Published in the Littlehampton Gazette on March 28th.

THE BIG COUNCIL meeting of last Wednesday regarding, in part,  the leisure strategy so keenly beloved of the ADC was postponed due to a health and safety issue – one wonders just who was so concerned about their health and safety considering the expected number of objectors due to turn up for the meeting! However, there is more to this whole issue than is clearly apparent. On the 13th of March Town Clerk Peter Herbert wrote, at the request of the Town Council, to Nigel Lynn Chief Exec of the ADC regarding the outcome of a meeting between the leader of the council, Lynn and the Chief Exec of Inspire Leisure back in July whereupon it was agreed that, among other things, the Windmill Theatre and Cinema be removed as of April 2013 from the list of activities provided by Inspire.  No surprise then that Inspire were so eager to shut down the cinema, under the very thin smokescreen offered by the ruse of needing a digital projector, a bit of a red herring as revealed in this column weeks ago, knowing full well they were to give it up under direction of the ADC in April in any case. This information was not given to supporters on the LTC and obviously not to a vociferous public whose view of this shabby and cynical treatment and their overwhelming and growing opposition to the threat to their leisure provision is clear. The letter goes on to ask if the ADC considered whether the handling of the subsequent decision of that meeting would satisfy the Ombudsman or a legal challenge? I look forward to the ADCs eventual reply to all questions. Smoke and mirrors, it is all deeply disturbing…

GREAT TO SEE Councillor Alan Gammon encouraging more people to apply for an allotment. Alan was instrumental in obtaining a plot for me and I have never looked back. Don’t let this miserable weather put you off, spring and summer are around the corner. You will find fellow plot holders are, in most cases, extremely friendly and helpful to the novice and you should grab your five rod while plots while you can, it is 35 quid well spent. Hard work does wonders for the waistline and if you grow too much veg, there are few greater pleasures than giving the fruit of your labours to grateful friends and neighbours.