Today's idea - Sussex Beer & Cider Festival

Today sees the second day of the CAMRA Sussex Beer & Cider Festival. Running until Saturday the 13th, you have two more days to indulge in the education/celebration of Sussex' finest boozes, with a record number of beers making it to this year's event - over 220 will be lined up for your visual and palette-based delight with ciders, perrir, country wines, and British and bottled foreign beers alongside the mass of beer and cider.

Tickets include a complimentary souvenir programme and live entertainment if you're there on Friday or Saturday. It's payment on the door as advance tickets are now sold out. Find out more about it all at SussexBeerFestival.co.uk.

Fri lunch 11am - 3pm £3;
Fri eve 5pm - 11pm £6;
Sat lunch 11am - 3pm £3;
Sat eve 5pm - 11pm £6
Hove Centre, Hove

Visit one of the nicest pubs in Brighton - the Earth & Stars

A pub recommendation today. We aren't sure if they're doing anything Christmassy, although we didn't choose it for that reason. It's simply a very nice pub, especially if you're looking for somewhere cosy to park up for Christmas Eve.

Mostly recognisable for sentient chalk boards outside with messages saying hello or complaining about the life of the chalk board (the above photo not doing justice to this in any way), it's full of chatty happy types generally and has nice food, and importantly nice drink; organic beers (the only place we're currently aware of offering this) and wine, as well as the normal pubby stuff.

One Qype review describes it as "perfect" and interestingly says: "ever been wandering around Brighton looking for a pub to have a Sunday lunch that isn't full of cheap ass students?" Which is true, although I'm a student (perhaps not shouting 'cheap' and 'ass' everywhere I go) and felt right at home.

We hear only good things about the roast - with locally sources veg, which is good if you like your food with moral conscience - although we suspect lunchtime rather than dinnertime would be the best time to investigate this today.

Undoubtedly one of my favourite pubs, and not just because my friend fancies the bar maid. It's a lovely little place and it's one you take your friends to, and so we advise you to do so too. If you're going there tonight we also advise getting a table early.

A map can be found here