THE INAUGURAL LagoonFest was held on Saturday and proved to be a resounding success despite the weather being less than kind.

The event was staged to raise funds to turn Hove Lagoon into more of a visitor attraction and has received plenty of support, including notably from one of the most famous Hove residents, superstar DJ Fatboy Slim.

Fatboy, who owns the cafe at the lagoon, was there to launch proceedings and underlined that he is fully behind the project.

The event was put together by the Friends of Hove Lagoon with the specific aim of raising money and its profile, as well as a planting scheme which will see wildflowers, natural plants and a herb garden introduced as part of the ongoing plans for renovating and improving the site.

Fatboy told The Argus: “The lagoon is very important to me.

“Both of my kids love it and I live at the edge of the lagoon. All the time we have a sense of community at the lagoon. Over time it has grown into a community area and we are here to celebrate this.

“We are uniting residents, businesses and community groups to make this a better place. It has so much potential.”

Although Brighton itself receives plenty of publicity with tourist attractions such as Brighton Palace Pier, Pavilion Gardens and the i360, it should be noted that Hove has plenty to offer too.

As its most famous resident, Fatboy (aka Norman Cook), is to be congratulated for taking an active role in promoting this latest initiative.

For such a high-profile figure, his down to earth persona and willingness to get involved certainly makes him a key figure in the community.