.”
Creator, Derren Litten, has hinted the show might come back but Tony thinks that might depend on the outcome of Brexit as to whether they could work on location for several months at a time. And there’s also talk of a film.
Tony’s versatility is such that, after filming the classic Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon, the director of the Harry Potter films asked him to play the voice of Hagrid’s 16-foot high brother, Grawp.
“It was the best paid job I ever had and it still pays from repeat fees,” he jokes. “It was a fascinating thing to do because I was acting against a green screen but with real actors. They put you in a kind of X-ray machine and capture all your facial movement which they project on to the final CGI character.”
How does he deal with a touring schedule? “I’m not 100% happy with it. It’s six days of performing and on the seventh day you travel to the next venue. The audiences are great but you don’t get home for the nine months of the tour.” So playing in Brighton will be a bonus especially since Tony lives two minutes from the Theatre Royal.
Having done films, TV, panto and straight drama, what’s left? “I’d love to play Lenny in Of Mice And Men – but I need to do it in the next five years.”
Asked what advice he would give to the young aspiring Tony, he doesn’t hesitate: “Give it five years – I did say that to myself. Work hard and hope for the best. For me, it paid off.”
It certainly did.
What next? “A Stephen Poliakoff drama set in the Cold War. Maybe after that I’ll be ready for the sunshine and the hot pants again.”
MORE INFO
• Benidorm Live is at the Theatre Royal, Brighton from February 25 to March 2.
Charity worker, Nigel Sarjudeen, runs his tenth Brighton Marathon for Martlets in Hove this April.
HE has already raised £9,266 for the hospice, but is hoping to beat his target of £10,000.
Nigel has run in all nine of the Brighton Marathons, with his first in 2010 and also ran in nearly all of the half marathons.
He was inspired to run following unexpected heart problems in 2006 and, after rehabilitation, he joined a local running club.
He said; “It was a real shock because I was young and fit. However, in some ways I’m glad it happened when it did because I was able to get over it.”
When he gained his place in the 2010 Brighton Marathon, Nigel decided to support Martlets, since some of his friends and their families had been supported by the hospice over the years. He felt that it important to fundraise for the charity, since it provides an essential service to local people.
He said;“I have been touched by the level of the care given by Martlets to its patients and their family and friends. If Martlets was not here, it would be so much harder for people to cope.
“I never intended that I would keep on going, I did the first marathon, then the second and after that I just kept on running and now I’m on my tenth!
“One year, towards the end, I remember thinking ‘I’m hurting and in pain’. Then I remembered all the people who are hurting because they have lost their loved ones and it drove me forward.’
“So far I’ve raised over £9,000 for the hospice and I’m hoping to get over the £10,000 mark with this one!”
Clem Hunnisett from the hospice’s Fundraising Team said;“This is an extraordinary achievement, Nigel is a real fundraising superhero. We are so grateful to him for all his amazing support.
“Even when he was finding it difficult, he dug deep into his reserves and fought on because he knew that what he was doing would make a real difference to the lives of local people.
“He is a true inspiration.”
If Nigel has inspired you to strap on your running shoes then it’s not too late to join #TeamMartlets, since there is just one more space left on the hospice’s Brighton Marathon team.
Exploring the diverse and supportive drag scene in Brighton, by Violet Valentine (Zoe Anslow-Gwilliam) @zoe_ag
He originally auditioned for a different part in the hit TV series Benidorm but didn’t get it. “Then three years later I auditioned for Kenneth, the hairdresser. The other guys were all small and thin. I was 20 stone and sweating heavily and was flustered because I’d rushed across London from a play I was rehearsing. I guess they saw what they were looking for.”
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