Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette October 5th 2017

CONKER time is here again and what better way to celebrate these chestnut coloured, spider-scaring beauties than to join in with the traditional Sompting Village Morris Dancers? I know some folk find them a bit dotty but the smiling faces of adults and children at the Henty Arms in Ferring last weekend was a delight. Cheerful laughter, the sound of the cracking staffs and the ring of booted bells made the dreary Saturday battle along the 259 worthwhile. Met some lovely people, Stanley, surely the loveliest dog in the whole wide world and a Hobby Horse. I played a couple of games with a friend and quit with battered wrists after being accused of cheating by deliberately moving my conker and playing ‘strings’. I ask you, where is the fun in a game of conkers if you do not cheat just a little?

GRAND coffee morning at St Mary’s Church to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Coffee, conversation and cakes galore. Also, some fine singing and ukulele music from the UKEAD  and later, too much later in fact, Liam Connell and friends playing standards, singalongs and some lovely Irish folk music. Next year they need to check the amplified sound, acoustic for the strings and singing would have been ample in such a small hall. Another lesson to learn is to have ‘take-away’ information about the wonderful work achieved by Macmillan as several visitors asked what it was all about. Just little things to be learned and they in no way detract from the magnificent effort put in by the organisers and volunteers and the fact that over £600 was raised for this very worthwhile charity. Well done to all concerned.

EACH morning I go through the following ritual. I hide four pills in amongst the meat in the cat’s bowl. She comes along scoffs her meal and spits out the pills and I have to start over again…Life with a cat gets tedious don’t it just?