Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette February 4th 2016

LAST year a friend of mine rode a bicycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End on behalf of Help The Heroes and raised just under a thousand pounds, brilliant! This year two of my friends are walking 135 kilometres along the final stage of the Camino Francais from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela at their own expense in order to raise much needed money for our local charity Cancer United and all the while I will lay abed feeling guilty. I never really thought of Greg Koiston and Dave Noakes as walkers and designer track suits do not athletes make and I picture them as being more at home getting themselves on the outside of a Jack Daniels or a glass or two of red wine in some Smoky Joe’s listening to the blues, however they are a pretty determined pair and you have to admire them. Not sure why, but when I was writing the above I recalled a Charles Kingsley quote from a letter to his friend inviting him to go walking:  ‘Tho’ we earn our bread, Tom, By the dirty pen, What we can we will be, Honest Englishmen. Do the work that’s nearest though its dull at whiles, helping, when we meet them, lame dogs over stiles.’  I believe these two good Englishmen are going to be jumping a fair few stiles next month as they trek this rugged pilgrimage way and it would be nice if you could ease their sore feet with a donation or three, it could not be easier and requires very little energy. A cheque to Greg made payable to Cancer United at 27 Norfolk Road, BN17 5PW or log on to www.bit.ly/GregandDave and do it online. You never know you may well be helping yourself or a friend somewhere down the pike, this killer disease knows no boundaries…

SOME very good news from Mewsbrook Park at last, the boats are coming back and will be afloat in time for Easter and I have it on good authority that there is every chance the miniature railway will be back on track at  about the same time. That means café, boats, playground and railway making it one super attraction for local folk and visitors alike. Well done Arun Council, David Chase and all concerned for grabbing this tiger by the tail.