Archive

  • Fix public transport

    Although British petrol prices top European levels, let's not forget our public transport is much more expensive than abroad. Let's have a freeze on public transport fares for a few years or, better still, tax relief on local season tickets. -C Graham

  • Voice of the Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    As usual, when events such as the petrol crisis occur, it is the older and less able people who suffer the most. Many pensioners do not keep full tanks of petrol, a fact not unconnected with the price which, even before the latest hike, was pretty horrendous

  • Flooded by a hose in the loft

    A pensioner came home to discover a torrent of water pouring through her ceiling after a hole was drilled through the wall into her attic. May Addis, 79, thinks a hosepipe was pushed through the hole to flood her attic. She spent yesterday mopping up

  • Bunch of Nerds

    Once upon a time, in a green and happy land, the people who made the fuel drive the people's little motor cars were banished to behind high wire mesh fences and soon the fuel ran out completely and the people were very sad. But others, the Nerd people

  • Culture Secretary speaks of bright future for theatre

    Brighton is well placed to become a theatrical hub for the South East, according to Culture Secretary Chris Smith. He spoke exclusively to our reporter during a tour of Brighton's Theatre Royal this morning. He took time out from the Labour Party conference

  • Good sense

    How pleased and refreshed I was to read the sensible letters regarding the good which has come from a shortage of fuel. While nobody would want people to suffer because of the blockade's effect on essential services, I welcomed the drop in traffic and

  • Tractor protest hits the road

    More than 120 farmers driving tractors set off for the centre of Brighton today to protest at the Labour conference. The fleet of tractors accompanied by dozens more four wheel drive vehicles was due to join up with 150 NFU campaigners and 2,000 protesters

  • Pensioners promised £90 a week

    Pensioners were today being promised a minimum weekly income of £90 as Chancellor Gordon Brown sought to end Labour's nightmare fortnight. But he was risking further party splits by refusing to restore the link between pensions and earnings. Mr Brown

  • Speedway star's breath test shock

    Eastbourne rider Stefan Danno was sensationally banned from the European Grand Prix in Poland on Saturday. Danno was barred from riding after failing a breath test and now faces further action by the FIM, the sport's governing body. It is not the first

  • Glass is class if you open your eyes to it

    I really admired the look of the proposed sculpture to be built by the entrance to the Royal Pavilion. It's a pity, however, the artist's impression fails to convey one of the essential features of glass - the fact it is translucent. While not surprised

  • Killick wins race-walk title

    Veteran John Killick clinched the Sussex 10,000m Track Walking Championship after only three years in the sport. Killick, 54, is not the oldest winner of the title, but his progress has been remarkable. He clocked 58min.30sec, then revealed: "I'm still

  • York 0, Albion 1: Andy Naylor's big match verdict

    Albion came through an important test of character as they completed a hat-trick of clean sheet victories. A hard-earned success at Bootham Crescent, days after the unexpected exit of assistant Alan Cork, suggests the Seagulls have the mental strength

  • Man held after car rams shop window

    Shop owner Ron Kemp had a shock when a car smashed into the front of his shop as he watched TV. The Mercedes estate ploughed into the window then swerved backwards into the road only yards from a police station. Mr Kemp, sitting in his lounge above the

  • Sir Paul's £10,000 gift to Lib Dems

    Sir Paul McCartney has made a £10,000 donation to a political party to help fund research into animal welfare issues including a ban on foxhunting. The former Beatle, who lives in Peasmarsh, near Rye, was persuaded to give the cash by Liberal Democrat

  • Rene's showbiz memories go on the market

    Rene Ansell has amassed an amazing collection of stage and screen memorabilia over the years - but now she is selling the lot. Rene, 77, has decided to part company with her hoard of signed photos and autographs. She also has letters from the famous,

  • Teenager is computer game champ

    Sixth former Ian Holder is celebrating becoming UK champion at an internet computer game - while his parents recover from huge phone bills. Ian, 18, is official UK champion at the game Quake Three Arena after winning a final held at the Millennium Dome

