Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette August 13th 2015

THERE is a ghost in my house, several in fact. Built in 1850 that fact is not surprising I suppose but following a severe rattling of my bedroom door a while back and after a couple of nights with a chair jammed under the door handle I contacted a local ghost buster who came along with the tools of his trade and told me the place was very ‘active’ spirit wise. He also advised that a Lloyd Loom chair would not hinder their wanderings. However he did reassure me that they would do me no harm and I should live in harmony with them. Fine by me but the cat is not convinced and is prone to suddenly leaping from my lap and staring into the darkness beyond the open door leading to the hallway, her back hairs strangely quivering. After a while she returns and settles back on my lap and I relax, nod and say hello to the passing shadows I constantly see and return to my ice cream and book. Sad though that they do not acknowledge my friendly greeting…

EAVESDROPPED on a conversation between two of my friends, one proclaiming the virtues of living in Littlehampton and the other damning the place. I came down on the side of the contented one, a relative newcomer, who said, he had made many friends here, it was a fine seaside town with several excellent societies, restaurants, pubs, shops, with particular praise reserved for Lidl’s. It had open spaces, coffee shops, a train service to London, a cinema and was within easy reach of grander entertainment if required. Harbour Park for children, our lovely River Arun, a choice of two super clean beaches, a pitch and putt course and the excellent Mewsbrook Park with its fine café. He was dead right although, like any town, it has its faults. It has its share of deadbeats and I choose not to walk through the High Street late at night. The town council is very supportive but the district council less so. On the latter, I have to admire the optimism of those requesting that certain Arun councillors should resign following the failure of the local plan, good luck with that, I do not believe that anything short of dynamite would shift the current cabinet members they, of course, can do no wrong…