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4:26pm Tuesday 8th January 2008
The owner of a world-famous tea shop today declared war on Brighton's "muesli mountain" claiming residents are too busy burning their bras and doing yoga to care about their community.
David Daly, who runs the Tea Cosy Rooms in Southover Street, said he would "rather live and trade on a council estate" than remain in affluent Hanover.
He has accused homeowners of not reporting vandalism and yobbish behaviour to keep crime figures low and house prices high.
Mr Daly, 30, who has written a book on etiquette, said he has even decided to move his celebrated tea shop to another area in Brighton and Hove.
The quaint shop made headlines across the globe after it emerged its owners had banned elbows on tables, mobile phones, slurping, handling sugar cubes and clattering of teaspoons.
A rule book has ensured customers adhere to the strict etiquette with some falling foul of the guidelines and being shown the door.
Now Mr Daly has attacked the spirit of residents in the neighbourhood after his shop suffered repeated vandalism attacks.
Mr Daly said: "Unfortunately, all people think about in this area is their property prices so they never, ever report crime.
"They would all rather turn a blind eye and keep the name of the area up with a low crime rate than stand up to yobs that are terrorising the area.
"Your house could be burning down and the people would just walk straight past and go to the pub.
"They are all too busy burning their bras, doing yoga and eating wheat free bread to even notice.
"We think Hanover has lived on its reputation of muesli mountain for far too long.
"In reality it is run down, dirty, crime ridden and an un-friendly area full of secret alcoholics.
"In my personal opinion I would rather live in Whitehawk than live in Hanover."
Mr Daly, who runs the shop with partner James Green, 26, said his business has been forced out of the area because it has been targeted by yobs, costing thousands of pounds in repairs.
He said: "We have had the shop windows smashed three times and the property vandalised, once with indelible marker." He said some of the graffiti showed lurid sex acts involving the Royal Family.
"They all have intolerances; intolerant to wheat, dairy and glucose but they all go to the pub which makes me laugh.
"I don't think any of them have actually been told by a doctor they are intolerant to it, I think they just have too much time on their hands."
Sussex Police statistics show Hanover and Elm Grove has one of the lowest crime rates in the city.
The latest figures for July show 75 crimes in the area. There were 1,094 reported incidents in central Brighton.
Hanover councillor Bill Randall said: "In my experience Hanover is the best and most supportive community I have lived in.
"It is extremely friendly and people look out for each other.
"The crime figures are not high and he is wrong to suggest there is a conspiracy amongst residents to keep figures low."
What do you think?
Flat Chest Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
4:45pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
4:53pm Tue 8 Jan 08
miranda, muesli hill says...
5:01pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Pat Mustard, Craggy Ilsand says...
5:01pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Anne, Hanover says...
5:03pm Tue 8 Jan 08
daniel, brighton says...
5:03pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Stroller, Hove says...
5:33pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Louis, Brighton says...
5:39pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Wilftop, Hanover says...
5:57pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
6:09pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Michael, Horsham says...
6:17pm today Tue 8 Jan 08
Eco Man, Kemp Town says...
6:20pm Tue 8 Jan 08
dazv88, brighton says...
6:31pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Flo, Hanover says...
6:43pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Jane, hanover, top of the hill says...
7:02pm Tue 8 Jan 08
argus rot, says...
7:02pm Tue 8 Jan 08
mark, brighton says...
7:04pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Lisa hanover, elm grove says...
7:14pm Tue 8 Jan 08
meandmydog, hove says...
7:17pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Bertie, Hanover says...
7:18pm Tue 8 Jan 08
onlyme, kemptown says...
7:33pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Bertie wrote:mmmmmmm. I think you missed the point. The whole thing about this place is that it is royalist, it does have a book of manner, it does serve massive portions. What, do you want every place in brighton the same? Good luck to you guys you deserve it.
I suspect this is all sour grapes on Mr Daly\'s part, as his business is probably not viable in a residential area. Had the tearooms been open more consistently, offered more savoury food and smaller, cheaper portions than the whole high tea I suspect the tearoom would have been more successful. Not to mention dropping the fastidiousness about table manners and their overtly royalist stance. Attention seeking and PR stunts seem to be more important to the owners than providing a service. Mr Daly\'s attack on the local community is spiteful, and as someone who has probably been the subject of stereotyping as a gay man, he should really know better.
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
7:43pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Eco Man wrote:The African tribeswomen do not wear secondhand Hanover bras.
I don't think all the Greens in Hanover can be burning the bras. It's hardly ecologically friendly, what with all the elastic bits and pieces giving off the dioxins.
