Good though it was to see the Rooks on BBC South East the other day, there was one glaring error in the report. It was the section where the programme gave the impression that the Victoria Hospital was sponsoring the team. It is almost the other way round, for in gratitude to the support the town has shown for the new regime, the hospital name on the team shirts is a "thank you" from the club to Lewes. There is another chance to see the Rooks on TV this Saturday when Nick Williams tells me they will certainly try to set the record straight. I know the problems, trying to express succinctly an elaborate detail in a punchy style, but an NHS Hospital cannot sponsor anything and the BBC should have spotted that.
Mind you, the Alexandra Hospital in Brighton employs a local agency to project an image, and I cannot agree with Health Service money being spent in that way, and when the cuts come, I do believe this sort of expenditure should be cut rather than nurses, doctors or medicines.
I do admire the people of Dover for clubbing together to take over the port themselves. I wish such an opportunity had been given to Sussex folk when Newhaven was up for grabs. If Dover recognises the importance of the port to local economics, why cant we? All we seem to have is LD Lines, which announces services then cuts them. It's no so long ago that there was talk of four passenger sailings each day for passengers from Newhaven. That didn't get very far before LD cut another UK service. If the French state recognises the need to fund a commercial gateway, why are we busy selling everything off and then seeing the assets stripped before the venture is written off?
Better news for Newhaven is the announcement that the former Woolworth store in the town is to re-open as one of 14 Allworth Stores selling the wide range of goods Woolworth used to sell. Hey, there's life in the High Street yet! I never thought much to a town that couldn't support a Woolworth. But remind myself that times change. And I 'm well aware of how that statement affects Catlin's!
Lewes is due to have a fume-free day in October. Time to try out my pet idea of a circular bus route running round the town, from the station, along Market Street, down to Tesco, along to Waitrose, up School Hill along the High Street to the Prison crossroads down to Southover High Street then back to station. The Yellow Bus, running on recycled chip fat, would be happy to be part of the exercise and would run an hourly service at a cost of £200 for the day. Sadly the District Council doesn't want to pay for it, in case no one rides the route, feeling that an empty bus is no advertisement. But it's a trial for goodness' sake! How to we know if it's a workable idea or not if it isn't tried? Perhaps the Town Council could cough up £200?
And before the County Council congratulates itself too much an the street gulley cleaning, the drain just by Norman Baker's house on School Hill is growing quite a hanging garden, and the drain at the bottom of Station Street, on the west side, is still overfull and does not carry water away!
