The Yellow House at 5 Cuthbert Road is rather bigger. It needs to be, as it displays the work of numerous professional artists with price tags to match. Jehane Boden Spiers’s work includes textile and embroidery collages, cushions in rich fabrics and even her own range of gift wrap. I liked Becky Blair’s bright, fresh seascapes and out in the garden there are small, attractive and practical ceramics by Kathy Laird. Just across the road at number 2, Sally Francis’s pictures cleverly make an impact with their mirror images and repetition.

The houses are getting bigger now. There’s lots of fairly straightforward stuff at Pumpkin Prod’s & Friends (?) at 32 Cuthbert Road but what sticks in the mind is what’s different. The cartoon/graffiti art of Matt Sexton. And the thick, lurid, heavily textured oils/collages by Donna Southern with titles like Bloodbath. A couple of Brighton matrons were eyeing them dubiously, so they must be worthwhile.

And finally to The House of Newts, practically a mansion, where the work of over a dozen artists is approachable and domestic. Very domestic. The ubiquitous Rachel Eardley (who’s showing at five Open House venues) has detailed drawings of kitchens and jolly jewellery in the shape of cooking utensils. There are practical yet delicate slipcast ceramics by Christiane Kersten. And I liked the Rousseau-esque oils and detailed linocuts by Sarah Young.

In the spirit of the Cup Final, here are the highlights again: Vera Gill revisiting her birthplace, a charming Thai couple, breastfeeding and an ultramontane church atmosphere. No queues. No traipsing to the docklands.

And definitely nothing sordid. I knew something was missing…
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