Whispering Smith published in the Littlehampton Gazette January 2nd.2014

THE SEASON of goodwill is now officially over and we can stop being so nice to those who have, over the past year, failed to earn our respect and trust. The headline news broken in this newspaper just prior to the holiday should be a wakeup call to all council tax payers in the Arun area and especially in the Littlehampton area. An alarm, if you will, that the only people who can do something about the outrageous spending on ‘consultants’ by Arun is you. Okay, so you have to wait a year to make that change but the opportunity will come and it is up to you to grab that pencil in the polling booth and vote for the independent candidates or those already within the council vigorously voicing your very concerns. Those members you can trust not to waste your money and precious resources. Arun can shoot million pounds into the coffers of various ‘consultants’ on the one hand while on the other crying poor and cutting services, including our cinema, on the other. A year is a long time to wait but rest assured you will be reminded along the way and on the actual day.

MARK the Tree man came to me on the week before Christmas to drastically prune a whatchamacallit in my garden – he did tell me its name but I forget. While he worked, he whistled and I chastised him for whistling up the wind, he just smiled benevolently and went on whistling. That night, gale force winds stormed in and rattled my windows so much so that the building shook and it has been windy ever since. We old salts know a thing or two about the wind.

VISITED the Tesco Express on the Beaumont a couple of times last week and was alarmed to see the speed at which some people hit the zebra crossing there. It is on a bend so visibility is not great and begs an even greater need for caution. One fatal accident already on that bend prior to the crossing being installed, don’t need to wait for another one.

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND and it do sure blow around our Windmill Theatre in the winter time but well worth braving the storm were there a good movie to watch. Closed now for 331 days.