I hear that, in liberating themselves, these women send the discarded garments to Africa.
That might of course seem a bit imperialist of them. Why should the African women be shackled by such a symbol of male domination while the Hanover women get to disport themselves without shame?
But, that's the Greens for you.
veronica, hanover/kemptown says...
8:09pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Brian, Brighton says...
8:56pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Arry, Arundel says...
9:24pm Tue 8 Jan 08
PR MAD, brighton says...
9:27pm Tue 8 Jan 08
saywhatuthink, sussex says...
9:34pm Tue 8 Jan 08
liveinhanover, hanover says...
9:56pm Tue 8 Jan 08
Ian Smith, Formerly Rhodesia says...
10:02pm Tue 8 Jan 08
disappointed., Brighton says...
10:13pm Tue 8 Jan 08
mucher, everywhere says...
10:28pm Tue 8 Jan 08
saywhatuthink wrote:the most common sense comment left. If people dont start to stand up to the youth of today soon they will take over and all hell with break loose. In the 60's if someone down the road saw you kids doing something wrong they would drag them back to your house and tell the parents. These days everyone turns a blind eye
Whats wrong with saying what you think? I think they are brave to stand up to their neighbours about whats going on in that area. You can say what you like about these two but at least you know where you stand with them. They say a spades a spade and their not backwards at coming forward. Brighton has lost all its characters over the years and at least now we have another one back. Love em or hate them they add character to Brighton. Wishing you all the best xx
Me Old China, East End says...
10:31pm Tue 8 Jan 08
megainonlyme, hove says...
10:31pm Tue 8 Jan 08
PR MAD wrote:funny you should say that, they have added a special offer for this weekend on thier web site. There obviously not silly.
The Hanover issue aside these two are the 'Queens' of PR in brighton. It costs about £1800 for a full page in the argus and over the past 6 months they have had 4 of them, 100% totally free. Either they are slipping the Argus a few quid every now and again or one of them works there as a side line. My shop has never once even been mentioned in this newpaper. Whats the old saying? Theres no such thing as bad publicity! These two prove that right
claire, brighton says...
11:23pm Tue 8 Jan 08
janeagain, hanover says...
11:41pm Tue 8 Jan 08
What a chump, Brighton says...
8:03am Wed 9 Jan 08
j, BN1 says...
8:15am Wed 9 Jan 08
steve wrote:who does he think is this utter moron barely literate probably hasn't even heard of the word comma or full stop let alone know how to spell how do idiots like this get access to the internet it shouldn't be allowed. trying to decide what I found more offensive, the way you expressed your "views" or your pathetic assault on written English. Get back in the dole queue and shut up.
who does he think he is this shirtlifter his up a tree pink tea rooms get a life you sad muppet we dont need your sort around here good redens batey man
Spanish Gentleman, Up the Queens Park Tavern with the scary rough boys off my nut and about to terrorise Hanover residents says...
9:17am Wed 9 Jan 08
Fi, Hanover says...
10:01am Wed 9 Jan 08
anti-social behaviour team, says...
10:23am Wed 9 Jan 08
v, ............... says...
10:31am Wed 9 Jan 08
tobi, brighton says...
10:41am Wed 9 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie wrote:well flat chested floozie keep up the stupid remarks
Bra burning? How quaint! It certainly sounds as if somebody has put something in Mr Daly's tea. It's unlikely he'll be voting Green.
tobi, brighton says...
10:41am Wed 9 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie wrote:well flat chested floozie keep up the stupid remarks
Bra burning? How quaint! It certainly sounds as if somebody has put something in Mr Daly's tea. It's unlikely he'll be voting Green.
Spanish Gentleman, New York London Paris erm Brighton says...
11:12am Wed 9 Jan 08
Fi wrote:Fi Brighton is NOT a large city!!!! For God's sake.
I have lived in in several locations in Brighton over the years and in my personal opinion Hanover is the most community friendly place I have ever lived. The people are friendly, helpful and in spite of the huge amounts of students I enjoy the 'mixed' bag of people who live in my area. Crime is a problem everywhere in a large city and vandalism is unfortunate but no worse here than anywhere else. Good luck to Mr Daly and his tea shop in their quest to avoid vandalism and crime...
hillylane, hanover says...
12:04pm Wed 9 Jan 08
bren, brighton says...
12:28pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Graham Hannaford, Kemp Town says...
1:58pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Louis, Brighton says...
2:23pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman, At my renovated French farmhouse with a fantastic brie we picked up in the market and teaching my precocious children French unneccesarily and being secretly despised by the villagers who I think I am good terms says...
