A new beginners’ Body Control Pilates comes to the Hanover Centre this Autumn on Monday evenings. Katie Bringloe is holding a taster workshop on Monday 20th September between 6 and 7pm and classes will follow on weekly after this. Further information from Katie on: 07702 884 866 or email: katiebringloe.pilates@gmail.com

If you are interested in Pilates classes at The Hanover Centre and can’t make a Monday evening, Jan Davies has classes on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Further information from Jan on: 07904 187 257 or email jandavies891@btinternet.com.

In case you haven’t seen any publicity or read the Hanover Directory lately, our AGM is on Tuesday 7th September – see the poster for details. We were hoping that Caroline Lucas MP would make it to the meeting, but she has confirmed that she has to stay in London for an important vote on employment rights for public servants.

We’ll have the usual AGM business and then  a panel of councillors to answer your questions. Hope to see you there!

We are pleased to be hosting another basket making workshop with Louise Paul in the upper hall on Thursday 2^nd September, 11am — 3pm.

For more information and to book a place, contact the Hanover Centre office.

Calling all babies and toddlers (and their mums and dads). On 2^nd September Jackie Chase will be back with her Da Capo Music for Kids sessions on Thursday mornings at 10.30.

These award winning music workshops for babies and toddlers are a good foundation and tremendous fun! Music activities are extremely good for children’s development from the start of life, and a great place for parents to meet others too. Jackie has 27 years’ experience and three awards for her teaching.

For further information contact Jackie on 07799 564620 or 01273 601804; or visit www.brightonmusicforkids.wordpress.com.

Two events for your diary: a Holistic Arts Fair and the Hanover Local Food Festival – both at the Hanover Centre!
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The Hanover Centre is an Artists Open House on the Hanover Art Trail on Sundays in May. We are hosting an exhibition of work by our Art for Women group, there is a craft market with changing stalls each week, and a Fairtrade café. To top it all, we’re running workshops where you can try out new skills each Sunday too (with generous discounts for Hanover residents).

Ancient Times / Ancient People

This year the work of the Hanover Centre’s Women and Art group – Gaia’s Gals – has been inspired by the wonderful 6,000 year old artefacts, tombs, and megaliths of the Carnac region of Brittany. This is an exhibition not to miss, where you will see 21^st century versions of ancient works, and where you will find a moment to pause and reflect on the pace of life today.

There will also be an opportunity for visitors to participate in an art activity themselves, and talk to the artists.

Look out for the signs to the Small Meeting Room, at the very top of the back stairs.

Café and craft markets

In the main hall local arts and craftspeople will be bringing unique hand-made items for you to browse and buy.  People working in a range of new and recycled materials including willow, fabric, silver, and card have signed up, so there should be something for everyone – including your cat! Pop in each week to see what’s new.

And while you enjoy a little something from our famous Fairtrade café, you’re welcome to share our needles and yarn and try your hand at a bit of knitting or crochet. Experienced knitters willing to donate some leftovers from their stash and/or a bit of time are particularly welcome.

pARTicipate in our workshops

Following on from the successful children’s events during last year’s Art Trail,  we’re offering activities for all ages this year that re-use and upgrade the ordinary into something unique and beautiful. Places are limited so please pre-book via the Centre office. Charges cover expert tuition, equipment and materials. Participants from our “area of benefit” qualify for a generous discount on the full price.

See separate posts for each day -

• 2nd May: Fun With Caveman Dave and Basketry & Willow Work
• 9th May: Fashion Workshops with Julia Sissons
• 16th May: Recycled Cardboard Sculpture with Andrew Mockett
• 23rd May: Contemporary Performance Workshop and Icon Workshop

For our 16th May workshops in the Brighton Festival we only ask you to bring in some cardboard boxes and take home a work of art!

• Morning 11.30 to 1.30pm — Children (6-12) £6 (£5 Hanover residents)

• Afternoon 2.00 to 4.00pm — Adults £10 (£8 Hanover residents)

Booking essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

Local to Brighton, Andrew Mockett is an artist who has worked as a printmaker and textile designer for many international clients including Givenchy and Paul Smith.

See more of Andrew’s work at the “Precious” exhibition at Hove Museum and on his website www.mockettandmoquette.co.uk

On 9^th May  Juliana Sissons is running two fashion design workshops for us.

• The morning session is for adults from 11.00 to 1.00pm – bring any garment along  and reconstruct it. £15 (£12 Hanover residents).

• The afternoon session is for teenagers aged 12-16 from 2.00 to 4.00pm — bring a tired old Tshirt and re-energise it. £6 (£5 Hanover residents).

Booking essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

When Juliana Sissons graduated from the University of Brighton in 2003 she received the outstanding Achievement Award for her degree show. Her collection sold to shops in London and Los Angeles and won her a student knitted textile award. Her own fashion label was launched in 2005 with the help of a business development award from The Crafts Council. She now produces diverse and exciting ranges of knitwear as well as teaching pattern cutting, textiles and fashion in London, Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. Textiles and knitwear are more recent examples of Juliana’s work as she has a background in Theatre and Film costume design, Savile Row tailoring, and pattern cutting for many designers in the fashion industry including Alexander McQueen, Antoni & Alison and Shelley Fox.

Children and dogs have had their own separate areas in Queens Park for 30 years.

This amicable arrangement has allowed fair use of the park by everyone, but now there is a risk of it failing because the council forgot to renew the relevant order last year.

There is a petition on the council web site asking them to put it right. If you want to keep things as they are in Queens Park, please sign the petition.

This is my partial and no doubt biassed impressions of the meeting of the Local Action Team on 11th March — there will be official minutes later. The topics covered included refuse collection; parking and bicycles; studentification; and policing. The probable date for the next meeting is Thursday 27^th May.

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