Good morning, Brighton. Did you know there are roughly 40 or so Brightons worldwide — around 48 settlements across 11 countries if you count variants like New Brighton and Brighton Beach. The US alone has 26 and Australia 5. Who knew!

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

🥕 Fancy a nibble that's actually local? Brighton & Hove just rolled out a shiny new directory - Sussex Food & Drink, rounding up 750 food and drink heroes across Sussex - shops, cafés, pubs and producers all dishing up the local goods.

Council leader Bella Sankey is properly "chuffed" about it, and businesses can join for free - no excuse not to get involved!

The cherry on top: 210 businesses have signed up to the "Sussex Six" pledge, promising to adopt at least six new local products, cutting food miles and giving the local economy a tasty boost.

Add in networking events and seasonal produce campaigns, and Brighton's food scene is looking deliciously community-minded this year.

📖 Grab your walking boots and your favourite paperback - Brighton and Hove is turning into a giant storybook! From September 12th to November 8th, over 30 beautifully painted BookBench sculptures will pop up from the Marina to Portslade and Patcham, courtesy of Sussex charity Amaze.

It's free to explore, and the Story Trail app unlocks discounts, merch and colouring sheets along the way (a £2 donation is welcomed, and a £5 sticker book offers a screen-free option). Look out for 42 mini benches too, dotted around libraries and shops.

Things kick off with a cosy "Read Along" in the Pavilion Gardens with artist Fiona Blair.

Every penny raised supports families with disabled children - proving that public art really can do double duty as both charming photo-op and force for good. Map & full details available from today here.

👣 Today until Monday we have some super low tides in Brighton (down to 0.7m on Saturday morning) so if you’re wanting to enjoy that rare treat of a walk with sand between your toes whilst the temp of the water and sea are both sitting around a balmy 20° 😀, get yourself down to the beach. Roughly between 6 and 7.45 am and pm is low tide. See full tide timings.

🥵 Time to swap the deckchair for a towel and flip-flops - Hove beach is getting a community sauna! Council planners have given the nod to Toasty CIC's cosy proposal, sited between Lex's Café and Babble, for up to five years.

The setup boasts two saunas, cold plunge pools, showers and changing facilities for up to 18 sweaty souls at once. And Hove clearly fancied the idea - 51 letters of support flooded in, against just two objections, with locals praising the wellbeing boost and much-needed winter footfall.

Despite a slight scuffle with shingle-beach development rules, officers deemed it toasty, temporary and thoroughly worth it. Sounds like the seafront's about to get a lot steamier. View planning application - BH2026/01544.

☀️ | 📈 21° | 📉 11° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ SW 7mph | 🌊 1-2ft

☀️ | 📈 20° | 📉 18° | ☔️ <5% | 🌬️ SW 16mph | 🌊 1-2ft

☀️ | 📈 22° | 📉 16° | ☔️ 10% | 🌬️ W 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

Pressure | Leviticus | Matilda (30th Anniversary) | OASIS: Don’t Look Back in Anger | The Invite

Dukes at Komedia - Book

The Incomer | Practical Magic 2 | Pressure | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Leviticus | OASIS: Don’t Look Back in Anger | The Invite | The Odyssey | Throne of Blood

See what some of our local heroes get up to. Sunday | 11-4pm | Brighton Marina | Info

🎈 Family friendly events

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