Brighton says goodbye to Charles 'Pirate' Saddler: funeral details and how to pay your respects
Charles 'Pirate' Saddler, a much-loved Brighton legend
Brighton has lost one of its most loved and colourful souls. Charles Saddler, known to everyone simply as Pirate, has died after a battle with lung cancer, and the city he brightened for some thirty years is in mourning.
If you know Brighton, you knew Pirate. You heard him before you saw him: the deep reggae bass rolling down St James's Street and through Kemptown, then the big smile, the fist bump for everyone he passed, and one of his famous colourful outfits. No busking, no fuss, just good music and good energy every single day. Brighton simply will not sound the same without him.
"With a heavy heart we say goodbye to the most gentle, kindest and stylish Rastaman we've ever met. He brought joy and reggae vibes to the streets of Brighton. You always knew he was near when you heard deep reggae music."
The Tribulizations, Brighton reggae duo
Whether head-to-toe in yellow or all in white, Pirate's outfits were always instantly recognisable
A familiar face for thirty years
Pirate had been a fixture of Brighton life, mainly around Kemptown and St James's Street, for around three decades. To generations of residents he was part of the fabric of the city, as recognisable as the pier or the pavilion, one of those rare characters who gives a place its personality. He would greet people with a fist bump as he passed, always had time for a chat, and had a way of making a stranger feel like an old friend.
Those who knew him say the music and the outfits were only the surface. Underneath was a kind, intelligent and deeply caring man who looked out for others. During the pandemic he volunteered at the East Brighton Food Co-op, delivering emergency meals to the most vulnerable, and he was known for helping at St Cuthman's Church in Whitehawk. He checked in on people having a hard time and, by more than one account, even stepped in to keep people safe when trouble flared on the street. One reader remembered him simply as a man of the people.
As a younger man he had also been a talented barber, at one time working for well-known fashion names. Whatever he turned his hand to, he did it with warmth and style. To one friend he would always say, with a grin, "Ethiopia is home."
Pirate's style ran from bold and colourful to full leather armour and accessories, always unmistakably his own
Pirate in one of his signature looks against a Brighton mural
The best-dressed man in Brighton
If the reggae announced him, it was the outfits that stopped you in your tracks. Pirate was famous for his theatrical, head-to-toe colourful style, a wardrobe of bright tracksuits, bold jackets, hats and accessories that turned every ordinary pavement into a catwalk. No two days looked the same, and no one else in the city looked remotely like him.
Visitors would photograph him without even knowing who he was, only to see him again on their next trip and realise he was a Brighton institution. Locals looked forward to seeing what he would wear next. His look was so much a part of him that mourners at his funeral are being asked to do the same, and turn out in bright colours to send him off in true Pirate style.
"Best dressed pirate in town. His fabulous outfits will be sadly missed around the Lanes."
From the tributes left by readers
Pirate out on the streets of Brighton with his speaker, as ever
A city says thank you
The outpouring of love since the news broke has been extraordinary. Our own tribute to Pirate was seen and shared right across the city, drawing more than eleven thousand likes and hundreds of heartfelt comments, each one a small story of a man who touched someone's day. Reading them together paints a picture of just how much he meant to Brighton.
People remembered the deep reggae rolling through the narrow streets that got them up out of their seats, the fist bumps, the endless good vibes, and the way he lifted gloomy days with a tune and a smile. Some recalled him keeping strangers safe when trouble kicked off near the Old Steine; others simply said St James's Street would never be the same again. One mourner wrote that Charles had transitioned with the meteor shower on the morning after the eclipse, moving, as they put it, with the universe. Comparisons were drawn to Disco Pete, another beloved Brighton character, as the city reflected on the loss of yet another of its irreplaceable originals.
"It's people like this that give Brighton its character, and the city just lost a part of it."
One of hundreds of tributes left by readers
Fellow Brighton characters, reggae friends and complete strangers all added their voices, and a beach memorial was planned so the community could gather by the sea he loved. Rest in power, they wrote, again and again.
The smile Brighton will miss
The funeral: Friday 4 September, and everyone is welcome
Charles's funeral takes place tomorrow, Friday 4 September, in Brighton, and his family have invited the whole city to come and say goodbye. In keeping with the man himself, all attendees are asked to wear bright colours in remembrance of Brighton's colourful brother Charles, aka Pirate.
The day begins with a funeral procession up St James's Street in Kemptown at 1.15pm, making its way to the cemetery. The service follows at 2pm at the main chapel of Brighton and Preston Cemetery, with the interment at 3pm, and a wake to follow as per invitation.
Funeral Service for Pirate, Friday 4 September
1.15pm Funeral procession up St James's Street, Kemptown, to the cemetery
2pm Service at the main chapel, Brighton and Preston Cemetery
3pm Interment
After Wake to follow as per invitation
Dress code Bright colours, in Pirate's memory
The service is held at the Downs Crematorium and Brighton and Preston Cemetery. The entrance and car park are via Bear Road, Brighton and Hove, BN2 3PL. Tap the map for directions.
Pirate greeting the street the way everyone remembers him, arms open and smiling
Supporting his family
A fundraiser set up by Glenroy Martin, who knew Charles for more than forty years, is helping his family with the funeral and associated costs so they can give this true Brighton legend the send-off he deserves. The response has been immediate and heartfelt, with the appeal already raising over £5,700 from around 160 supporters. If you would like to donate or share it, the page is titled "Celebrating the Colourful Life of Charles (aka) Pirate" on GoFundMe.
Donate or share the fundraiser
Rest in power, Charles. Wear something bright tomorrow, turn the reggae up, and send our Pirate off in the colour and love he gave this city every single day.