  • End of duty-free leaves Alpha in the red

    The abolition of duty free shopping and the cost of closing a kitchen at a Paris airport sent airport retailer and caterer Alpha Airports into the red. The group said in the six months ended July 31 it made a pre-tax loss of £2.2 million, compared with

  • Organ concerts a must

    I have recently enjoyed a series of seaside melodies expertly played by local organist John Mann at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing. This was middle-of-the-road music at its very best. There is nothing of a similar nature on a regular basis in Brighton

  • The aged, not a priority

    The story about the the disruption to the meals on wheels service due to the fuel crisis (Argus, September 18) is further proof of how both the Government and Labour local authorities consistently fail to prioritise the old and disabled. -G. Blackburn

  • Fix public transport

    Although British petrol prices top European levels, let's not forget our public transport is much more expensive than abroad. Let's have a freeze on public transport fares for a few years or, better still, tax relief on local season tickets. -C Graham

  • Journey didn't leave Cheshire cat grinning

    Penny the adventurous cat was recovering today after a 300-mile journey under the cab of a neighbour's lorry. The two-year-old black cat clambered into the vehicle's electrical compartment to escape the rain. And unbeknown to her owners, Paul and Sophie

  • Flooded by a hose in the loft

    A pensioner came home to discover a torrent of water pouring through her ceiling after a hole was drilled through the wall into her attic. May Addis, 79, thinks a hosepipe was pushed through the hole to flood her attic. She spent yesterday mopping up

  • Mother charged with murder of son, 13

    A woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 13-year-old son. The body of Alex Wessell was found on a bed at his home in Mayfield Close, Findon Valley, Worthing, on Thursday. During a ten-minute hearing at Worthing Magistrates' Court his mother

  • Lapdance club wants 'no touching' rule waived for blind

    A lapdance club wants to be allowed to let blind guests touch its dancers. Pussycats in Hove came up with the idea after two blind men went there with friends on a stag night. Both men, in their early thirties, were given a number of table-side dances

  • Missing student is found

    Relatives of missing Sussex backpacker Luke Dance were celebrating today after he turned up safe and well last night. Luke, a 19-year-old university student from Worth, Crawley, went missing after leaving fellow backpackers in Bolivia on August 29 for

  • Bunch of Nerds

    Once upon a time, in a green and happy land, the people who made the fuel drive the people's little motor cars were banished to behind high wire mesh fences and soon the fuel ran out completely and the people were very sad. But others, the Nerd people

  • Cyclist arrested in conference security sweep

    A man was arrested as police stopped cyclists on Brighton seafront opposite the Labour Party conference. He was detained after allegedly failing to stop for police yesterday and was due before Brighton and Hove magistrates today. Police are stopping all

  • Blair: I'm listening

    Prime Minister Tony Blair writes exclusively for the Argus and This Is Brighton & Hove. It's good to be back in Brighton. I always enjoy coming here - and so, I know, does the party. It's not just the fine conference facilities or undoubted attractions

  • Blair: I'm not for turning

    Prime Minister Tony Blair has declared he is not for turning on petrol, pensions or the Dome, despite his party's nosedive in the polls. On the opening day of the Labour Party Conference in Brighton he insisted there would be no quick fix on fuel, refused

  • Tractor protest hits the road

    More than 120 farmers driving tractors set off for the centre of Brighton today to protest at the Labour conference. The fleet of tractors accompanied by dozens more four wheel drive vehicles was due to join up with 150 NFU campaigners and 2,000 protesters

  • Hope fades for missing diver

    Hopes of finding a missing diver alive were diminishing today as a huge air and sea search continued off the East Sussex coast. Lifeboats and a fixed-wing aircraft were today searching 40sq miles of sea off Lydd for the diver, who was reported missing

  • Pensioners promised £90 a week

    Pensioners were today being promised a minimum weekly income of £90 as Chancellor Gordon Brown sought to end Labour's nightmare fortnight. But he was risking further party splits by refusing to restore the link between pensions and earnings. Mr Brown

