THE BEAUTIFUL EVERYDAY
158
VIVALEWES
EDITORIAL
‘You can see Lewes lying like a box of toys under a great amphitheatre of
chalk hills’. So wrote William Morris, a quote I think captures what has
always, for me, been the best thing about the town: its setting.
And it seems a fitting moment to share his image, at the start of our
‘Theatre’ issue – which we’ve interpreted quite broadly as dramatic, from
Michael Munday’s nostalgic, (also Victorian), cover, which cleverly incorporates
stage and that most costumed of Lewes nights, Bonfire.
We visit Paul Pyant, maestro of stage lighting, who tells me nothing excites him more
than a dark stage, then one light, one actor…
Which, in turn, puts me in mind of the Lewes Festival of Solo Theatre showing this month in
what was Lewes New School: a feast of single-actor shows over one weekend.
We also have an interview with Lewes Prison Governor Hannah Lane, who’s appearing in the
Homelink Gala at Glyndebourne – in aid of the charity which helps, among others, prison
leavers find a home. And the New Note Orchestra, the inspiring orchestra of recovering
addicts who are performing their Kind Rebellion at the Attenborough Centre.
Speaking of which, do you, like me, still hark back to the Gardner Arts Centre? You might
enjoy our look at its history. Or our visit to Glyndebourne’s exciting Production Hub. Or
how about some ‘real’ Punch and Judy: David Wilde is bringing this to Lewes Little Theatre,
along with his traditional puppets, hand-carved and, (once again), Victorian.
THE TEAM
.....................
EDITOR: Charlotte Gann charlotte@vivamagazines.com
SUB-EDITOR: David Jarman
PRODUCTION EDITOR: Joe Fuller joe@vivamagazines.com
ART DIRECTOR: Katie Moorman katie@vivamagazines.com
ADVERTISING: Sarah Hunnisett, Amanda Meynell advertising@vivamagazines.com
EDITORIAL / ADMIN ASSISTANT / HAND MODEL: Kelly Mechen admin@vivamagazines.com
DISTRIBUTION: David Pardue distribution@vivamagazines.com
CONTRIBUTORS: Jacqui Bealing, Michael Blencowe, Julie Bull, Hasia Curtis, Lulah Ellender, Mark Greco, Anita Hall,
John Henty, Robin Houghton, Eleanor Knight, Linda Lamont, Dexter Lee, Alex Leith, Lizzie Lower, Carlotta Luke,
Nione Meakin, Anna Morgan, Michael Munday, Galia Pike, Janet Sutherland and JJ Waller.
PUBLISHER: Becky Ramsden becky@vivamagazines.com
Viva Lewes is based at Lewes House, 32 High St, Lewes, BN7 2LX, all enquiries 01273 488882
GIFTS AND GIFT BOXES FOR ALL OCCASIONS
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THE THEATRE ISSUE
CONTENTS
Bits and bobs.
10-29. Michael Munday draws back
the curtain on his cover; Paul Pyant
lights the stage; Photo of the month,
the scene from Cliffe Bridge; Five
minutes with Priory Drama teacher
Amy Marsh; Friends for life in Pets
of Lewes; Zero Waste Cupboard at
Lewes Food Market; Charity box
on Chestnut Tree House; Christmas
lights campaign for Lewes; a scheme
to get us all shopping locally; Lewes
Living Wage visits the town’s three
food banks; Carlotta Luke’s photos
from Brighton Corn Exchange; and
Craig runs auditions.
Columns.
31-35. John Henty on the living
theatre of Lewes; David Jarman
discovers Liverpool; and Eleanor
Knight on Auntie Brenda’s drama.
On this month.
36-55. JJ Waller after Bonfire;
Cinecity, world cinema across
the South East; the Homelink
Glyndebourne Gala; Something
Underground presents the Lewes
Festival of Solo Theatre; Jacqueline
Wilson is guest speaker at The Lewes
Lit; New Sussex Opera’s La belle
Hélène; Film ’19 from Dexter Lee;
New Note Orchestra and their Kind
Rebellion; David Wilde brings Punch
and Judy to the Lewes Little Theatre;
Citizens UK’s Frida Gustafsson
speaks power at the U3A’s Public
Lecture.
Art.
57-65. Brighton Art Fair at Lewes
Town Hall, including Simone Riley;
Martin Gayford’s cityscape; and Art
and about featuring Chalk Gallery,
the Nevill Collective, Paddock
Studios and many more.
Listings.
67-87. Diary dates including The
Lewes Ripple, The Winter Garden,
Bargain Book Sale, and others; Gig
of the month is The Captain’s Beard,
plus others; Brighton Philharmonic
Photo by JJ Waller
88
36
THE THEATRE ISSUE
launches its new season; and
Classical roundup pick of the month
is the Corelli Ensemble, plus Coffee
Concerts, Seaford Music Society
and others; Freetime listings,
including (Newhaven) Fort Fright
Week, and Christmas at Nymans;
plus book review for Chris Riddell’s
Guardians of Magic.
Food.
89-95. An evening out in Chaula’s;
The Pelham Arms serves up a
Bonfire special; a lunchtime spread
from Beckworths; plus, food news
from The Seasons, the Vegan
Festival and Rathfinny.
90
The way we work.
96-99. Photographer Benjamin Youd
visits four production professionals,
and asks who’s your favourite
theatrical character?
Features.
101-108. Gardner Arts Centre,
and how and when it became the
Attenborough Centre for the Creative
Arts; Alex Leith sees behind the
scenes of Glyndebourne’s Production
Hub; Michael Blencowe accounts for
Shakespeare’s US starlings; Business
news from the streets of Lewes; and
Annie Timoney on her return to
football.
96 80
Photo by Benjamin Youd
Inside left.
122. The Smugglers take a bow,
November 1911.
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Viva Lewes magazine cannot be held responsible for any omissions,
errors or alterations. The views expressed by columnists do not
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Viva retains copyright for any artwork we create.
Love me or recycle me. Illustration by Chloë King
6
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& MAKER
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23-24 NOVEMBER
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TIckETS AvAILABLE ONLINE OR ON DOOR @£7.50 OR EARLY BIRD @£5
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ENTRY TO BOTH SHOWS
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THIS MONTH’S COVER ARTIST
Michael Munday’s wonderful
theatrical cover, featuring Guy
Fawkes centre stage, was inspired
by Pollock’s Toy Theatres,
he tells me – the kind you
can see in the Pollock’s Toy
Museum of Victorian toys (or
on their website). Indeed. We
love it.
Michael seems to have a mind
that darts back and forth,
visiting and revisiting ideas.
The works-in-progress he
shows me in his studio (in
the Star Brewery, where he’s
been based for 30 years) are
more than six feet high, and
are life drawings that depict
figures twisting and dancing.
He works over and over them
until he’s satisfied, he tells me.
Or he may find one part of
the piece catches his eye until
he makes that the painting or
drawing’s focus. His drawings
in Artwave this August were
very popular with visitors – it
was the movement in them that
people loved.
(I smile at his lengths of blank,
waiting paper hanging in the
studio: weighed down to lose
their curl with chunky metal
paper clips, a length of stick, an
arbitrary hammer – my kind of
practical.)
Our cover he made by drawing
by hand first: as he always does.
“I couldn’t
not draw on
paper”, he says,
showing me one
of the Moleskinestyle
watercolour
sketchbooks he
favours, and his
“scratchy” calligraphic
pen. The line work he
then imported into Photoshop
to fill in the colour. “I
like the bright, Victorian colours”,
he smiles. “My wife Gill
sometimes makes me elaborate
cut-out birthday cards”, he
says – and this too is a seed for
our cover. “I thought about actually
making it in cardboard,”
he says, “but then I drew and
Photoshopped it instead (lazy).
But I like the fake 3D, and the
10
MICHAEL MUNDAY
shadows…”
We do too.
He had planned, for a time,
Boris Johnson in place of Guy,
his doublet smouldering…
he shows me his roughs, and
we touch briefly on the state
of the country, the world, the
climate. (He remembers 1962,
and being a boy in a classroom
at the time of the Cuban Missile
Crisis, and “expecting any
moment to see a flash in the
sky…”) Details capture him,
of course, and he has fun with
them: “I liked the idea of Guy
Fawkes looking bored…”
He’s infectiously cheerful
company. Also, a musician
(“guitar/vocals”) in three
bands – Ska Toons, Joko and,
most recently – “we’ve got
our first gig in November!”
– Hope Street. What a lovely
name. This new incarnation is
a three-piece band – “It’s me,
my son Max on bass, and Lisa,
a great sax player from Ska
Toons”.
And he discovered he loves
contemporary dance.
A devoted member for the last
eight years of the Brighton
contemporary dance company,
Three Score Dance, he’s excited
about their first mini-tour
coming up. (As an aside, I try
to encourage him to blog from
it, having loved his ‘Seasoned
illustrator nervously circumnavigates
globe’ blog; “I get
anxious even going to Lyme
Regis”, he tells me…) “I’ve
finally found something really
expressive. We have visiting
choreographers who come and
make performances with us –
recently, Ben Duke, who’s just
fantastic. And it feeds into my
drawing.” This makes sense,
too, of the six-foot pictures:
they are, we agree, like dance
drawings.
Which brings us, too, full
circle. Charlotte Gann
michaelmunday2.com – occasional
but recent blog;
michaelmunday.wordpress.com
– travel blog; michaelmunday.
com; threescoredance.co.uk;
skatoons.co.uk
11
Celebrate Christmas
with your team
Festive Fun Raceday –
Monday 2nd December
Christmas Raceday –
Monday 16th December
Dine in the course-side
Marquee Restaurant with
welcome drink, three-course
lunch and racing for just £65
per person inc. VAT.
Book now to avoid
disappointment!
ADVANCE
GRANDSTAND
& PADDOCK
Group Tickets (10+): £14
ADVANCE
GRANDSTAND
& PADDOCK
Tickets: £15
Tel. 01273 890383 | racing@plumptonracecourse.co.uk
www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk
Photo by Charlotte Gann
MY LEWES: PAUL PYANT
What brought you to Lewes, and when? I
studied Theatre at RADA and, when I emerged,
got my first job by utter happenstance at
Glyndebourne. So I moved to Lewes in 1974 –
and here I still am.
You’re a giant among stage lighting designers.
What, for you, makes great lighting? The way
I think about it is often mundanely practical!
It’s my job to shine a light on what the director
and designer have in mind – and to achieve that
in reality, within budget, and so on. Partly, it’s a
question of managing expectations. And for each
production, it’s a long process. The work’s also
changed beyond recognition – it used to be, as
someone said to me the other day, lightbulbs in
tin cans. Today most lighting equipment is highly
technical or ‘intelligent’ – although I prefer to
think of it as ‘obedient’; I’d worry if they were up
there thinking what on earth was I up to...
Presumably it’s as much about what isn’t lit as
what is? Absolutely. I’m never afraid of darkness.
In fact, for me, there’s nothing as exciting as a dark
stage. With a bit of mist. One actor, one light...
You spent many years at Glyndebourne. Does
that feel like home? It’s my spiritual home. I
grew up there, working with the most incredible
people – Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn. I didn’t know
anything about opera. It was an epiphany for
me. The sheer beauty of it – and on such a grand
scale. It’s a wonderfully unique place to have here,
I think, on our doorstep.
What for you, is ‘theatre’? It’s that thing: a
rainy Monday morning turning up to some grotty
rehearsal room for a run through – and ending
up transported all because of the skill of the
actor, writer or director without any help from
scenery, costume, lighting. If the chemistry works,
theatre’s magnificent. Like our 1993 opening
production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at the
National – with Bill Nighy, Samuel West, Felicity
Kendal – which won ALL the awards that year.
It all came together – it doesn’t always! But when
it does… I felt like this too, finding myself in a
room with Maggie Smith and Alan Bennett doing
his Talking Heads. There’s a thing called ferocious
perfectionism; Maggie Smith has it.
What do you like about Lewes? (Bonfire?) I
think the town’s filled with quirky, interesting,
fairly mad characters. I do think it’s lost its
connection with its surroundings, over the years;
and miss some of the old independent shops like
Elphicks and Lucy of Lewes. But I love gardening
– I have what was three gardens behind my
house in Friars Walk. Living there, I’m obliged
to embrace Bonfire: three of the societies process
past my door. So I have an open house. And I like
the creaky buildings. I used to work in your old
offices, in Pipe Passage, alongside David Jarman.
Working late I might look out of the terrace door
and be aware of eyes on me in the dark: the eyes
of the hundreds of frogs that congregated to mate
in our pond. Interview by Charlotte Gann
13
christmas menus
Available from 13th November
Enjoy one complimentary bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne for every four
guests in your party, when dining from our Christmas menu in November.
To redeem, simply book your table at: www.cote.co.uk/cremant
Côte Brasserie Lewes
82 HIGH STREET, LEWES, BN7 1XW
01273 311 344 | www.cote.co.uk/cremant
Offer valid for parties dining 13/11/19 - 30/11/19. One complimentary bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne for
every four guests dining from our Christmas menu (£29.95). Cannot be used in conjunction with any other
offer. Offer must be booked in advance.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
STAGE SET
Blanaid Mason took this picture on Cliffe Bridge. She wrote ‘I took this photo at about midday on
a beautiful bright sunny day in June. I was standing on Cliffe Bridge, listening to some buskers,
chatting to a nice lady from Switzerland and generally soaking up and enjoying the unique Lewes
atmosphere.
I glanced over the bridge, down the river and was struck by the contrast and clarity of the reflection
of the buildings in the water. As a keen amateur photographer, I was so pleased to have my camera
with me, a Canon 80D, and couldn’t resist taking the shot. I am personally drawn to black and white,
and felt it would be perfect for this image, to focus attention on the light and lines and, generally,
enhance the dramatic effect of the scene.’
Please send your pictures, taken in and around Lewes, to photos@vivamagazines.com, or tweet
@VivaLewes. We’ll choose one, which wins the photographer £20, to be picked up from our office after
publication. Unless previously arranged, we reserve the right to use all pictures in future issues of Viva
magazines or online.
15
BITS AND BOBS
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Amy Marsh started as
subject leader for Drama
at Priory School in
2013. She’s responsible
for planning the KS3
curriculum, delivering
GCSE lessons and
running extra-curricular
activities. ‘I really
enjoy those’, she said, ‘as I get to see students
out of context. We have some amazingly talented
and hard-working students, I always feel
so proud of them. I also really enjoy directing
as a creative part of my job.’
Amy used to work in HR for fashion company
AllSaints, at their head office in Spitalfields.
But her degree was in the Arts in education
and she studied at Bretton Hall. ‘I always
intended to become a teacher’, she says.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
The beach, afternoon tea, festivals, music,
spending time with family and friends and
interior design!
HUZZAH!
FOR
BONFIRE
BONFIRE ITEMS
K FOR SALE J
MATCHBOXES, MUGS,
PRINTS, CARDS etc.
K THE TOM PAINE J
PRINTING PRESS & GALLERY
151 High Street Lewes, opp. Bull House & Westgate Chapel
Christmas Trees for Sale
P.E. Underhay and Son
16
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I read it
for English A Level and revisit every few years.
I also love a crime novel (or a Harry Potter).
YOUR FAVOURITE PLAY? Sweeney Todd in
2012 with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.
So chilling and original, and I’m quite partial
to a good musical!
TOP PLACES TO GO OUT IN LEWES? I
live in Hove so don’t socialise a lot in Lewes,
but Bill’s is always a favourite and I like visiting
the Depot: so different today from the
vast warehouse space where we once staged
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Nordman fir (non-drop)
Traditional Norway Spruce
Best prices & varying heights
Logs and mistletoe also available
Buy from the grower
Cut to order
Super fresh
No needle-drop here
Open every weekend in December, 10am to dusk.
Situated on B2124 between Laughton & Golden
Cross between Park Lane & Broonham Lane
before ‘Quik Loo Hire’.
CATS AND DOGS
PETS OF LEWES
Meet Kipling, a lurcher, approximately six years old,
adopted from All Sorts Rescue. Kipling was originally
found as a stray in Ireland, starving and suffering with
mange (a parasitic skin disease which can cause intense
itching resulting in open sores, scabs and hair loss). He
settled into his new home well, despite being half bald
and having just had a toe amputated. He’s a good boy and,
what’s more, is insured to drive any car.
Loves: science, cola cubes, Hackney
Hates: souvlaki, sparrows, those speeded-up YouTube
videos where someone makes a hideous table out of epoxy
resin, some coat hangers and the bones of aggressive
hamsters: you hate it but you can’t stop watching…
He’s pictured here with his big pal Quincy, rescue cat, age unknown. The expression ‘fighting like
cats and dogs’, is something of a misnomer – cats and dogs can and often do form lasting friendships.
