THERE are more than 100 weird and wonderful events taking place from Thursday to Sunday to celebrate Brighton and Hove’s colourful history. EDWIN GILSON selects ten highlights.

Only in Brighton: Piers and Queers

Meet in Regency Square, Sunday, September 10, 11am

Two hundred years of Brighton history is told from an LGBTQ perspective. In a walk along the seafront and and city centre, Blue Badge tourist guide Ric Morris sheds light on key figures, unsung heroes and the role of the city as a place of freedom.

What the Lady’s Maid Saw

The Regency Town House, Sunday, September 10, 2pm

This talk will look at women in the 19th and early 20th centuries whose cross-class relationships might today be called lesbian. The discussion relies on historical documents in getting to the bottom of these relationships.

A History of the Brighton Workhouses

13 Brunswick Square, Sunday, September 10, 11am

Brighton exists in the public imagination as a place of wealth and grandiosity. This talk, however, delves into the grittier, poverty-ridden side of city life. For over 200 years the town’s workhouses were a picture of squalor.

Discover the Kemp Town Railway Tunnel

Meet at the junction of Freshfield Road and Eastern Road, near Gala Bingo, Thursday, September 7, 2.15pm

Local history enthusiast Kevin Wilsher gives a short talk on the history of the Kemp Town branch line before a visit to the forgotten railway tunnel, which stretches almost 1km. You don’t have to be a train-spotter to find this piece of lost Brighton life fascinating.

The Secret Garden, Hove

Behind St Leonard’s Church, Saturday, September 9, 11am

A chance to discover a hidden garden which was once a thriving allotment but grew wild after being neglected over 10 years ago. Now, the garden is abundant, boasting vegetables, a pond and four bee hives.

Brighton Hippodrome: Heritage and Prospects

The Friends Meeting House, Saturday, September 9, 2pm

Many people in Brighton have fond memories of the Hippodrome, and this illustrated talk – complete with memorabilia from the venue’s heyday – is a fond look back at the finest unused theatre in the country.

The Lewes Road Cemeteries: Memorials of the Great War

Meet inside the cemetery gate on Bear Road, Saturday, September 9, 11am

An hour-long guided tour through the monuments of the Commonwealth Wargraves commission and graves of German prisoners of war who died in local military hospitals. This evocative experience will bring home the scale and horror of the war.

Post-war Brighton and Hove in film

The Regency Town House, Friday, September 8, 3.30pm

A screening of a mid-20th century film about Brighton and Hove by local filmmaker John King. The movie offers an interesting insight into the city in the years after the Second World War.

Shoreham Port Tour

Nautilus House, Thursday, September 7, 2.30pm

Visitors can access areas of the port that are usually off-limits in this behind-the-scenes tour. A coach will transport guests around the area and stop off at points of interest. The tour concludes at the impressive pump house.

Beanfields to Bohemia – North Laine

Meet at Brighton Museum entrance, Saturday, September 9, 10am

Historian Dr Geoffrey Mead leads a two hour walk through the North Laine. A great way to see how the area has developed into a bustling district.

For the full programme and to book ticketed events visit rth.org.uk