Mark Steel's In Town

Mark performs at the All Saints Centre in Lewes, East Sussex, celebrating fires, pub fights and stroppiness.

This week, Mark comes from the All Saints Centre in Lewes, East Sussex - a town most famous for its fondness of blowing things up, and which Mark likes for its stroppiness.

Mark first takes a look at the Battle of Lewes between Henry III and Baron Simon de Montfort, a battle which resulting in Henry III being locked up in jail. Mark claims the reason most people who do not know about the battle is because the history books about it are so dull.

Mark then talks about famous local Thomas Paine, who was possibly the stroppiest Englishman in history. Paine help to inspire the American Revolution, took part in a local debating society which held weekly debating competitions which Paine always won, and then became part of the French National Assembly, but he refused to learn a word of French.

Then there is the delicate issue of Lewes's car parking policy, which the locals got so annoyed about that they started blowing up parking meters. Also there is the sad tale of the Lewes Football Club, which was meant to get promoted to Blue Square Premier League, but it went bankrupt on day they got promotion.

Returning to battles, there is also the Battle of the Lewes Arms, in which Green King breweries removed a local beer from the pubs, but the locals picketed the Lewes Arms pub until the beer was returned. The residents won. Then there is the issue of Lewes's own currency: the Lewes Pound.

Finally, Mark talks about the local bonfires, which are the biggest and the most traditional of all on Bonfire Night. For example, one still burns effigies of the Pope, and features people dressed up as clergy who try to annoy a crowd, and then who get fireworks thrown at them.