Granted, their body language is open to misinterpretation – to a dog, an upright waggy tail means
‘play’; to a cat, ‘get the hell away!’ – which can result in misunderstandings. But, if early introductions
are monitored carefully, Fido and Dido can be BFFs, regardless of species. @dogsoflewes
NUTS AND BOBS
ZERO-WASTE CUPBOARD
The Friday Food
Market are rightly
proud of their
new ‘Zero-Waste
Cupboard’. “If
you remember
Charlotte’s
Cupboard, it was
a van that came
to the market and
offered the same
sort of stock”, says
Market Manager
Lucie Inns. “Now
we’ve absorbed
that idea into the
market itself.”
And just look at that lovely dresser they’ve found –
in Furniture Now, the Lewes based community-led
charity helping people escape poverty.
So, shop here for any of the pictured organic
dried goods, packaging free. You bring your own
container, or the market will give or lend you a
jam jar or similar. They’re also selling washing
up liquid, laundry liquid and bicarbonate of soda
‘loose’ – you bring your own container.
The items currently available in those jars on
the shelves include sunflower seeds, banana
chips, couscous, fusilli, muesli, nuts, sugar, rice,
lentils… and plenty more. To an extent, the stock
is, and will be, customer-driven, Lucie tells me;
“come and say what you want, and we’ll certainly
consider stocking it, space allowing.”
There’s also a loyalty scheme: every £5 you spend
in the ‘Cupboard’, you get a stamp; 10 stamps,
and you get £5 back to spend there again.
Here is shopping of the future. Time we all built
a trip to the Zero-Waste Cupboard into our
weekly routine? Charlotte Gann
The Cupboard is open every Friday at the Lewes
Food Market in Market Street clock tower,
9.30am-1.30pm, lewesfoodmarket.co.uk
Do you have Workspace to Let?
Workspace to Let as a Desk,
Office or Studio?
I have a list of clients wanting
workspace in Lewes.
For more info visit:
www.spaceagentlewes.co.uk
HAPPY
BONFIRE
FROM EVERYONE AT VIVA
18
BITS AND BOX
CHARITY BOX: CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE
What is Chestnut
Tree House? A children’s
hospice which
cares for around 300
children and young
people across Sussex
and South East
Hampshire, all of
whom are unlikely to
reach adulthood. We
offer care and support
in families’ own homes, and in Chestnut Tree
House, and are caring for local families, right
now, in Lewes and surrounding areas.
It’s such delicate, incredible work you do:
what is your aim, for each family? Our goal is
to provide the best quality of life for children,
young people and their families, and to offer a
total package of practical, social and spiritual
support throughout each child’s life, however
short it may be. We help local families live For
the Now, and offer a hug and a hand to hold.
We’re a safe port in a sea of life-changing diagnoses
and need for round-the-clock care. We
aim to give the children and their families care,
support, quality time and, most importantly, fun.
Where are you physically based? And the
area you cover? Our purpose-built house is
situated off Dover Lane near Arundel. We work
there, and in the community. On visits, kids can
be astronauts for the day in the multi-sensory
room, discover creepy crawlies on a woodland
walk, or form their very own pop group in the
music room. It’s a place where parents can just
be parents, and not carers, and where siblings
have people to talk to who understand.
And what is the kind of care that you offer?
Every family has a key worker, who will help
them access the care and support they need.
As well as care provided at the house there is a
Community Nursing Team who visit families
at home across Sussex
and South East
Hampshire, taking
children out to explore
their local community
or simply giving tired
families and carers the
chance to take a wellearned
break. Then,
when the time comes,
Chestnut Tree House
help families say goodbye, in whatever way feels
right for them, either at home or in the hospice
itself. We offer ongoing bereavement support
for the whole family.
No family pays for their care…? Can you
explain a little more how this works? It costs
over £4 million every year to provide these specialist
care services and less than six per cent of
that comes from central Government. We have
a team of about 75 nurses, care workers, activity
co-ordinators and counsellors, and two GPs and
a consultant paediatrician. All care is offered to
families free of charge, so Chestnut Tree House
relies heavily on the generosity of the public.
How can people HELP? Whether it’s baking
a cake or dreaming up funky fundraising
fun, making new friends and learning new
skills through volunteering (we have over 100
volunteers), taking on a challenge in one of
our events, or shopping in one of our retail
outlets, there’s loads you can do to support local
families. Everything helps, so head over to our
website to get involved!
Charlotte Gann interviewed Susan Freeman,
Community Care Support Worker
chestnut-tree-house.org.uk
Look out too for Viva columnist John Henty’s
new CD (voiced by Captain Sensible!) Cheshire
Flies High £5. All proceeds from sales will go to
Chestnut Tree House.
SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2019 / 2.45PM
Christian Garrick
& Friends with
the Brighton
Philharmonic
Strings
Programme includes Poldark
theme tune, John Dankworth’s
jazz Violin Concerto, Piazzolla’s
Four Seasons and Libertango
and more
TICKETS £14.50-£42.50
(50% DISCOUNT FOR STUDENTS/U18S)
BRIGHTON DOME TICKET OFFICE
01273 709709
brightondome.org
Focusing
on you
Counselling, Psychotherapy
and Psychological services
in central Lewes
01273 921355
www.brightonandhovepsychotherapy.com
admin@brightonandhovepsychotherapy.com
Volunteer
with us
Get back a whole lot more than you give
E-mail
ILCRVolRecruitment@redcross.org.uk
to fi nd out about the roles in your area and
help people in your community who need
a little extra support to live well.
brightonphil.org.uk
@BPO_orchestra
/BrightonPhil
redcross.org.uk/independent-living-volunteer
The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter
1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949),
Scotland (SC037738) and Isle of Man (0752).
Photo © Simon Rawles/BRC.
BITS AND BULBS
LIGHT UP LEWES: CAMPAIGN FOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Simulation and pic by Gala Lights Limited
‘Ever felt that, as the County Town, Lewes lacks that
magical sparkle at Christmas?’ That’s a question posed
by the Lewes High Street Traders’ Association, of which
Tom Reeves is Chair. “The Association”, he tells me, “was
formed less than a year ago to make Late Night Shopping
happen last year. Over subsequent meetings, it became
clear Christmas lights were an issue.”
All the shops are struggling, Tom tells me. “We need
something to get people out, and into the town. We believe Christmas lights will help.”
The coordinated plan covers the length of the High Street, Cliffe High Street, Market Street and
Station Street. In the years to come, they hope to add a special “ceiling of lights” feature above the
War Memorial. “But that’s not on the cards this year,” Tom says, “because scaffolding’s about to go
up round The Crown… This year, a conservation officer will liaise with the lighting company (Gala,
who provided this simulation pic), to devise a scheme for this Christmas. It will be as spectacular as
possible and will be a taster for the full scheme which we are intent on delivering for 2020.”
Lewes retailers, local authorities and the Chalk Cliff Trust have already contributed towards the cost.
Now, the association is appealing for any local residents who’d like to chip in. “Every little counts,”
says Tom. “We think Christmas lights could help bring our community together…”
Interested? Check out the appeal. Charlotte Gann
leweshighstreettraders.co.uk, leweschristmaslights.co.uk, gofundme.com/f/lewes-christmas-lights,
Instagram @leweshighstreet
Gift Shopping at Farleys 2019
Muddles Green, Chiddingly, East Sussex, BN8 6HW
www.farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk
@ FarleysHG
Licensed Bar
Food
Craft Stalls
Gifts
Raffle
Plus Santa
A VERY LEWES HAMPER
Logo design by Scott Wotherspoon
This Christmas, Visit Lewes wants
to celebrate the town’s independents.
“I’ve approached 97 shops”, says
Helen Browning-Smith, Tourism
& Arts Manager of Lewes District
Council, “including Kings Framers,
the 15th Century Bookshop, Union
Music, Wear 2, Mays Butchers, Bake
Out… so a really eclectic mix, which is the
hallmark of our High Street.” (If you run an indie
and would like to join in, she adds, please email
events@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk.)
From 1st November, shoppers are invited to
pick up a Visit Lewes tote bag from the Tourist
Information Centre. “There’s a stamp card in the
bag. Each time you buy an item from one of the
participating indies, ask them to stamp it. Once
you’ve collected 10 stamps, return the card to
Tourist Information to be entered into
a prize draw.” The prize? “A hamper of
quirky delights donated by the shops.
We believe our unique range of
independents is worth shouting about,
and a huge attraction to visitors”, says
Helen. “We’re also painfully aware
that many of our valued local shops
are facing great challenges, and struggling in a
crowded market of chain stores. If we can persuade
a handful of people to think twice before
shopping online, and go out and support the local
economy instead, this will have been worth it.”
The hamper winner will be announced on the
Visit Lewes website and through social media on
Friday 20th December. Charlotte Gann
visitlewes.co.uk, Twitter @enjoylewes,
Instagram @Visit.Lewes
22
If you have a degree you can train to teach in less than
a year. Plus, you could get a bursary of up to £28k
or earn a salary.
eastsussex.gov.uk/teach
23
Lewes
SATURDAY
7TH DECEMBER
Starting at Harvey’s Yard
beverntrust.org/santarun
Registered Charity No.1103520
Kindly supported by
FUN RUN, WALK OR PUSH
LEWES FOOD BANKS:
HEARING FROM THOSE WHO RUN THEM
Why do they do it?
Managers say: “There
is a clear need”….
“People need help
and I like helping”….
“The vast difference
between the haves and
the have nots”…. “My
own experience of being
very poor with a child to
look after” .... “We do not all have the same life
chances.”
Lewes is shamed by needing three food banks in
our small and apparently prosperous town. But
we should be proud of the many dedicated people
who give huge amounts of energy and dedication
to running them. The one or two hours
on a Monday when the food banks actually
provide essential supplies of food and so much
more to people who desperately need support,
is only the tip of the iceberg. I have seen for
myself the hours of preparation and planning by
managers that go into the operation.
Running a food bank takes a wide range of
skills: people and team management, administration
and public relations, fundraising and diplomacy,
sometimes even moving the furniture.
Sensitive relationships with clients are key; so is
recruiting, enthusing and managing volunteers,
sometimes clients themselves. Keeping the
books involves recording clients’ referrals and
collection of their small weekly payments, as
well as the ordering and checking of supplies.
Most supplies come from the Fair Shares operation
and cost each food bank upwards of £1,000
a year. There is a constant need to raise the
profile and funding of food banks.
Monday mornings are busy and cheerful as volunteers
bustle round sorting through the stores
and filling bags. Dry goods and perishables
are separated; fresh fruit and vegetables are an
important but sometimes
scarce commodity.
Donated items with
sell-by dates like bread
and cakes are laid out on
tables. Sanitary products
are a more recent addition.
When the doors
open, families, couples
and individual clients are
already waiting and are greeted warmly.
During their six to seven years in the job the
managers say they have seen the numbers of clients
and their difficulties increase. The average
number of food bank clients in Lewes fluctuates
but has risen from around 200 people a week
to an average of more than 275. High rents and
lack of affordable housing are severe problems.
“We’ve got more money going out than coming
in” is a typical comment. Clients reveal multiple
reasons for needing help. A lost job or home;
parents caring for a disabled child; illness, an
accident or a series of misfortunes can strike a
family or individual. It can – and does – happen
to people from all backgrounds. The past year
has seen “the advent of Universal Credit and its
delays in processing payments”…. and “benefit
cuts biting hard”.
We began our campaign to make Lewes a (real)
Living Wage town because we were appalled
that people working on low or unreliable pay
could not earn enough to feed their families.
Our three food banks have become a fixture. We
rely on people like these managers to plug the
gaps in the system on our behalf. We are lucky
to have them.
Linda Lamont, Lewes Living Wage
leweslivingwage@gmail.com or 01273 470940.
Landport food bank: debbie.twitchen@gmail.com;
Fitzjohns: helen.chiasson@btinternet.com; Malling:
Mat Moulding at chilli500@hotmail.co.uk
25
SUSSEX CHRISTMAS BARN
Visit the Christmas Barn, located just outside Barcombe
and choose from a stunning range of Christmas decorations
for your home and tree.
We open Wednesday 6th November 2019 at 9AM
Weekdays 9am - 5:30pm
Saturdays 10am - 5:30pm
Sundays 10am - 4pm
Tempting homemade cakes and lunch menu from our onsite café
Freshly cut 100% UK grown Christmas Trees
Available from Thursday 21st November
G I P P S F A R M , B A R C O M B E , E A S T S U S S E X . B N 8 5 E H
w w w . s u s s e x c h r i s t m a s b a r n . c o . u k
s h o p @ s u s s e x c h r i s t m a s b a r n . c o . u k
0 1 2 7 3 4 0 1 0 2 1
01444 405250 | @NymansNT | @NymansNT
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans
Credit: Quentin Blake: A P Watt at United Agents on behalf of Quentin Blake.
CARLOTTA LUKE
FOCUS ON: BRIGHTON DOME CORN EXCHANGE & STUDIO THEATRE
I’ve been officially photographing the
refurbishment of these incredible spaces to
document work on the building’s transformation
and restoration of its heritage features.
Clockwise from top left: the 200-year old Corn
Exchange roof showing the stripped back timber
beams; the beautiful original windows in the
Studio Theatre; close up of the building’s wooden
frame taken from the new viewing balcony; the
ornate Church Street facade with the scaffolding
finally removed; and the 1930s bi-fold entrance
doors waiting to be renovated.
brightondome.org / carlottaluke.com
27
Xmas fair and grotto
Sunday 8 December
10am–3pm
Sleigh rides to Santa, Mid Sussex Choir, stalls and a
warming café!
National Cat Adoption Centre, Chelwood Gate, RH17 7TT
(Sat Nav 7DE)
T: 01825 741 331
W: www.cats.org.uk/ncac
Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)
NCAC_4929
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29
COLUMN
Lewes Out Loud
Plenty more Henty
At this year’s Lewes Societies Fair in the Town
Hall, the oft quoted words of William Shakespeare
came instantly to mind as I toured the
multiple stalls: ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the
men and women merely players’.
Lewes itself is surely an open stage, a living theatre
of a town I conjectured, and all these well-meaning
and welcoming folk are the participating players.
Some of the dynamic women I met on the Lewes
FC stall, for example, were indeed players in the
footballing sense. Rhian3, Jess10, Katie22 and
I got on famously and this despite the fact that
I was wearing the colours of a rival championship
team who they were about to play the next
afternoon at the Pan.
The fair was once again a life enhancing occasion
and it was good to mingle with the likes of
Landport gardeners, Pells Pond people and a
costumed team of Tudor dancers. As I left, Sally,
from the Flower Club, chased after me with a
single stem rose bearing the message ‘Please take
me home and smile’. I did both.
Sadly, when it comes to live theatres which I have
been associated with over the years, I am more
likely to frown than smile. This is mainly because
many of them are no longer standing and others
are at risk of demolition or mindless redevelopment
like the Hippodrome in Brighton (home to
cheeky chappie Max Miller, pictured).
I was vice-chair of the ‘Save the Grand Theatre’
in Croydon, having appeared there as the third
pirate on the left in an amateur production of The
Pirates of Penzance previously. It became a soulless
car showroom. When the theatre on Brighton’s
Palace Pier was ‘painstakingly’ dismantled by
the Nobles organisation for ‘temporary’ removal
to Hastings, we were assured it would return. It
didn’t.
Thank goodness then for the thriving Royal Hippodrome
theatre in Eastbourne where the British
Music Hall Society is promising another ‘Day By
The Seaside’ early next summer. The only way
to ensure that theatres keep going in this age of
virtual reality and box sets is literally keep going!
A mention now for the final international antiques
and collectors fair at Ardingly this year at
the South of England showground on November
5 and 6. If you are planning to attend from
Lewes by car on the Tuesday, do remember that
an early return home would be wise as the town
will be in ‘shut-down’ mode mid-afternoon
onwards for Bonfire.
Talking of antiques, we have been watching
episodes of The Repair Shop on BBC2 of late and
what a delightful programme it is. No competitiveness,
talk of money or pointless applause
(currently spoiling Antiques Roadshow). It’s a
pleasure to watch people’s joyous reaction when a
much loved object is revealed to them following
meticulous restoration. By the way, I did enquire
as to whether the shop, in its West Sussex rural
setting, is open to visitors. Apparently not. It’s
created solely for filming. A shame. John Henty
31
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COLUMN
David Jarman
My back pages
Three days in Liverpool. First night I’ve been
away from King Henry’s Road since July, 2017.
And that was only Islington. Colin Brent has
been extolling the virtues of Liverpool to me
for over twenty years, so it was no surprise to
discover that, architecturally, it’s a magnificent
city. The extraordinary vista of St. George’s
Hall, as the traveller emerges from Lime Street
Station, the ‘Three Graces’, especially the 1910
Liver Building, alongside the river front, the
Georgian glory of Rodney Street; they are all
just breathtaking.
Shipbuilding was, of course, the thing in Liverpool.
Look at E. Chambré Hardman’s famous
photograph across Liverpool towards The Ark
Royal. Its passing much lamented, though not by
Elvis Costello in his wonderful song Shipbuilding.
