Gary Hart could receive the Christmas present he really wants by securing a place in the Albion team. Santa Mark McGhee is ready to restore Hart to his starting line-up for the Boxing Day showdown against Gillingham at Withdean (1pm). Hart is expected
Following Tuesday's winter solstice, the days grow longer and the nights shorter. In no time at all, the bleak mid-winter gives way to spring. This is something we can all celebrate, whatever our religious and cultural background. Christmas, too, can
If there's anything you want in the way of rock 'n' roll nostalgia, the Bootleg Beatles serve it up in bucketloads. It's hard to imagine that these tribute band moptops have been together for a quarter of a century - more than three times as long as the
"I like to feel I can please both the hardcore and casual fans by not playing to just one particular audience all the time," says Elvis impersonator James Devereaux. Born into a family with strong theatrical links (his father plays in West End musicals
"Nothing beats playing on home turf," admits founding member of The Brighton Beach Boys, Ralph Brown. "We love performing in Brighton. It's our home town and we always get a fantastic reception. We really appreciate people turning out on Christmas Eve
Passengers face disruption to their train journeys following the two-day shutdown on Christmas and Boxing Day. Engineering work outside Victoria station in London and at Redhill means some trains will go to London Bridge instead of Victoria and won't
I read with interest Michael Parker's nostalgic letter in which he recalled the now-lost shops of London Road. One of the businesses he mentioned is Mitchells. This company started life in London Road in 1917 in the premises where the HSBC Bank is at
A family has paid a loving tribute to a sparkly, vivacious teenager who touched the lives of everyone she met. Illona Culver's family are facing Christmas without her but said she would live on in their hearts. Described as a spontaneous, inspirational
Five lucky turkeys will be celebrating their best ever Christmas after avoiding their fate as someone's festive dinner. The famous five faced a bleak future until Christmas shoppers, touched by their plight, plucked them from poultry farms, where they
Italian restaurant king Pietro Addis has said thank you to Brighton and Hove by donating a massive £40,000 to The Argus Appeal. Mr Addis sacrificed a giant retirement party in favour of a donation to one of his favourite charities so he could give something
Brighton and Hove City Council spokespersons cite "health and safety" at every opportunity and they do so again to excuse unsightly crash barriers and police tape around small Christmas trees (The Argus, December 17). They thereby further erode whatever
Mark Chaplin has revealed he accepted the post as caretaker manager of East Preston after speaking to former boss Vic Short. Short left EP in acrimonious circumstances three weeks ago, claiming interference from the club's committee. His departure prompted
Last week, something happened in my house I thought I would never see - my wife announced it was the last time she was going to go shopping in Brighton. It is impossible to find anywhere to park where it does not cost the earth to stay for even a short
Garry Wilson has turned up the pressure on Lewes boss Steven King ahead of the Boxing Day derby clash at Priory Lane. Wilson believes the Rooks' season will be judged as a failure if they miss out on the play-offs while a top five finish would be a bonus
In-form striker Dan Marney today insisted Crawley fans have yet to see the best of him. The 23-year-old forward has scored in each of the last two games and is looking to continue his hot streak against Gravesend and Northfleet at the Broadfield Stadium
Guy Butters today backed Dan Harding and the rest of Albion's young defenders to cope with the departure of captain Danny Cullip. Cullip's move to Sheffield United leaves Butters, 35, as the wise man of the back four. Leftback Harding, his place under
Acclaimed by a select few as the best 18 holes in Sussex, Birch Grove has closed for good. There are no plans by the owner, billionaire Larry Yung, to reopen. Instead, the matchless private domain at Chelwood Gate will become derelict and return to nature
The multi-million pound revitalisation of Stanmer House in Brighton from an empty shell to a vibrant gallery and conference centre could soon be under way. A planning application for the Cherrywood Investments project has been submitted to Brighton and
Desperate motorists fed up with searching for a parking space could find their problems solved by a new business. Entrepreneurs Kay Bryn-Hussey, Justine Desmond and Carl Rees say they can find people their own exclusive parking space, available whenever
Italian restaurant king Pietro Addis has said thank you to Brighton and Hove by donating a massive £40,000 to The Argus Appeal. Mr Addis sacrificed a giant retirement party in favour of a donation to one of his favourite charities so he could give something
Darren Currie's recent £250,000 move to Ipswich meant more to Richard Carpenter than much-needed cash for Albion. It has also improved Carpenter's chances of restoring his reputation for reliability. The powerful midfielder regained his place in the starting
Guy Butters today backed Dan Harding and the rest of Albion's young defenders to cope with the departure of captain Danny Cullip. Cullip's move to Sheffield United leaves Butters, 35, as the wise man of the back four. Leftback Harding, his place under
Is there anything more dispiriting and unfestive in this world than a Christmas tree with a crowd control barrier around it? Yes, there is - a Christmas tree with a crowd control barrier draped about with a banner carrying the sponsor's name. What a bizarre
