Meze Lunch at Food for Friends

Even for those of us who enjoy our jobs Monday's can be an effort, but not today! This lunchtime we popped over to Food for Friends to try their new Meze lunch.

Richard and I did have a quick look at the menu before the dish arrived but either because we were talking or we were just too lazy to read it properly we didn't really take it in. This meant that when the food arrived neither of us really knew what was what but when it all looks this good, who needs to know?

Choosing what to order can sometimes take a while as you um and ah over several options, but the meze lunch was ideal as we got to try bits of lots of different things. The other bonus was the amount as usually if I go to a restaurant for lunch I end up eating too much and feeling sleepy when I get back to the office. However, instead of one heavy meal we got to sample lots of little ones and it was lighter on the stomach. Ideal for a lunchtime treat.

This also meant that I had time for a pudding, before heading back to the office, hooray! As anyone who knows me will know I will always be drawn to the chocolate option on any dessert menu. There were a couple to choose from today, but the one that won me over was the rich chocolate truffle torte.

I discovered afterwards that the pudding is actually vegan! I've no idea how they managed that as it was very chocolatey, although surely if it's vegan it's good for you, isn't it? ;)

For more details on the Meze lunch go to: www.foodforfriends.com/meze-lunch. I should point out that as we were returning to work this afternoon we did not have the carafe of wine so if you have any non-drinkers in your party then we can heartily recommend the Ginger Zinger.

Charlotte

The Pride at the Theatre Royal Brighton

The Pride received rave reviews during its West End run, the play is now on tour and is currently on at the Theatre Royal Brighton so last night we went to see what all the fuss was about!

Thankfully we were not disappointed :) Just to give a quick background - the play features a love triangle between Philip, Oliver and Sylvia in the 1950s and also in the present day reflecting the changing attitudes towards homosexuality.

L-R Al Weaver & Mathew Horne - The Pride - Trafalgar Studios - Photo Marc Brenner

Before going in my Mum and I were a little worried that the time split would confuse us (it doesn't take much!) but the simple set design, costumes, music and clipped tones made it very easy to follow. While this must have made things very tricky for the actors, they made it seem effortless.

Given the subject matter this could have been very heavy-handed and maudlin but this was not the case, there were plenty of funny moments which made the heartfelt scenes all the more touching. In historical terms 50 years is nothing and yet the time split effectively emphasised just how far we have come, and while things are by no means perfect we are definitely heading in the right direction. I was also pleased to see that the love triangle didn't focus purely on the men's struggle and that Sylvia's pain & anguish were also given a voice.

And finally, it is so satisfying to see a new play that isn't a rehash of an old story. While I did adore the recent production of Jeeves & Wooster (there always has to be an exception!) I do get a bit disappointed when I read that there is another new play based on a book or a film - there are even plans to write a musical based on Groundhog Day?! - and you do start to wonder if everyone has run out of original ideas. So it was a relief to see that at least one person is capable of writing something new and moving and hopefully more will follow...

The Pride is in Brighton until Saturday so make sure you catch it while you can.

Charlotte

2014 - The Year of the Anniversaries

Happy New Year Brighton Lovers! I don't know about you but I'm still getting used to the alarm clock waking me up each morning, still it's good to back as there is lots to look forward to this year.

My charming colleague Sarah has highlighted some of the 'Only in Brighton' events coming up but did you know there are also a couple of exciting anniversaries to celebrate in 2014? Back in 1974 ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo. What's that got to do with Brighton? Well that year the contest was held at our very own Brighton Dome! There are rumours that the band are planning a reunion to celebrate their 40th anniversary so if Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn or Anni-Frid happen to be reading this do let us know if you fancy a return visit to the city, I expect you'll notice a few changes!



But if Eurovision is just too kitsch and camp for you then perhaps you'll be more interested in this... 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous clash between the Mods & Rockers on Brighton beach. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the film that depicted the clash - Quadrophenia. So why not celebrate with a mod themed trip to the city? Book the Modrophenia room at Hotel Pelirooco; head to the North Laine to get suited and booked at Jump the Gun; go to a Sixties club night at Komedia; visit the Old Police Cells museum to see the graffiti left by the Mods & Rockers who were held their after the clash or simply ride your scooter along the seafront.