Writing in 1964, Ian Nairn wondered whether
the city was always going to be ‘hopelessly sunk
in the past, still mourning the day that the liners
went to Southampton’. And yet today, as Viva
publisher, Becky Ramsden told me, the city is
‘vibrant’. It just worries me that so much of that
vibrancy seems to be dependent on not shipbuilding
but the Beatles. There’s no escape. Bars
(Harrison’s, McCartney’s), museums, The Cavern
Quarter, the Hard Day’s Night Hotel, a rather
poignant statue of Eleanor Rigby (‘All the Lonely
People’). On Hanover Street there’s the Epstein
Theatre. Could this be, just perhaps, named
after Jacob Epstein, whose sculpture adorns a
nearby building? Alas the theatre’s ‘Brian’s Bar’
disabused me. Only Billy Fury seems to get a
look-in. There’s a statue of him outside Tate
Liverpool. He was born, one Ronald Wycherley.
Any relation?
Leaving the Philharmonic Dining Hall in Hope
Street (one of several gorgeous Victorian pub interiors
in the city) I turned into Hardman Street
(remember Adrian Henri’s haiku ‘For Elizabeth’
– ‘Morning / your red nylon mac / blown like a
poppy across Hardman Street’) which I assumed
was named after E. Chambré Hardman, whose
photographic studio in nearby Rodney Street is
now a museum, run by the National Trust. But
no, it’s the Hardman family of Allerton Hall.
A visit to the museum was the highlight of my
Liverpool trip. Guided tours take you through
the studio as well as the Hardmans’ living
quarters. Stone me, as Tony Hancock used to
say, WHAT CLUTTER! They’re preserved as
the affectionate couple left them. (He called his
wife, Margaret, ‘Pearl’, she called him ‘Gobbles’).
Margaret once asked: “Why is our kitchen like
the West Coast of Scotland?” Answer: “Because
they both have Isles of Muck”.
And the lowpoint? That must be the less than
happy inspiration of installing one of Tracey
Emin’s neonlight fatuities (‘I felt you and I
knew you loved me’) beneath the stunning
stained glass in the west front of
the Anglican Cathedral.
Back to the Beatles. And King Henry’s
Road. It was there, at my friend
Barry O’Connell’s house, that I once
met a man who had been in the same
class at school as George Harrison.
What was George, famous as the
real sweetie of the Fab Four, actually
like, I asked
him. His
answer? ‘A
complete
thug.’
Illustration by Charlotte Gann
33
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COLUMN
Eleanor Knight
Keyboard worrier
Illustration by Hasia Curtis
So, no improvement in ‘things’ then since last
issue. In fact, given the current fluctuations in
political leadership there is every chance that
by the time you read this my Auntie Brenda,
exasperated beyond all reasonable endurance, will
have risen up and assumed supreme command of
our crazed United Kingdom. She will of course
have put the hoover round and left a casserole in
the slow-cooker before leaving for Whitehall.
Under my redoubtable aunt’s benign dictatorship,
Vitamin C tablets will be mandatory at
breakfast, ironing will replace football as the
national sport and we will all be in bed by nine
o’clock. Because Auntie Brenda knows that without
a healthy routine and clear boundaries we are
asking for trouble.
Admit it, it’s an attractive prospect.
But moan all we like, we Brits have never quite
managed to go the full Auntie Brenda – and for
this there are two main reasons. Firstly, because
we believe that dictators are, well, just a bit silly
and secondly, because of something we’re really
rather good at. Satire.
In the run-up to this year’s Bonfire, I’ve been
thinking a lot about those laudable individuals
who tirelessly devote themselves and their
considerable artistic talents to fashioning the
effigies, which are paraded through the streets
of Lewes only to be swiftly and comprehensively
obliterated for our entertainment. But how to
choose? There’s never a shortage of candidates
for the PM treatment – and for the sake of
argument please understand that I refer here
not to the current leader of the Conservatives,
or any other party, but to the sticky amalgam
of discarded newsprint and cheap glue known
universally as papier mâché. This year there are
more potential PMs than the Bullingdon Club
has had hot boars’ heads. In the words of Ferrero
Rocher’s ambassadorial guest: 2019, you are really
spoiling us.
Who could resist filling a supine Rees-Mogg
replica with sufficient explosive to see him sit up
from that infamous recline? How many rockets
would it take to blow effigy Jeremy off the fence?
Could there be anything, at this moment, more
satisfying than watching a carefully constructed,
lovingly hand-painted Boris bus make a rapid
one-way trip upwards?
Bonfire has always had its detractors. And
this year, with the language of civic life barely
hovering above the level of pavement fouling,
there will be those who fear that offence may be
caused, tempers frayed and – a very real concern
– public representatives targeted as they go about
their ordinary, real lives.
Lewes, hold your nerve. Our annual spell of
anarchy and arson is short-lived and lovingly
cleared away. We blow up our papier mâché
politicians to take the edge off wanting to do it
for real, something James I knew when he passed
the Thanksgiving Act in 1606, giving the people
what they really wanted – the epic inferno they
missed out on when Parliament was spared.
Because we all like to know what’s
what. But now and again even
Auntie Brenda likes a
good explosive.
35
Lewes Bonfire
The morning after...
Do you visit one of the Bonfire sites on the 5th? Photographer and Viva Brighton regular
JJ Waller sent us these pictures which he took last year on the evening of Bonfire Night
and the morning of the 6th. He wrote:
‘I see an intrinsic sculptural beauty in these bonfires. I am fascinated by their transient
nature, a form of unremarked folk art. The structures are simple but skilfully assembled.
I have great respect for the altruistic efforts of the bonfire captains who make them:
creations whose sole destinies are to be reduced to ash. Very often it is the fireworks and
the effigies that take the public gaze but the bonfire is at the core of the event…These
pictures’, says JJ, ‘are a testament to their art.’
JJ has also produced a bonfire poster – see jjwaller.com
36
ON THIS MONTH: BONFIRE
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ON THIS MONTH: FILM
The Juniper Tree, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Berlin – Symphony of a Great City
Cinecity
Around the world in 90 minutes
Cinecity, which bills itself as ‘the South-east’s
biggest film festival’, has been going for 16 years
now, and with screenings on offer in seven different
venues, including the Depot in Lewes and ACCA
in Falmer, it’s never been bigger.
But it’s the geographical range of the films on offer
that’s really striking. Because, once again, the festival’s
strapline is ‘Adventures in World Cinema’ and
it offers the chance to watch a carefully curated collection
of fine movies from all over the world, from
Palestine to Georgia, via Afghanistan and Australia.
As well as the best of British, of course.
One highlight – timed to coincide with the 30th
anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall – is a
remastered version of Walter Ruttmann’s influential
1927 documentary Berlin – Symphony of a Great
City, a contemporary box-office success despite
its avant-garde nature, which compresses a day in
the life of the German capital into a beautifully
composed hour. The film will be accompanied by
a new score, performed by musicians Simon Fisher
Turner, Klara Lewis and Rainier Lericlorais.
East Side Story gives an interesting glimpse at pre-
1989 Eastern Bloc culture, examining the world
of big-budget Soviet musicals, with extracts from
classics such as Tractor Drivers (USSR), Holidays
on the Black Sea (Romania) and Stalin’s favourite
movie, which he is said to have watched over 100
times – Volga, Volga.
Rather more enigmatic and serious is The Juniper
Tree, based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, a little
known but highly rated 1990 movie by the late
American director Nietzchka Keene. This slowpaced
black-and-white tale was shot in Iceland and
features the screen debut of a 23-year-old Björk
(pictured above).
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, meanwhile, is a rich
2019 period piece by Céline Sciamma, set in the
18th Century, with an all-female cast, that won
the Queer Palm and the Best Screenplay at this
year’s Cannes Festival. It stars Noémie Merlant
as a young artist commissioned to secretly paint
a portrait of an increasingly reluctant bride-to-be
(Adèle Haenel).
The festival is topped and tailed with local premieres
of much-anticipated American films, which
have made an impact at Cannes and other festivals,
which you would otherwise have to wait till 2020
to watch. The festival opener is Robert Eggers’ The
Lighthouse, a black-and-white psychological drama
starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as
two men who get to know each other rather too
well while manning a lighthouse on a remote rock
off New England. And the closing feature is Taika
Waititi’s dark offbeat comedy Jojo Rabbit, about a
lonely Hitler Youth cadet, whose best friend is an
imaginary version of his Führer; the lad is faced
with a number of choices when he discovers his
mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic. Think
The Producers meets Moonrise Kingdom.
Dexter Lee
For full schedule see cine-city.co.uk
39
ON THIS MONTH: GALA
The singing prison governor
Homelink Gala at Glyndebourne
What do comedians Eddie
Izzard, Steve Coogan
and Zoe Lyons, presenter
Katie Derham, writer Simon
Fanshawe, and actors Toby
Stephens, Nimmy March
and Sophie Okonedo have in
common with the governor
of HMP Lewes? The answer
is they’re all appearing at Glyndebourne this
month to help raise money for local charity
Homelink.
The charity, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary
this year, works to provide permanent
housing for those who are homeless or at risk of
losing their homes. Liaising with Lewes District
& Eastbourne Borough Councils – as well as with
other organisations, such as job centres, women’s
refuges, children’s services, the Sussex Rough
Sleeper Prevention Project, and Southdown
Housing in Lewes Prison – Homelink provides
interest-free loans to hundreds of people
each year who are homeless or facing eviction,
enabling them to move into private rented accommodation
in the Sussex area.
The Homelink #homes4homeless Anniversary
Gala takes place at Glyndebourne on Sunday
17th November and will feature a host of homegrown
talents, including the aforementioned
celebrities (all of whom have links to the area)
and Lewes Prison Governor Hannah Lane (pictured).
She and a group of her colleagues have
formed a choir, and, under the tutelage of local
musical director and conductor John Hancorn
(also pictured), are preparing to perform at the
event.
“When we were approached to get involved, I
thought it was a great idea,” she says. “We’ve got
strong connections with
Homelink, as it’s a local
charity and helps many of
our residents who don’t
have anywhere to go when
they are released. Around
30 per cent of our men are
officially ‘of no fixed abode’
when they leave here, and
many end up staying with friends or family and
‘sofa surfing’, so the service Homelink provides
is vital. We wanted to support that – and I also
thought it would be a good opportunity to
mythbust what prison staff are like, as we’re all
different and from different backgrounds. Then
I got roped in to take part myself!”
The Lewes Prison Staff Choir is made up of
staff from a range of positions, Hannah adds,
including officers, teachers, admin staff and
chaplains. “We haven’t decided what to wear yet,
but the consensus is it would be nice to wear our
belts and chains, so that there’s the identification
with the prison.”
There’s something else unusual about the group.
The members’ differing shift patterns mean that
the choir won’t have the opportunity to sing together
as a whole until the Gala itself, making the
Glyndebourne performance truly a one-off.
“Before this, I hadn’t sung since primary school!
It’s a great opportunity – to be able to sing at
Glyndebourne and to raise money for a really
good cause. We’ve got our slot, plus the Grand
Finale, when everyone will be on stage together.
It’s going to be amazing. I just hope we don’t
let anyone down, as the standard will be very
high...” Anita Hall
Glyndebourne, 17 November, 3pm. For tickets,
see glyndebourne.com. leweshomelink.org.uk
Photo by Sam Stephenson
41
JO O’SULLIVAN
DIVORCE AND SEPARATION
Without the fireworks
Living in Sussex few of us are likely to forget
Bonfire Night; the Lewes celebrations are
infamous.
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
the Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should
ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and
Parliament.
A penny loaf to feed the Pope
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Despite the gruesome nature of November
5th’s origins reflected in the poem/nursery
rhyme – and some of the Lewes Bonfire Night
effigies – it is a happy occasion that brings
parents and children closer together. Most
of us will marvel at the lit-up sky, eating
autumnal comfort food and enjoying the
warmth from a roaring bonfire.
For separated families it can be another
calendar date marred by sadness, where
children celebrate with one parent or where
the only fireworks are those between warring
parents – who in Guy Fawkes-like fashion –
plot and scheme.
As a Collaborative Family Lawyer and
Mediator I help separating couples see that if
you are prepared to put the work in you can do
things differently… divorce doesn’t have to be
about fireworks.
Collaborative practice is a way of doing things
differently. Each partner has their own lawyer,
we all sit down together to work out a way
forward.
As a mediator I help couples negotiate some
of the practicalities of parenting after parting.
Once the parents I work with understand that
the process is open and built on trust then
things become easier, they can start seeing
that with some work their relationship with
the other parent can be more like a business
arrangement that needs to be maintained so
that their children can still benefit from having
two parents involved in their life.
I help couples work together to find new
solutions and move on from the oftenexplosive
past of an unhappy relationship.
Therefore, in time, the only fireworks are
the ones that light up the sky on a chilly
November night.
Please call to discuss what might be the best process for you
on 07780676212 or email jo@osullivanfamilylaw.com
For more details about how I work visit
www.osullivanfamilylaw.com
ON THIS MONTH: THEATRE
Lewes Festival of Solo Theatre
Curator/writer/actor Jonathan Brown
A solo show, I think,
can be a very accessible
entry-level introduction
to theatre. I
mean, everyone knows
a good comedian can
easily captivate an
audience for a couple
of hours, and it’s no
different when it
comes to drama. Also,
I find that once people
experience one solo show, they become complete
converts to the genre.
Some shows involve the performer playing many
different characters. In Happy Hour, I play 14
named characters, culminating later in portraying
a large crowd and a full-blown pub fight.
There’s no time for changes of costume! It has
to be conveyed by the acting.
That doesn’t mean to say it’s all about the actor.
Yes, a little bit of flair is useful, but that flair
shouldn’t upstage the story. The actor has to
be the mediator between the audience and the
narrative, rather like a Bunraku puppeteer: even
though they’re standing above the puppet, if
they do it well, they become invisible.
The audience will not be expected to get up on
the stage – with perhaps one exception, anyway
– but using their imagination to fill in the gaps
in the narrative enables an internal type of
audience participation, a much more rewarding
experience than being spoon-fed everything.
The more they get involved, the more they own
the performance. It’s democratic theatre.
A solo show is a very intimate experience,
especially in a small venue like the Lewes New
School hall. The seats, set out in a ‘thrust’ formation,
will be no more
than three rows deep,
creating a connection
between the performer
and every member of the
audience. The performer
speaks to, and responds
to, the audience far more
than in a multi-actor show,
thus breaking down the
fourth wall.
This festival gives audiences
the chance to sample up to 17 shows over
a single weekend, featuring 14 different performers.
I’m performing four of them, and there
are several well-established, award-winning
shows, by the likes of Kate Darach, Pip Utton,
Daniel Finlay and Ross Gurney-Randall. The
rest are by the very best actors who have come
out of the ‘Grow Your Own Solo Show’ course
that I’ve been teaching in London and Lewes for
seven years.
People ask me how I can keep all the lines in my
head for so many shows. Well one of my performances
is entirely improvised, so that solves that
one! The others are shows I’ve done before, and
remembering the lines is like remembering the
words to a song, albeit a very long song.
People tell me they’re surprised, after a show,
when only one person takes a bow, as they feel
they’ve been watching a host of characters. Is
it exhausting? It’s a good work-out, you could
say, but after every performance I feel entirely
energised. As told to Alex Leith
Lewes New School, Friday 8th November-Sunday
10th November. Public can buy single tickets,
whole weekend tickets, or anything in between
from somethingunderground.co.uk
Jonathan Brown in Large Print Trash. Photo by Pete Gioconda
43
ON THIS MONTH: TALK
Jacqueline Wilson
On lacking a mother
“Lewes is one of my favourite places, there are
always so many things to do”, says Jacqueline
Wilson, when I ring about her upcoming talk at
The Lewes Lit (Lewes Literary Society as was)
in November. She’s looking forward to coming.
Her talk is billed for over 16s, so I ask what it
will be about. Author of 111 children’s novels,
Dame Jacqueline has been thinking about
“mothers and the lack of a mother”, a powerful
theme in her books. She tells me she’s looking
forward to answering lots of questions
afterwards.
We chat about her character, Tracy Beaker, who
grew up in care and who’s now, she says, a lovely
mum to a girl called Jess, although she still has
anger issues. There’s a new Tracy Beaker story
coming out in October, We are the Beaker Girls,
and Jacqueline tells me that Tracy is thinking
about fostering a child. The question is
asked – how will daughter Jess react? While she
was writing We are the Beaker Girls, Jacqueline
was in touch with many girls in care, through
The Fostering Network, for whom she’s an
ambassador. The book is dedicated to a group
of care leavers Jacqueline met through another
organisation, Who Cares Scotland, who told her
that they wanted Tracy Beaker to achieve more,
they wanted Tracy to be aspirational to care
leavers and to help reduce the stigma associated
with care. “I try to make the books as realistic as
possible, as positive as possible, without turning
lives into a fairy tale. I hope they will be pleased
with the book”, she says.