2:42pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Louis wrote:How much would the residents of Hanover love to find out they were part of France. Can you imagine how snobbish and pretentious it would get then. The place would simply disappear up its own derriere for good.
Documents have emerged which show that the museili mountain is in fact part of Burgundy. This is set to cause a constitutional stand-off which will show what Bill Randall and Georgia Wrighton are made of. Mr Daly will certainly have to move now as the area is beholden to another monarch and not to the usuper to whom he is in thrall.
Dave, Belgrave St says...
3:13pm Wed 9 Jan 08
quote! Police resources are streched I'm not suprized they don't give a T@ss most of the time. Get a life and move to the country!
Spanish Gentleman, Propping up the Bar in The Geese Talking About House Prices says...
3:33pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Offiah De Santis, says...
4:57pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman wrote:Plus Brighton has no scope to grow into a Large City with its pathetic infrastructure.
Dave its not a large city mate. Please will everyone stop it. Please tell me what your definition of a large city is, as this is getting beyond a joke. Brighton comes behind PETERBOROUGH and STOCKPORT in population. However when the list is made up purely of delusional idiot residents, Brighton fares somewhat better.
Just The Facts, says...
5:09pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Brighton comes behind PETERBOROUGH and STOCKPORT in population.
surprise, Brighton says...
5:15pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman, Mega City 1 says...
5:22pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman, Mega City 1 says...
5:23pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Just The Facts wrote:What do you care? Are you another Its A City Merchant?
Brighton comes behind PETERBOROUGH and STOCKPORT in population.Anything to back this claim up?
me, Brighton says...
5:57pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Louis, Brighton says...
6:43pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman wrote:No, they would all begin to stave and quarrel among themselves.
Louis wrote:How much would the residents of Hanover love to find out they were part of France. Can you imagine how snobbish and pretentious it would get then. The place would simply disappear up its own derriere for good.
Documents have emerged which show that the museili mountain is in fact part of Burgundy. This is set to cause a constitutional stand-off which will show what Bill Randall and Georgia Wrighton are made of. Mr Daly will certainly have to move now as the area is beholden to another monarch and not to the usuper to whom he is in thrall.
Spanish Gentleman, says...
7:10pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Louis wrote:We did get the reference Louis there is a Classic Comedy section in Western Road Virgin thanks.
Spanish Gentleman wrote:No, they would all begin to stave and quarrel among themselves. It's what happened in Passport to Pimlico. But it would be a good idea to put barbed wire round Museli Mountain.Louis wrote: Documents have emerged which show that the museili mountain is in fact part of Burgundy. This is set to cause a constitutional stand-off which will show what Bill Randall and Georgia Wrighton are made of. Mr Daly will certainly have to move now as the area is beholden to another monarch and not to the usuper to whom he is in thrall.How much would the residents of Hanover love to find out they were part of France. Can you imagine how snobbish and pretentious it would get then. The place would simply disappear up its own derriere for good.
Rhinofish, Hove says...
7:33pm Wed 9 Jan 08
bren, kempy says...
7:39pm Wed 9 Jan 08
bren wrote:i agree! Brighton is lossing all its character and all its unique characters. What do we want brighton to turn into? A load of chain shops who dont care about the town, take the towns money and not re-invest it into the town or do we want a town full of unique (maybe a little strange) people and shops. I wish them all the luck in the world.
The tea cosy is a Brighton institution!!!! Why dont we celebrate the fact we have an additional tourist attraction in Brighton which brings in money, jobs, and national news to the area rather than knocking them down. I hope they move to bigger and better places soon and I will come to where ever you move to. Love you boys! Xx
Just The Facts, says...
7:51pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman wrote:Why does it wind you up that someone claims it is a large city?
Just The Facts wrote:What do you care? Are you another Its A City Merchant?
Brighton comes behind PETERBOROUGH and STOCKPORT in population.Anything to back this claim up?
I just made it up Just the Pedant to annoy you mate, is that what you want to hear? No its from the Office of National Statistics. Why don't you bother them about their obviously inaccurate figures and tell them that Brighton is in fact the size of Greater Mexico City and should really be the seat of the UN.
Why dig someone out so pointlessly? Why does it bother you that someone points out the obvious idiocy of claiming Brighton is a large city? OK lets all join in. I say Rottingdean is a throbbing multicultural urban centre in desperate need of its own underground and Ditchling is hosting a summit on its increased urbanisation in the 21st century with fellow major growth centres like Shanghai and Manila. lalalala.
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
8:20pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman, says...
