Brightening the doom and gloom normally inspired by the shortest day of the year is the Burning The Clocks ceremony.

A celebration of the winter solstice and the pagan new year, a lantern parade makes its way down from the Corn Exchange to Madeira Drive,where effigies of clocks are thrown on to a huge fire on the beach.

This is followed by a fireworks display.

Gorgeously dark and wintry,there 's a sense this has been going on since the dawn of time but it was, in fact, cooked up by Brighton arts group Same Sky in 1994.

Participants are invited to take part in workshops throughout December. The event runs from 6pm-7pm. Call 01273 571106 for details.