For my money Rigoletto is one of Guiseppe Verdi's finest operas. It was his 17th and comes full of great tunes of the tumtytum school, which you cannot help but want to whistle at the darker, more sinister curses this opera also contains. Along the way
Blaming we puny individuals on the surface of the Earth for global warming is nonsense. Any gases we make - from cars, factories, forest fires and so on are dispersed at ground level by wind, rain and the greenery around us, even in towns. The odd volcanic
I am afraid the cost of the proposed police merger is far higher than was stated (The Argus, June 5). We are now witnessing the latter stages of the surrender of the United Kingdom to the EU. The cost of the police merger is our country. Those who are
I do agree with David Hammond (Letters, June 5) in reply to my letter of May 26. All creatures great and small should be in their natural environment but, sadly, due to rapid climate changes and man-made disasters - the rain forests in South America,
The family of murdered Babes in the Woods schoolgirl Nicola Fellows has attacked an anti-paedophile task force for having no representation from victims' families. Nigel Heffron believes the murders of his niece Nicola and her friend Karen Hadaway, both
I was interested to read Des Turner's remarks regarding Defend Council Housing (Letters, June 7). I wonder if he recalls some years ago, when Margaret Thatcher was still prime minister, how the Conservatives then wanted to sell off housing council stocks
Thanks to Siobhan Ryan for her thoroughly-researched and well-written piece about ME (The Argus, May 15). Illustrated by Eastbourne teenager Ruth Fitzpatrick's case history, it will certainly make the people of Sussex more aware of this dreadfully debilitating
There are so many things wrong in this country and blasphemy against the Christian faith is one. While we as Christians rise above it, I take offence at the picture of The Last Supper depicting David Beckham as Jesus, the Son of God. I sincerely hope
I feel sure Leonardo da Vinci would have been as horrified as I was at the distortion of one of his great works (The Argus, June 5). This is an appalling indictment of our society when the media, over-stimulated by the excitement of World Cup fever, can
Three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter when a pensioner collapsed and died after confronting a gang of youths outside his home. Police said John De Almedia, 75, died a short while after the disturbance. The youths, aged 15, 16 and
Can someone tell me why people in Brighton would prefer to walk over rubbish and have their streets looking filthy, than to have bins. Could Brighton and Hove City Council please force everyone to get bins and stop these filthy anti-bin people dirtying
Sussex are one win away from a trip to Lord's for the C&G Trophy final. The south conference leaders bowled out hosts Ireland for 216 yesterday and then mounted a successful run chase, posting 217-3 to win with 13 overs to spare. Victory over Hampshire
As it now seems generally agreed that John Prescott's misconceived plans to concrete over much of the South-East of England is another of the disastrous aspects of his ministerial tenure which, thankfully, came to an end last month, does Brighton and
Adam Shields is getting suited and booted for the Speedway World Cup after completing his astonishing return to the track. Shields, making his Eastbourne Eagles comeback just 54 days after suffering a broken pelvis and hip which was supposed to end his
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has allayed Sussex fears that leading wicket-taker Mushtaq Ahmed might be added to their tour squad. Mushtaq, 36, has not played Test cricket for three years and was left out of Pakistan's 16-man party for the tour, which begins
Guidelines have been drawn up forcing construction companies to reuse or recycle waste created when buildings are demolished. East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council have drawn up planning guidance which will force companies demolishing
Passenger numbers rose again at Gatwick during May as people fled the poor weather. Almost three million people travelled through the airport during May, 4.3 per cent more than in May 2005, bringing the total number of passengers during the past 12 months
Finishing touches are being made to preparations for Worthing Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 people to the town every summer. Highlights include an open-air concert, a fireworks display, a classic car rally, a carnival, a funfair and seafront
Two Sussex women battling breast cancer have welcomed news that a potentially life-saving drug could soon be available to those who need it. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that women with the early stages of
With an unprecedented run on Broadway and a sell-out season in the West End in recent years, Jackie Mason is one of those old-school comedians who refuses to step out of the limelight. Not so much a renaissance man (for he has never really felt the need
The Adur Theatre Company has certainly picked a winner for the Adur festival, judging not only by the reaction of the first-night audience but also from the fact ticket sales have broken box office records. All the characters from the popular TV show