Your books don’t shy away from difficulty, I say,
and Jacqueline agrees: “Children like to know
about the hard stuff; trusted adults might let
them down, but things can still work out. This
can work positively for children who have had a
rough time and for those who, through stories,
gain an awareness of what others go through”.
Children send her emails and tell her that
her books have made them feel better about
themselves. “The lovely thing about reading”,
she says, “is that through books you can be
not so alone in your emotions and that can be
comforting”.
Our conversation turns to illustration. Jacqueline’s
books are lovingly illustrated by Nick
Sharratt. As a child, Jacqueline always loved
black-and-white illustrations and grieved that,
once past the picture book stage, they disappeared.
So, when she started writing the first
Tracy Beaker, she asked her editor for illustrations
to help break up the text and was introduced
to Nick. “He’s the first person I send a
finished book to”, she says, and she suspects, “he
can see inside my head!” Jacqueline tells me she
writes her first drafts in PJs, in bed. 1,000 or so
words a day, seven days a week and she can’t stop
writing because it is, and has been, her life since
she was 17. Generations of children are thankful.
Janet Sutherland
The Lewes Lit, November 12th, 7.30 for 8pm.
lewesliterarysociety.co.uk
45
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ON THIS MONTH: OPERA
La belle Hélène
Outrageous operetta
It’s been a good year for New Sussex Opera.
September saw the release of their world
premiere recording of Charles Villiers Stanford’s
opera, The Travelling Companion. The final
performance was recorded live in Saffron Hall,
with the Telegraph describing the production as
an ‘accomplished revival of a little-known gem,
greatly to the credit of the ever-enterprising
New Sussex Opera.’
I meet NSO’s Artistic Director David James in
his Lewes home, where he further explains how
they are ‘enterprising’. When selecting which
opera to perform, the NSO aim to strike a balance
between the obscure and the mainstream:
great news for opera fans who might want a
change from the ever-presents in the repertoire.
“On the one hand we want to do something people
want to come and see, but on the other hand,
if we do something really obscure, are we going
to get an audience?”
Offenbach’s comic operetta La belle Hélène
sits happily in the middle. The operetta form
includes spoken dialogue and songs, so any fans
of musical theatre might well have fun here.
David is excited about this “very funny”, rarely
performed, farcical parody of the story of Helen
of Troy.
The NSO stages at least two shows a year. The
first is an in-house production, which provides
opportunities for individual chorus members
to take their first steps as soloists. The second
show each year is a fully professional production,
which is what’s coming to Lewes Town Hall
this month. The two forms of production are
symbiotic: Jennifer Clark’s work in an in-house
production has led to her performing as Bacchis,
as a professional soloist in La belle Hélène.
The calibre of soloists appearing with the chorus
is a source of pride; Katie Bray, for example,
played Lazuli in their production of L’Etoile in
2013, and won the Joan Sutherland audience
prize in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition
this June (representing England). Soloists
in La belle Hélène include mezzo-soprano Hannah
Pedley (Helen, pictured), tenor Anthony
Flaum (Paris), tenor Paul Featherstone (Menelaus),
all of whom have worked at the Royal
Opera House, and mezzo Catherine Backhouse
in the trouser role of Orestes.
La belle Hélène is the first co-production in
NSO’s history. Opera della Luna’s 2003 production
of the opera was directed and translated by
Jeff Clarke; he returns for this adapted version
and the NSO will be reusing “a fair bit of the
set and the soloists’ costumes”. David shows
me some photos of the original costumes: he
doesn’t want to give away any surprises but it’s
safe to say that the production will be bold and
colourful.
“Jeff’s version is different”, says David. “It’s
slimmed down. Offenbach turned it into a farce,
and Jeff turns it into even more of a farce. It’s
quite a rude version. He is bringing references
and jokes up to date but it’s still just as outrageous,
not for young children!” Joe Fuller
Lewes Town Hall, 13th, 7pm, newsussexopera.org
47
A T 7 T H D E C
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0 - 5 P M
1
E W E S T O W N
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A L L H
N T R A N C E £ 1
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I D S F R E E
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SPECIAL
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PREVIEW
6th Dec
Friday
- 8.30pm
6.30
P R O M O T I N G C R E A T I V I T Y A T W E S T E R N R O A D S C H O O L
S U P P O R T E D B Y F W R
ARtiStS &
MAkeRs 2019
ON THIS MONTH: FILM
The Miseducation of Cameron Post, If Beale Street Could Talk, So Long My Son
Film ’19
Dexter Lee’s cinema round-up
Depot has become a major venue for the Cinecity
Film Festival, an annual chance to indulge
in a fortnight’s ‘Adventures in World Cinema’
(see page 39). There are some UK-based movies
to enjoy too, though. Documentary Outside the
City (9th, plus Q&A with Director Nick Hamer)
charts the lives of a group of East-Midland Cistercian
monks as they convert their monastery
land from a farm to a brewery. London is practically
a protagonist in Andrea Luka Zimmerman’s
Here for Life (12th), a grainy docu-style drama
featuring ten Londoners and a dog, scraping
a living as best they can on the streets of the
capital. Portsmouth is the setting for Aki Omoshaybi’s
drama Real (11th), charting the budding
relationship of a young black couple, brought
together by a shared loneliness. And there’s a
collection of early Victorian short films, set to
live music, on the 16th.
Otherwise, settle down for some stationary air
miles. Sons of Denmark (9th) is a political thriller,
directed by debutant Ulaa Salim, set in a near
future in which the far right threatens to take
control. So Long My Son (10th) is a generationspanning
drama looking at the long-term effect
of the one-child policy on a closely-knit group
of Chinese friends; Variety magazine deems it
‘utterly wrenching’. The elegant noirish thriller
The Whistlers (13th, preceded by Romanian
‘supper club dinner’ if booked) takes us from
Bucharest to the Canary island of La Gomera,
following a corrupt Romanian cop who hopes
to profit from a multi-national drug deal he’s
investigating. Elia Suleiman’s latest feature, It
Must be Heaven (15th), transports us from his native
Palestine to Paris, via New York, following
the director’s whimsical journeys as he toys with
references that may or may not be metaphorical.
Finally, System Crasher (16th), a stunning drama
about a nine-year-old girl with such vicious psychotic
episodes she’s become unplaceable in any
care facility, is set in director Nora Fingscheidt’s
native Germany.
Depot are also screening a French Film Festival,
largely in December, which starts off on November
30th with Michel Ocelot’s children’s animation,
Dilili in Paris. More on the rest next month.
Also worth a mention is this month’s Book-to-
Film slot, which features The Miseducation of
Cameron Post (Nov 7th). Emily M Danforth’s 2012
novel, about an orphaned teenage girl forced into
a gay conversion therapy centre, was made into
a 2018 movie by director Desiree Akhavan: read,
then watch, then discuss the differences.
There’s a fine crop of films in November from the
Lewes Film Club. Wanuri Kahiyu’s Rafiki (1st)
was banned in its native country for portraying
homosexuality positively, then became the first
Nigerian film to be screened in the Cannes Film
Festival. Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx (3rd) depicts a
solo sailor’s dilemma as she encounters a stranded
boat full of dying refugees off Cape Verde; If Beale
Street Could Talk (15th) is a dramatic interpretation,
by Barry Jenkins, of James Baldwin’s 1974
novel, and Capernaum (19th) is a multi-awardwinning
drama about a Beirut street kid who finds
himself looking after an Ethiopian baby, having
run away from his abusive family.
49
ON THIS MONTH: MUSIC
Kind Rebellion
New Note Orchestra
“Kindness is so important
in terms of recovery
from addiction,” Molly
Mathieson says. “Addicts
have to consider what it is
that made them spiral out
of control and what they
need to do to stay sober.
Often a big part of that is
being kind to themselves
and to others.” We’re
talking about Kind Rebellion, the latest work by
Brighton’s New Note Orchestra, which was
founded by Mathieson in 2015 to help people
recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
The music, composed by artistic director Conall
Gleeson in tandem with the 22-strong orchestra,
is set to be performed at ACCA on November
13 as part of a collaboration with the University
of Sussex, which has an entire research
department dedicated to the study of kindness.
Playing live is a big deal for the orchestra, which
rehearses every Tuesday at St Luke’s Church on
the Old Shoreham Road. “It’s the thing we all
work towards,” explains Mathieson.
The former TV producer founded New Note
on the back of her 2014 Channel 4 TV show
Addicts’ Symphony, which followed a group of
addicts as they were invited to perform with
the London Symphony Orchestra. “As I was
watching the show unfold, I was so moved by
the process,” she says. “It was clear that music
really helped people with addiction issues. That
was it really. We had just moved to Brighton and
I decided to set up an orchestra.”
After taking a course with the School of Social
Entrepreneurs, she held a one-day pilot in
Brighton. “I expected about four people to show
up but there were 20.
So there was obviously
a need for it. Then I did
an extended pilot to look
at whether people would
commit to coming every
week and whether the
music we created would
be good enough to put on
a performance. It was yes,
yes, to all those things.
There are three core orchestra members who
were there at the very first session back in 2015
and they’re still with me today. It’s felt like this
thing we’ve built together.”
Members come to the orchestra in a number of
ways: “Sometimes a support worker will recommend
us; sometimes people find out about us
through someone already in the orchestra. But
a lot of our members have just walked in one
evening.” Members are not required to have
any prior musical training. “The only criterion
for joining is being in recovery and wanting to
stay in recovery. Hardly anyone in the orchestra
reads music when they come to us. But there’s
a high aspiration and commitment is important
– it’s something to turn up for every week,
and people will expect you to be there.” The
group does not talk about addiction or recovery.
“But you’re with people who have all been
through the same things as you. That peer-topeer
support is very powerful. Then there’s the
confidence boost that comes with learning and
playing music; everyone is given the chance to
shine. People come in feeling like addicts and
leave feeling like musicians.”
Nione Meakin
ACCA 13 Nov, 1pm, free. newnote.co.uk
50
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WINNER
ON THIS MONTH: PUPPET SHOW
David Wilde
Punch and Judy man
Punch and Judy shows may be thought of as
an English seaside tradition, but the puppet
character of Punch is known to originate
from the Italian Punchinello of the Commedia
dell’arte. Samuel Pepys recorded Punch and
Judy performances in London as far back as
1662. The cast of characters are no longer marionettes
but glove puppets, though in other ways,
the show has endured unchanged over time in a
way which might seem surprising, given modern
sensibilities. There are estimated to be between
100 and 150 Punch and Judy performers in
England currently appearing at fêtes, festivals
and other venues.
One such is David Wilde, who will be giving a
talk and performing his traditional Punch and
Judy show at Lewes Little Theatre this month.
We met and talked about Punch, past and
present.
David saw his first Punch and Judy show on a
childhood holiday in Weston-super-Mare and
was captivated. Now he’s a master of this very
particular art form. His show is performed with
genuine Victorian puppets hand carved in 1890,
in a nine-foot-high theatre, which is over 120
years old. David tells me there are lots of shows
out there but many of them are not the real
thing. “There are a lot of skills involved and you
have to learn how to do it”, he says. “You have to
work the puppets properly. It gets passed down.
I like to think I am carrying on a tradition at a
high level rather than diluting it by just waving a
puppet around.”
The real thing means real puppets, real puppetry,
and the particular voice of Punch – as rendered
through a swazzle, which is a kind of reed
put in the puppeteer’s mouth to project Punch’s
uniquely mad voice. These elements come
together in a performance which is intended
to be fast-paced and knockabout. Punch is the
ultimate maverick – he is anti-authority and he
hits everything in his path with a slapstick (this,
I learn, is where the term ‘slapstick’ originates).
For 20 minutes, the audience will see Punch
take everyone on. They’ll also be able to see
puppets close up, including those from the Tony
Hancock film The Punch and Judy Man.
When I ask David about objections that might
be levelled at a show where violence may seem
casual and pervasive, he tells me that Punch and
Judy has been subject to accusations of immorality
going back to Dickensian times. “It’s always
had its critics”, he says. “But it’s not real, people
know it’s not real. You don’t have a puppet man
with a reedy voice taking on a clown or a devil
or a crocodile in real life, it’s like a dream, a
fantasy. It’s not violent in the way many modern
computer games are. Most audiences understand
this perfectly well.”
The enduring appeal of Punch and Judy may
be hard to explain, but David asserts that, above
all, the show is funny. It may just be as simple as
that. Julie Bull
That’s the Way to Do It is at Lewes Little Theatre
on November 17th at 2.30 pm. lewestheatre.org
Photo by Julie Bull
53
Sacha Allistone MBACP
‘A burden once lifted is lighter than air.’
— Ioannis Georgiadis
sachaallistone.com | 07909986812
ON THIS MONTH: LECTURE
Frida Gustafsson
Power in less traditional robes
Frida Gustafsson is fascinated
by power – who has it, why,
what it’s for, and how to change
that order. Frida grew up in
Sweden. “I remember I was
always interested in why some
people had power,” she says,
“and why didn’t we?” So she
came to the University of
Sussex to study Politics, “to try
to figure out how to fix it”, she
told me. Then, she says she realised
“I wasn’t figuring it out!”
Frida got involved in the Student Union – she was
President from June 2017 to June 2019. Here, she
says, she learnt about “alternative power. And the
place of grassroots movements.”
She hasn’t looked back. This month she’s coming
to speak at the U3A’s public meeting in Lewes as
the Associate Community Organiser for Citizens
UK in Brighton and Hove, an alliance of community
groups of faith institutions, schools, universities,
unions and sports clubs which was set up in
September 2018.
“Citizens UK has been around since the late 80s,”
she tells me. “It’s responsible for creating the Living
Wage, and the campaign that ended the detention
of child refugees in this country. And today
there’s never been a greater need for grassroots
movements. If not now, when?”
She remains fascinated by the mechanics of power.
“Power is a neutral word”, she says. “It means the
ability to achieve change. But we’ve built so many
structures and systems around the word, forgetting
its key purpose: to achieve change. We have a duty
now to build power within our communities, and
make the world of power more inclusive.”
Listening seems key to Frida. Developing our ability
to do this effectively: to really
listen. “Local community groups
have significant powers, powers
we unlock by building meaningful
relationships across groups.
This work is all about how we
speak to each other and how we
listen. We’re also interested in
hope. Hopelessness is feeling
you can’t achieve change. It’s so
powerful to begin with things we
might be able to change.”
Brighton and Hove Citizens is
currently working on four campaigns, she tells me,
voted for by its members. The first, “to reinstate
an accessible toilet in Hove Cemetery – it sounds
like such a small thing, but it’s not. To the powers
that be, this is not a priority. To the communities
affected, it really is…”
Another priority is working towards a local ‘mental
health pledge for young people’. This Frida
explains as “a promise” – between Brighton and
Hove’s young people, the city in which they live,
and its council. The plan is to all agree between
them, led by listening to the young people, what
is missing and wrong with current provision, and
what can and will be delivered as a better alternative,
and when.
So what, I ask her, does she make of fellow-Swede
Greta Thunberg? “Oh, she’s fantastic!” says Frida.
“It’s incredibly unfair that it’s falling to her to
have to carry this burden and do this work, but it’s
fantastic to see that power isn’t always dressed in
traditional robes…”
Charlotte Gann
Frida Gustafsson is speaking at U3A’s public meeting
in the Town Hall, November 6th, 6.30 for 7pm.
u3asites.org.uk/lewes/home
Photo by Becky Doran
55
ON THIS MONTH: ART
Simone Riley
Digital photomontage artist
I understand you’ve recently appeared in the
Royal Academy Summer Show? In 2018 I put
an artwork in for the first time, because Grayson
Perry was the head curator, and I love Grayson
Perry. I entered Innocence, a digital collage depicting
a Victorian girl (a photo of my grandmother)
standing in a school milk bottle, on a multilayered
background. It was chosen, and it sold on
the first day! This time I entered Time Passes By
(pictured), and while I was disappointed not to be
chosen, I was delighted to have made the shortlist.
Another print, The Golden Bough was chosen for
this year’s National Original Print Exhibition at
the Bankside Gallery, though.
It looks rather darker than your still lives,
which we’ve previously featured in Viva
(including on our cover)? The techniques I’ve
employed haven’t changed, but the subject matter
in this landscape composition series has. And
yes, it’s a little darker in mood.
Can you explain your technique? I use my
own digital photos to create digital montages.
I’m often out ‘fishing’, looking for old and
decayed surfaces to photograph, and these form
the basis for the many layers I lay down to form
the ‘texture’ of the print. I always use my own
photographs, and have taken many landscapes
over the years, parts of which are incorporated
in this series.
So it’s all done on the computer? Yes, all the
composition I do is on Photoshop. I can play
with the opacity of the images and often create
ten or 12 layers in any image. Then I produce
a limited number (usually 15) of professionally
printed high-quality digital prints.
Has any one artist influenced your style? No,
I think that any influences have been indirect,
which is for the best as I believe my work is quite
original. I love artists who use a lot of texture,
though. One of my favourites at the moment is
Sam Lock.
