Rodmell and Southease

MEMORIAL: Walking across the bridge over the river in Lewes, I noticed a small memorial of a young man’s photo and a few bunches of small memorial of a young man’s photo and a few bunches of flowers put there on Friday. Is there a story to this? I haven’t read anything about why it was there in the papers.

THE QUIZ: In our pub on Wednesday March 13 was a huge success and all who organised it and prepared the lovely food need to be thanked for giving us all a great time. Hopefully a good bit was made for the Hospice, because there must have been well over 70 people there.

DOG WALKING: How many times are people walking in the countryside asked to keep their dogs on leads when any livestock are around. We have had so many tragedies with so many sheep being killed and farmers suffering hardship through their losses. Many of my walkers that stay here tell me that they see lots of people walking the South Downs Way with dogs that are not on leads. No matter how lovely and kind and well behaved your dog is, it is still a pack animal and it still follows instincts. Please don’t take the chance of it being shot, as if you love it that much, you will not allow it to wreak havoc and cause chaos, resulting in you the owners being devastated at the death of a beloved pet.

THE C7: Seems to be getting more and more huge vehicles rumbling along it, night and day. Years ago, there was a restriction on the weight of vehicles using this road and they were supposed to use the road the other side of the river. Of course we also get all the buses and coaches from Lewes Railway Station at the moment, because of all the work being done on the railway lines and people having to be transported by other means between stations.

TAKE CARE: Trees have taken a bashing in the high winds, and quite a few have been toppled on railway embankments and country roads. It always pays not to travel too fast along unlit country lanes and keep your wits about you, as you never know what’s around the corner. In my case, when I travel across Chailey Common, it’s usually cows and calves sitting in the road not wanting to move. When I used to travel up to Gatwick in the early mornings, it was usually hinds and fawns and on Ashdown Forest, I’ve had a stag leap over my car in the past. It was quite a shock to a group of ladies in their nineties, who were being taken out by me for the day. I don’t think they’d had such an exciting time for a long time as they never ceased to talk about it.

SEAFORD: A few weeks ago, when we had our mini heat wave in February, I was driving along Seaford seafront and it was packed with cars and people and there were loads of people fishing with lots of blue tents on the beach. Was it a fishing competition or was there a mass of mackerel coming in?

SPRING SHOW: Don’t forget we have Rodmell Spring Show coming up on Saturday March 30. Let’s hope these winds subside before then and we have some flowers to show. It’s also Mothering Sunday on March 31 as well as being the day British Summertime begins.

MOBILE PHONES: Have you noticed just how many drivers are still using their mobile phones whilst driving? This is a very selfish and dangerous practice and surely in this day and age, technology can find a cure for those who just cannot do without using their mobiles by making a technique in cars, which means they cannot be used when driving. Having had a relative killed many years ago, his wife maimed and his child left fatherless, I loathe such inconsiderate drivers.