Brighton punters are being asked how much they think while they drink.

Some people are prone to getting introspective after a couple, but a group in Brighton is taking it to the next level by discussing philosophy.

Brighton Philosophy in Pubs (PIPs) is now hosting a national conference with a range of philosophical speakers, while retaining the informal feel of a chat in the pub.

It is the first time the conference is being held outside Liverpool – the birthplace of PIPs.

Brighton organiser Pam Lelliott said: “PIPs people enjoy discussing their ideas and thoughts and learning from each other. No academic or formal background is|necessary, only a passion for enquiry.

“We have some great speakers and events planned for the weekend. It is bound to generate lots of discussion.”

The 63-year-old discovered PIPs when visiting friends in Liverpool and decided to bring it to Brighton.

She said it attracted those who “liked thinking about more interesting things in life than designer labels and celebrities”.

The Hove resident added: “One of the most wonderful things is people come up to me to say they have heard a point of view that had never occurred to them.”

Six years after it was founded, around 50 regulars pull up at the bar at the Palmeira Pub in Hove on the second Sunday of every month, grab a pint and get down to some philosophising.

There is a different topic up for discussion at each session, including what makes a hero or what is happiness.

The theme of the national conference, from June 6 to 8 at Hove’s Imperial Hotel, will be how conflict shapes our lives, marking the centenary of the start of the First World War.

To book call the Imperial Hotel on 01273 777320, ask for Dilyiana and quote the PIPs conference.