Rik Mayall could probably walk on stage and sneeze and the audience would fall about laughing. And they certainly fall about with laughter at his recreation of Britain's most outrageous MP, Alan B'Stard. B'Stard is back, sporting a red rosette as the
With a cast of more than 40 and tunes written by Kander and Ebb, Kiss Of The Spider Woman The Musical can hardly fail. Brighton Theatre Group's lavish production is great fun with showgirls, a live band and beautifully choreographed fantasy scenes. The
Sussex has enjoyed one of the hottest days of the year so far. A high of 19.7C was recorded on the coast on Friday, making it the warmest place in Britain. The record was broken a day later when the temperature in Saunton Sands, Devon, hit 20C. A forecaster
I am surprised no one seems to have noticed the latest trick from Brighton and Hove City Council. When we moved here in 1993, the council tax was due on the 16th of the month, then for the past three years it was due on the 6th. But now, for this year
Children at hundreds of schools are being given cards with information about what to do if they are bullied. The cards are being handed to every child at school in West Sussex. They have telephone numbers for Childline, the national children's charity
Up to 1,000 pensioners and disabled people could be left without a vital lifeline if a bus service they rely on is axed. People in Seaford, Peacehaven, Newhaven, Lewes and Eastbourne use the dial-a-ride service to visit the doctor and to do their weekly
Ron Wood wonders how Dresden House can be short of funds when residents are paying £500 per week. Since I work in the finance department of a local care home, I might be able to help him understand. Of that £500, approximately £350 will go straight out
Hotshot Steve Vear today revealed how he almost missed Worthing Thunder's big semifinal night. Vear fired 19 points, including four key threes in the first half, as Barkers (Tarring) Thunder reached the final of the EBL division one play-offs with a 105
More than 20,000 people travelled on the buses for free on one of the busiest days of the year because of a computer glitch. Ticket machines on almost 200 Brighton and Hove buses were out of action for about six hours on Saturday. Drivers were instructed
If posthumous knighthoods ever come into vogue, one man most deserving of such an honour must surely be that daddy of discoveries, Hughie Green, starmaker supreme. If fame was your goal, Hughie was your man. At a time when phone-in shows had not been
Dean Barker today revealed the hands-on approach which has helped him make a flying start to the season. The Eastbourne Eagles skipper has piled up 58 paid points in 29 rides ahead of this week's tough double test on the road. He will need to repeat something
If we are trying to save water, shouldn't there be a time limit to how long the water should be left running? If a tap is running for more than 22 minutes, shouldn't it turn off automatically? This would help save water. -Emilio Lavia (age 8), Hove
Chris Adams believes the record-breaking exploits of two of his key batsmen will lift the entire Sussex team. Outplayed for much of the first three days in their Championship opener against Warwickshire, Mike Yardy and Murray Goodwin turned the contest
As there are water pipes constantly bursting, resulting in millions of gallons of our most treasured possession being wasted, is it beyond the wit of local councils to mobilise fleets of water tankers to retrieve this water, to be taken to the nearest
Crawley manager John Hollins has ended the uncertainty surrounding his future by declaring: "I want to stay." Hollins has confirmed he will hold talks with chairman Azwar Majeed this week. He was appointed without a contract until the end of the campaign
Alexis Nicolas revealed today Albion face competition to keep him from going abroad. The young former Chelsea midfielder is among nine players out of contract at the end of the season. Nicolas, handed his first start since November for the relegated Seagulls
An airline is slashing prices for one-way fares on 42 routes at Gatwick. British Airways is cutting fares on all its one-way shorthaul flights to take on no-frills airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair. Business leaders have welcomed the move, saying it
A report questioning the financing of the King Alfred redevelopment has come under fire from the site's developers. The District Valuer's Office cast doubt on the financial viability of the £290 million Frank Gehry-designed King Alfred towers and leisure
West Pier bosses have confirmed that a planning application for the controversial Brighton Eye will be lodged with the council within days. A presentation to councillors is due to be given by the team behind the Eye at the end of April. This includes
A woman who lost both legs to meningitis is planning a running comeback in New York. Clare Forbes, 22, from Broadfield, Crawley, cannot take part in tomorrow's London Marathon because of a problem in one leg. She had her legs amputated in 2001 and was
Police have confirmed they are investigating a smear campaign being waged against a councillor in the run-up to the May local elections. Officers in Crawley have been asked to look into a series of documents being widely circulated which are an attempt
A charity for abandoned donkeys is £16,000 richer after its patron MP Ann Widdecombe appeared on TV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The Tory MP joined forces with former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, from Newick, near Lewes, in an attempt to make
Nude cyclists will be riding through Brighton and Hove as the city hosts its first World Naked Bike Ride. Up to 100 people are expected to bare as much as they dare to protest against oil dependency and the vulnerability of cyclists on roads. Brighton
Over ten years and seven albums the slowest of slowcore bands, Low have remained faithful to lonely, reverb-drenched harmonies and heart-wrenchingly sad melodies, flirting only occasionally with lushness, loudness and more traditional song structures.
