» Celebcity with Jo Brooks
Animal fanatic Carla Lane moves out, Colin Firth pays a visit and Nick Hornby falls for Bexhill
Pet’s palace
Top TV writer Carla Lane has finally sold her Sussex mansion. Carla, who is probably most famous for writing hit TV series The Liver Birds and Bread, is completely potty about animals and turned her Horsted Keynes pile into an animal sanctuary.
Carla bought the house back in 1993 and had the idea of creating an animal sanctuary soon after she moved in. She said at the time, “I didn’t buy the house with that idea, but as soon as I looked out of one of the many windows of this place I thought ‘Wow! Four lakes. All that land. I know what I’ll do’.
I was lucky enough to have a sticky beak at the house last summer when it first went on the market, as ‘im indoors was writing a feature about the house and Carla for a national newspaper. The house is set at the bottom on a long private drive, quite close to Gatwick, and when we approached I felt like Pip going to see Miss Havisham for the first time.
Broadhurst Manor is currently home to Carla’s Animaline Rescue charity and houses over 1,000 animals. I was pretty surprised as I entered the house as the animals were allowed to roam free all around the manor. Carla’s assistant at the time made us a cup of tea – assisted by the talking parrot and a couple of stray cats – and I even remember there being a goat in the hallway. I said no to a biscuit! I’m told that Carla will be moving back to her beloved Liverpool. But what about the animals I hear you cry? We will have to wait and see.
Mr Darcy comes to the Duke’s
One of our favourite actors, Colin Firth, will be in Brighton on 29 September to attend the premiere of his new film In Prison My Whole Life at the Duke Of York’s.
Colin, most famous for his roles in Love Actually, the Bridget Jones films, and for playing Mr Darcy (a personal fave) in Pride And Prejudice, will be attending the premiere to raise much needed funds for the Brighton and Hove Green Party.
I was recently introduced to Colin and his lovely wife Livia by actress Greta Scacchi at an event we organised to raise awareness of the depletion of the world’s fish stocks.
Colin is the Executive Producer of the film, which stars Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and Noam Chomsky, and tells the story of imprisoned political activitist Mumia Abu-Jamal. He will be taking questions (hopefully in britches!) after the screening.
Hornby’s surprise holiday home
Author Nick Hornby has put on record his love for Bexhill-On-Sea. With all that money he must have made from his novels High Fidelity and About A Boy, he could pretty much stay anywhere in the world – but no, Bexhill it is. Nick apparently rents a house every year and likes to play crazy golf!
Spotted!
One of the coolest guys in music, Richard Hawley, and BBC fave comic Marcus Brigstock – who I’m told gave a hillarious speech – at the launch of Caroline Lucus MP
of the Brighton and Hove Green Party’s General Election campaign at Fabrica.
Fond farewell to Floyd
I was very sad to hear the news of the death of chef Keith Floyd. Keith won a gong at the Latest Awards some years back and was fantastic fun on the night.
Keith was probably the only person I have ever met who held his pint and fag whilst doing a wee at the same time!