Still from the film 'Quadrophenia'

Whatever anniversary you decide to celebrate make sure you book your Brighton break through www.visitbrighton.com ;)

Charlotte

Soup and Crumb

One of the biggest challenges we face is getting across the message that Brighton & Hove is not just a summer destination. Of course everyone loves to be by the sea when it is hot and sunny but there is so much more to the city than just being out in the sunshine. To find out just how much is going on this winter why not check out our Christmas pages - www.christmasinbrighton.co.uk. Ok shameless plug over with so let's get back to the point....

We are not the only ones faced with this challenge, let's be honest how many of us say we fancy an ice cream when it's freezing cold outside? So rather ingeniously Scoop & Crumb have introduced a new menu for winter - Soup & Crumb (do you see what they did there?)! As I'm sure you've worked out they have just launched a range of soups. The menu does include savoury soups, in fact m'colleague Richard tried the Green Lentil & Bacon and assured me it tasted every bit as delicious as it smelled. However rather unusually the menu also includes three sweet soups: Hot Spiced Plum; Hot Raspberry and, the one that caught my eye, Hot Chocolate Soup. Well of course I just had to try that!

The chocolate was scrummy - proper chocolate rather then just sugary flavoured syrup. As you can see you do still get a scoop of ice cream, which was delicious and also means the soup cools down quite quickly which is good as it means you can dive straight in to the deliciousness :) As with their ice-creams all of the soups are made on the premises using fresh ingredients.

Plus ice cream fanatics will be pleased to hear that Scoop & Crumb do still sell ice-creams including a winter menu of treats which can be pre-ordered to enjoy at home with flavours including: Mince Pie & Rum Custard; Pear & Ginger; Christmas Pudding & Single Malt and Roasted Plum Crumble.

So when you're enjoying your Winter Break in Brighton make sure you pop in to Scoop & Crumb to try one of their warming treats.

Charlotte

MADE - Brighton's contemporary design & craft fair

It's time for another guest post and today we welcome Anne-Marie to give us a preview of MADE 2013...

MADE BRIGHTON is the city’s annual contemporary craft and design fair which takes place in the beautiful Corn Exchange at The Dome. Now in its 8th year, MADE BRIGHTON offers the public the opportunity to buy original and exceptional pieces of craft and design direct from the best local and national makers and has become firmly established as a friendly, accessible and top quality fair. Over 5500 visitors visit the fair, the majority of whom return year on year knowing that the work on show is well worth viewing.

This is what visitors in 2012 said …

• Like pearls for the eye! 
• Great work, lots of lovely things I LOVED the show! 
• Beautiful things, very talented people 
• Very high quality, bigger next year please 
• Wonderful selection, will definitely come again

Pieces by Tammy Child

The majority of exhibitors are from the UK, but fresh talent does come from further afield too. Look out for Karl Sweeney’s beautiful tambour boxes made from European hardwoods and Angela Hope’s lovely retro handbags. This year some fantastic furniture designers are bringing their pieces to the show; Justin O’Brien’s wooden furniture inspired by the flow of nature, blacksmith James Prices’ forged steel and glass tables, and Jorunn Hustoft’s knitted beanbags which are perfect for winter hibernating on, are all sure to be a hit with visitors. The fair showcases over 100 makers and designers; from unique glassware to luxurious textiles, functional ceramics to dazzling jewellery, and tailor made clothing to quirky accessories. This is the perfect opportunity to Christmas shop for unique gifts as well as indulging in some treats for yourself.

Mercury Table by Justin O'Brien

The Private View takes place on Thursday, 21 November and is by invitation only, although a few tickets are available to buy in advance for those people keen to see the work before the show opens to the public on Friday. Tickets on the door cost £7.50, with advance tickets available via the MADE BRIGHTON website for £6.

The Dome café will provide a place for visitors to relax and take refreshment. With so much work to see, many people like to make a day of it, spending the morning viewing work, stopping for a bite to eat, then returning to continue shopping. It’s a wonderful day out!

MADE BRIGHTON
22nd – 24th November 2013
Friday 11am – 7:30pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm
Address: Corn Exchange, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UD
Tickets £7.50 on the door, £6 in advance via the MADE BRIGHTON website.
Children under 14 free
www.brighton-made.co.uk

Thanks Anne-Marie, see you there! 

