Welcome to the De La Phwoarr?

Many people in the town have long argued that the Pavilion is underused, and should be for the benefit for the whole of the community.

Now Pavilion bosses are being praised for their open-mindedness. The lap-dancing club is set to operate once a week - on Sundays - from midnight to 4pm.

Entry will be 25 a head and demand is expected to be high.

Pavilion insiders say they are surprised that Rother has granted permission. Only last year it introduced a bizarre regulation seeking to ban pole-dancing in stretched limousines registered for hire with the licensing authority.

But, continuing the spirit which led its Edwardian forebears on the former Bexhill Borough Council to grant permission for Bexhill beach to become one of the first in the country to allow mixed bathing, the club's opening night will be this Sunday.

Under its 9m Lottery-funded refurbishment, the Grade One Listed pavilion began a new life as a regional centre of excellence for the visual arts in 2005. Work was going ahead at top speed this week to convert the ground floor art gallery for its new role in time for Sunday's gala opening.

NEWS UPDATE

The reader's attention is drawn to the fact that today is April 1. It appears that plans to convert the De La Warr Pavilion into a lap-dancing club will remain in the imagination of the reader.