A new one-hour monologue from Justin Hopper and a book launch for David Bramwell.

Justin Hopper’s The Great Satanic Swindle:A bizarre true tale of tabloid England ​

Once, a mysterious stranger arrived in a small Sussex village and told a tale of witchcraft, trapped souls and a life-or-death struggle with Satan himself. A group of church-goers, millionaires and aristocrats stepped in to save him, and things got very weird.

A raunchy, true-crime folk-horror comedy of 1980s England, The Great Satanic Swindle is a story about two friends who challenged what it means to believe in something – and someone – no matter how irrational.

Old, Weird Albion and Chanctonbury Rings author and spoken-word artist Justin Hopper tells a story that is at once utterly unbelievable and entirely true.

David Bramwell’s Outlandish

Outlandish is the title of David Bramwell’s new collection of writings, stories and essays – beautifully designed by Erica Smith – that celebrate some of his favourite countercultural heroes and explore some rather unconventional journeys.
Tonight he’ll be sharing a few of his favourites tales. It might be the life of Paul Robeson or Sister Corita Kent, the PopArt nun who invented the Sixties Happening. It could be the bizarre eleven-year odyssey of Eva Peron’s mummified corpse or the Amazon-bound ethnobotanist Richard Evans-Schultes, who catalysed a psychedelic revolution. Rest assured he’ll definitely be sharing the story of how Andy Warhol’s penis ended up on the moon.

Books will be on sale. Bring your pennies!

For October we learned about the fascinating geology of Sussex and Kent (The Wealden Anticline) by Jacob Funnell. Serena Mitchell unearthed the connection between Hove and blancmange, and Jonathan Scott took us on a journey into deep space with Voyager 1 and 2 and the sounds and images that accompany them.
We’re back slightly earlier than usual on the FIRST Thursday of the month at our regular(ish) venue, The Nightingale Rooms.
Guest speakers : Linsay McColloch, magician Paul Zenon and Danny Nemu (TBC)

In October we learned from Lynne Murphy – who grew up in a funeral home in the US – about how inventive undertakers have been over the years, from technical advances in the telephone to inventing the folding chair. Mathew Homewood shared his adventures as a genealogist and I gave a talk about publishing and the outlandish adventures of two stowaways.

We’re back Nov 13th with Haskel Adamson who first spoke about the Lewes ‘cult’ Subud, cinephile Linsay McCulloch and Jacob Funnell.

At the end of Brighton Pier, perched over the cold, forbidding waters of the Channel and overlooking the Horror Hotel…what better location to explore and celebrate our love of Horror films? Our guest speakers for the night are cinephiles Mark Keeble and Alexia Lazou plus Horror actress and presenter Emily Booth. We’ll also be showing a couple of short films and making your hair stand on end at the bar prices.
Hosted by the dreadful Dr. David Bramwell

Blood in Black and White with Emily Booth

Emily Booth is a TV presenter and actress best-known for her roles in such films as Cradle of Fear and Evil Aliens and for presenting the cult movie show Shock Movie Massacre and Channel Four’s Bits. From her very colourful beginnings (or rather head to toe in bright pink) for Pervirella back in 1997 to the stripped back black and white expressionist horror of Electric Meat (“Think early David Lynch stuck inside Torture Garden”), she’ll be sharing her personal journey through Horror while dipping her claws into a few classic black and white horrors in between to discover if sometimes, less is more.

Take Three Ghouls with Alexia Lazou

Alexia Lazou is an Aubrey Beardsley enthusiast, magic lanternist and local tour guide. Fusing her love of films with ‘old goth’ lived experience, Alexia will introduce three Kings of Horror – Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, and take a personal look at the lighter side of these dark lords. Join her on a whirlwind tour through 256 years; from twelfth century Italy to twentieth century Missouri, via Whitstable, Kent. Discover how the callous avoided the callus, which ghoul ‘seemed like a nice bloke’, and the importance of baking powder. Chips, Charlemagne and chart hits – all these ingredients add up to a mouth-watering talk you can really get your teeth into!

The Power of the Many – Classic Horror Anthology Films with Mark Keeble

Why settle for just one story when you can have many? Join cinephile Mark Keeble on a whirlwind tour of some of his favourite classic horror anthology films. From bonafide classics to trashy guilty pleasures, you’ll never look at a mug of PG Tips the same way again.
MARVEL! – at the sinister ventriloquist dummy that comes to life…GASP! – as a psychotic Santa terrorises a murderer…BE ASTONISHED! – at the malevolent spirit residing inside a cup of tea…

For our literary special in October we heard the extraordinary story of two rather unusual stowaways from David Bramwell, Rebecca Stott shared how she went about researching London circa 500A.D. for an historical novel and Rachel Poulton took us on a psychogeographical journey down the Cuckmere.

We’re back Nov 19th with Gary Purnell, Jane Leclerq and Maggie Roberts.

For our literary special in October we heard the extraordinary story of two rather unusual stowaways from David Bramwell, Rebecca Stott shared how she went about researching London circa 500A.D. for an historical novel and Rachel Poulton took us on a psychogeographical journey down the Cuckmere.

We’re back Nov 19th with Gary Purnell, Jane Leclerq and Maggie Roberts.