Andy Doig helps put the 'bright' into Brighton and Hove.

He is one of only about 90 neon signmakers in the UK and has made signs ranging from the 8ft-high and 30ft-long sign for The Komedia, which has 120,000 volts running through it, to work for The Joint, Saucy, Rin Tin Tin, the Palace Pier.

He also installed the neon for the Chinese shanty town in the film Tomb Raider 2 and has worked on a Coldplay video, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Jamie Oliver's 15 restaurant.

Mr Doig got interested in neon lights after moving to the United States.

He said: "Using my redundancy money from a telecommunications job, my wife Amalie and I went to live in Chicago, where I became friends with a man who fashioned neon.

"I realised here was a profession which could provide an income while allowing me to express my creativity.

"Not many people make the stuff in the UK and it's a skill often handed down from father to son."

Mr Doig gained most of his knowledge from US trade magazines. He then bought some glass tubing and a flame gun and progressed by trial and error.

He set up in Brighton six years ago and has been busy pretty constantly ever since.

He said: "Restaurants, bars, shops, cafes, nightclubs - you name it, they all have a neon sign somewhere and, from the off, demand outstripped supply, which pleased my bank manager.

"I like someone to tell me their rough idea for a weird design then turn that into something that makes them go 'wow' when they walk through the door."

Thursday April 24 2003