To (disposable) bbq or not to bbq

Brighton & Hove City Council has launched a public survey inviting residents and visitors to voice their opinions on whether to extend the ban on disposable barbecues, lanterns, and balloons, set to expire in August 2025. Currently enforced by a Public Space Protection Order introduced in July 2022, the order prohibits single‑use barbecues (as well as the intentional release of lanterns and balloons) across all council‑owned land - including beaches, seafront, parks, and open spaces - and carries a £100 fine for breaches. (See this news report from the Argus on fines given out.)

By law, Public Space Protection Orders must be reviewed and cannot simply be rolled over indefinitely. Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the council - one of the first across the country to bring in such a ban - is required to consult the public before renewing or amending such orders, which lapse after three years if not renewed. The survey is therefore not just a gesture of transparency but a legal step to ensure any continued restrictions have proper public backing.

The council emphasises that disposable barbecues pose serious fire hazards, from causing bin and depot fires to scalding sand and scorching vegetation. They also leave behind injuries for people and animals and impose cleanup costs on taxpayers. Likewise lanterns and balloons, once released, become litter that can harm wildlife and ignite fires, and their fragments often end up washed ashore. In light of these dangers and the cost of clean‑up operations, the council wants to know whether the community supports maintaining - or even strengthening - the current restrictions via the survey, which is open until Sunday, 20 July.

It’s worth noting that thoughtful etiquette and clear bylaws also guide reusable barbecue use on Brighton’s beaches. Reusable grills are permitted after 6 pm in designated areas, but always above the pebbles and away from restricted sections such as the stretch between the two piers, Hove Street to Fourth Avenue, and Hove Lawns; non‑designated or disposables incur fines or confiscation.

Beyond local regulation, this campaign reflects a broader national movement away from throwaway barbecues. A recent Guardian report cites chilling incidents, including a nine‑year‑old boy badly burned by residual heat from a discarded disposable barbecue, and highlights the environmental toxicity tied to charcoal and igniter‑soaked grills. This follows supermarket chains like Aldi and Waitrose halting sales of such products and government deliberation of tighter controls due to their link with accidental fires.

The Beach Guide has summary information on beach bbq bans across the country - and reports that Brighton & Hove was ‘one of the first councils to completely ban disposable barbecues’.

Mid-air fighter pilot thrills!

Ever experienced mid-air fighter pilot thrills? Ever been on the Palace Pier’s Air Race ride? This attraction has become a staple of the pier’s amusement offerings since its installation around 2016. Manufactured by Italian ride designers Zamperla, the award-winning Air Race is known for its compact design and intense looping motion, simulating the feeling of a high-speed aerobatic display.

The ride consists of plane-shaped pods mounted on rotating arms. As the central hub spins, the arms swing outward, causing the pods to loop vertically and invert. The result is a disorienting two-minute experience delivering forces said to be up to 3G. Riders are secured in over-the-shoulder restraints, and the ride is accompanied by engine sound effects and commentary mimicking an air show.

Brighton’s Air Race replaced or supplemented older children’s rides as part of the Brighton Pier Group’s post-2010 modernisation strategy. It operates as part of the pier’s token- or wristband-based amusement park at the far end of the structure. Its height and movement make it visible from the promenade, contributing to the pier’s profile as a destination for thrill-seekers as well as traditional day-trippers.

The ride has been in the news. On 8 April 2019, a component came loose during operation and struck a teenage boy in the leg, causing minor injury. Emergency services responded, and the Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation. The ride was temporarily closed and inspected by the manufacturer. The incident, reported by multiple national outlets including BBC News and ITV News, was one of the few recent mechanical accidents on Brighton Palace Pier. No serious injuries were recorded.

The Air Race is not unique to Brighton. The same Zamperla ride model is installed in several locations around the world. Notable examples include Luna Park in Coney Island, New York (opened 2010), and Drayton Manor in Staffordshire (opened 2014). Other installations exist in Australia, Canada and at travelling fairs in Germany. According to Zamperla’s website, the Air Race won a Menalac Best New Products award in the FECS category (European fairs and traveling attractions) within the 2011-2020 timeframe.

Four times time

Ninety-five years ago toady, on 27 June 1930, Brighton’s Mayor Horace Aldrich formally opened the clock tower at the entrance to the Palace Pier. Commissioned by the Brighton Marine Palace and Pier Company and built by W. G. Beaumont & Company, the new clock tower was designed to create a grander gateway for visitors, replacing the original ironwork arches as part of a widened promenade. Its four faces have since become an iconic feature at the pier’s entrance, though the clock faces don’t always tell the same time!

Local lore holds that the clock’s internal mechanism and faces were salvaged from the Brighton Aquarium, during its 1929 demolition, and repurposed into the new pier entrance (see My Brighton and Hove). While this is a persistent and colourful legend - referenced in community histories and online forums - there seems to be no definitive documentation to confirm it. 

The clock has not always run smoothly. During the Second World War, the mechanism and faces were removed for safekeeping, protecting them from potential bomb damage or sabotage. When the pier reopened in June 1946, the clock was reinstalled and the tower rebuilt. Over the decades, the coastal environment - with its salt, wind and storms - has taken its toll, leading to periodic wear and tear and necessitating regular maintenance.

One of the most notable recent challenges occurred during a particularly wet winter in the late 2000s. The tower’s waterproofing failed, causing wooden structural supports to decay. This led to the clock’s shafts binding and the mechanism losing time. The problem was resolved by engineers from Hastings, who restored the clock and repaired the structure. Nevertheless, in the last few years, when on the beach, I’ve learned to check more than one face if I need to know the time.

The wreck of the Atlantique

On a stormy June night in 1860, Brighton Beach became the stage for a maritime tragedy that left one man dead and a French vessel stranded in the surf. The Atlantique, a coal-laden ship bound from Bowness to Marseilles, was driven hopelessly off course by days of violent weather. As the gale intensified, she struck the beach behind the Albion Hotel, within sight of the town’s esplanade. 

The wreck became the subject of local newspaper reports and a dramatic engraving in the Illustrated London News (1860-06-16: Vol 36 Iss 1036). A copy of the original edition, but with an imperfect image, can be freely viewed online at Internet Archive. A much better image - of which this is a screenshot - can be found at the Regency Society website (the digital image being owned by the Society of Brighton Print Collectors).

Here is the brief article that appeared with the picture in London Illustrated News.

‘The terrific gale which blew on Saturday week was felt in its full force at Brighton, and two vessels - the Transit, of Shoreham, and the Atlantique, of Nantes - were driven on shore. We give an engraving of the wreck of the latter vessel, from a sketch taken on the Pier Esplanade by Mr. E. Nibbs, of Howard-place, Brighton. The following details of the disaster are from a local paper.

The wreck of the Atlantique, of Nantes, took place last night, and, unfortunately, there was loss of one life. Between eleven and twelve o’clock the vessel was seen driving towards the shore, until at length, just at the turn of the tide, and during the height of the gale, she struck the beach at the back of the Albion Hotel, carrying away part of the groyne, and the sea began to beat furiously over her. Captain Manby’s apparatus was called into requisition, and rockets were thrown, by means of which a rope was thrown over the vessel and communication with the shore established. The captain and some others threw themselves into the sea, and got safely to shore. One young man, however, was carried away by the sea and drowned, his body being found not far from the spot about an hour afterwards. The rest were saved by means of the ropes of the ship and the exertions of those on the shore. The exhausted and weatherbeaten men, including the captain, five men, and a boy, were taken to Mr. Payne’s Marine Hotel, where fires were prepared and every kindness shown them. The Atlantique was bound from Bowness to Marseilles, laden with 210 tons of gas coal. She was driven considerably out of her course by the heavy gales of the previous Sunday and Monday, and, after encountering much bad weather, on Saturday, the 2nd inst., was forced helplessly on the Sussex coast.

South-East History Boards has a transcript of the local newspaper report on the inquest into the death of Celestin Pruneau, First Mate of the Atlantique. 

An attempt was made to refloat the Atlantique, the same source reveals, but this failed - the salvors sold her cargo of coal, the purchaser being the Brighton & Hove Gas Co.

Jet skis not great whites

Jet skis - not great whites - are a familiar sight slicing through the waters near Brighton’s Palace Pier, though sometimes they can become so frenzied it is difficult to tell the difference! The main operator offering these central seafront sessions is Simply Good Times, an events company that runs guided jet ski safaris directly from the pebbles. Riders gather just west of the Palace Pier, where they’re kitted out in wetsuits and given a safety briefing before heading out onto the open water.

Prices for these beach-based safaris can appear surprisingly low - sometimes advertised from around £55 per person - but that figure typically reflects group bookings where participants share jet skis and ride in rotation. Rather than operating as a solo rental service, these sessions are designed for hen and stag parties, birthdays, and corporate outings, where the focus is on shared fun and accessible thrills. The jet skis themselves are similar to those used by professional outfits at the Marina - modern, powerful, and fast enough to send a cold plume of salt spray over the Palace Pier's ironwork.

For those seeking a full hour solo on a jet ski - with uninterrupted ride time and private guidance - providers like Lagoon Watersports at Brighton Marina may be a better fit, albeit at a higher price point (around the £150 mark). But if you’re after a taste of jet-powered freedom without leaving the beach, and you don’t mind sharing the ride, then Brighton’s central Jet Ski Safaris offer a rare blend of speed, salt, and spectacle - apparently, with deckchairs and doughnuts waiting when you return.

Jet skiing began in the 1970s with Kawasaki’s original stand-up Jet Ski, and since then, personal watercraft (PWCs) have become a popular form of coastal recreation in the UK. As of 2021, there were an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 jet skis in use across the country, with around 1,200-1,400 new units sold each year (see this government briefing paper). In 2023, UK legislation brought PWCs under the Merchant Shipping Act, following safety concerns and a rise in accidents. This means jet skis are now legally treated as vessels, subject to maritime rules and heavy penalties for misuse.

These photos were shot last weekend from the Palace Pier; and the AI image of a great white is taken from StockCake.

Stormzy stars in Brighton short

Stormzy’s new short film Big Man, much of it shot in Brighton - on the beach and the pier - marks the artist’s first leading role on screen. The 20-minute film, directed by Oscar-winner Aneil Karia and released this month, was shot entirely on the latest iPhone and produced by #Merky Films in collaboration with Apple.

The short film follows Tenzman, a former star adrift in a creative slump, who reconnects with joy and purpose after an unexpected encounter with two young boys (played by Klevis Brahja and Jaydon Eastman). Their adventure takes them to Brighton Beach, where scenes of them running across the pebbles, trampolining and eating chips together capture moments of emotional clarity for Stormzy’s character. 

Stormzy himself was born Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. in Croydon in 1993. He rose to fame in the mid-2010s with tracks like Shut Up and his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. In October 2015, he played at the Brighton Beach venue, Concorde 2, during his first-ever UK headline tour. A year later he was back in town performing a high‑energy set at the Dome during The Great Escape festival.

Known for his political engagement and cultural influence, Stormzy has since expanded his impact beyond music, launching a publishing imprint, founding #Merky Books, and supporting educational and justice initiatives. Big Man signals a new creative chapter, blending music, narrative, and location in a quietly ambitious short film rooted in real emotion and recognisable British landscapes.

The film, from which these screenshots were taken, can be viewed at Time Out's website.

Double six every time

No one had asked for them. They weren’t on any plan, proposal, or procurement list. Yet there they were, two enormous red dice, half-buried in the shingle between the pier and the overflowing litter bin.

Councillor Denise Griggs first spotted them on her brisk morning walk. She frowned, took a photo, and sent it to Highways, assuming they were bollards gone rogue.

By lunchtime, a petition was circulating to keep them.

Locals swore blind they’d been consulted. ‘It was in the newsletter,’ said a man who had never read a newsletter in his life. ‘A playful intervention in public space,’ chirped an art student, taking selfies with them in six different outfits. ‘They soften the hardscape,’ said a yoga instructor who had just learned the word ‘hardscape’.

But others were less charmed. ‘We need benches,’ muttered June Tranter, aged 84, who sat on the dice because it was the only thing lower than her knees but higher than the ground. ‘And I slipped on one last night,’ said a man who had, in fairness, slipped on most things.

By Friday, the dice were on TripAdvisor. ‘WHIMSICAL INSTALLATION! So Brighton! 😍🎲🎲 #DiceLife’

‘Can’t tell if they’re art or bins. Love it.’

‘Would recommend for ten minutes.’

Then came the theories.

One woman claimed they were part of a secret casino testing public tolerance. A boy in Year 5 declared, with perfect sincerity, that if you rolled both sixes, the West Pier would regenerate like Doctor Who. A retired magician offered £500 to anyone who could make one disappear ‘properly’.

Denise Griggs, meanwhile, was deep in council minutes. There was no funding. No invoice. No artist named. A FOI request revealed only a baffling line item: ‘Urban Dice (2) - As per civic gamification strategy. Approved retroactively.’

Retroactively?!

At the next council meeting, the Leader, Julian Parkes, admitted - off the record - that the dice had been ordered by his predecessor during a failed - Playful Urbanism - initiative meant to make Brighton a finalist for the European City of the Unexpected. ‘There was a deckchair maze too, but it blew away,’ he mumbled. ‘And we think the dice were meant to be mobile.’

‘On wheels?’ Denise asked.

‘No. Metaphorically.’

Weeks passed. The dice stayed.

Teenagers lounged. Seagulls perched. A local poet declared the left die ‘a metaphor for uncertainty’ and the right ‘just another lie.’ Someone started leaving single dominoes around them. A TikTok trend briefly flourished: #DiceDance. Then vanished.

And every so often, late at night, under cover of darkness, the dice would jiggle themselves, just for a few seconds, smiling urbanely at each other, before re-settling - double six every time.