8:30pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Just The Facts wrote:Using the infinite chimps with typewriters theory at some point you might post something amusing.
Spanish Gentleman wrote:Why does it wind you up that someone claims it is a large city? But I really don't see why Rottingdean needs it's own underground? Brighton is a large city and that doesn't need one?Just The Facts wrote:What do you care? Are you another Its A City Merchant? I just made it up Just the Pedant to annoy you mate, is that what you want to hear? No its from the Office of National Statistics. Why don't you bother them about their obviously inaccurate figures and tell them that Brighton is in fact the size of Greater Mexico City and should really be the seat of the UN. Why dig someone out so pointlessly? Why does it bother you that someone points out the obvious idiocy of claiming Brighton is a large city? OK lets all join in. I say Rottingdean is a throbbing multicultural urban centre in desperate need of its own underground and Ditchling is hosting a summit on its increased urbanisation in the 21st century with fellow major growth centres like Shanghai and Manila. lalalala.Brighton comes behind PETERBOROUGH and STOCKPORT in population.Anything to back this claim up?
flo, brighton says...
8:44pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Alista, hove says...
8:52pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Rhinofish wrote:Certainly what ever this place does it provokes one hell of a reaction. I some what summise that they are indeed 'PR QUEENS' and are sitting rubbing thier hands together knowing they are going to have a busy weekend. THERES NO SUCH THING AS BAD ADVERTISING.
Wow! 60 comments. Is that a record?
megaian, lookatthis says...
9:15pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
9:33pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Rhinofish wrote:No its not, the post on the (alleged) cannabis cafe in lancing had over 140 comments.
Wow! 60 comments. Is that a record?
Spanish Gentleman, says...
9:52pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Kickboxer wrote:Is this the 'alleged' cannabis cafe that most of the 140-odd posters claimed they had bought and used cannabis in?
Rhinofish wrote: Wow! 60 comments. Is that a record?No its not, the post on the (alleged) cannabis cafe in lancing had over 140 comments.
Shocked, Brighton says...
9:31am Thu 10 Jan 08
The Dictionary, brighton says...
9:40am Thu 10 Jan 08
janes, hanover says...
11:01am Thu 10 Jan 08
Eco Man, Kemp Town says...
12:19pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Just The Pedant, On a typewriter says...
1:12pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Using the infinite chimps with typewriters theory at some point you might post something amusing.
welldone, brighton says...
1:17pm Thu 10 Jan 08
welldone, brighton says...
1:20pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Mrs Mop, hove says...
1:22pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Spanish Gentleman, says...
3:40pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Just The Pedant wrote:You have not grasped the principles of infinite randomness. You still may not. Especially if the pecker strapped to your head keeps falling off.
Spanish Gentleman wrote:Using the infinite chimps with typewriters theory at some point you might post something amusing.Might does not come into it. Using that theory I will post something amusing eventually.
what a chump, Brighton says...
4:57pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Anonymous, Anonymous says...
5:26pm Thu 10 Jan 08
comeonsayit, brighton says...
5:34pm Thu 10 Jan 08
prmad, brighton says...
5:49pm Thu 10 Jan 08
PR MAD wrote:they got a double spead in todays argus with pictures! And he was on the front cover, thats got to be worth a few grand alone
The Hanover issue aside these two are the 'Queens' of PR in brighton. It costs about £1800 for a full page in the argus and over the past 6 months they have had 4 of them, 100% totally free. Either they are slipping the Argus a few quid every now and again or one of them works there as a side line. My shop has never once even been mentioned in this newpaper. Whats the old saying? Theres no such thing as bad publicity! These two prove that right
caeos, says...
3:03am Fri 11 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
11:38am Fri 11 Jan 08
Anonymous, brighton says...
12:12pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
4:43pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Anonymous wrote:Yes, thanks - I was top of the article which comprises these tea shop comments (yesterday in fact). So it is clear that the Argus is a better judge of quality than that tobi specimen can ever hope to be.
Flat Foot Soozie have you seen todays argus? you are in it
Steve, Lewes says...
8:58pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Hilly Laine, Hanover says...
8:00pm Sat 12 Jan 08
mr i p freely, whitrehawk says...
8:08pm Sat 12 Jan 08
From Me, Hove says...
6:19pm Sun 13 Jan 08
Brian, Brighton says...
3:18pm Mon 14 Jan 08
bren, hove says...
10:03pm Mon 14 Jan 08
Bobby, Hanover says...
4:33pm Thu 17 Jan 08
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cliff, dordet says...
4:41pm Tue 8 Jan 08