You were, until recently, with Chalk Gallery? I
would really recommend it. It was a great launch
pad for me, helping me to understand how the art
world works and offering support and encouragement.
It’s time-consuming being part of a
collective, though, and I felt it was time to spread
my wings.
And you’re exhibiting in the 2019 Brighton
Art Fair? I did so at the last one, in 2016, with
the Chalk Gallery, and this time I’ve got a solo
stand, which is exciting. It’s a curated show, in
the Town Hall in Lewes, as the Corn Exchange
in Brighton is still being renovated. I’ll be there
throughout, happy to tell anyone more about my
work. Interview by Alex Leith
Brighton Art Fair, Lewes Town Hall,
30th Nov-1st Dec
57
Martyrs’ Gallery Winter Exhibition:
Art Posters from the 20th Century
16 November –15 December 2019 · Private View 15 November 6pm
www.martyrs.gallery in association with
ON THIS MONTH: ART
I Finished It and Now I Want Some Praise for It
by Martin Gayford, 2019, pencil on A3 paper
The title of the drawing
suggests you appreciate
feedback… Definitely. Other
people sometimes see things
in my work that I haven’t even
thought about. It’s one of the
best reasons for having a show.
Where is this cityscape? This
isn’t a view that really exists. I
like starting with a figurative
source and working with it to
make something with abstract
elements.
So where do you ‘source’
the buildings? The central
building was an image I found
online, that I made a drawing of
and deleted. I’m not interested
in where it was, just in its shape
and reflective quality. Other
buildings are from a photograph
that my friend Gabs took
from Blackfriars Bridge.
Why are there no people in
your drawings? Somebody
else pointed that out recently…
it also means there is
no clutter, no cars or pollution.
I find the deserted spaces very
attractive.
You’re better known for your
paintings… I’m using the drawings
to inform a series of larger
abstract paintings, two of which
will be in this show. There’ll be
more in a larger show I’m curating
in London in December.
Both forms are equally important
to me though.
Who have you been influenced
by? For an influence
to be positive it needs to
be something that I’ve half
forgotten, not something I’ve
recently studied. There’s definitely
something of Georgia
O’Keeffe’s city paintings in
these, as well as the paintings
of Zaha Hadid.
Do you work in silence? All
these drawings were made in
my Star Brewery space, where
I usually listen to music or chat
with studio mates. I can chat
and draw at the same time.
Interview by Alex Leith
A Year of Drawings, Stable Gallery,
Paddock Lane, 9th & 10th
November, 10am-5pm (Private
View Friday, 6.30-9pm)
59
Towner Art Gallery
David Nash 200 Seasons
29 September 2019 – 2 February 2020
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, BN21 4JJ
www.townereastbourne.org.uk @townergallery
#200Seasons #EastbourneAlive
David Nash, Nature to Nature, 1985. © Jonty Wilde, courtesy David Nash. Tate Collection
exhibition 2019
1st november - 8th december
© Roger Dean, 1974
concerts & events throughout the exhibition
including steve hackett & focus
trading boundaries-01825 790200-www.tradingboundaries.com
VIVA_TB_OCT_HALF.indd 1 11/09/2019 14:03
ART
ART & ABOUT
In town this month
Chalk Gallery will be closed all day on the 5th for
Bonfire celebrations and a new exhibition begins on
the 6th, featuring Emily Stevens’ paintings, sketches
and drawings inspired by her time as Artist in Residence
at the Pells Pool. The gallery’s Christmas window
is revealed on 25th and the artists warmly invite
you to join them for an end of year party with an Advent
theme on Saturday 30th (2-4pm).
Cecile Gilbert
While refurbishments continue at Brighton Dome’s Corn
Exchange, Tutton & Young’s long-running Brighton Art
Fair decamps to Lewes this year. On 30th of November
(10.30am-6pm) and 1st of December (10.30-5pm), upwards
of 60 local and national artists will exhibit their
work at Lewes Town Hall (see pg 57). Join them for a
private view on Friday 29th Nov at 6pm (£20) or buy
general admission tickets for £5 until Nov 14th (£7.50
after). Purchase a Sussex Saver for £8.50
and gain entry to both days plus their
MADE Brighton makers’ fair at St
Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton
on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd of November. Visit brightonartfair.
co.uk for details and to see the full list of exhibiting artists.
Jana Nicole
Seven Sisters’ Spices
Also, on Saturday
30th,
Lewes Women
in Business
hold their Pop
Up Christmas
Emporium.
More than 20
local female-run
independent businesses will be selling
their wares – from jewellery to spices,
ceramics to art prints and much more
besides – with a café run by Caccia
& Tails. (10.30am-5pm, All Saints
Centre.)
The same weekend,
the Nevill
Collective Christmas
Event is at
St. Mary’s Church
Hall. Eight local
artists and makers show quilts, textiles,
prints, tea towels, cards, pottery, clothing,
Christmas wreaths and more. Mulled wine,
tea, coffee, cake. (Saturday 30th 1-9pm
and Sunday 1st 11am-5pm) Contact Kate
on 07828 221796 to book a place on the
wreath-making workshop and Ruby at nativehands.co.uk
to join the workshop making
festive decorations from rushes.
61
A R T 7 P R E S E N T S
20th Anniversary art exhibition in Lewes
An exhibition/sale of works by Russian and Ukrainian artists:
Yuri Matushevski (1930-1999), Viktor Templin (1920-1994), Viktor Koshevoi (1924-2006),
Anna Cherednichenko (1917-2003), Vitaly Baranenko (1965), Yuri Kuchinov (1951) and others.
Viktor Templin (Russian, 1920-1994) “Autumn Day”
1960-s, oil on board, 50cmx70cm
Viktor Koshevoi (Ukrainian, 1924-2006)
”Winter Forest” 1987, oil on board, 45cmx50cm
Yuri Matushevski (Russian, 1930-1999) “Last days of Summer”
1960, oil on board, 49cm x 69cm
Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2LX
Friday 15 th - Saturday 23 rd November
Open daily from Saturday 16 th - Saturday 23 rd , 10am - 6pm
Private viewing Friday 15 th November, 6pm - 9pm
Art-7 Art Gallery | www.art-7.com | mail@art-7.com
N O V E M B E R :
Sat 2nd, 7-9pm
Open mic night.
Book tickets on website
Saturday 9th - Sunday 10th, 11am-4pm
Multi-media installation Dave Stephens
Thursday 21st November, 7.30 -9pm
Julian of Norwich talk with Simon Parke
Book tickets on website
Crypt Gallery, 23 Church Street, Seaford, BN25 1HD | www.thecryptgallery.com
ART
In town (cont)
This month Art 7 are celebrating 20 years of promoting and
selling Russian and Ukrainian paintings with an exhibition at
Lewes House from the 15th-23rd. Since perestroika raised the
curtain on the Art scene in the USSR, the gallery has represented
close to 200 artists, many of whom will be included in this
exhibition. Private view Friday 15th (6-9pm), then open daily
(10am-6pm) until the 23rd. art-7.com
Yuri Matushevski, Still life with bread, 1966
Paddock Studios have a busy November. Martin
Gayford’s A Year of Drawings is on the 9th & 10th
(see pg 59). Inner Pieces, on the 17th (11am-4pm),
is an exhibition of mixed media collage using found
objects and drawings reminiscent of aboriginal
art and mandalas, by Rebecca Wells and Alison
Briggs. The magical Wunderkammer pop up shop
arrives on Saturday 30th and Sunday 1st December
(11am-5pm), with handmade festive curiosities
and oddities by
Samantha Stas, Emily Warren (The Stealthy Rabbit) and
Chiara Bianchi (Use and Take Care).
From 16th till 1st December, Depot are hosting Women X
Football = Art, a solo exhibition by Jill Iliffe. Her paintings and
drawings celebrate women with a passion for football, women
Jill met through Lewes FC. (Weekends, 10am-6pm.)
Out of town
Experience a walk-through installation
by multi-media artist
Dave Stephens at the Crypt
Gallery in Seaford on Saturday
9th and Sunday 10th (11am-
4pm). Remains includes hundreds
of tiny sculptures and features the
film Moth on Mouth (directed by
Matt Page and Dave Stephens);
a reflection on how we perceive war and disaster from
our living rooms. Plus, the gallery hosts an open mic
poetry night on Saturday 2nd (7-9pm) and a talk about
Julian of Norwich by Simon Parke on Thursday 21st
(7.30-9pm). thecryptgallery.com
Dave Stephens
Also, in
Seaford,
Studio+
Gallery
open their
Christmas
Show on
November
21st: a
private collection
of
preliminary
drawings by
Sir Stanley Spencer, held in aid of a
local charity supporting families and
children. studioplusgallery.com
Drawing (detail) by Gilbert Spencer, Stanley’s brother Jill Iliffe
63
The Nevill Collective
CHRISTMAS EVENT
8 local artists and
makers, showing cards,
quilts, textiles, prints,
tea towels, pottery,
clothing, Christmas wreaths,
basketry and more!
Mulled wine, tea, coffee, cake.
St Mary’s Church Hall
Highdown Road, Lewes
BN7 1QE
Sat, 30th November
1-9pm
Sun, 1st December
11-5pm
Contact Kate 07828 221796 to book your place on our wreath making workshop.
Contact Ruby via nativehands.co.uk for a place on our Xmas decoration workshop.
ART
Out of town (cont)
Deborah Manson
Charleston hold a Designer
& Maker Fair on
Saturday 23rd and Sunday
24th November (11am-
5pm): 30 carefully curated
stands will be selling a wide
variety of goods from local
and regional makers. Enjoy
a warming winter lunch,
boozy hot chocolate, hot
toddies and mince pies at
the café. (£4 in advance, £5
on the day.)
Laila Smith
On the 2nd and 3rd of
November (10am-5pm) Six
Sussex Artists & Craftsmen is
at Selmeston Village Hall
featuring new work by local
makers: ceramics by Jonathan
Chiswell Jones &
Kerry Bosworth, furniture
by Chris Alley, quilts by Louise Bell, knitwear
by Alison Ellen, wood engravings by Sue Scullard
and jewellery by Amanda Zoe.
Roger Dean’s 2019 exhibition, The Gates of Delirium,
is at Trading Boundaries in Sheffield
Park from the 1st of November until the 8th of
December. The internationally acclaimed artist
and designer is responsible for some of the most
iconic album covers over the past five decades.
The exhibition features prints and original paintings
from across his career, including Inland Sea
II used on the latest Yes album cover.
tradingboundaries.com, rogerdean.com
Alison Ellen
At Ditchling Museum of Art +
Craft you’ll find Disruption, Devotion
and Distributism: an exhibition
drawn from a major acquisition of
over 400 St Dominic’s Press pamphlets
and posters. The private press
published a wide range of material
including books and pamphlets
for The Guild of St Joseph and
St Dominic and other artists and
thinkers sharing their philosophy
of craftsmanship and life. Over 100
objects have been brought together,
including never-before-seen pieces,
that illustrate the underlying ideas
and beliefs which led artists like
Edward Johnston, Hilary Pepler
and Eric Gill to Ditchling.
Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic safe door, painted
by David Jones. Image by Tessa Hallmann
65
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Nov listings
Photo by Xavi Buendia – xdbphotography.com
TUESDAY 5
Enjoy and stay safe.
THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER
Rathfinny Estate tours. A behind-the-scenes
look at the wine production process at the
award-winning Winery. See rathfinnyestate.
com.
SATURDAY 2
Mind, Body, Spirit Sussex Festival. Psychic
readers, healing therapies, group healing workshops,
sacred art, artisan crafts and more. Lewes
Town Hall, 10am-4pm, free.
SUNDAY 3
The Lewes Ripple Live Broadcast. The
Ripple hosts a live broadcast on Rocket Radio
FM from the Lamb of Lewes. All are invited to
attend, 7pm-11pm.
Film: Migrant Voices in London (12A).
Short film sharing the stories of four migrants
living in London, with introduction and Q&A
discussion by Ahmed Sinno. All Saints, 4pm,
£5/£2.50.
Film: Styx (12A).
Doctor Rieke’s dream
solo sailing trip
changes completely
when she comes
across a boatload of
stricken migrants and is forced to make life or
death decisions. All Saints, 4.30pm, £5/£2.50.
WEDNESDAY 6
Building Power with Local Communities.
U3A public lecture with Frida Gustafsson of
Brighton and Hove Citizens. Council Chamber,
Lewes Town Hall, 7pm, free (entry on a
first come, first serve basis). See page 55.
The Winter Garden. Lewes & District Garden
Society talk. David Fitton trained at Wisley
and was Head of Horticulture at Plumpton
College, he is Garden Advisor to Paradise
Park. He will be talking about how to enhance
your winter garden. St Thomas Church Hall,
7.30pm, £3 for visitors.
THURSDAY 7
An evening with Lynne Truss. Best-selling
author Lynne Truss will be talking about her
comic crime mysteries A Shot in the Dark and
The Man That Got Away with local novelist and
Viva Brighton columnist Lizzie Enfield. The
Keep, 7pm, £10 (includes a drink).
FRIDAY 8 – SUNDAY 10
Lewes Festival of
Solo Theatre. A
weekend of oneperson
shows, with
a host of award
winners. Lewes New
School, see somethingunderground.
co.uk and page 43.
67
NOVEMBER
HIGHLIGHTS
01273 678 822
attenboroughcentre.com
BRIGHTON FILM FESTIVAL 8-17 NOV 2019
ADVENTURES IN WORLD CINEMA
www.cine-city.co.uk
Nov listings (cont.)
such as Grange Road, Wallands and the Pells.
Risky and rarely profitable, they helped Lewes
to prosper and shaped a substantial part of
today’s townscape. King’s Church, 7pm for
7.30pm, £1/£3.
SATURDAY 9
The Snobbery of Paint. Simon March of
Marchand Sons in Station Street talks about
his life in paints. Paddock Art Studios, 3pm, £5
(free to members of LADVAA).
MONDAY 11
The Rise of Victorian & Edwardian Suburbs
in Lewes. Lewes History Group talk
with Sue Berry, exploring the development of
Victorian and Edwardian suburban projects
Art of flower photography. Talk by Celia
Henderson LRPS. St Mary’s Supporters Club,
Christie Road, 7.30pm for 7.45pm, £5 guest
fee.
TUESDAY 12
Full Moon Fire
Ceremony. Vert
Woods, BN8 6BP,
7pm, contact ali@
lucidhealing.co.uk
for more info.
Jacqueline Wilson at The Lewes Lit. All
Saints, 8pm, £10/£5 for under 25s, see page 45.
Lewes
Little
Theatre
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Gary Andrews
Directed by Darren Heather
Friday 6 – Saturday 14
December 7:45pm excl Saturday
7 & Sunday 8 December.
Matinees Saturdays 7 & 14
December 2:45pm.
www.lewestheatre.org
Box Office: 01273 474826
£12/Members £8
A Christmas
Carol
69
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Nov listings (cont.)
WEDNESDAY 13
New Sussex Opera present La belle Hélène.
Lewes Town Hall, 7pm, see page 47.
THURSDAY 14
Vegan Festival
Lewes. Speakers,
informative
exhibitors,
samples of
vegan food from
vegan-friendly
businesses and a range of vegan products and
food to purchase. East Sussex College, Mountfield
Road, 11.30am-7pm, free.
Palestine home rebuild 2019. Lewes Amnesty
members Adrian Briggs and Linda Calvert
give an illustrated talk on their trip to Palestine
in April 2019 to help rebuild a family’s home
demolished by the Israeli army. Lecture Room,
Lewes Town Hall, 7pm, free.
The Darker Shades of Sun Street. Combining
Lewes street history with music and song,
this show is based on stories of petty crime
and scandal in late 19th century Sun Street,
researched by Frances Stenlake and read by
Lewes Little Theatre actors. The speciallycomposed
songs are performed by leading
members of the Lewes Saturday Folk Club.
The Keep, 7pm, £7.
Comedy at the Con. With Stephen Grant,
Charmian Hughes, Dinesh Nathan and Jake
Baker. Con Club, 7.30pm, £8-£12.
FRIDAY 15
Lee Miller and Picasso. Illustrated talk by
Antony Penrose. Iford Village Hall, 7.30pm for
8pm, £15 (includes a glass of wine).
1264: The Battle of Lewes, a military perspective.
Lewes Archaeological Group talk by
Joe Gazeley. Lecture Room, Lewes Town Hall,
7.30pm, £4/£3), free entry for 25 and under.
Film: If Beale Street Could Talk (15). Barry
Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1970s
novel. All Saints, 8pm, £5/£2.50.
SATURDAY 16
Bargain Book Sale. Range of nearly new
books, ideal for Christmas presents. All proceeds
to LIA (Life in Abundance) and Open
Hands. Next to St Thomas’ Church off Cliffe
High Street, 9am-1pm.
Repair Café. Take along damaged clothes,
broken electrical appliances, bicycles, china,
jewellery and more. Tea, coffee and cake will
be available. Landport Community Hub, BN7
2SU, 2pm-5pm, no charge is made but donations
are welcome.