  • Minister's backing on booze ban

    Home Office minister Lord Bassam has backed plans for a ban on street drinking. Lord Bassam, former leader of Brighton and Hove Council, said he often felt intimidated when walking past drunks in St James's Street, Kemp Town. He said: "No one wants to

  • It's madness

    How is anyone going to know where and when to vote at the forthcoming Telscombe Town Council by-election for the East Saltdean ward? The council is not issuing poll cards in order to save money. Is this because it is still having to pay for the biggest

  • Woman dies in crash

    A woman in her eighties died after her car ploughed into a tree in a car park. The accident happened in the Co-op car park off Nevill Road, Hove, at 2.15pm on Saturday. An ambulance service spokesman aid it was believed medical reasons had caused the

  • Tories are welcome too

    Brighton is delighted to welcome the Labour Party back to the town for its conference after an absence of three years. It's not a matter of party politics. It's simply that hosting such an event gives the resort great kudos. Over the next few days, images

  • Not wanted

    Nobody wants the modern sculpture proposed for the Royal Pavilion and the undoubtedly very substantial sum of money earmarked for its construction could be used much more wisely elsewhere. I'm not against modern art, nor money being spent on it. Unfortunately

  • Glass is class if you open your eyes to it

    I really admired the look of the proposed sculpture to be built by the entrance to the Royal Pavilion. It's a pity, however, the artist's impression fails to convey one of the essential features of glass - the fact it is translucent. While not surprised

  • Killick wins race-walk title

    Veteran John Killick clinched the Sussex 10,000m Track Walking Championship after only three years in the sport. Killick, 54, is not the oldest winner of the title, but his progress has been remarkable. He clocked 58min.30sec, then revealed: "I'm still

  • York 0, Albion 1: Andy Naylor's big match verdict

    Albion came through an important test of character as they completed a hat-trick of clean sheet victories. A hard-earned success at Bootham Crescent, days after the unexpected exit of assistant Alan Cork, suggests the Seagulls have the mental strength

  • Man woken by knife raider

    A man woke up to find a knife-wielding burglar in his bedroom early today. The would-be thief threatened his victim, then fled through the same window he had used to enter. The burglar climbed scaffolding to reach the flat in Sussex Square, Brighton,

  • Cat's 300-mile journey under cab of truck

    Penny the travelling cat was recovering today after a 300-mile journey under the cab of a neighbour's lorry. The two-year-old black cat clambered into the vehicle's electrical compartment to escape the rain. And unbeknown to her owners, Paul and Sophie

  • Street drinking ban may be on the rocks

    Councillors are being urged to throw out plans to introduce a street drinking bylaw. Eastbourne Council was considering the idea to reduce under-age drinking in the town centre and cut alcohol-related violence and public drunkenness. Anyone found drinking

  • Pay more tax to slow speeding traffic

    Villagers may have to pay more council tax to stop traffic from speeding. Hundreds of Balcombe residents will be asked for their views on how to stop traffic speeding through their village. Balcombe Parish Council also plans to ask residents whether they

  • Firebugs blamed for canoe club blaze

    Arsonists are believed to be responsible for a blaze which tore through a timber-framed clubhouse. Seventeen firefighters spent an hour bringing fierce flames under control at Hastings Canoe Club, Cinque Ports Way, at 1am yesterday. They managed to stop

  • Ice rink to be sold off

    A derelict seafront ice rink is to be sold off. The White Rock Ice Rink has stood empty on Hastings seafront for more than three years but now the borough council is looking for outside help to bring it back into use. The building originally housed an

  • Euro poll ditched

    A referendum which would have forced a council to cut services has been abandoned. Lancing Parish Council confirmed a poll on whether Britain should adopt the euro had been scrapped. Its cancellation could save the council up to £6,000. Council chairman

  • Teenager is computer game champ

    Sixth former Ian Holder is celebrating becoming UK champion at an internet computer game - while his parents recover from huge phone bills. Ian, 18, is official UK champion at the game Quake Three Arena after winning a final held at the Millennium Dome