If the current crop of coolly detached indie bands leaves you cold, then the raw, youthful exuberance of Miss Black America may well revive your jaded heart. Formed in Bury St Edmunds, their impassioned melange of classic and indie rock, punk and grunge
The mother of a child raped and abused by paedophile Kevin Hazelwood for more than three years has spoken of her daughter's horrifying ordeal. Hazelwood, 40, of Oriental Place, Brighton, was jailed indefinitely on Friday for his "systematic" abuse of
EEERRRREEEEWWWEEEERRRR! The sound is like nothing I've ever heard before, kind of like a banshee blowing a shrill whistle inside a bat cave. For anyone lucky enough to have been in a coma during Celebrity Big Brother, it's a very loud sign that something
Jonathan More More and Matt Black, aka Coldcut, are generally recognised as one of the most influential production/remix partnerships the British dance music scene has ever seen. The pair were there at the very start when, in 1987, they made the UK's
Oh how I agree with much of what was said by John Handley (Letters, April 20). I cannot believe people voted Tony Blair back into office last time around. Apart from the issues mentioned in Mr Handley's letter, my passion is the National Health Service
John Handley's polemic against the Labour Government is puzzling for both its timing and inaccuracy. Among his "disturbing facts" is the assertion that crime is going up. But only this week, The Argus reported a Brighton police chief's comments on statistics
In successive features in The Argus, Claire Truscott has raised important questions concerning our liberties and responsibilities. In Caught In The Act Of Life (April 5), she finds 10,000 out of 20,000 CCTV cameras deployed in Brighton and Hove are used
Developers who hoped to build a six-storey block of flats on the site of a former garage have lodged an appeal. Brighton and Hove City Council last year threw out Berkeley Homes' plans for the former Caffyns garage showroom site in Kingsway, Hove, saying
Street dancer JP Omari has made it through to the next round of TV's Strictly Dance Fever, despite receiving one of the lowest scores. The 24-year-old from Brighton came close to being booted out of the contest after he and partner Stacey Gaunt were left
A water firm has warned Sussex is still in the middle of a drought, despite rising reservoir levels. Southern Water has received calls from customers who believe there is no longer a shortage because April brought extra rainfall and reservoirs have been
I read with interest the article by Adam Trimingham (The Argus, April 16). His assertion that Brighton and Hove City Council is paralysed with "fear, rancour and some stupidity" beggars belief. The council is elected to represent the interests of the
Recent news stories have dramatically highlighted the terrible state the environment is in. We have heard the planet will warm by three degrees, which will cause massive suffering and upheaval across the globe. In the UK, we are living way beyond our
A public school which closed suddenly because of financial difficulties reopens today after two fathers agreed to pay a £1 million debt. Newlands School in Seaford was forced to shut on April 3, leaving up to 450 pupils scrambling to find a new school
The devastated family of a bubbly 18-year-old who died after a collision with a recovery truck visited the scene last night to pay tribute. Kerry Moss, of Garden Close, Shoreham, was walking with a friend along the main A27 road in Offington, Worthing
The Southern Water Authority (SWA) has been urging us for some time to save water. So on March 17, we duly ordered a water butt under its special offer. We thought it would be useful for watering the garden or even flushing the toilet if things got serious
Just an observation I have made since the hosepipe ban has been in force in the South. Up until there is a change in the future, as far as I know you can still wash your car using a bucket. However, I did an experiment the last time there was a ban using
Crawley could be deducted points by the Conference. Reds met with league officials last Thursday to explain their off-field problems. They were quizzed about the illegal role held by co-owner Chas Majeed, who was forced to step down as chairman last month
The result was irrelevant but the line-up named by Mark McGhee was intriguing. The side fielded for the relegated Seagulls' final away fixture in the Championship emphasised both the rich promise for the future and the age-old problem for Mark McGhee
Window cleaners claim they face risking their safety or losing their jobs if proposed water bans go ahead. Southern Water is waiting to hear if its application to restrict water to essential use only is to be approved after a public hearing earlier this
Neighbourhood policing in Sussex is threatened by the planned merger with Surrey Police, it is claimed. The multimillion pound cost of the exercise could send local tax demands through the roof. Serious concerns about Home Secretary Charles Clarke's decision
Sussex runners raised thousands for charity in the world's biggest marathon. Dozens of athletes and fun runners from across the county were among 40,000 people taking part in the Flora London Marathon yesterday. They included Catherine Gower and Lorraine
He may look like he has just left school but Dan Paine is 24 and has taken on a top police job in Brighton. Dan is the first full-time Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) to be stationed at Brighton Marina. Dan admitted he gets his leg pulled about
The Guide offers a critical view of what's hot for the coming week. John Parish, Hanbury Ballroom, St George's Road, Brighton, Tuesday - Award-winning composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist John Parish introduces his new album Once Upon A Little
There are some lovely moments on Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour's new solo album, On An Island. But ultimately it's the sound of Dave's comfy and hermetically sealed world. Gilmour has announced that the Floyd will probably never play or record together
In some alternative universe where Toy Story 1 and 2 are factual documentaries and Fisher-Price games have become the world religion, Kid Carpet is Mozart. He takes those plastic kiddies' instruments - rinky-dink Casio keyboards and toy Bontempi electric
Folky singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez almost went unnoticed as he walked on stage at the Dome. There was a tense moment where it seemed nobody in the packed hall cared he had come on. But once he smiled and waved they realised he was the main attraction
I had come with the intention of reliving my glorious indie youth, crowd-surfing and all. But the cruel lack of audience meant any attempts to fling myself off the stage would have given me a nasty shock and probably brought Rick and the band down to
