A carbon neutral city in 10 years

BHCC have committed us to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, 20 years ahead of the UK government’s target of 2050. As only 2.5% of the city’s emissions come from the council, this can only be achieved if everyone plays their part to reduce emissions.

A Climate Assembly will be set up and details of how this will be organised will be circulated in the next week. This assembly will bring together 50 residents to help shape how the city can address the climate crisis and recommend and prioritise actions for the city to take forward.

Following best practice, the members of the Climate Assembly will be randomly selected and will broadly represent the demographics of the city’s population. The assembly will involve people from across the whole city. Transport will be the subject of the first meeting.

Full council article.

RSCH development, Mar 2017 - Jan 2020.

Volunteer at the Festival

Various opportunities are available, from providing a warm welcome to visitors and audiences, to helping the social media team keep up to date with all the action. Volunteers will be helped to develop their skills and knowledge within a busy arts organisation, whilst joining the festivities and contributing to events in your local community. Read more.

A Volunteer Open Evening will be held on Wednesday 26 February from 5-7pm in the Brighton Dome Foyer. Meet some of the Festival team and find out how you can get involved. Alternatively email at volunteers@brightonfestival.org

Upper Russell Street (2)

Before it was cleared in the 1960s, for the building of Churchill Square, Upper Russell Street ran parallel to Western Road from Clarence Square to near the top of Regency Road where it turned sharply north to join Western Road alongside the Lamb & Flag (now Crowns) pub. It could not join up with the west end of Regency Road because it was on a higher level. Instead a rough grassy bank existed between the corner of Upper Russell Street and Regency Road, probably about 10 feet below. 

Upper Russell Street now lies under the Churchill Square 1 car park where it roughly follows the ground floor central east-west feeder lane.

Google Earth view of the area today.

Below are two photos from the RP&M Collections of the northward running section of Upper Russell Street in the 1950s.

The side of the still existing Lamb & Flag can be seen in the distance.

On the right of the photo is the southernmost building of this section of Upper Russell Street which flanked the bank down to Regency Road.

See also:
Upper Russell Street.

Gigins, bakers & confectioners.

Grenville Place.

A Plaque to Edward Bransfield RN

At 11 Clifton Road.

The plaque was unveiled by Deputy Mayor Cllr Alan Robins with
Rear Admiral Richard John Lippiett CB, CBE, DL, in attendance. 

Music by Salvation Army musicians

Guard of Honour

200 years to the day that Edward Bransfield became the first known person to glimpse and chart part of the Antarctic continent a plaque has been unveiled at his one-time residence, 11 Clifton Terrace. This follows the unveiling, on 25 January, of a memorial at Bransfield's birthplace, Ballinacurra, near Midleton, Cork. See below.

At Ballinacurra

His 2 year expedition in command of the 216 ton merchant vessel Williams is remarkable for being accomplished without loss of life even though Bransfield, then in Valpariso, had been ordered by the Admiralty to sail at short notice, and none of his crew were equipped for icy weather. His remarkable achievements was recognised by later explorers by the naming of Bransfield Strait and Bransfield Basin in his honour.

Bransfield's achievements had for many years been overshadowed by controversy over whether he or the Russian explorer Bellingshausen were the first to discover the Antarctic mainland but this has recently been resolved by author Rip Bulkeley, who following an exhaustive study of the Russian expedition concluded: “Bellingshausen was not the first commander to see the Antarctic mainland.” 

With the unveiling of these two memorials Edward Bransfield's important place in the annals of Antarctic Exploration is finally recognised.

Edward is buried in the Brighton Extra-Mural Cemetery.

Read more.