Christmas Day at Bexhill Hospital

The civic visitor found those patients able to get out of bed assembled in the unit's sunlight central atrium, awaiting Christmas lunch.

In a gaily decorated unit, he found staff with festive adornments bringing Christmas cheer to patients.

The Mayor was present not only to bring a message of goodwill to one and all on behalf of the town but to help League of Friends chairman Peter Mitchell-Davis and colleagues distribute Christmas presents to patients on behalf of the charity.

The chairman was accompanied by league social committee chairman Harriet Chapman and by new committee member Cllr Deirdre Williams.

After chatting with patients in the atrium, the party went from bay to bay, room to room, meeting and greeting.