I read with interest Jan Melrose's pieces about the lack of Christmas lights in Brighton (The Argus, December 17). Through the years, I have written many letters and spoken to as many people as possible to try to get more Christmas lights in the main
She leads the sort of lifestyle most little girls only dream of. She jets off on several exotic family holidays each year, has backstage passes to pop concerts, takes rides in a limousine, goes to awards ceremonies and rubs shoulders with Prince Charles
A Christmas and New Year campaign has been launched urging people to look after their sexual health during the holidays. Drinking over the party season can lead to more young people having unplanned or unsafe sex. Health promotion workers in Brighton
Further to Michael Parker writing about the loss of shops in London Road (Letters, December 18), I would like to say there are two more worthy of mention. Leslies and Mary Yorke were wonderful shops where there was always a good selection of long dresses
In response to Mr Pippard (Letters, December 16), the lowlife you refer to is probably the same despicable scum who stole my daughter's handbag on Thursday afternoon. She was going Christmas shopping with her hard-earned money (something they would know
Neville Southall will hope to get off to a winning start when he takes control of Hastings United for the first time at Ashford Town on Monday. The former Wales international goalkeeper watched his new side beat Sidley 4-0 in the Hastings Senior Cup on
A voyeur prowled the beaches of Sussex, filming young children as they innocently played without clothes on. Michael Searle, a grandfather of three, altered his camera to make it appear he was filming distant scenes. In reality he was filming children
Hopes of finding missing Hilary Ball were fading yesterday as police continued to search the Sussex countryside. The 53-year-old insurance worker left her home to go to work on Monday last week and has not been seen since. Police were checking ponds and
Having reached the last day before Christmas and after all the rushing around buying last-minute presents and food, we should stop and reflect on what the true meaning of Christmas is. It is not about Britain as a nation going billions of pounds into
Horsham manager John Maggs is hoping striker Ryan Rummery is getting to the bottom of his long-standing injury problem. The one-time England schoolboy has been dogged by injury since joining the Hornets midway through last season. It was thought Rummery
I loved Jo Chipchase's article Christmas Comes But Once - And That's Too Often For Me (The Argus, December 18). I feel exactly the same about the so-called festive season. -Anthea Bowyer, Brighton
Bognor have been hit by a fresh blow after Chris Breach fractured a foot in training on Thursday. The Albion youngster, who is on loan at Nyewood Lane for the season, is likely to be out for between six and eight weeks. It leaves the Rocks short of defenders
I do hope the traders in Blatchington Road and George Street in Hove never complain about lack of customers. There is nothing in the way of Christmas festivities to encourage us to shop in this dull, overpriced area. I thought Brighton had no Christmas
Worthing's assistant-manager Danny Bloor surveyed the first half of the Rebels' season and insisted there is plenty more to come. Worthing are currently ninth but just six points off third place. Bloor said: "I would give us six or seven out of ten at
Your columnist Lynn Daly admits she would be hard-pushed to describe Britain as a Christian nation (December 14). That is not surprising. Religiously, we have a collection of churches competing in the superstition marketplace. All are convinced theirs
Darren Currie's recent £250,000 move to Ipswich meant more to Richard Carpenter than much-needed cash for Albion. It has also improved Carpenter's chances of restoring his reputation for reliability. The powerful midfielder regained his place in the starting
Gary Hart could receive the Christmas present he really wants by securing a place in the Albion team. Santa Mark McGhee is ready to restore Hart to his starting line-up for the Boxing Day showdown against Gillingham at Withdean (1pm). Hart is expected
The Bank of England this month began considering the case for a cut in the cost of borrowing, fuelling hopes that interest rates may have peaked. Minutes from the December meeting of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) showed that some members
The gloom surrounding the UK economy's poorest performance in more than a year was partly eased by an upward revision to the third-quarter figures today. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP rose by 0.5% in the three months to the end of
Larry Birchall is planning an extra-special Christmas this year. Last December he was homeless and had no job, but 12 months later he has managed to turn his life around. Larry's fortunes changed just before Christmas last year when he learned about a
Owners of Brighton's small and trendy shops are rating 2004 a turkey of a Christmas. They fear it won't be a prosperous new year, either, as many struggle to keep up with demands for ever-higher rent. Traders in The Lanes and North Laine say their colourful
The last-minute shopping rush was expected to see £1.31 billion going through the tills today - equivalent to £909,000 every minute. Research from Sainsbury's Bank Credit Cards revealed 17.79 million people, 38 per cent of adults, intended to do some
Southern FM's owner Capital has been given the all-clear to pursue its groundbreaking merger with rival radio group GWR. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it had decided against referring the £700 million deal to the competition authorities. Instead
