Good morning, Brighton. How are we only 4 days into the school holidays? First full week starts today so I hope you have the clubs, playdates or anyone who offers childcare locked in. Also Pride is upon us next Saturday so prepare for a full week of build-up and fun & games about town at the weekend 😉

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

🌭 Brighton & Hove has nabbed a rather impressive £155,000 government handout to champion local grub – and frankly, it's about time someone threw money at making our food system a bit less bonkers.

The cash recognises the city's Gold Sustainable Food Places status, and it's being channeled into the Sussex Six campaign, which essentially asks hospitality and retail businesses: "Fancy stocking six more local products?" Nearly 200 Sussex businesses have already signed up to this pledge.

The magic bit? It opens doors for local food suppliers to flog their wares to public sector heavyweights like hospitals and schools. There'll be meet-the-producer events too, plus seasonal campaigns spotlighting what's actually growing nearby – a radical concept, apparently.

Businesses taking the pledge get free membership to the Sussex Food & Drink Network, complete with window stickers and digital marketing support. The council leader is enthusiastically urging residents to "buy local," which is council-speak for "please support our farmers so we look good."

🎧 Norman Cook has thrown his considerable weight (and wallet) behind saving The Pipeline, Brighton's beloved grassroots music venue, from the dreaded "luxury flats" fate that befalls so many independent spaces.

Through Music Venue Properties' Own Our Venues campaign, The Pipeline is now permanently community-owned, making it the tenth venue secured by what's essentially "The National Trust for Live Music." Cook's invested substantially and is now urging other successful musicians and fans to do likewise – it's "ethical investment," he insists, not charity.

The scheme protects venues from commercial property market chaos while offering operators fair rents and security. Cook reckons the next Coldplay needs somewhere to cut their teeth; The Pipeline's operator agrees, saying community ownership lets them focus on what matters: brilliant gigs and nurturing talent.

Music Venue Properties has raised £7 million since 2022 with over 2,500 investors backing the cause. The future of grassroots music venues just got considerably brighter.

🏳️‍🌈 Pride is thundering back to Brighton on 1-2 August with all the revelry you'd expect – and a travel guide that's basically a military operation disguised as helpful advice.

Bottom line: things will be rammed. Trains? Heaving. Buses? Redirected. Roads? Closed. But fear not – there's a rainbow queuing system at the station (genuinely charming), extra train capacity, dedicated shuttle buses, and even shiny new e-scooters if you fancy zipping about.

Walking's surprisingly viable – Preston Park (view map)is only 15-20 minutes from the station. Bikes work brilliantly. Park & Ride opens on Sunday for the slightly lazier among us. Bring no glass bottles, buy train tickets in advance, and allow roughly twice as long as you think you'll need for everything.

The Nick Cave gig on Friday kicks things off, with road closures starting Thursday. It's going to be gloriously chaotic. Plan accordingly. Plenty of info on the Pride website but we’ll give you more info via newsletter later in the week.

🌤️ | 📈 23° | 📉 14° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ W 10mph | 🌊 1-2ft

☀️ | 📈 24° | 📉 17° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ SW 7mph | 🌊 <1ft

Be sure to tag us @brightonscoop to get your photos featured

Cinema’s aren’t going to fill themselves. Break a habit of a lifetime, turn off Netflix, get off the sofa and potter down to your local (cinema).

Duke of York’s Picturehouse - Book

Odyssey | Odyssey 35mm

Dukes at Komedia - Book

Odyssey | Brunello: The Gracious Visionary | Wham! 10 Days in China | 🎈Toy Story 5 | Effi O Blaenau

🎈 Family friendly events

Great to have you follow the Scoop today. If you liked it, do share us with a friend. There’s a coffee on me if you spot me in town.