The Brighton & Hove Wrap - Friday 4th April
Murder arrest, marathon details + Preston Manor reopens
👋Hello readers👋 The Wrap will take a break next week (Friday 11th April) but service will resume as normal from 18th April. Thanks for sticking with us.
🚨 A 19-year-old has been arrested for murder after an attack at a home in Hartfield Avenue, Brighton, on Tuesday (1st). A man died from his injuries and a woman and boy were seriously injured, reports Brighton and Hove News.
➡The Argus has a quick video report too:
🏗Development of Benfield, described in this BBC report as Hove’s “last green lung”, will go ahead. The building of more than 100 homes on the site north of Hangleton Lane has been approved, despite local objections and the fact that they can’t be built yet (The Wrap needs to look further into why this is the case).
➡Here’s some background on the developer’s plans from the BBC.
🎸 The Argus has an update on North Laine music shop Gak, which has been closed since 25th March. While a sign in the window of the distinctive red-and-yellow store says it’s closed for maintenance, an email sent to a customer and seen by The Argus suggests it is currently unable to trade.
🗝 Could the oldest member of the council become Brighton’s next deputy mayor at 85 years old? Brighton and Hove News explains.
💉 Free Covid-19 boosters are now available for over 75s, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems, says the council. You can check the list of GP practices that will deliver the boosters.
🎫 The box office for this year’s Fringe Festival will be located in the foyer of the Theatre Royal Brighton from 2nd May to 1st June (thanks to the Brighton Fringe newsletter for mentioning).
🎽 It’s the Brighton Marathon this Sunday (6th). The Argus has a guide (or there’s this from the BBC) to all the events happening this weekend to mark the race, as well as details of road closures and transport changes.
🍔 And The White Rabbit pub in the North Laine is offering a free glass of prosecco to runners, while MEATLiquor Brighton is offering participants a free burger:
🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ The Pride Village Party, which usually takes place in St James’s St, will move to Marine Parade this year, reports Brighton and Hove News. The council cites safety concerns, but some non-seafront businesses aren’t happy about how the changes have been announced.
❎ The Argus has been looking into how much money the council makes from selling electoral data, such as the electoral register.
👨🎓The University of Brighton has a new chief operating officer. Tom Rowson, current COO at the University of Roehampton, will start in July.
⏰ The Argus’ Annabel Stock has written a nice piece about the Kemptown Bookshop, including details of its 5am writing club.
🟢 Preston Manor reopens this weekend (from Saturday 5th). Sussex Express has more.
🎢 On Monday 7th, local resident’s card holders can get 10 rides on the pier for £10.
🍳 Al Campo Lounge, London Road, is running a free breakfast club for kids during the Easter holidays (7th-17th April).
🚨Two police appeals this past week:
1️⃣ Sussex Police is seeking witnesses to a deliberate fire in Rottingdean that damaged a campervan on Friday 28 March.
2️⃣ It also wants to identify a man “in connection with an assault” in St James’s St, Brighton, on Sunday 2nd March at around 3am.
🍕 A new pizza restaurant — reportedly the first south-coast branch of the Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana chain — will open in the former site of The Chilli Pickle in Jubilee Street, writes The Argus. The restaurant space has been empty since January.
🌁 Meanwhile, local charity for young people with learning disabilities, Team Domenica, has bought the long leasehold of 2-3 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton — the former home of All Bar One, reports The Argus.
➡ “The building, just off North Street, will serve as the new home for the charity’s specialist further education college and training centre”.
🍽The winners of Brighton’s Best Restaurants (the annual awards organised by the team behind OctoberBEST) have been announced:
🍜According to Restaurant, Brighton’s Shelter Hall has a new owner, Market Halls, which owns several food hall sites in London.
🐣 Dates for your diaries: Preston Manor & Gardens is hosting a free, Edwardian fete for Easter on Saturday 12th April.
🍻Unbarred Brewery is holding a charity auction on Sunday 13th with boozy prizes and live music. Ticket sales will raise money for local non-profit AudioActive.
🎶The Great Escape festival, which takes place in May, has added 175 acts to its line-up:
