7 things to do this weekend | 4th – 6th november

Another week’s gone by and with it another 500 conversations about the weather. Not wanting to buck the trend, we’ll just say that it’s finally feeling autumnal – just in time for bonfire night. If the only fireworks you need are those happening in the news, then read on for some less pyrotechnical ways to spend your weekend.

vintage-kilo-brighton

Shop local
We’re spoilt with brilliant local markets here in Brighton and this weekend is no exception. The Actors is holding its Black Brighton Market this Saturday (11am – 7pm; £5), showcasing heaps of gorgeous handmade items, such as tailored clothes and accessories, artworks, cards, prints, hair and skin care, jewellery and more, all made by black people and people of colour. There are spoken word performances throughout the day (including the brilliant Aflo The Poet) and the entry price also gives you free entry to a raffle. The Maker’s Fair at St George’s Church in Kemptown is also on Saturday (11am – 5pm; free) and sells work by a huge line-up of local artists, makers and designers and is always worth a visit. Want to rummage through vintage clothes and accessories for beautiful bargains? Then check out the kilo sale that’s back at St Bartholomew’s Church this Saturday (11am – 5pm; entry from £2; clothes are £15/kilo) – get there early for the best bits! For a more old-school affair (a tombola, plants, chutneys and, of course, tea and cake), head to the Preston Village WI winter fair in St Matthias Church Hall in Preston Village (11am – 2pm; free)
Saturday 5th November; various times and locations

Check out a new gallery
Hot on the heels of their Cab Run exhibition that saw the disused cab run tunnel below the station transformed into a gallery for a weekend, Do Not Obstruct have opened their Kemptown gallery with an affordable art exhibition, Not Another Estate Agent. You’ll find contemporary works from 50 local artists over two floors with all kinds of genres represented, from street art to oil paintings, abstract works, collage and pop art. Check out our reel of the private view for a peek at what to expect.
Until Friday 25th November; free
7 St. George’s Road, Brighton BN2 1EB

donotobstruct.co.uk

samphire sauna eastbourne

Warm up at the sauna
In true British fashion, we’ve already uttered the phrase “ooh, the temperature’s really dropped, hasn’t it” about a hundred times today. So if you, like us, need warming up and a hefty dose of relaxation, then how about a sauna? We’ve got a few along the Sussex coast, but we’re keen to try Sunday’s Samphire Sauna pop-up on Eastbourne beach by lovely boutique hotel Port (followed by brunch, obviously). And you can lose any preconceptions you may have about Eastbourne being rather geriatric – it’s great for a day trip and is full of cool indie shops these days.
Sunday 6th November; 10am – 3pm; from £10
11-12 Royal Parade, Eastbourne, BN22 7AR
Email hello@stayatport.com to book

Watch My Policeman
Remember the shots of Harry Styles looking all broody in a vintage uniform snapped on various beaches in Brighton and Worthing last year? It wasn’t just for the amusement of social media, though, he was filming My Policeman, the movie based on the novel by Brighton-based author Bethan Roberts that has just landed on Amazon Prime. It’s a beautifully told story of forbidden love that starts in the 1990s, going back to the 1950s to track the interwoven love story of three people amid shifting social conventions. It’s also great fun spotting all the different filming locations as most of the movie was shot along the south coast. Look out for our interview with Bethan Roberts coming soon too!
On Amazon Prime from 4th November
Watch here

Dive in to a(nother) new exhibition
Like many Brightoners, we’re big fans of sea swimming over here at BOTI Towers, so we were fascinated by this new exhibition by Dublin-based artist and long-distance swimmer Vanessa Daws. At Home in the Water gives us a unique insight into what it’s like to swim long distances via an immersive film and also relates the story of Mercedes Gleitz, the first British woman to swim the Channel. Brightoner Gleitz was incredibly famous for her many endurance swims in her day – she completed the Channel swim in 1927 – and served as the inspiration for this exhibition, which investigates where the drive to swim a long way comes from. And if you’re wandering down Freshfield Road in Brighton, you’ll see a blue plaque in her honour at number 124, where she used to live.
Until 27th November 2022; open every day except Monday and Tuesday midday – 6pm; free entry but donations welcomed
Fabrica, 40 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG

fabrica.org

bison beer drink and draw brighton

Drink and draw
Fancy the chance of seeing your doodles immortalised on the side of a can of Bison Beer‘s See Side APA? Then head along to the upstairs of the North Road branch on Sunday for a day of communal creativity – doodles and drawing games – with good music and, of course, plenty of beer (or whatever else you like to drink). And if your scribbles come out on top? They’ll get printed on a limited-edition 440ml can of Bison’s core brew, you’ll get a 12-can case wrapped in your brilliant artwork and a limited number will go on sale in their Hove bottleshop!
Sunday 6th November (and the first Sunday of every month); midday – 8pm; free (all materials provided)
103 North Road, Brighton BN1 1YW

Free tickets here

fireworks-brighten

Watch some fireworks
Send the week off with a bang quite literally this Saturday with firework displays big and small across the city and beyond. Whether you prefer intimate community displays, watching from afar or really like to get involved, there’s an event for you this weekend. Read our full guide to where to watch the fireworks here.
Saturday 5th November; various times and venues; from free