Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette July 24th. 2014

Stormin’ Norman can strut his stuff a while longer at the Worthing Road Allotments. The Town Council’s Community Resources Committee members, in spite of dire warnings from the town clerk, overwhelmingly and wisely I believe, refused to condemn him and his feathered friends out of hand and on one man’s (a neighbour’s) say so. The committee felt that the noise case was unproven and it may well be, in the long run, difficult for Arun to prove the neighbour’s complaint at all as it appears Norman is not the noisiest kid on the block and it is possibly a privately owned rooster off site and nearer to the complainant is the real culprit. Of course it is a fact that, in future, no new cockerels will be allowed on the allotment and the committee may take a different view but I hope not. Surely with all of the unnatural and manmade noise that surrounds us daily there is room for Norman to sing and, I suspect, be enjoyed by the majority.

CHATTING about books to a lady in a Rustington charity shop the other morning whilst looking for holiday reading material and the dreaded word ‘Kindle’ was used. I made the sign of the cross and sprinkled holy water around the store but it was apparent the lady agreed. She said there was something about the feel, the smell, the soul of a book in your hand and I had to agree. One other thing, put a good book on your bookshelf and it catches your eye months on down the pike and brings back a whole raft of memories: where you were when you first read it, the story itself the enjoyment, moments a kindle cannot give you. The real joy of a hardback book is akin to the delight of getting a letter from a friend or loved one rather than a text or an email.

GOOD to see that Caffyn’s Field is not only the preserve of the public drinking brotherhood. On Saturday the place was hopping with folk of all ages and music to suit most tastes. Congratulations to the organisers and the participants for the event and, especially, to the Owls About Town, The Silk Road Dancers and Beck Sian and Johnathan Kershaw, a lovely sound, must check them out at a gig sometime soon.