WHISPERING SMITH: Anger over our dirty streets

Black plastic bags, put out at any old time of the week, are split, some from being lazily tossed out of windows. Unbroken bags are ravaged by gulls, who should be down the beach eating cockles, mussels and dead crabs but seem to prefer left-over pizzas, Indian or Chinese take-aways and stale bread, although they don’t seem so keen on the used disposable nappies left on the pavement.

The council, to its credit, regularly clears the rubbish and carts off the furniture. Vi, 86, a local lady, also tidies up the area, but less so just now, as she is incapacitated by a broken limb.

I don’t know the answer to this problem but it fills me with anger and dismay that people can be so dirty and thoughtless, bringing discredit to the very nice area in which they and we are privileged to reside.

Ignorance on their part, perhaps, but surely some responsibility must lie with landlords. Perhaps they are the ones the council should confront and charge for the extra workload burdened upon the ratepayers.

THE dreary arcade has been considerably brightened by the opening of Fireside Books.

It’s an excellent store, run by real book people and I have already discovered two rather obscure books I have been after for some time, both at a very reasonable price. If you are a book person I suggest you get along there and be prepared for a pleasant experience.

BEAUTIFUL sunny Easter Monday, not a lot going on in the area but the Littlehampton Carnival boot sale on West Green was fairly busy first thing, with many once precious pre-loved goods.

Pity there was no refreshment stall – what is a boot fair without a bacon sarnie and a coffee in a styrofoam cup?

MY gloomy friend informs me he has revised his tombstone to now read: “It is what it was.” Then to: “It wasn’t what it is.” I said: “Oh, does it really matter?” and he said: “Brilliant, I’ll go with that.”