Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette April 24th 2014

CURIOUS, only a few weeks after Arun and certain members of the town council hinted that a sell-off of the Windmill site would ‘benefit’ future investment in a leisure complex including a cinema and theatre elsewhere in the town, that a well known hotel chain should appear on the site participating in a company photo shoot. Now, as Dylan sang, ‘I don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…’ I believe it to be imperative that before the election we secure an assurance from all candidates, of whatever political persuasion, that they will not sell off the Windmill. Those who still maintain it to be in ‘our interests’ that it be sold, we rally our considerable support both on and off social media networks against said barbarians and let them know once and for all that there are certain things up with which we will not put!

I NEVER cease to wonder at the narrow mindedness of some people, that they could have such a self-centred and authorative view of life bringing them to the point of registering a single complaint with the local authority without considering what others may think. This single complaint resulted in the removal Arundel’s John Swan. The chalk image was a super piece of temporary street art. Elegant and attractive, it was photographed many times, tasteful and charming and so in the right place by the lovely River Arun. To treat such work as though it were vandalism or the beginning of a tide of unwanted graffiti is a crying shame.

ALLOTMENT holders are too shrewd to leave expensive power tools such as mowers in their flimsy sheds. Thieves are not too bright however and believe that plot holders would be daft enough to leave such items protected only by a padlock and hasp and so, under cover of darkness, they raided sheds. They found nothing of value of course but did cause a lot of damage and several elderly members a good deal of stress. Police visited the site following the incursion, they did not grill the chickens, frisk the foxes or turn the doves into stoolpigeons but they did promise to step up their patrols.