Good morning, Brighton. Halloween’s done and dusted for another year so the countdown has begun… 53 days until Christmas. Gulp.

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

⚓️ A Royal Navy vessel was spotted off the East Sussex coast today (Sunday, 1 November). According to marinetraffic.com, HMS Tyne was patrolling the English Channel this afternoon after leaving Rosyth on Friday, 30 October. Local spotters on social media (Youtube) also reported seeing her off Brighton.

HMS Tyne is a River-class offshore patrol vessel. She usually operates in UK and north-eastern European waters on maritime security tasks. Her main roles include fishery protection, territorial waters surveillance, search and rescue coordination and escorting foreign warships.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson confirmed the vessel off East Sussex is HMS Tyne.

🏊🏽‍♂️ Brighton's winter swimmers (me included) say icy dips boost mood, energy and community, and early research hints at wellbeing benefits. However, studies are small, and cold shock and hypothermia are real dangers. The RNLI advises swimming with others, acclimatising slowly and staying near the shore. Read about cold water shock.

Official water quality is mostly reassuring. Several local beaches were rated "excellent" in 2025, and Brighton Central was rated "good" (2025 bathing water classifications) Southern Water says a storm relief tunnel has prevented storm sewage releases from Brighton's outfalls since 2012. Further along the coast, though, the Shoreham outfall has discharged sewage.

The biggest gap is that official testing runs only from mid-May to September. That leaves winter swimmers unmonitored, even though heavy rain puts the most strain on sewers then. Until year-round monitoring arrives, check the data, avoid swimming after storms and never swim alone.

🥦 VegfestUK Brighton returns on Saturday, 7 November, from 11am to 6pm at The Hilton Metropole, after a three-year gap. The event began in the city in 2009 and ran for 11 consecutive years.

Spread across three carpeted halls on two floors, it features 120 stalls, three talk areas, a performance stage and 50 speakers and performers. A vegan food village will offer up to 15 street food caterers and artisan plant-based options.

Speakers include actor Peter Egan, entrepreneur Heather Mills, pastry chef Danielle Maupertuis and researcher Andrew Knight. Comedians Dawn Chorus and Andrew O'Neill, singer Gemma Doyle and two guitarists will provide entertainment. Vegan Women's Club will host the main speakers stage.

Tickets cost £10 plus booking fee, or £12 on the door. Under-16s go free. Book Tickets

⚡️ Charge point operator Believ has taken over more than 110 public chargers across over 30 Brighton and Hove locations, previously run by Blink Charging. The network includes 7 to 22kW standard-plus chargers and 50kW+ rapid units, suiting both long stays and quick top-ups.

Believ is keeping the existing standard-plus equipment, which preserves the installed cabling. It is replacing rapid charger equipment to meet public charging regulations and improve reliability. This work should finish by the end of November 2026. The new rapid points will offer more chargers with less infrastructure.

Believ is also working with the council to install a further 210 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers by the end of 2028. With 54% of residents lacking off-street parking, public charging is vital. CEO Guy Bartlett promises a practical, reliable network. Good news for any EV owners reading!

🌤️ | 📈 13° | 📉 8° | ☔️ 10% | 🌬️ NE 14mph | 🌊 <1ft

🌤️ | 📈 12° | 📉 7° | ☔️ 50% | 🌬️ NE 13 mph | 🌊 <1ft

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Cinemas 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

Wicker | RBO Encore 26-27: Manon | Fatherland | Ken Russell’s The Devils |

Dukes at Komedia - Book

Ghosts: The Possession of Button House | Wicker | Fatherland | Wildwood | Primetime | Ken Russell’s The Devils | La Bola Negra

Monday: BBC Tide Tables 🌊 Everyone loves the super low tides in Brighton. Last week was no different.

Monday: Get Cycling "Be safe, be seen" 🚲 With the darker mornings & evenings, the council are running a cycle safety campaign to keep everyone on two wheels.

Friday: Brighton Illustration Festival 🎨 The BIF was in town at the weekend in the Brighton Centre.

🎈 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.