Good morning, Brighton. We’re back. I’m sure you’ve waited with bated breath for todays edition 😉 after Monday’s hiatus so thanks for sticking around. Hope you managed to soak up some Vitamin D yesterday as it’s a damp start to the day. Hey-ho.

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

🕰️ Brighton's beloved Floral Clock, created in 1953 for the Queen's Coronation, has reached the end of its life. The mechanism stopped working years ago, and the mound and supporting structure are beyond repair.

Residents can have their say on what comes next at two drop-in sessions:

An online survey is open until 14 October 2026. Ultimately there are three options:

Now’s your chance to have your say on it’s future before the council weigh the feedback and the budget before it ultimately decides.

🎤 Synthpop royalty Andy Bell and Vince Clarke have launched their 20th album, Radio!! Radio!!, their first in six years. It arrives 40 years after their debut, with a new single, "Wings Of Love", premiered on BBC Radio 2. The songs deal with love, loss and injustice, and were shaped by a period of grief. Clarke added piano and acoustic guitar to the usual synths.

An arena tour follows in April and May 2027 across the UK and Europe, including a Brighton date. It starts at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on 25 April and ends in the UK at London's O2 Arena. It then heads to Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

Clarke will be Musical Director but won't appear on stage. He has moved to San Diego, and the travelling took its toll. Tickets On Sale Friday Here

🚭 Brighton & Hove has 100 days to go until the UK takes a big step in tobacco control. From 1 January 2027, it will be illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The cut-off then rises by a year every year, until tobacco sales are phased out altogether. Known as the Smokefree Generation Policy, it was created in 2023.

The policy has strong support. In the southeast, 66% of people back the law. Among people who have ever smoked, 74% say they wouldn't start if they could go back in time. Nationally, around 4 million young people are expected to be protected within five years.

Locally, 13% of residents smoke. That's in line with the England average but the highest among the southeast's upper-tier councils. Councillor Mitchie Alexander called it a "historic step". Trading Standards will help businesses get ready, then enforce the rules after the deadline. Hopefully in time it will help create a smokefree generation and tackle youth vaping. 🤞

🐸 Falmer Pond is getting a makeover, and residents are invited along. Site ranger Nick Lane is leading guided tours, bat walks and conservation days. You can sign up via the Your Voice consultation page. A planning application for the restoration is also open for comments.

The pond has a deep history. Ancient coral fossils show the area was once a warm tropical sea, 66 to 90 million years ago. The village name probably comes from Anglo-Saxon words for "foul" water and lake. Swan mussels live there and burrow into mud during droughts.

Trouble is, people feeding ducks and geese has created oversized bird populations. That hurts water quality. As part of the Falmer Pond Restoration Project, the upgrade includes removing silt, planting reed beds, restoring the banks and adding new information boards. Funding comes from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

🌧️ | 📈 21° | 📉 14° | ☔️ 80% | 🌬️ S 16mph | 🌊 2-3ft

🌤️ | 📈 19° | 📉 12° | ☔️ 40% | 🌬️ SW 9mph | 🌊 1-2ft

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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

Sense & Sensibility (2026) | We’re Going on a Bear Hunt & The Tiger Who Came to Tea |

Dukes at Komedia - Book

Hear of the Beast | Pressure | Practical Magic 2 | Bad Apples | Hope | Resident Evil | Linkin Park: Unshatter | Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom | Exhibition on Screen: James McNeill Whistler

🎈Family friendly events

Great to have you follow the Scoop today. If you liked it, tell your neighbour.