Phoebe Hessel - Brighton's most successful cross dresser?

Has anyone heard of Phoebe Hessel?

I hadn't until the peeps at Tourist Tracks pointed her out and i'm so glad they did.

Phoebe was little known outside Brighton but is a virtual legend within the city (well apart from with me clearly).

Brighton's most successful cross dresser?

This remarkable woman lived to be a whopping 108 and it's quite possible she was city's most successful cross dresser (and that's saying something!)

Phoebe's cross dressing tale started when she fell in love with a soldier called William Golding. Golding was posted to the West Indies in 1728 and Phoebe, unable to bear not being near him, took it upon herself to enlist in the forces too.

Wounded in service, she nevertheless managed to conceal her womanliness until Golding was wounded himself and sent home. Amazingly, she had remained in the Army for a whole 17 years!
All was not in vain though, as Phoebe later married Golding and was his wife for 20 years.

Phoebe moves to Brighton and becomes a Hessel

After his death, Phoebe moved to Brighton and married fisherman William Hessel. Phoebe’s incredible life continued here, where she worked selling fish from a cart in and around Brighton, until she died at the impressive age of 108...

It was stated that Phoebe also gave evidence that was instrumental in securing the conviction and execution of highwayman James Rooke.

Phoebe in old age

In old age, Phoebe sold items, such as oranges and gingerbread, on a street corner near Brighton's Royal Pavilion. She became a celebrity in Brighton, due to her great age and unusual life experience. Later forced into the workhouse, she was granted a pension of half a guinea a week by the roguish Prince Regent in 1808.

After a long and eventfu life, Phoebe died in 1821. She is buried in the graveyard of St Nicholas Church in Brighton.

What a lovely story. Right, well I'm off to buy a suit from Burtons - it could put years on my life expectancy.

Sarah
VisitBrighton

The Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2010

This blog post could easily have been titled blowing our own trumpets but that wouldn't have sounded quite so official.

Anyway to get to the point we have been shortlisted for the Destination Marketing Award in the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2010 so hooray for us :)


Although we were not the only Brighton company to be shortlisted so we would also like to congratulate:

• ORB360 - Best Tourism Experience
  
• Theatre Royal Brighton - Outstanding Customer Service
• M's Cycle Hire
• Yellowave Beach Sports Venue
  
• Brighton Marathon
  

The last three were all shortlisted for the Sport Tourism Award. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 21st October so we'll all have to keep our fingers crossed until then.

Finally while we are on the subject of awards I would also like to congratulate the British Study Centres School of English as they have just been voted the top English Language School in Western Europe!

Charlotte

Three cheers for the fabulous staff at the Brighton Visitor Information Centre!

While people are often very quick to complain if they receive bad customer service (myself included!) it is always refreshing when someone takes the time to share their gratitude at having received good customer service. And while I know that the team in our Visitor Information Centre do a fantastic job, it was good to see the following recognition in a letter from one of our visitors:

"I find that your service in Brighton is quite superb, in this day and age it is so nice to find terrific customer service. You are a breath of fresh air."

So the next time you are planning a visit to Brighton, or once you've arrived, make sure you say hello and enjoy the 'terrific customer service' provided by our Visitor Information Centre staff.

I almost signed off without doing the three cheers, that was close!
Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!

Charlotte

Brighton Utterly Butterly Ukulele Project

Well I know Charlotte has already mentioned the Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival, but I just had to highlight this event for sheer originality.

If you've never made your own ukulele now's your chance. In pure Blue Peter style the Utterly Butterly Ukulele Project offers you the chance to fashion a little old ukulele from a tub, fishing line and a piece of wood!

You then get to learn how to play it, before taking part in in a mass ukulele jam session...

It's completely FREE and is the workshop is open on a first come, first served basis.

Where and when you can take part...
The Utterly Butterly Ukelele Project takes place as part of the Brighton & Hove Food & drink Festival on 11 and 12 September from 11am-5pm at New Road, Brighton.

Go on, now's your chance to discover that hidden musical side....no sticky back plastic required.

Find out more...
You can find out more about the project at http://www.tubup.org/ or check out the video below for an idea of how it all works...

Oh and yes I know there's a 'brand' involved - but it's a really fun idea & top marks for a unique idea...

Sarah
VisitBrighton

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival

If last week's post about the new FARM market made you hungry then you best find yourself a snack before you carry on reading this as today I'm going to give you a sneak preview of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival.