Charlotte   

Jewellery Remodelling

It's time for another guest post and today we hand over to Stuart Stanley from RING to give us an insight into jewellery remodelling... 

Jewellery remodelling, upcycling, resetting or restyling. Call it what you will, with precious metals & diamond values so high these days it is the logical choice if you have inherited or unwanted jewellery that is not to your taste.

Many people have jewellery that has been stuck in a drawer for a long, long time. This may be because it is broken, or because it was inherited from a relative & is simply not their style. The temptation is for these people to sell the jewellery but this is usually the worst thing to do. The reason is that 2nd hand jewellers base their buying prices on scrap metal values even when the jewellery is in perfectly good condition. Often they will not even add value to the price they pay if there are gem stones in the ring! With jewellery remodelling although you have to pay for the commission the finished piece is worth the same, if not more, than original piece.

So what is jewellery remodelling?

Well, it can take many forms. One example is simply resetting gemstones. Take engagement rings for example. Many people are tired of constantly paying for the re-plating of their white gold because it has turned a yellowy colour. This is because most jewellers do not tell their customers that the true colour has been masked with a fine plating of a metal called 'rhodium'. So, instead of paying £30-£50 every few months, RING jewellers can unset your diamond(s) & reset them into a metal that is naturally very white & will never need plating - ever! This could be either Platinum or Palladium.

3 stone cluster remodelled into a 9ct white gold rubover set ring

Another form of jewellery remodelling is the melting & reusing of gold. A customer may be looking to buy a wedding ring & they have inherited a gold wedding band that belonged to their parent or grandparent. Now the customer may prefer a white metal like platinum but the family heirloom is yellow gold. This is not a problem. At RING jewellers we can melt the family ring & use it as a fine gold inlay (a narrow yellow stripe in an otherwise white, platinum ring). Some of our clients do not want to see even the finest of yellow details so we use the gold as a 'liner' which is soldered inside the platinum ring & can only be seen when the wedding ring is removed (this choice is made when the gold is there purely used for the sentiment).

Jewellery remodelling can also change the function of an item of jewellery. A customer may have an old ring with lots of stones in. From this one ring they could make a matching set of pendant & earrings.

marquise ring remodelled into a marquise & round diamond pendant

Here is why jewellery remodelling is such a sensible choice:
Scenario 1 A lady inherits her grandmother's yellow gold diamond engagement ring. The insurance value is £2000. She sells it to a 2nd hand jeweller & gets £495. She then buys a ring to remember her gran by. The ring she buys for £495 has way smaller & lower quality diamonds. She has effectively down-graded her jewellery.

Scenario 2 The same lady inherits her grandmother's yellow gold diamond engagement ring. The insurance value is £2000. This time she commissions RING jewellers to design a ring she will love. They remove the diamonds from the inherited ring & reset them into a brand new design. The remodelling process costs her £495. The ring has now retained both its commercial & sentimental value & is still worth £2000. The lady wears the ring every day. This time instead of downgrading her jewellery she has 'upcycled' it!

Thanks for the insight there Stuart - now I'm off to raid the jewellery box! 

Charlotte

CINECITY, the Brighton Film Festival

Last week I was lucky enough to go to the launch event for this year's CineCity Film Festival and aside from being one of the first to get my hands on a copy of the brochure, I also gained an interesting insight into how the festival comes together.

This year's festival features more films from different countries then ever before including: Singapore, Laos, Kurdistan, China, Iran, India, Israel, Mexico, as well as Poland, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, France and the US. 

Still taken from 'Burn the Clocks'

However it's not all international as an important part of the festival is the Brighton Screenings strand. To qualify for this section of the festival the films must be made in Brighton, or filmed with a Brighton crew and it must have been completed after September 2012. We often tell people that the city is a hub for creative people and yet I was still surprised to hear that the panel received 75 submissions. It's great to discover that Brighton is home to such a wealth of talent. Although as the standard of entries was particularly high this year it meant the panel had the unenviable task of somehow whittling the entries down to just 26. To make the process more tricky, apart from looking at the submissions as individual pieces of work, the panel also had to consider how the films would flow together as a package of shorts.

So when you're planning what to see during the festival don't forget to check out the Brighton Screenings to see the home grown talent and place your bets on who will be the next Ben Wheatley or Paddy Considine.

Charlotte