  • End of duty-free leaves Alpha in the red

    The abolition of duty free shopping and the cost of closing a kitchen at a Paris airport sent airport retailer and caterer Alpha Airports into the red. The group said in the six months ended July 31 it made a pre-tax loss of £2.2 million, compared with

  • Organ concerts a must

    I have recently enjoyed a series of seaside melodies expertly played by local organist John Mann at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing. This was middle-of-the-road music at its very best. There is nothing of a similar nature on a regular basis in Brighton

  • The aged, not a priority

    The story about the the disruption to the meals on wheels service due to the fuel crisis (Argus, September 18) is further proof of how both the Government and Labour local authorities consistently fail to prioritise the old and disabled. -G. Blackburn

  • Brighton, not your holiday resort

    I have lived in Brighton for 40 years. Streets are deep in rubbish and dog mess. Houses are dilapidated and in need of repair. The pavements are unsafe, dirty, loose and cracked. Public transport is dirty and unreliable. Service in shops is very bad.

  • Mother charged with murder of son, 13

    A woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 13-year-old son. The body of Alex Wessell was found on a bed at his home in Mayfield Close, Findon Valley, Worthing, on Thursday. During a ten-minute hearing at Worthing Magistrates' Court his mother

  • Learn the facts first

    I was unaware, until I read your report (Families just say no to rehab centre, Argus, September 21) of the plans to turn a former retirement home into a rehabilitation centre for recovering alcoholics in my neighbourhood. How disappointing that local

  • Lapdance club wants 'no touching' rule waived for blind

    A lapdance club wants to be allowed to let blind guests touch its dancers. Pussycats in Hove came up with the idea after two blind men went there with friends on a stag night. Both men, in their early thirties, were given a number of table-side dances

  • Missing student is found

    Relatives of missing Sussex backpacker Luke Dance were celebrating today after he turned up safe and well last night. Luke, a 19-year-old university student from Worth, Crawley, went missing after leaving fellow backpackers in Bolivia on August 29 for

  • Minister backs booze ban

    Home Office minister Lord Bassam has backed plans for a ban on street drinking. Lord Bassam, former leader of Brighton and Hove Council, said he often felt intimidated when walking past drunks in St James's Street, Kemp Town. He said: "No one wants to

  • Cyclist arrested in conference security sweep

    A man was arrested as police stopped cyclists on Brighton seafront opposite the Labour Party conference. He was detained after allegedly failing to stop for police yesterday and was due before Brighton and Hove magistrates today. Police are stopping all

  • Blair the beleaguered

    When Tony Blair came to Brighton three years ago for the Labour Party conference, it was like a coronation. He had just swept to power with a huge majority in the General Election. The mood of Brighton and across Britain was for him to succeed. Now a

  • Blair: I'm listening

    Prime Minister Tony Blair writes exclusively for the Argus and This Is Brighton & Hove. It's good to be back in Brighton. I always enjoy coming here - and so, I know, does the party. It's not just the fine conference facilities or undoubted attractions

  • Blair: I'm not for turning

    Prime Minister Tony Blair has declared he is not for turning on petrol, pensions or the Dome, despite his party's nosedive in the polls. On the opening day of the Labour Party Conference in Brighton he insisted there would be no quick fix on fuel, refused

  • Petrol emotion

    Simon Fanshawe ponders on the environmental friendliness of Brighton and Hove Council. This will be tested in forthcoming weeks when interested parties meet to discuss car restrictions in Preston Park. Unless the council takes control of the right-to-drive

  • It's madness

    How is anyone going to know where and when to vote at the forthcoming Telscombe Town Council by-election for the East Saltdean ward? The council is not issuing poll cards in order to save money. Is this because it is still having to pay for the biggest

  • Poor leader

    Tory members must cringe at the antics of their leader. First there was the reversed baseball cap at Notting Hill, then the 14 pints a day man, now the anarchist truckers' mate. Clearly William made a careful note of how environmental protester Swampy

