Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette April 6th 2017

My son tells me he is off to Poland for a holiday and will not be visiting for a couple of weeks. I put my selfish panic to one side, wondering what will happen if my PC goes awry while he is away? Then, feeling a little guilty, thinking that he deserves a treat of a few Polish Zloty for all of his help and patience and for saving my stuff to a cloud in a galaxy far far away.  It’s Thursday afternoon, I pop into the Halifax to get him some dosh. Too late, I cannot have it until midday Monday. That’s too late for him he will be on his way. Same answer from the Nat West and the Post Office. I’m puzzled, I thought money transactions were paperless, internet speedy transactions but apparently not. A friend suggests Tesco and I think that to be unlikely but go anyway. A friendly lady in a little booth tells me ‘No problem, sir’. In and out in five minutes flat, I am a happy man with some weird looking bills in an envelope tucked away in my wallet. Tesco, a grocery store, better with money handling than either the Nat West or the Halifax? Unbelievable!

In last weekend’s lovely sunshine Littlehampton was at its very best, beginning with a busy, fun filled market in the town centre on Saturday. Then over the whole weekend, from the Harbour Lights along the Riverwalk and the promenade, to the East Beach Cafe, the Putting Green Café and Mewsbrook Park with its miniature railway and busy boating lake, throngs of happy adults and delighted children. And when they had all gone home I walked along that route and found very few signs of rubbish and they were mostly on the green where I picked up a few crisp packets, a half dozen water bottles, three fruit juice cartons and one Doctor Pepper can. Not bad really considering past experiences.