This year you will get the chance to see two top celebrity food writers discussing their new books. Madhur Jaffrey is launching her first book in seven years, called Curry East, at the Komedia on 21st September and US chef and food author Anthony Bourdain will discuss his new book, Medium Raw, at the Hilton Brighton Metropole on 1st September.

However the main star of the festival is of course the food itself and there will be plenty of opportunities to sample and buy a variety of products. Popular events include the Big Sussex Market, A Regency Banquet and local food picnic. There will also be some tasting events including cheese, wine, sake and the new World Food Trail.

Of course this being a Brighton Festival there will be a couple of quirky events including a cigar dinner at Hotel du Vin where you will learn which wines & cigars go best with which dishes - something we've surely all wondered at one time or another! However the award for the most surreal event must go to The Utterly Butterly Ukulele Project. You will get to make your own ukulele from a tub, a fishing line and a piece of wood, learn how to play it and then everyone will join in for a ukulele jamming session!

This year the festival has so many events that it cannot all be contained in one month so it will run from 1st September - 7th October. For a full list of events go to: www.brightonfoodfestival.com.

Finally a quick reminder that there is still time to vote for your favourite restaurant, food pub, cafe and food shop in the food awards, go to: www.brightonfoodawards.com to cast your vote before the 10th September. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony at the end of the festival.

Charlotte

Brighton Farm Market

Sometimes our council switchboard gets a little confused and so I get calls from people enquiring about markets who are then a bit put out when I explain that I actually work in marketing not markets. But today I will cover both categories as I'm here to tell you about a new market which will be coming to Brighton next weekend.

Some of you will already be familiar with Farm Cafe on North Road (North Laine). All the produce on the menu has been sourced from the owners own farms so you are guaranteed a delicious and fresh meal.

Now they have taken this idea one step further and on Saturday 14th August they will launch the new Brighton Farm Market. The Market will be on from 9am - 3pm and will include local food from over 20 Sussex farmers. You can stuff your bags full of vegetables, meat, dairy, herbs, honey, fish and basically whatever takes you fancy then stay on and enjoy a tasty lunch in the Farm kitchen at the back of the market.

The good news is that this is not a one off, the market will be on every Saturday so make sure you pop along and have a look.

Does anyone else suddenly feel really hungry?!

Charlotte

Kiya Survivors' Big Ride 2010

2010 Kiya Survivors/Bike 360 Big Ride - August 21st and 22nd 2010

Love the outdoors and fancy a good challenge?

Then the Kiya Survivors’ South Downs Bike Challenge could be for you.

Kiya Survivors are a fantastic Brighton based charity that help disadvantaged children in Peru. Started by a local Brighton woman, the charity was hit hard earlier this year, when floods damaged some of their main sites. So if you fancy riding through the stunning South Downs for a great cause read on…

The Big Ride is in conjunction with the lovely peeps at Bike360 and all Big Ride participants will ride to raise much needed funds for Kiya Survivors’ centres in Peru whilst getting to enjoy:

• a challenging two days off- road riding in the beautiful British countryside
• a cool nights camping in the South Down’s National Park

2 days of stunning cycling action

The Big Ride will start from the Bike360 hub at Devils Dyke on 21st August, with full support from the Bike360 qualified team. Participants will ride approximately 100 km over two days.

Day 1 – August 21st - After Day 1’s Eastbourne leg you will arrive at your camp for a relaxing night, where tents, food, refreshments will be provided. (So no heavy tents in your backpack!)

Day 2 – August 22nd – Day 2 will see you continue your challenge, as you loop back to great fanfare at Devils Dyke. Lunch will be provided on both days.

Please note; the course is designed for cyclists of an intermediate level.

How to apply for the Big Ride

This event is limited to a maximum of 15 riders so if you’d like to join in, get your applications in quickly!

Registration for the 2010 Big Ride riders is £70 and riders must guarantee to raise a minimum additional sponsorship of £300.

To apply please email: events@kiyasurvivors.org.

Some of the route highlights include:

• Long Man of Wilmington
• Lewes Castle
• Cuckmere haven
• Firle beacon
• Beachy head & seven sisters
• Jack and Jill Windmills

To apply please email: events@kiyasurvivors.org

Or if you think you might be interested in finding out how to volunteer in Peru, visit www.kiyasurvivors.org to find out more.