  • Woman dies in crash

    A woman in her eighties died after her car ploughed into a tree in a car park. The accident happened in the Co-op car park off Nevill Road, Hove, at 2.15pm on Saturday. An ambulance service spokesman aid it was believed medical reasons had caused the

  • Old problems

    I am no fan of New Labour, but it does seem a bit unfair the two things they are currently getting slated for are policies actually introduced by the last government. The farcical Millennium Dome project was initiated by the Tories and it was also they

  • Tories are welcome too

    Brighton is delighted to welcome the Labour Party back to the town for its conference after an absence of three years. It's not a matter of party politics. It's simply that hosting such an event gives the resort great kudos. Over the next few days, images

  • Not wanted

    Nobody wants the modern sculpture proposed for the Royal Pavilion and the undoubtedly very substantial sum of money earmarked for its construction could be used much more wisely elsewhere. I'm not against modern art, nor money being spent on it. Unfortunately

  • We will prove Cork wrong

    Albion ace Gary Hart has told his mentor Alan Cork: "We'll prove you wrong." The Seagulls shrugged off the shock departure of assistant Cork to Cardiff last week by winning their first game without him. Saturday's 1-0 victory at York, the third in a row

  • Man woken by knife raider

    A man woke up to find a knife-wielding burglar in his bedroom early today. The would-be thief threatened his victim, then fled through the same window he had used to enter. The burglar climbed scaffolding to reach the flat in Sussex Square, Brighton,

  • Cat's 300-mile journey under cab of truck

    Penny the travelling cat was recovering today after a 300-mile journey under the cab of a neighbour's lorry. The two-year-old black cat clambered into the vehicle's electrical compartment to escape the rain. And unbeknown to her owners, Paul and Sophie

  • Brighton, not your holiday resort

    I have lived in Brighton for 40 years. Streets are deep in rubbish and dog mess. Houses are dilapidated and in need of repair. The pavements are unsafe, dirty, loose and cracked. Public transport is dirty and unreliable. Service in shops is very bad.

  • Voice of the Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    As usual, when events such as the petrol crisis occur, it is the older and less able people who suffer the most. Many pensioners do not keep full tanks of petrol, a fact not unconnected with the price which, even before the latest hike, was pretty horrendous

  • Home's last resident defies order to move

    An emergency meeting will be held to try to save the last remaining pensioner from being forced out of a rest home. Arun District Council is calling on West Sussex County Council to let 79-year-old Stan Smith stay at Nyewood House in Bognor. Mr Smith

  • Church facelift is branded perverse

    A conservation group has branded proposals to convert a church into a community centre "perverse". The Worthing Society strongly opposes the plan for historic St Paul's Church in Worthing town centre and says a more suitable use should be found for it

  • Patrick Moore 'needs heart op'

    TV astronomer Patrick Moore is reported to be undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker fitted. Doctors have told the 77-year-old Sky At Night presenter he needs the operation to correct an irregular heartbeat, according to newspaper reports. Mr Moore, of

  • Learn the facts first

    I was unaware, until I read your report (Families just say no to rehab centre, Argus, September 21) of the plans to turn a former retirement home into a rehabilitation centre for recovering alcoholics in my neighbourhood. How disappointing that local

  • Culture Secretary speaks of bright future for theatre

    Brighton is well placed to become a theatrical hub for the South East, according to Culture Secretary Chris Smith. He spoke exclusively to our reporter during a tour of Brighton's Theatre Royal this morning. He took time out from the Labour Party conference

  • Minister backs booze ban

    Home Office minister Lord Bassam has backed plans for a ban on street drinking. Lord Bassam, former leader of Brighton and Hove Council, said he often felt intimidated when walking past drunks in St James's Street, Kemp Town. He said: "No one wants to

  • Good sense

    How pleased and refreshed I was to read the sensible letters regarding the good which has come from a shortage of fuel. While nobody would want people to suffer because of the blockade's effect on essential services, I welcomed the drop in traffic and

  • Blair the beleaguered

    When Tony Blair came to Brighton three years ago for the Labour Party conference, it was like a coronation. He had just swept to power with a huge majority in the General Election. The mood of Brighton and across Britain was for him to succeed. Now a