Winter Stargazing. Learn to navigate the
stars with a talk and viewing from experienced
astronomers. Includes warm supper and a hot
drink. Sheffield Park & Garden, 6.30pm-10am,
£22/£12.
SUNDAY 17
Lewes HempEvent. Plastic Free Lewes hosts
an afternoon of talks, film, debate and stalls
exploring the many roles that hemp can play in
helping to mitigate climate change – and how
we can create a sensible policy in the UK for
its large-scale production. Lewes Town Hall,
1.30pm-5pm, £5/£3, tickets from ticketsource.
co.uk or on the door.
That’s the Way to Do It! David Wilde, one
of Britain’s leading authorities on the history of
the art of Punch and Judy, talks about the genre
and performs his show. Lewes Little Theatre,
2.30pm, £5, see page 53.
Nov listings (cont.)
TUESDAY 19
Forced Entertainment: Out of Order. ‘A
kind of poetic State of the Nation rendered as
clown act gone wrong’. Attenborough Centre,
8pm, £12/£10.
WEDNESDAY 20
Parenting Teens Talk. Designed to give
parents a better understanding of teenagers;
the tools and skills for a smooth ride through
adolescence and a forum to exchange ideas and
thoughts with other parents. Teen Tips, East
Chiltington, 9am-1pm, see teentips.co.uk.
Charity Christmas Open Evening. Competitions
to win treatments and products, discounts
on Christmas stock showcasing brands and
festive nibbles and drinks. Raising money for
local charity Chestnut Tree House. Reading
Room Day Spa, Iford, 5pm-8pm, free.
THURSDAY 21
Julian of Norwich
Uncovered. Talk with
Simon Parke reflecting
on her life and times, and
her unique voice in English
history. The Crypt
Gallery, Seaford, 7.30pm, £6.
SATURDAY 23
Fundraising event. In aid of Breast Cancer
Now. Lewes Dance Club perform 12.30pm-
1pm, handmade photo greeting cards for sale
and Leslie Norah Hills RA will display her
portraits for commissions. Refreshments available.
All Saints, 12pm-3pm, free.
Barn Dance. Bar, snacks, raffle and The
Sussex Pistols play. Raising funds for FoCK
(building schools in Africa, protecting the local
wildlife and environment whilst preventing
Female Genital Mutilation) All Saints, 7.30pm,
£15 (two for £25), see chemakizzi.com.
SATURDAY 23 & SUNDAY 24
Designer & Maker
Fair. Unique wares from
designers and makers in
the South. 30 carefully
curated stands will sell
crafted goods, including
homeware, textiles,
ceramics, jewellery and more. Charleston,
11am-5pm, £5 (£4 adv).
SAT 23 – MON 25 & FRI 29
Lewes Passion Play castings. Open casting
events for people to try out for various roles in
the April 2020 Passion Play. Chapter House,
Southover Church, contact thelewespassionplay@gmail.com.
MONDAY 25
Headstrong Club. Talk followed by discussion
with Catherine Pope on the Victorian
commodification of the female body. Elephant
& Castle, 8pm, £3.
THURSDAY 28 – SATURDAY 30
Christmas and Thanksgiving shopping at
Farleys. The gift shop offers a range of items
related to Roland Penrose and Lee Miller and
their circle of friends. Prints of Lee Miller’s
photographs, first edition books and a range of
small gifts available. Farleys House & Gallery,
11am-3pm.
SATURDAY 30
Lewes Women in Business Pop Up Christmas
Emporium. 20+ local independent businesses
sell their wares, with Caccia & Tails running
the café. All Saints, 10.30am-5pm, free.
SAT 30 – SUN 1 DECEMBER
Brighton Art Fair. Lewes Town Hall, see
pages 57 and 61.
73
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GIG GUIDE // NOVEMBER
GIG OF THE MONTH:
THE CAPTAIN’S BEARD
PICK
OF THE
MONTH
Avast! It’s not often you get the chance to see a pirate
band (live or otherwise), but this month the opportunity
arises for an evening of swashbuckling fun at the
Con Club with Brighton band The Captain’s Beard.
The merry gang of travelling troubadours play a mix of
Irish folk, rocked-up maritime and raucous folk-rock
Photo by Elliot Tatler
and this year has seen them supporting the likes of
Professor Elemental and on the same line up as Richard Thompson. We can highly recommend
checking out their debut album Same Ship Different Day, a rollickingly good listen from start to
finish (highlights include I’ve Got a Beard and Pirates Don’t Fall in Love). If you miss them this
time, check their website for future dates of rum-driven merriment with the pirate minstrels.
Friday 8, Con Club, 8pm, free, thecaptainsbeard.co.uk
FRIDAY 1
David Mbilou in fusion with Katatsitsi
Drummers. African. Con Club, 7pm, £8/10
(members free)
C Ciders. Lively covers. Lamb, 8pm, free
Stevie Watts Trio. Hammond grooves, funk &
blues. Upstairs at the Oak, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 2
Guana Batz. Psychobilly. Con Club, 7.30pm,
£18
Halloween; open mic night with fire, candles
& soul cakes. Folk. Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £4
Hoofish Live, plus DJs Ben & Shaz. Upstairs
at Royal Oak, 8pm, free
Specs Appeal. Shadows tribute band. Lamb,
8pm, free
FRIDAY 8
The Captain’s Beard. See Gig of the Month.
The Informers. Blues, rock, funk & soul. Upstairs
at Royal Oak, 8pm, free
Ska Toons. Lewes’ 8-piece jazz-ska outfit.
Lamb, 8.30pm, free
SATURDAY 9
Bad Bad Whisky. Skiffle, rockabilly and RnB.
Lansdown, 8pm, free
Boogie Troupe. Lamb, 8pm, free
Riley Baugus. US old-time with banjo, fiddle,
voice. Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £10
SUNDAY 10
The Woodentops. Alternative. Con Club,
7.30pm, £15
SUNDAY 3
Jam night. Free drink for all participants. Lansdown,
8pm, free
MONDAY 11
Andy Urquart, Darren Beckett &Terry Seabrook.
Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
MONDAY 4
Karen Sharpe, Darren Beckett & Terry Seabrook.
Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
THURSDAY 14
Black Market lll. San Diego blues. Lansdown,
8pm, free
>>>
75
GIG GUIDE // NOVEMBER
FRIDAY 15
The Elevators. Blues. Con Club, 8pm, free
Pretty Little Dogs. Lamb, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 16
Dichotics. Psych, garage and beyond. Lamb,
8pm, free
Iris Bishop, Marilyn Bennett, Sue Gates.
Folk, voices, concertina, mouth organ, accordion.
Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £7
The Men They Couldn’t Hang. Folk rock.
Con Club, 7.30pm, £20
SUNDAY 17
Hope Street. Depot Sunday Brunch with bluesgospel-jazz
trio (see page 10). Depot, 11am-1pm,
free
MONDAY 18
Safehouse Improvised Music Session. Noise
makers, performers and musicians all welcome.
The Lewes Arms, 7.30pm, £2
Mark Bassey, Marianne Wyndham, Alex
Eberhard & Terry Seabrook. Jazz. Snowdrop,
8pm, free
FRIDAY 22
Bus Monkeys. Indie rock covers. Lamb, 8pm,
free
Fat Freddie & The Queens. Tribute. Con
Club, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 23
Loose Caboose. DJ night. Con Club, 7.30pm, £6
The Don Bradmans. Lamb, 8pm, free
Fish Brothers. Victorian music hall/punk rock.
Lansdown, 8pm, free
Original 45ers. DJ Set. Royal Oak, 8pm, free
Simon Mayor & Hilary James. Folk, mandolin,
fiddle, voices. Elephant & Castle, 8pm, £12
SUNDAY 24
Steve ‘Snips’ Parsons. ‘Sundays in the Bar’
session. Con Club, 3.30m, free
UK Subs. Night of punk with Peter and the
Test Tube Babies with Nuffin’ supporting.
Con Club, 7pm, £16
MONDAY 25
Nicolas Meier Standards Trio with Ken Ford
and Jakub Cwynski. Jazz. Snowdrop, 8pm, free
FRIDAY 29
The Curst Sons. Americana Hillbilly Blues.
Con Club, 8pm, free
Monster Groove Night. With special guests
The Soul Steppers. Lamb, 8pm, free
SATURDAY 30
Bob Lewis. Folk, Sussex trad songs. Elephant &
Castle, 8pm, £7
King Kurt + Snakerattlers. Psychobilly &
garage trash. Con Club, 7.30pm, £18
The Informers. Funk covers. Lamb, 8pm, free
Soul Brother, Soul Sister. Soul classics. Royal
Oak. 9pm, free
Simon Mayor & Hilary James
77
Cooper & Son
Funeral Directors
42 High Street, Lewes 01273 475 557
Also at Seaford, Uckfield & Heathfield
www.cpjfield.co.uk
Because every life is unique
ON THIS MONTH: MUSIC
Photo by David Gerrard
Brighton Philharmonic
An interesting opener…
For an orchestra to be approaching its centenary
in these days of cuts to the arts is quite some
achievement. And yet the Brighton Philharmonic
Orchestra is doing just that. Founded 95 years ago,
Brighton’s professional orchestra has been based
for all but two of those in the Dome.
As the 2019-2020 season begins, Chairman
Nicolas Chisholm is coming to the end of his
five-year tenure, but it’s clear that optimism
is high at the BPO. He admits their concerts
regularly attract over 1000 people, but the aim is
to “improve on that and be even more exciting
and innovative. Brighton is vibrant and diverse.
We want to present programmes that appeal to a
wide audience.”
This month’s concert, featuring jazz violinist
Christian Garrick and Friends with the Brighton
Philharmonic Strings, promises to be an interesting
opener to the season. It’s a programme of
tango, jazz and gypsy-folk music and includes
Astor Piazzolla’s ‘sizzling’ Four Seasons of Buenos
Aires (billed as ‘Four Seasons of Brighton
Aires’). It’s exciting stuff. But does that mean
the orchestra is moving away from its classical
roots? Chisholm says not at all. For example in
December the programme includes two Haydn
symphonies, Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and
Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending – “very
much our core repertoire,” he explains, “and
our New Year’s Eve Gala concert is practically
a Brighton institution, pretty much selling out
each year.”
But alongside this there are distinct signs
that the BPO is determined to stay ahead of
the game. “We want to do unusual things.”
Chisholm is enthusiastic about a new initiative
to showcase the different sections of the
orchestra. February’s concert is given over to
Brighton Philharmonic Brass with music from
the sixteenth century to the present, including
Chris Hazell’s Four Cats Suite.
Chisholm acknowledges that today’s audiences
often appreciate, even expect a visual element
to complement what they’re hearing, so that it
becomes not unlike theatre. “We want people to
go away thinking ‘wow, that was a real musical
experience.’ Later in the season we have virtuoso
piano duo Worbey and Farrell returning with
one of their own programmes, Rhapsody, which
they’ve performed all over the world. They’re
showmen as well as fantastic musicians. Many
audience members will have seen nothing like
it.” This is true – look them up on YouTube!
Things are looking good for a bumper centenary
celebration in five years’ time. It’s clear that
Chisholm is immensely proud of the BPO’s
achievements and the quality of its programmes.
“People often don’t realise this is the city’s
professional orchestra – all the members play in
other orchestras and come together as the BPO.
It’s a real jewel in the crown for Brighton.”
Robin Houghton
Christian Garrick & Friends, Sunday 10th Nov,
2.45pm. brightonphil.org.uk
79
LEWES CHAMBER MUSIC
FESTIVAL
Christmas Concert celebrating
6th December 7:30pm
St John sub Castro Church, Lewes
EUSEBIUS QUARTET
MARIA WŁOSZCZOWSKA - violin
ADAM NEWMAN - viola
Featuring
String Quartet Op.132
String Quintet Op.29
Home-made mince pies and mulled wine included
TICKETS: £18 || FREE for U26
www.leweschambermusicfestival.com
01273 479865 and at Baldwins Travel
MUSIC
Classical round-up
SUNDAY 17, 4PM
Corelli Ensemble
The 2019-2020 season is a special one for
the Corelli Ensemble which is celebrating its
30th anniversary. Guest soloist this month is
prizewinning oboist, Owen Dennis, who’ll be
performing Bach’s Concerto for Oboe D’Amore
in A – a rare treat for all Bach lovers. The
concert also features Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two
Violins in D minor, with Music Director Maeve
Jenkinson and Kate Comberti playing the solos. Corelli Ensemble concerts are known for their
fine, uplifting music – and they’re friendly affairs too. No need to rush off at the end – stay for
refreshments and the opportunity to meet the players.
St Pancras Church, tickets £12 in advance, £14 on the door. Children free. corelliensemble.co.uk
PICK
OF THE
MONTH
Photo by Owen Dennis
SUNDAY 3, 3PM
St Michael’s Recitals. Malcolm Warnes,
trumpet & Nick Houghton, organ.The last
of the 2019 First Sunday recitals is a Trumpet
Special featuring duets & solos. Including
works by Handel, Frank Bridge and Lefébure-
Wély. St Michael’s, free with retiring collection,
stmichaelinlewes.org.uk
SATURDAY 9, 7.45PM
Musicians of All Saints. This month’s concert
showcases new and 20th century music alongside
Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op.6 No.9 in F major.
Ellie Blackshaw and Shereen Godber are the
soloists in Peter Copley’s Double Violin Concerto
(second performance), and John Hawkins’s
Grounds for Oboe and String Orchestra receives its
first performance with soloist Clare Worth.
Directed by Andrew Sherwood, with a preconcert
talk by Peter Copley at 7.10pm.
All Saints Centre, tickets on the door only: £12/£9
concessions, children free. mas-lewes.co.uk
SUNDAY 10, 2.45PM
Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. Christian
Garrick & Friends with the Brighton Philharmonic
Strings. Jazz violinist extraordinaire
Christian Garrick plus guests join the BPO
Strings for a South America-influenced programme.
See page 79.
Brighton Dome, £14.50-£42.50 (50% student/U18
discount), brightondome.org
WEDNESDAY 13, 1PM
New Note Orchestra, Kind Rebellion. A performance
of newly-composed music in celebration
of World Kindness Day. Created by the New
Note Orchestra musicians and Artistic Director
Conall Gleeson, a panel discussion will follow
the performance. See page 50. Attenborough
Centre for the Creative Arts, free entry, donations
welcome. attenboroughcentre.com
WEDNESDAY 13, 7PM
New Sussex Opera, La belle Hélène. NSO
begins its autumn tour of Offenbach’s sparkling
La belle Hélène in collaboration with Opera
della Luna, to celebrate the composer’s 200th
anniversary. NSO Chorus, St Paul’s Sinfonia,
conductor Toby Purser, director Jeff Clarke,
designer Gabriella Csanyi-Wills. See page 47.
Lewes Town Hall, £28-£34 (students & children
50% reduction), ticketsource.co.uk/nso or 0333
666 3366. newsussexopera.org
81
E A S T
SUSSEX
B A C H
C H O I R
HIS MAJESTYS
SAGBUTTS &
CORNETTS
A VENETIAN CHRISTMAS
GABRIELI
ST JOHN SUB CASTRO, LEWES
SAT 7 th DEC
Director -
John Hancorn
eastsussexbachchoir.org
Offenbach’s favourite, sung in English
La Belle Hélène
CLASSICAL MUSIC
The Fitzwilliam Quartet, photo by Peter Searle
Live opera fully staged: French fizz and foolery
set to deliciously immortal music: outrageous fun
NSO Chorus, St Paul’s Sinfonia, c.Toby Purser,
d. Jeff Clark, with Hannah Pedley & Anthony Flaum
Town Congress Chequer Old Bloomsbury
Hall Theatre Mead Market Theatre
Lewes Eastbourne East Grinstead Hove
Nov 13 Nov 17 4pm Nov 28 Dec 1 4pm Dec 5
www.newsussexopera.org
A collaboration with Opera della Luna. NSO charity no. 1185087
Easy Design Workshops & Have-A-Go Garden Days
London
SUNDAY 17, 11AM
Coffee Concerts: Endymion Horn Trio. A
programme of Beethoven and Brahms from the
acclaimed Endymion Horn Trio, celebrating its
40th anniversary this year. Attenborough Centre,
£18.50, £16 concessions, attenboroughcentre.com
SUNDAY 24, 3PM
Seaford Music Society, Capriccio Ensemble.
Piano quintet the Capriccio Ensemble perform
music by Mozart and Brahms. In addition there’ll
be the chance to meet Seaford’s Kenneth V Jones,
composer of numerous film scores, and hear some
of his music. St. Leonard’s Church, Seaford, £15,
under 26s free, seafordmusicsociety.com
SUNDAY 24, 7PM
Esterhazy Chamber Choir. New Director of
Music Richard Stafford conducts the Esterhazy in
a concert of 20th century works including Duruflé
Requiem, Vierne Messe Solennelle and motets by
Messiaen, Villette and de Sévérac. St Michael’s
Church, £15, under 16s free. esterhazychoir.org
Fun & informative, illustrated garden workshops
at fabulous Sussex garden venues.
