OUT IN THE FIELD: Sad death of Eastbourne baker Cliff Bennett and surviving the lockdown with a teenage girl

While Eastbourne council may be getting a kicking in the shins for delays in getting money out to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic due to contradictory advice from central government, a small army of staff are working tirelessly to get vital food parcels out to those in the area who are not on the NHS vulnerable list or have no family and friends to support them. In the coming weeks those cardboard boxes – the virus stays on cardboard for less than four hours so I am told – will be delivered to those in need along with recipes to make the best use of the non-perishable food inside. The community hub is like a production line and will be a lifeline for those who need it. Those behind the scheme need a big pat on the back along with those who are managing to get into work and keep our wonderful DGH working for one and all. It was heart-warming last Thursday night to hear the claps for the NHS and next time I will be out there too banging a saucepan with a wooden spoon to say thank you.

Malcolm Toghill, Maureen Bennett and Cliff Bennett at an awards ceremony in 2013 ENGSUS00120120828134702

Week two of having the Little Princess and Himself at home 24/7 and surprisingly I haven’t yet had the urge to start digging a six feet deep plot in one of my raised vegetable patches. While my colleagues and I are still working from our own homes to keep everyone informed of all the latest news, views and sport on our website and in our newspapers, the two other incumbents at Chateau Field are out every day shopping for neighbours, collecting prescriptions and cleaning the house around me. After my early morning ramble around Pevensey, Westham, Hankham, Rickney and Stone Cross, daily video calls have now become the norm here. Every day I put on a work shirt and make-up for the aforementioned video ‘hang-outs’ but little do the other callers know that from the waist down I have on my jim jams and pink fluffy slippers. With no school and only the odd online assignment towards her GCSE qualifications, teaching the Little Princess life skills continues apace and I am trying to convince her to make her own readies by picking up the manure from the two horses we have at the bottom of our garden and selling them to the little passing traffic there is on the roads. That idea has not gone down well thus far but we live in hope.

Finally this week some terribly sad news to report following the death of former Eastbourne baker extraordinaire Cliff Bennett. Cliff worked at Bondolfi’s before setting up Saffron’s Patisserie in Grove Road. He worked tirelessly as a baker and trained many young people who went on to be successful in their own right. When he finally hung up his baker’s hat, Cliff and Maureen’s daughter Karen and son Mark took over the business and opened Cavendish Bakery in Cavendish Place. Cliff was also a huge supporter of the Special Olympics Eastbourne and Eastbourne Borough Football Club. He had a wonderful sense of humour and a warm smile to match and will be sadly missed.

Until next week, stay safe.