A new beer has been created to help traders suffering since a devastating fire destroyed part of Eastbourne Pier.
The Long Man Brewery in East Sussex has teamed up with Eastbourne-based Curious Beer Club to support businesses affected by last month’s blaze. Jamie Simm, head brewer at the Long Man Brewery, in Litlington, near Eastbourne, said they had “tweaked” the recipe of their flagship Long Blonde beer to “create something special” for the pier.
All profits up to £10,000 from the sale of the Craft Pier beer will go into a benevolent fund to help firms get back into business.
Tasty and early harvest on way
An early spring and a “wonderful growing season” is set to deliver autumn fruit crops around two weeks early, experts said.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said its orchard at Wisley, Surrey, was seeing early ripening of berries and fruits such as apples and pears, and that most gardeners should be in line for an excellent crop.
RHS chief horticultural adviser Guy Barter said: “The whole season has been early, it’s been a wonderful growing season, with no frosts, good weather and here we are with autumn approaching and fruits ripening.” Rain and sunshine had also benefited pears, he added.
Teenager on bus theft charge
A teenager has been charged with drunkenly driving a bus out of a depot.
Essex Police were called in the early hours of August 23 after reports that a single-decker bus had been driven away from the depot in Magdalen Street, Colchester. The vehicle was stopped by officers about 20 minutes later at Avon Way.
Ashley Barrell 19, of Charles Pell Road, Colchester, was charged with aggravated vehicle taking, drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving with no insurance. He was bailed to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on September 9.
Poland launches cider fight
Poland’s economy ministry wants the nation of beer and vodka lovers to drink more cider.
It is trying to exempt cider from a law that bans advertising any alcohol other than beer as it tries to help apple producers hurt by a Russian embargo on European foods.
But the health ministry and others are fighting the proposal, saying it is dangerous to encourage alcohol consumption when some people abuse it. Krzysztof Brzozka, the director of the State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems, said: “Poles are not light drinkers.”
Swedish TV station’s anthem row
A Swedish TV network has apologised to Costa Rica for using the Central American country’s national anthem to promote a comedy show.
TV4 is using the anthem in a trailer for Parlamentet, a popular game show featuring comedians. After complaints from Costa Ricans living in Sweden, Costa Rica lodged a diplomatic protest, calling it a “grave disrespect to our national symbol”.
A network spokesman said producers have apologised to Costa Rica’s ambassador. He said they picked the tune from a music library because it was “beautiful and grand” but did not know it was Costa Rica’s anthem.
Light-sabre alert in Alaska
Call Luke Skywalker for backup. Police in Juneau, Alaska, took a call to check out a suspicious device spotted on the side of a road.
The first officer on the scene was not sure what to make of the object, the Juneau Empire reported. A dispatcher sent out a second officer with expertise in bombs.
The second officer determined that the device was a plastic light-sabre toy taped to a stick. The laser swords were the preferred weapons of Jedi knights. Police department spokeswoman Erann Kalwara said: “It was not explosive in any way.”