Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette March 16th. 2017

Driving out to visit the lovely Clayton Parish Church one day last week I was staggered to see such an abundance of roadside debris, much of it freshly exposed by the recent hedge trimming. It is not so long ago that I recall council workers regularly bagging the stuff up and stacking the bags roadside for collection by a council lorry. Has that practice now ceased I wonder? I hope not as now that fly tipping appears to be – despite council denials – on the increase, it can only get worse. Where oh where is our green and pleasant land headed, is it to be buried ‘neath piles of unsightly litter?

I have a small brick built planter by my front door about 14 inches’ square and just large enough for a flower or two. One morning last week I came down to discover there reclined in that planter a half empty or half full, depending on your point of view, baked bean can. So, picture this, late in the evening a man or woman buys a can of beans from the corner shop, pops the ring pull and walks along the lamplit street and, assuming the person in question does not have a fork in their top pocket (what would be the chances of that?)  is happily spooning Heinz beans from the can with his or her fingers. They reach my house, discover their fingers are not long enough to reach the bottom of the can and so dump it in my flower box among the bright yellow ‘tete ‘a tete’ and the purple sage. I try not to worry or wonder about the mindset of some of those folk who walk among us but at times it is difficult…

MANY people have agreed with my comment that the Screen on The Green summer movie should be a singalong picnic show. However, according to the comments on Facebook, The Goonies appears to be the popular choice.