The Golden Handbag Awards 2004...

venue:   The Old Market, Hove event:   REALBrighton.com/Gscene Magazine/Spectrum review date:   Sunday, 16 January 2005 photos & words by:   Sam Milford

review

So... 2004. What a year! Lola introduced the evening by talking us through some of the highlights which, of course, includes the astounding achievement of the Pride volunteers in creating the country's favourite festival. This kind of event doesn't happen without a huge effort from a great number of people and perhaps, from experience, a bit of heartache as well at times. Congratulations to all at Pride in Brighton & Hove for a great achievement.

And on with the show... Entertainment throughout the evening was provided by some big names and some top local stars. Jennie Castell, Corel and Jacque Plunkett sang for us, Topping & Butch took us through the news with their ever-topical 'Never Mind', Julia Morris had the audience in stitches with her Ozzy take on life in London and Kitty Litter, Arsenic and Old Lace got the crowd on their feet cheering for more. All the acts gave their services for absolutely nothing to ensure that we all coughed up for some tickets, which in turn went to Spectrum! The murmers that £15 a ticket was a bit steep were firmly put to rest... they'd have been cheap at twice the price!

...and so onto the awards themselves. 18 in total... some expected results and some surprises amongst them. Hilda Braid (Nana Moon in Eastenders) kicked us off with the first few awards... I had to fight the giggles to keep the camera steady! There was a lovely moment in the out-of-town nominations where Nana Moon, having been corrected that G-A-Y should be spelt out, proceeded to spell out the next nomination - C-R-A-S-H. She was then given the opportunity to present the award for the best gay sauna! What a star!

The results, then. Lots of fabulous, fabulous businesses and people didn't win... but lots of fabulous ones did of course! Many congratulations to all the nominated businesses and personalities (far too many to list!) and to the runners-up shown below. It was often just a handful of votes between the top entries but a big pat on the back for those that took away their award!

A huge thankyou to everyone involved but particularly to Gscene's editor, James Ledwood, to the fabulous host Lola Lasagne and to REALBrighton's James Brooks for all the organisation and skill that ensured the show went so smoothly.

Big thanks also due to the Old Market for providing the venue, to Arena Entertainment Systems for the sound and lighting and to Karis for providing essential sponsorship for the event.

someone said... A VIP comment randomly selected for your delight: "I'm glad this photo came out... it's hard to take a decent photo when you're crying with laughter!" Said by Samwell on Wed, 31st August 2005. click to view the photo

snapped! Click the VIP's name to see where we caught'em! _Skip_ airkick16 Arena Charlie Dan_18 DJAlexBaker DJDitze DJSaint Doug Duchess Huw JamieMC joe20btn johnmer kitty kris6969 Lola_L Loveman MrTinker pugger Rob ryan39 Samwell Scampy simonneil Spike star_boi tankgirl Timmy Wesley wildblood Wilma

the photos...

		First Half photos by Sam Milford Star presenters for the first half included Hilda Braid (Nana Moon in Eastenders), Matthew Bose (Paul Lambert in Emmerdale) and Betty Swallocks (in a suit!). Jennie Castell, Julia Morris and Topping & Butch entertained us... view review
		Interval photos by Sam Milford A short breather for the acts, and time to tape our split sides back together after Julia Morris. The volunteer barstaff continued to work tirelessly through the interval to ensure that as many people as possible didn't have to get up and go to the bar! Cheers you lot! view review
		Second Half photos by Sam Milford The tension's rising... the drumrolls seem to be getting longer as each award is read out. Some of the most hotly contested categories are saved for the second half... view review

about REALBrighton.com

Over the last six years, the unique perspective of REALBrighton.com has attracted an audience of millions of visitors and is now Brighton's leading nightlife website, covering Gay Brighton, Straight Brighton and everything in-between. The next REALBrighton.com date for your diary: Tuesday, 29th July The REALBrighton Pride Quiz Challenge @ Charles Street Club (Pride in Brighton & Hove) Click for more info and complete listings for REALBrighton.com

about Gscene Magazine

Gscene has been flying off venue shelves in Brighton for well over ten years, with pages packed with news, reviews, regular columnists and politics from Brighton's LGBT scene. Editor, James Ledward is known for being an outspoken and active member of the local community, often voicing views and concerns in his editorials. Click for more info and complete listings for Gscene Magazine

about Spectrum

Okay...so many of you may not have heard of Spectrum, or if you do, scratch your head when it comes to what they do... well, we're here to try to put that right. Click for more info and complete listings for Spectrum

about Lola Lasagne

The award-winning Lola Lasagne has long been a favourite cabaret performer in London and Brighton. Although it's obviously a drag queen's prerogative not to reveal specifics - let's just say it has been more than a decade and less than a lifetime! The next Lola Lasagne date for your diary: Friday, 25th July All the nice girls love a sailor! @ Hampshire Boulevard, Portsmouth Click for more info and complete listings for Lola Lasagne