Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette February 20th 2014

CULLING has become a national pastime, a fix all solution where any intrusion into our world by animals is met with sudden and not so sudden death by shotgun although other methods are available and even recommended. There are those who wish to cull foxes, cormorants and even otters are getting a bad press in some areas. Badgers have already suffered unnecessarily and in Australia, that bastion of marine preservation, the poor old saltwater croc is under the gun and the shark is already being slaughtered, because last year six people intruded on to their domain and got themselves dead. Surfers in particular and Australians in general seem to be against the cull but, as here, the politicians have their own sweet way regardless of public opinion. Perhaps they themselves should be culled as they are becoming such a menace to the rest of us. In spite of the west country badger cull fiasco, there is now talk of a badger cull in our own fair county so log on and sign one of the several West Sussex anti cull petitions and, by letter, make you views clear to our MPs and makethem in no uncertain terms. You also might care to write to DEFRA and tell them your thoughts on their support for an increase in the number of cormorants to be shot from 2000 to 3000.

BEACHCOMBING? If you are an early riser and get your Gazette first thing on Thursday morning then your body would be most welcome on Llittlehampton beach where, weather permitting, Lyndall King has organised another clean up to rid the area of plastic, rope, discarded nets and dead things from the beach, starting out from the lighthouse at from 10am. An ongoing journey and one we can all share.

GOOD NEWS DAY at last. The Windmill Cinema will now be up and running from February 21^st with five showings of 12 Years A Slave followed by a great programme of twelve films including several Oscar nominated movies: Philomena (22^nd/23^rd.), Blue Jasmine and Captain Phillips (26^th) Saving Mr Banks and Gravity (28^th) and Mandela (2^nd March). For further information including times of showing please check out www.facebook.com/WindmillCinema or www.cinemacinema.co.uk. Remember the old adage that is so important here; ‘we either use it or lose it!’