Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette June 30th 2016

AS predicted, the council cut the grass verges and left the matted long grass to rot where it lay in unsightly heaps. Even worse though the mower operator did not clear the buried litter from the grass before the cut leaving the blades to shred and spread anything from plastic bags, used nappies, plastic bottles and Foster’s beer cans along the verges. Half a job poorly done.

I have tried several times over the past few weeks on my summertime round of old country church visits to see inside both Climping and Burpham churches and have found no welcome there for day time wayfarers. Securely locked and no information available, other than for actual services, as to when they would be open to passing pilgrims. Strange really when I have found such easy and welcoming access to so many of our lovely isolated West Sussex places of worship that this should be so. I wonder would their Higher Power approve of locked doors?

SLOW worm is a real misnomer. I found three, two adults and a youngster, on top of the sun warmed decaying grass cuttings in my allotment compost bin last week. Great photo opportunity, reached into my jacket for the IPhone and when I turned back they had all legged it. Darned speedy for so called slow worms.

WENT to a super old style gathering on the Beaumont last week, a party themed on Alice In Wonderland. Each guest, if he or she so wished, could perform in some small way, a song, a reading, a poem – your own or from Alice. So much fun and a EU referendum free zone. Great company, food and wine, the only thing missing for me was the smoky taste of a raw Gitane. Old ‘entertain yourselves’ evenings were great, must do more.

NEVER judge a rook by its colour, it may well be a raven. Read more books…