The perfect Christmas gift for
garden beginners & enthusiasts
Check our website for dates and book online:
www.sussexgardenschool.com
FRIDAY 29, 7.45PM
Nicholas Yonge Society. The Fitzwilliam Quartet
are this month’s guests, together with Nancy
Cooley who joins them for Elgar’s Piano Quintet.
The all-English programme also features music
by Purcell, Barcham Stevens, Delius and Vaughan
Williams, and a work by Uckfield-based Julian
Broughton. Cliffe Building, East Sussex College,
Mountfield Road. £16, free for 8-25 year olds.
nyslewes.org.uk
Robin Houghton
83
FreeTIME
êêêê
UNTIL SUNDAY 3
Fort Fright Week. Arts & crafts, quizzes,
tunnel walks and other Halloween activities.
Newhaven Fort, see newhavenfort.org.uk.
‘Spook-tacular’ Halloween Fun. Pumpkin
carving, craft sessions, story time, face
painting and more. Blackberry Farm Park, see
blackberry-farm.co.uk.
Witches and Wizards. Bluebell Railway
invites you to a spooky gathering this half
term. Head to Horsted Keynes Station for
Halloween fun and games, including a fancy
dress competition, crafty fun, and more. Prices
vary, see bluebell-railway.com.
SATURDAY 2
SAT 23 – TUES 24 DEC
food and drink
will be available
both outside in the
Carriage Ring and
in the Seed Café and
Stables restaurant.
kew.org/wakehurst.
Santa’s Toy Factory. Visit Santa and receive
a gift. Meet some of his new helpers in
the factory. South Downs Nurseries, see
tatesofsussex.co.uk.
SAT 23 – SUN 5 JANUARY
Christmas at Nymans. Inspired by Quentin
Blake’s The Story of the Dancing Frog, a sculpture
trail of froggy dancers comes to Nymans this
Christmas. See nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans for
details and related events.
SATURDAY 30
Halloween Fun Dog Show. Raystede Centre
for Animal Welfare, see www.raystede.org.
SUNDAY 3
Look Think Make. Drop-in family-friendly
creative activities, with support from DLWP
staff and volunteers. De La Warr, 2pm-4pm, £1.
THURS 21 – SUN 22 DEC
Glow Wild. Winter lantern trail in the grounds
of Wakehurst. Trees, ponds and landscapes
are brought to life with hundreds of glowing
lanterns, torches of fire and projections. Festive
CBeebies Hansel and Gretel. CBeebies
Christmas Show once again comes to the big
screen from the theatre stage, with plenty of
Christmas fun. Includes interactive content
exclusively created for cinemas, alongside the
Hansel & Gretel stage performance recorded
at Edinburgh Festival theatre. Depot, 11am &
1pm, £10/£8.
FROM SAT 30 – TUE 24 DEC
Santa Specials. Enjoy a journey through
the Sussex countryside in all its winter
splendour. Santa and his elves will
be on board with a present and
chocolate treat for all the children.
Tickets must be pre-booked
online, bluebell-railway.com.
THE BRIGHTON
Waldorf School
CHRISTMAS
BAZAAR
SATURDAY 7 TH DECEMBER
11.00am - 4.00pm
Come along for a day of festive family fun
and Christmas shopping
The Gnome’s Grotto
Live Music
Craft Activities
The School Café will be serving
delicious treats
Festive market stalls selling
hand-crafted, eco-friendly gifts
Entry
ONLY £1
PER ADULT
Children - FREE
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
facebook.com/brightonwaldorfschool
www.brightonwaldorfschool.org
Limited Company No. 2395398 • Registered Charity No. 802036
Guardians of Magic
by Chris Riddell
BOOK REVIEW
Guardians of Magic kicks off a brand new fantasy series for nine to
12 year old readers by much-loved author and illustrator Chris
Riddell.
The Kingdom of Thrynne is a place where fairy tales don’t behave,
and magic can be found in unexpected places. But magic brings
danger to Zam, Phoebe and Bathsheba, because it is forbidden.
Now, the future of magic itself is under threat from powerful enemies:
those who fear it and, worse, those who want to use it for their own ends. What can three
ordinary children do to protect it?
Destined to fight back and keep the Forever Tree’s magic alive, the three children leave their
homes and, armed with their magical objects (a runcible spoon that creates living gingerbread
creatures, a cello that speaks and dreams and a glowing worpel sword), they come together to
fight the villains who threaten the tree’s sacred magic. With help from the beautiful cloud horses,
the children use their courage and wit to embark upon a unique magical quest.
The stunning illustrations throughout the book are what make this really special, with character
sketches, maps and building cross-sections that both delight and inform. Anna, Bags of Books
Find Guardians of Magic, the first book of The Cloud Horse Chronicles, at Bags of Books with 20%
off in November.
THE 2019 AUTUMN / WINTER COLLECTION
52 Cliffe High St . Lewes . 01273 471893
www.barracloughs.net/wm
Barracloughs the Opticians Lewes are proud to incorporate
FIND YOUR FEET
PODIATRY &
CHIROPODY
- Fungal Nail advice
- Diabetic Foot
- Rheumatology
- Wound care
- Nail Surgery
- Nail Cutting
- Corn & Callus removal
- In-growing Toenails
- Verrucae
- Biomechanics
52 Cliffe High Street . Lewes . 01273 471893
www.fyfpc.co.uk
The Pelham arms
hIGh sT. leWes
CHRISTMAS
BOOKINGS
NOW BEING
TAKEN
Christmas parties
for up to 40 guests
Please email
manager@thepelhamarms.co.uk
to book your party
and to receive a copy of
this years festive menu
We deliver via Just Eat
Footlong sub
£5 after 5pm
Breakfast sub
£2 with a drink
Ts & Cs apply. £5 footlong not valid on premium subs and
Breakfast deal valid on only single meat. Instore offer only.
16 Eastgate St, Lewes BN7 2LP
J M Furniture Ltd
TRADING IN LEWES SINCE SEPT 1999
Bespoke custom made furniture and kitchens.
We welcome commissions of all sizes and budgets.
01273 472924 | sales@jmfurniture.co.uk
www.jmfurniture.co.uk
FOOD REVIEW
Chaula’s
The food of India
Chaula’s is, and long has been, a complete
one-off, for Lewes. Billed ‘The food of India,
not just Indian food’, everything about it has an
authenticity and its own character. The curry is
delicious, traditional and has a lovely homemade
look and flavour. Chaula has been cooking it for
the town for years.
I really like the setting – just outside Waitrose,
standing in its own square. The room we sit in
(the downstairs restaurant) has a special atmosphere.
You step through the door, and feel you are
in India – even as darkness falls, and the blinds
remain open, with Lewes bus station opposite!
When we went, the place filled nicely, even for
early evening, and felt very relaxed, everyone
leaning forward, chatting. I’m partial to the
lunchtime buffet – all you want for £9 a head. It
being evening, we got a menu and waiter service,
sitting at a table surrounded by colourful murals.
(There’s also a lovely cocktail lounge upstairs;
open, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.)
The food is described as ‘originating from
Gujarat’, though the menu also offers ‘all-time
favourites’ from all over India. ‘The décor’, the
website says, ‘provides you with the complete
Indian experience.’ So it does.
After two nice large poppadoms washed down
with raitu, mango chutney, Cobra and Kingfisher,
we shared the Chaula’s Vegetarian Mix
Platter (the small was plenty for two, at £6.99).
The Bhajias were light and crunchy, the Samosa
a lovely filo pastry parcel bulging with hot spicy
filling. We couldn’t guess what the Patra was, but
the waiter enlightened us: “elephant bay leaves
packed together and baked”.
For mains we shared a pilau rice £3.25 – different,
with vegetables in it – and two mains –
Hydrabadi Chicken (£8.50) and Shaami Prawns
(£9.50) – plus a Bombay Aloo (£6.99), and Naan
(£2.50). “The potatoes are a lovely colour,” Pete
said; plus, they were delicious. All the dishes
came in lovely beaten-silver looking bowls. The
portions did not look dauntingly large but these
bowls had a Mary Poppins’ carpet-bag magic: we
never reached their bottoms. Deceptively generous,
and satisfying.
The naan I liked more than standard naans: it
was soft and lighter somehow, a bit oily (in a
good way). Perfect accompaniment to the curries
and rice. The chicken – Pete’s favourite – was
“incredibly tender”: generous chunks that just
melted in the mouth served in a flavour-packed
sauce with a stew-like consistency. The prawn
was spicier without in any way overwhelming
the strong prawn flavour. I enjoyed both enormously,
and a good combination. Really different
from standard curry. Very fresh, authentic home
cooking: lovely, and super filling. CG
6 Eastgate Street. chaulas.co.uk
89
90
RECIPE
Pulled Pork Bun with Red Apple Slaw
& Headbangers BBQ Sauce
Andrew Mellor of the Pelham Arms introduces a Bonfire special
We’ve been serving a version of this pulled
pork bun for over five years. It’s perfect for
feeding a crowd, and is great for Bonfire gatherings.
We love food you prepare in advance so
you can spend time with your guests instead of
in the kitchen. This dish always elicits greedy
gasps of delight, despite being really simple to
make.
Our food is constantly evolving as Head Chef
Matt Marten and I share inspiration for new
dishes and ideas for tweaking old favourites. For
this dish we took a recipe for Asian pulled pork
by American chef David Chang and gave it a
BBQ/Americana twist. We love smoking meats
but for this recipe we’ve kept things simple and
let the flavour of the pork take centre stage. Our
pork comes from Holmansbridge Farm and
we serve it with vegan demi-brioche rolls from
Flint Owl. The rolls are key – they need to be
soft, yet strong enough to hold their shape and
keep the meat in place. Serve the buns with a
homemade slaw and tangy sauce for the perfect
crowd-pleasing meal.
Recipe: Serves 12-15. Pulled Pork
1 medium sized free-range pork shoulder/butt;
½ cup salt & sugar 50/50; 100 ml cider vinegar
The day before cooking remove the pork
shoulder skin, leaving a layer of about 1cm of
fat over the whole shoulder. Rub with the salt
and sugar mix, place on a non-metallic tray or
large bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel
and refrigerate overnight.
On the day, nice and early, preheat the oven
to 130C, place the pork on a deep roasting
tray, cover it with a layer of baking parchment
and then cover the whole tray with foil. Roast
in the low oven for 10 hours – or overnight.
Allow plenty of time for the pork to rest before
serving. When you open it up, it should pull
apart easily. Shred using two forks and sprinkle
with cider vinegar to season.
Red apple slaw
½ medium red cabbage; 5 red apples; 4 red
onions; 1 bunch parsley, chopped; 1 large tbs
wholegrain mustard; ½ cup cider vinegar; 2 tsp
salt; 1 tsp ground pepper
Prepare at least an hour before serving for
maximum flavour. Finely shred the veg and apples,
then add to the rest of the ingredients in a
large bowl and combine. Don’t add mayo!
Headbangers Barbeque Sauce
1 medium onion; 1 tin chopped tomatoes; ½
cup cider vinegar; ½ cup cola; 125g dark brown
sugar; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp allspice; 2 tsp
smoked paprika
Sweat the onions in some oil, then add the spices
and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cola and
sugar and reduce by ¼, then add the chopped
tomatoes and vinegar and simmer, reducing
until it reaches a thick sticky consistency. Purée
or leave coarse, and eat warm or cold.
To serve, dish the food up for your bonfire
guests to build their own messy pulled pork
buns. As told to Lulah Ellender
Try the pulled pork buns at the Pelham Arms on
5th November from around 5pm
91
FOOD REVIEW
Beckworths
Where treats abound
I love a good sandwich shop. They offer comfort and variety, a chance to
browse and then construct something fun, and they can be a convenient
way to grab food in a hurry. I’ve been working in Lewes for ten months,
and have enjoyed exploring the range of lunch options we have here.
Beckworths is new to me however. It’s an appealing cavern, overflowing
with treats. Ice cream, pies, soft drinks and yogurts are stacked in the
fridge. The counter’s packed with meat, olives, cheese, eggs and sausage
rolls. Thankfully, the staff are patient with me while I ponderously attempt
to take it all in.
I choose a Mortadella filling (pork with pistachios) in one of their focaccia
rolls (£3.75): the meat is thinly sliced but tastes delicious. The focaccia
is soft and generously herby, and the fresh salad makes for a beautifully balanced sandwich: the nicest
I’ve had in a long time.
There’s a wide range of Brown Bag branded crisps available (£1): the tiger prawn flavour tastes like
actual prawns, rather than the lurid pink blaze of prawn cocktail. I’m drawn to some attractive curios
on top of the counter: Italian pastry bites known as cannoli at 90p a go. We try each filling: a rich
chocolate, and tasty, sugary, pistachio and vanilla flavours. A yogurt and raspberry flapjack is in fact
more cake and crumble in texture: a fruity hit with the Viva team (£1.90). Joe Fuller
67 High St, beckworthslewes.co.uk
hristmas CGIFT VOUCHERS from £20
GIFT VOUCHER IDEAS:
• Traditional Sunday lunch
• Dinner at The Wingrove
• Overnight stay with
breakfast for two
Monetary & overnight stay gift vouchers available at www.wingrovehousealfriston.com
High Street, Alfriston, East Sussex, BN26 5TD
www.wingrovehousealfriston.com | 01323 870276 | info@wingrovehousealfriston.com
Christmas Openings
WINTER WARMER
2 FOR 1 OFFER
From November 4th through to
December 12th The Jolly
Sportsman are offering Viva
readers 2 main courses for the
price of 1 from their à la carte
menu.
The offer is available on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays for
lunch or dinner. Booking
essential. Please mention this
voucher when booking and bring
it along with you.
01273 890400
info@thejollysportsman.com
jollysportsman.com
Indian Restaurant &
Cocktail Lounge
BOOK NOW FOR
CHRISTMAS &
NEW YEAR
Cocktail lounge also
available to hire for
parties
Opening times:
Lunch every day
12pm - 2:30pm
(except Mondays)
Sunday to Thursday
5pm - 10.00pm
Friday & Saturday
5pm - 10:30pm
Monday closed
6 Eastgate Street
BN7 2LP, 01273 476707
FOOD
Lewes bites
The Seasons have various tastings in November.
On Friday 8th, it’s ‘all things plantbased / Vegan’,
a chance to sample cheese, milks and cookies. On
15th, the founder and Head Baker of The Sussex
Kitchen will be sharing breads and cakes. Finally,
on 22nd, a festive tasting of ‘fine Italian foods’,
from chutneys
to cakes. Tastings
run from
11am to 4pm.
All welcome.
16-17 Cliffe
High Street
Vegan Festival Lewes is on Thursday 14th
November from 11.30am till 7pm in East Sussex
College (Cliffe Building, 1 Mountfield Road).
This free event welcomes anyone interested in
exploring the alternative lifestyle of veganism
– which encompasses much more than simply
eating vegan food: ‘veganism’,
says the website,
‘can reduce your
carbon footprint by
nearly three-quarters!’
sussexvegan.com/
vegan-festival-lewes
www.lewesfoodmarket.co.uk
Rathfinny’s Tasting Room restaurant will
be open seven days a week for lunch from
November, offering an ever-changing menu of
seasonal, modern, British cuisine to accompany
Rathfinny’s Sparkling Sussex
and Cradle Valley wines.
It will also be hosting a
series of evening events
throughout the winter
season, such as a Game
Night Feast on the
8th and 9th November.
rathfinnyestate.com
95
THE WAY WE WORK
Photographer Benjamin Youd visited a range of theatre or production
professionals, and asked each: Who’s your favourite theatrical character?
benjaminyoud.com
Pete & Tom East
Set builders and joint directors of East Productions
‘Tim Walker, theatrical fashion photographer. Without having worked with
Tim on his set builds, we wouldn’t be where we are now!’
THE WAY WE WORK
Judy Neame
Principal of Centre Stage Makeup and Hair training studio
‘Sir Laurence Olivier, an amazing actor with an amazing voice.
Also a dear friend and a compassionate person. Dearly missed.’
THE WAY WE WORK
Trevor Morgan, Head of Lighting at Lewes Little Theatre
‘Julia, from Alan Ayckbourn’s Haunting Julia, our last production. A tortured soul
whose ghostly apparitions gave plenty of opportunity for special effects.’
THE WAY WE WORK
James Garnon, Actor
‘Oddly it may be the innocent Bergetto in ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore.
Lying, dying in a puddle of blood by candlelight and hearing someone
in the audience say, ‘Oh! But he can’t die! He’s lovely!’’
BRICKS AND MORTAR
Gardner Arts to ACCA
Looking back with an eye on the future
Fifty years ago this month,
Britain’s first campusbased
university arts
centre opened its doors at
the University of Sussex.
From the outset the
Gardner Arts Centre –
now the Attenborough
Centre for the Creative
Arts – was intended to
provide a more avant
garde experience for audiences.