  • Petrol emotion

    Simon Fanshawe ponders on the environmental friendliness of Brighton and Hove Council. This will be tested in forthcoming weeks when interested parties meet to discuss car restrictions in Preston Park. Unless the council takes control of the right-to-drive

  • Missing student is found

    Relatives of missing Sussex backpacker Luke Dance were celebrating today after he turned up safe and well last night. Luke, a 19-year-old university student from Worth, Crawley, went missing after leaving fellow backpackers in Bolivia on August 29 for

  • Man sought over sex attack

    A woman was indecently assaulted as she pushed her bike near a railway station, police said today. It happened just after 9pm yesterday in an underpass in North Street, Horsham. The woman told officers she was approached a gang of four men, one of whom

  • Poor leader

    Tory members must cringe at the antics of their leader. First there was the reversed baseball cap at Notting Hill, then the 14 pints a day man, now the anarchist truckers' mate. Clearly William made a careful note of how environmental protester Swampy

  • Old problems

    I am no fan of New Labour, but it does seem a bit unfair the two things they are currently getting slated for are policies actually introduced by the last government. The farcical Millennium Dome project was initiated by the Tories and it was also they

  • Speedway star's breath test shock

    Eastbourne rider Stefan Danno was sensationally banned from the European Grand Prix in Poland on Saturday. Danno was barred from riding after failing a breath test and now faces further action by the FIM, the sport's governing body. It is not the first

  • We will prove Cork wrong

    Albion ace Gary Hart has told his mentor Alan Cork: "We'll prove you wrong." The Seagulls shrugged off the shock departure of assistant Cork to Cardiff last week by winning their first game without him. Saturday's 1-0 victory at York, the third in a row

  • Man held after car rams shop window

    Shop owner Ron Kemp had a shock when a car smashed into the front of his shop as he watched TV. The Mercedes estate ploughed into the window then swerved backwards into the road only yards from a police station. Mr Kemp, sitting in his lounge above the

  • Church facelift is branded perverse

    A conservation group has branded proposals to convert a church into a community centre "perverse". The Worthing Society strongly opposes the plan for historic St Paul's Church in Worthing town centre and says a more suitable use should be found for it

  • Crash man refused treatment

    A MAN found hurt in a crashed car refused to be treated but was later rushed to hospital in a serious condition. The accident happened in Saltmarsh Lane, Hailsham, at about 2.25am on Sunday, when a Citroen BX was found lying on its side by the road. A

  • No cash for crossing, campaigners are told

    More than 300 residents are campaigning for a safer road crossing near their homes. People at Lower Lake, Battle, have sent a petition to East Sussex County Council demanding road safety improvements on the busy A21. They want a new pedestrian crossing

  • Kids ready to race their electric motor

    Youngsters are preparing to drive their home-made electric car to victory. Pupils from St Paul's Catholic College, Haywards Heath, have qualified for the final of Greenpower 2000. Schools participating in the competition have been supplied with a 24-volt

  • Euro poll is ditched

    A referendum which would have forced a council to cut services has been abandoned. Lancing Parish Council confirmed a poll on whether Britain should adopt the euro had been scrapped. Its cancellation could save the council up to £6,000. Council chairman

  • Sir Paul's £10,000 gift to Lib Dems

    Sir Paul McCartney has made a £10,000 donation to a political party to help fund research into animal welfare issues including a ban on foxhunting. The former Beatle, who lives in Peasmarsh, near Rye, was persuaded to give the cash by Liberal Democrat

  • Rene's showbiz memories go on the market

    Rene Ansell has amassed an amazing collection of stage and screen memorabilia over the years - but now she is selling the lot. Rene, 77, has decided to part company with her hoard of signed photos and autographs. She also has letters from the famous,

  • Kids ready to race their electric motor

    Youngsters are preparing to drive their home-made electric car to victory. Pupils from St Paul's Catholic College, Haywards Heath, have qualified for the final of Greenpower 2000. Schools participating in the competition have been supplied with a 24-volt