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On 11th June six of the seventeen steel cylinders (cans) that will be assembled into the tower arrived by barge on the beach. Progress since then has been rapid.

The first 3 cans are installed and 3 more stand ready 

The jacking rig. This  supports the upper completed section of the tower while it is being raised by the crane. This enables the next section to be slid in underneath and bolted on.

The 100 metre high crane being used in the assembly looms over the jacking rig and the upper cans.

A second delivery of cans is scheduled to arrive today June 23rd.

The tower looks unexpectedly slender and the early fears that its bulk will unattractively dominate  the seafront seem ill-founded.

Council Chamber weddings

Brighton’s historic Council Chamber has now seen its first wedding ceremony since it was licenced for weddings earlier this year.

The Council Chamber is on the second floor of Brighton Town Hall with a semi-circular seating arrangement designed for everyone at meetings to be able to see the speakers. It is also a perfect layout for a wedding ceremony, with a maximum capacity of 120 people.

Sue Baker, registrar for marriages for Brighton & Hove city Council, said: “It was wonderful to do a ceremony in this beautiful room. Now we can cater for larger wedding parties, it will be even better for the couples coming to be married in Brighton Town Hall as this gives more choice.

A sense of history is evident in the room’s traditional wooden panelled décor as well as the wall display featuring the names of all Mayors dating back from present day to Lieutenant Colonel John Fawcett, first Mayor of Brighton, in 1854.

The listed building,  designed by architect Thomas Cooper in classical style, is on the site of a former market which was also previously the location of St Bartholomew's Priory garden. The foundation stone  was laid in April 1830 and the building was completed in 1899.

Cllr Alan Robins said, "it is an impressive room with a fine heritage, a very fitting venue for starting married life.”

The Old Police Cells in the basement are also licenced for weddings.

North Street trees

As part of the North Street improvement scheme it was the original intention to plant trees directly into the ground. This would have saved pavement space and given the trees themselves a better chance in a difficult environment. Unfortunately, after several trial holes were dug along North Street, it became clear that the prevalence of existing underground utilities precluded this option. So, rather than have no trees at all, planting tubs were chosen. These come with 5 years worth of pre-paid maintenance, which should give the trees a reasonable chance of becoming established.

See also: North Street progress