Contemporary dance, edgy and political dramas,
experimental music, international and arthouse
film and other events that defy boundaries
continue to inhabit the brick towers of the Basil
Spence-designed building at Falmer.
Laura McDermott, the centre’s creative director,
was well aware of this history when she took on
the job in 2016. The centre, which closed in 2008
when it lost regular funding from the local authority
and from Arts Council England, had undergone
a £8m refurbishment and was reopened and
renamed in honour of film director Sir Richard
Attenborough, the university’s former chancellor.
“So many of the university’s founding principles
were about trying to do things differently,”
she says. “From the bold architecture, to the
interdisciplinarity of the curriculum; it was about
providing an alternative to the traditional forms
of higher education.
“The arts centre was fundamental to this experience.
It recognised the arts as a key component in a
rounded educational experience – nourishing your
soul and developing your personal creativity. It was
described as ‘the yeast in life’s solid dough’.”
While it has certainly enhanced campus life,
the centre has also been a boon to the wider
community, not just as a
venue for annual events
such as Brighton Festival,
Cinecity and Brighton
Digital Festival, but as a
space for local artists and
musicians to rehearse and
develop new work.
One of the towers that
once housed an electronic
music studio has been
given a 21st century makeover to become a new
digital recording studio. Named after the late
Professor of Music, Jonathan Harvey, the facility
is for students during term time, but will be used
for other projects out of hours.
To celebrate the centre’s half century, Laura
and her colleagues are devising a 50-day advent
calendar featuring treasures from the archive
– counting down from 12 November to 31 December.
“We’ll have photos of people who have
appeared here, such as Doris Lessing, recordings
of past gigs (like Animal Collective in Brighton
Festival), and pictures of the space in its various
states of construction and renovation.”
They are also recreating the first concert given by
the university Symphony Orchestra in 1969. The
event features novelist and former student Ian
McEwan reading from his original programme
notes, and international pianist and composer
Shin Suzuma (also an ex-student) playing Beethoven’s
Piano Concerto No 3 on the Steinway
grand piano donated by Tony Banks (the keyboard
player from Genesis – a third alumnus).
“Bringing current students together with illustrious
alumni feels like the perfect way to celebrate
– looking back but with an eye on the future,”
says Laura. Jacqui Bealing
Photo courtesy of the University of Sussex
101
MY SPACE
Paul Brown
Head of Props and Scenic Workshop, Glyndebourne
I’ve been Head of Props
for 15 years. It’s a position
you keep hold of – there have
only been six of us since the
Glyndebourne Festival started
in 1934. But until this year,
there was a big problem we
had to deal with: there wasn’t
enough space to do all the
things we needed to do.
That’s not an issue anymore,
because the company has just
had a state-of-the-art production
hub built on site, and the
whole of the bottom floor is
dedicated to our department.
We now have more than three
times the space we used to
have and the whole process has
become much more efficient.
We make stuff. Or rather we
make, source, adapt and buy in
all the stage props and scenery
needed for the shows. And
with all the Tour shows as well
as the six Festival operas every
season, that’s up to nine a year.
And it’s not just the current
season we’re thinking of.
As well as working on repairs
and maintenance for current
shows, we’re planning two
years in advance for future
events. Each one has a different
director and different
designers, and we have to
adapt to their different ways of
working. It’s a good challenge
to have.
There’s no end to the
variety of props we deal
with, from huge things like
giant chandeliers, period cars
or three-metre-high peacocks,
to tiny details like sugar-tongs
and plastic ice cubes. The main
eye-catcher in the assembly
room as we speak is a 1940s
Photo by Alex Leith
102
MY SPACE
Photo by Graham Carlow
Photo by Sam Stephenson
MG 1500 sports car which has been converted
into an electric vehicle. That’s for Rigoletto.
The assembly room is the central hub
around which all the other studios radiate.
There is a mould-making room, a fabric space,
a woodwork studio for small-sized items, a
wood workshop for bigger-sized items, a paint
shop, a room for fibre-glass work and a metal
workshop. Before, we had to perform most of
these activities in the same space, which wasn’t
ideal: sawdust flying into newly-painted props,
and that sort of thing.
It was important to choose a good, flexible
architect to build the new hub. What we
do here is very odd, when you think about it,
so the process was extremely consultative: we
all had a say in how it would look and work.
Nicholas Hare Architects did a great job. The
old building was demolished in December
2017, and we were back here in February of
this year.
Upstairs there are different departments,
like the costume department and the wig
department. It’s good to have them so close,
as there’s a lot of crossover. For example, we
recently had to make 400 rubber fish for the
sleeves of a costume for Mozart’s Magic Flute.
Including the dress rehearsals, I get to see
each opera that’s performed four or five times.
My favourite Glyndebourne Festival show, over
the years? It’s got to be The Turn of the Screw.
As told to Alex Leith
Photo by Sam Stephenson
Photo by Graham Carlow
103
Domestic Pet, Farm Animal and Equine Services
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since 1865
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21 Cliffe High Street
01273 473 232
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01273 302 609
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01273 814 590
EQUINE CLINIC LAUGHTON
01323 815120
www.cliffevets.co.uk | www.cliffeequine.co.uk
WILDLIFE
Illustration by Mark Greco
Shakespeare’s Starlings
Three act tragedy
Hey y’all, I’m mailing in this month’s Viva article
from my vacation at Bodega Bay on the foggy
Pacific coast of California. It may be all organic
coffee, art galleries, surfer dudes and flip-flops but
this quaint coastal community is notorious for being
the location for a most sinister film: The Birds
(1963). Alfred Hitchcock has long gone, but flocks
of the film’s stars still sit ominously perched on telegraph
wires as if unaware that the portly director
yelled “cut” 56 years ago. But unlike the local hummingbirds,
phoebes and chickadees these particular
birds look reassuringly familiar to me. They are
Sturnus vulgaris, the European Starling, the same
species we see wheeling around Brighton’s West
Pier in their dramatic amoeboid murmurations.
And, like me, they don’t really belong here. The
Starlings are here thanks to Henry IV. Well, Henry
IV Part 1 to be precise.
Act I: London, 1597. William Shakespeare scribbles
the word ‘starling’ in his epic tale of power
and treachery. With that feathered flourish of
his quill Shakespeare would unknowingly be the
author of an ecological catastrophe that would play
out until the present day.
Act II: New York, 1877. Enter stage right Eugene
Schieffelin, a socialite who would later be remembered
as ‘an eccentric at best, a lunatic at worst’.
He chaired the American Acclimatization Society,
a group which, despite their nationalistic sounding
name, were very keen to welcome foreigners. In
fact their aim was to import animals of economic
or cultural interest from the Old World to the
New. Schieffelin, a big fan of Shakespeare, had
a dream: to populate America with every bird
mentioned in Shakespeare’s writings. And so the
bard’s birds were boxed up in England and brought
to New York where Skylarks, Pied Wagtails, Bullfinches,
Nightingales, Chaffinches and many more
were ‘liberated’ into Central Park. The majority of
them died. But on March 6, 1890, 60 Starlings (a
bird mentioned only once by Shakespeare) were
released in Central Park and they fared better.
Much better. Today there are around 200 million
of them across the United States.
Act III: US, present day. The story of Schieffelin’s
Shakespearian motivation may just be an urban
legend but the legacy of his misguided American
Acclimatization Society is very real. Today European
Starlings are widely vilified by Americans
as aggressive pests that have destroyed precious
ecosystems and turfed out native species. Which is
pretty rich coming from a bunch of invasive Europeans
who have been doing just that for the past
few centuries. And don’t start me on their current
leader – a lunatic at best – who is busy dismantling
environmental regulations that protect wildlife,
the landscape and our planet. But sure, let’s blame
the birds. As Mr Shakespeare (almost) once wrote,
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our Starlings, /
But in ourselves”.
Michael Blencowe, Senior Learning & Engagement
Officer, Sussex Wildlife Trust
105
Shop
independent
this Christmas
...and win a hamper
of local gifts!
BUSINESS NEWS
First up, there’s some news about The Crown.
The Grade-II-listed building is being redeveloped
by Crown Development. The refurb work
is to be done by Cheesmur Building Contractors,
the company recently responsible for the
extensive works on the old Post Office. In early
November they are to begin converting the
former pub and hotel into three retail units, and
nine apartments. You can check out their progress
on social media #thecrownlewes.
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed a
planning permission notice in the whitewashed
windows of what used to be Aqua. It announces
that Hixon Green are applying for an alcohol
licence, Monday-Sunday, 9am-10.30pm. You
might have visited this establishment at their
smart base on Church Road, in Hove: they’re a
New York-style bar/eatery/cafe, equally happy
serving you scrambled eggs on toast, or a Guava
Mule cocktail.
It’s all change on the north side of Cliffe High
Street. The Seasons is up and running in the
space formerly known as Bunce’s, of course,
selling organic, healthy food, from artisan bread
to fresh turmeric: bring your own container if
you’re after split peas or coriander seeds. And the
family team at Lumen – until recently Simon
David – has been busy giving a clean sweep and
lick of paint to the 15th-century space from
where they’re selling their lighting and other
interior items; it’s worth popping in just to see the
inglenook fireplace they’ve uncovered at the back
of the shop.
Next door, at number 11, it’s a warm welcome to
Nørd, who have moved from the big groundfloor
corner shop in the Needlemakers: expect
bespoke no-ethanol fireplaces, Scandi interior
furnishings, sustainable-fabric clothing and
natural toiletries.
Watch this space to see who moves into the one
that Nørd vacate; while we’re in the Needlemakers,
let’s welcome Alice Ashton, a jeweller who
has beamed down into the store formerly known
as Jewel Purpose, now ‘Jewel Makers: jewellery
creations and the unusual’. She will share her
workbench with the original manager; the little
room has had a beautiful makeover, courtesy of
Anna Hayman.
We were sad to hear that Twinkle Twinkle, the
boutique that’s been brightening up School Hill
for the last 12 years, is to close, at the end of December.
Good luck to Lucy and Susannah. And
the best of luck, too, to Fran, who has re-opened
Cheese Please near the War Memorial. Lovers
of good cheese – both local and continental –
will be delighted it’s back. It’s had a fine new
refurb, too.
The District Council are offering businesses a
publicity opportunity: from £75 +VAT you can
book a space in their Visit Lewes website [visitlewes.co.uk],
aimed at the tourist market.
Finally, make a note of Thursday 5th December,
Late Night Shopping in Lewes. Road closure
of the High Street, School Hill and Cliffe High
Street has been ensured: expect horses and carts,
Morris dancers, choirs of all shapes and sizes, and,
of course, mince pies and mulled wine.
Alex Leith
107
FOOTBALL
Annie Timoney
Sub-lieutenant wing-back
“When I signed up, I
signed up for life,” says
Annie Timoney, Lewes FC’s
tenacious 22-year-old Irish
wing-back, sitting in the
Rook Inn before an early-
October training session. “I
was fully committed.”
Annie’s talking about when,
at the age of just 18, she
made the decision to quit
playing football, and join the
Royal Navy.
It was a tough call: she’d been excelling at the
sport since the age of three. A natural athlete,
she’d chosen it over her other loves of Hurling
and Gaelic football, and reached the top of the
game on the island of Ireland.
“I played four full internationals for Northern
Ireland, when I was still 18,” she tells me. She
represented Shelbourne, in the Republic, and
Glentoran of Belfast against the likes of PAOK
Athens and Glasgow City in the European
Champions League.
“But I’m the sort of person who needs to make
progress in life. I couldn’t see a way forward. I’d
fallen out of love with football.”
During her four years in the Navy, she was posted
to the Middle East. She saw plenty of action
on HMS Dragon, hunting drug smugglers in the
Arabian Ocean. “I learnt a lot,” she says, “about
expanding my limits, mentally and emotionally.
I learnt social skills. I learnt how to lead.” She
came to a point where she was a month away
from graduating to drive a warship.
“But there was always something niggling away,”
she continues. “I was worried about feeling
regret, when I got older, that I hadn’t fulfilled
my childhood dream of
reaching the very top as a
footballer.”
Aged 22, she quit the Navy,
and started the search for
a new club, that eventually
took her to Lewes FC. “I
met Fran [Alonso, Lewes
manager], and saw the
set-up, and was genuinely
impressed. The Equality FC
was important: it’s amazing
to be at the forefront of such
an important movement in the women’s game.”
Realising her years in the sporting wilderness
would count against her, Annie was preparing
herself to learn more off the pitch than on it, this
season. “I earmarked this year for getting up to
speed,” she says. “Watching, learning, developing
the mental side of my game.”
She was delighted, therefore, to be called up to
start in the FA Cup game against Crystal Palace
on September 23rd. Sadly, she didn’t last the
full 90. A clumsy Crystal Palace boot stomped
on her ankle in the last ten minutes: she was
carried off and, as I write, is still recovering
from what turned out, mercifully, just to be a
soft tissue injury.
Don’t bet against her making it back into the
starting line-up soon, though. Considering the
twists and turns in her career so far, the injury
looks like a minor blip. And I wouldn’t bet, either,
against her fulfilling her ultimate ambition,
of ‘playing in the WSL’, the top tier of women’s
football. But would that be in the red and black
of Lewes FC?
“That would be the dream,” she says.
Alex Leith
Photo by James Boyes
108
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totally reliable.
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01273 483339 / 07887 993396
Art Frames
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Bespoke coloured frame to complement artwork, finished in
natural wax. Quick turnaround if required for exhibiting.
Please contact Richard.
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PAUL FURNELL
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and Renovation works,
Based in Lewes
t. 07717 862940 e. paul.lee.furnell@gmail.com
Domestic & Commercial work undertaken
Tom Carwithen
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HEALTH
John Davis
MA BACP(reg)
Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy
Based at Coach House Clinic in the centre of Lewes,
I offer therapy to those experiencing particular difficulties
or individuals feeling somewhat lost in life.
Please feel free to get in touch.
Call: 0780 135 4803
Email: jd-therapy@outlook.com
www.johndavistherapy.co.uk
VALENCE ROAD OSTEOPATHS
neck or back pain?
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Lin Peters - OSTEOPATH
for the treatment of:
neck or low back pain • sports injuries • rheumatic
arthritic symptoms • pulled muscles • joint pain
stiffness • sciatica - trapped nerves • slipped discs
tension • frozen shoulders • cranial osteopathy
pre and post natal
www.lewesosteopath.co.uk
20 Valence Road Lewes 01273 476371
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Tom Lockyer BA (HONS). DIP COUNS, MBACP
01273 480900
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Open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings
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Andrew Wells_Viva Lewes_AW.indd 1 25/06/2012 09:05
INSIDE LEFT
BONFIRE THEATRE
It’s November 29th, 1911, and the curtain is
about to fall on the one and only performance
of the ballad operetta The Smugglers.
The show was performed on the occasion of
the annual prize distribution and concert of
the Lewes company of the Territorial Army,
at the Assembly Room of the Town Hall.
The performers in the show were current and
former volunteers in the D Company of the 5th
(Cinque Ports) Royal Sussex Regiment.
There’s a report on the concert in the Sussex
Agricultural Times, which gives a brief precis
of the plot (spoiler alert!): ‘The smugglers’ den
is visited by preventivemen [customs officers]
and an excise officer on the very night a lugger
arrives laden with smuggled goods. The preventivemen
are on the track of the smugglers
but the incompetent excise official interferes
and the smugglers succeed in outwitting their
pursuers’.
The journalist passes positive judgement on the
performance: ‘It was arranged and presented
by ex. Col-Sgt Edgar Flint, and the production
certainly did him the greatest credit… the
acting of every individual calls for the greatest
eulogy’.
Edgar Flint, I’m told by his grandson Nick
(now the Vicar of Rusper), was a member of
D Company from 1895 to 1905. He was a
keen bonfire boy, and a member of the Lewes
Fire Brigade, which had been founded by his
grandfather. Flint was later presented with a
pair of golden cufflinks to thank him for stage
managing the show.
The picture, I’m told by Tom Reeves, was
taken by his grandfather, Benjamin Reeves, as
an experiment in the use of ‘flashlight’ photography,
using flash powder. This method was, he
reveals, very spectacular and potentially quite
dangerous. The newspaper doesn’t report any
casualties.
At the time of this annual get together, according
to the same newspaper report, D Company
numbered 126 volunteers. Most of these chaps,
we can assume, would have also volunteered
in 1914, to fight in the regular army after the
outbreak of war. Alex Leith
Reeves, 159 High St, 01273 473274.
122
Come and support your
wonderful Rooks!
Next up at the Dripping Pan:
Sat 2 Nov, 2pm: Chelsea
Sat 9 Nov, 3pm: Hornchurch
Sun 17 Nov, 1pm: Sheffield United
Sat 30 Nov, 3pm: Folkestone Invicta
And remember that anyone under 16
gets free entry to all Lewes FC matches.
JOIN THE CLUB:
www.lewesfc.com/owners
alistairflemingdesign.co.uk
01273 471269
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