Sussex are one win away from a trip to Lord's for the C&G Trophy final. The south conference leaders bowled out hosts Ireland for 216 yesterday and then mounted a successful run chase, posting 217-3 to win with 13 overs to spare. Victory over Hampshire
My council tax increase for this year is 5.7 per cent Telscombe Town Council decided on a rise of a staggering 25.1 per cent, so the combined charge for it and Lewes District Council rose by 10.4 per cent. Understanding that the Government caps council
I would like to thank publicly the two gentlemen cyclists who helped me change a wheel when I suffered a flat tyre in the ASDA car park at Brighton Marina last Thursday evening. I was tired, flustered and had a five-year-old in tow. They were calm, kind
The Government has been accused of "total incompetence" after it emerged 33 foreign prisoners have escaped from Ford Open Prison since the start of the year. Home Office figures revealed one was due to be deported and 19 were being considered for deportation
Bare breasts, bottoms and other delicate bits of anatomy were exposed to scorching sunshine during a naked cycle protest against cars and oil. More than 100 protesters stripped off on Saturday, but amid police warnings of arrest covered their naughtiest
Delighted bowls club members have moved back into their clubhouse 18 months after they thought it would have to be demolished. The Hove Park Bowls Club clubhouse looked doomed last January after arsonists started fires which gutted the building, leaving
I was fascinated to read Oliver Woolley is going to the US Space And Rocket Centre at Huntsville, Alabama (The Argus, June 4), because we were there last spring. Along the lines of the better known Cape Canaveral centre in Florida, Huntsville is a great
While many schoolgirls are worrying about the latest fashions and which boy band singer they prefer, young Madeleine Hatt has more serious responsibilities. The ten-year-old has shouldered much of the burden of running her home in Seaford after her mother
The first houses in a super-safe retirement village being built by nuns have been completed. The Augustinian Order, based at Ditchling Common, near Lewes, is celebrating the completion of the first phase of its £58 million development. It will combine
The mother of a little girl who died after becoming buried in sand on a holiday beach is expecting another child. Pippa Sayer, who married her partner Ian six weeks ago, lost three-year-old Abbie Livingstone-Nurse in the tragic accident last August. Now
"We've spent a lot of time playing chess in rehearsals," says director Philip Wilson. "The male characters don't really talk, so playing chess is a way for them to communicate. And the play in general is so much about rituals and patterns of behaviour
"I have the skin-tight black trousers," says Hayley Evetts. "I only have a minute to get into them and it's quite a shoehorning job. There are four people who do the wigs and shoes, and one lady whose job is to help me put on my trousers - they are the
A property developer plans to change the face of Lewes with a huge £150 million development built on a flood plain. Proposals have been put forward to transform the Phoenix Industrial Estate, in the centre of the town, into a complex containing 800 homes
Having read the latest proposed developments concerning the King Alfred Centre, we make this impassioned plea to the developers Karis ING - please stop putting the residents of Hove through such anguish. Hove boasts arguably the nicest seafront facade
"Piers Gough envisages the two central towers being 12 metres taller in order to re-jig the designs for the other eight tower blocks" (The Argus, June 6). He says this height increase is "only a couple of floors", but 12 metres is nearly 40 feet in old
Albion transfer target Gifton Noel-Williams revealed today the Seagulls are one of his "main options". But he also admits their relegation from the Championship could cost them his signature. Manager Mark McGhee wants to bring the striker back to Withdean
A high street will be revamped to cut down traffic speeds. The improvements in Billingshurst, are estimated to cost £400,000 and will be paid for through developer contributions. The aim is to make life more pleasant for pedestrians and encourage more
A row has broken out after language schools warned foreign students to stay out of a town centre during the World Cup, especially when England were playing, or risk being attacked. The warnings in Eastbourne were agreed on Tuesday at a meeting of the
A woman involved in a car accident yesterday afternoon has died from her injuries. She and her husband were making their way towards the centre of Brighton along Kingsway, Hove, when the car veered into a CCTV camera pole in the middle of the road. The
Campaigners are calling for a nightclub to cancel a performance by a controversial reggae star over his alleged homophobic lyrics. Brighton and Hove City Councillor Simon Williams is urging the Concorde 2 in Madeira Drive to ban Buju Banton, who has written
Bookies' favourite Pete has been musing about his feelings for wannabe footballer's wife Nikki. Brighton's Daddy Fantastic frontman likened the dizzy blonde to a kitten as he confided his feelings for her in the diary room. Pete and Nikki, who escaped
