Brighton Lights: Richard Shayler: shrieks, sparklers, and seasonal excitement

Rocket man

Remember remember the 5th of November? Remember remember the bonfires ember? Remember remember that toffee apples won’t make you so slender? No, they most certainly will not. But, it won’t stop me gobbling down a fair few this fireworks night.

Much like any annual celebratory event, I love it. Christmas: love it. Halloween: love it. National kissing day: love it. So, of course, I am a giddy mess around the start
of November.

I love the smells and the noises, the shrieks and the cheers, the soothing feeling of the crisp night air on my rosy red cheeks. I love watching the displays and catching a stranger’s eye. You look at one another, nod in appreciation of the loud bangs of colour, smile that ‘we don’t know each other but I’m happy to share this intimate moment with you’ smile. Then the moment passes, and you look back to the display. With an unfathomable feeling of enormous well-being.

You ride this high out of the field and in to the pub, a stick of candyfloss in one hand, a toffee apple in the other. You discuss the night’s proceedings with perhaps more excitement than when you were actually there: “Did you see the Catherine wheel?”/“How big did that bonfire want to be?!”/“I know, right! I thought it was going to singe my eyebrows!”/“It actually did singe my eyebrows!”/“No Way!”

But then it’s time to go home; your ears are ringing, your mouth hurts from smiling and your stomach hurts from toffee apples. You take one last look at the videos you got on your phone on the bus and it’s all over.

I get this feeling every Tuesday night. This is the night we film all of the Brighton Lights episodes for the following week. It’s four high energy shows recorded back to back followed by a live performance from our resident band of the week. By the end I am drained, but happy. My face hurts from laughing and my stomach hurts from not having had time to eat anything all day.

This week we’ve got Simon Abraham and Naomi Morris telling us all about cool events in Brighton. Christine Blackledge will be showing us how to succeed in life. Jo Neary will be making us laugh, and Barry The Steam Punk will be making us dress better. Cassette Lord popped in to wow us with all his lovely art, and Di Coke will be showing us how to win competitions … she’s a ‘professional’!

Tune in at 7pm, Wednesday to Saturday, on Freeview Channel 8, Virgin Media Channel 159 and live online at www.thelatest.tv. (We repeat it again at 10pm in case you missed it the first time round!) Please do join us and be a member of the audience; we record at The Latest Music Bar. Arrive at 6.30pm every Tuesday night for two free drinks, amazing live music and entertainment and plenty from all our great guests. You really don’t want to miss it. Every show goes out with a bang!

Follow me: @latestrichard