Rodmell and Southease Parish Pump
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Thanks, must surely go to all those people in the various services that we depend on for their dedication to their jobs and to all of us who need them. They are the people who are most important to us and get nowhere near the wages given to celebrities. I’m not saying we don’t need celebrities for our fun and leisure activities, and I’m not saying they don’t work hard, but they are not as necessary as our overworked and underpaid NHS people and the other people who work hard to make our lives easier and who I for one appreciate so much as I’m sure other readers do. Thank you all so much.
I have just watched political discussion on TV and as usual the NHS was top of the list. I would like to say there, as we all know, have been troubles in the NHS for years. When my mother had bowel cancer in the 1960s, when people were taking drugs for pleasure was taking off in a big way, I visited her in hospital and had to walk past people lying on the on the floor outside her ward waiting to get help because of drug problems. It was not a pleasant experience. I’m happy to say that my mother had excellent treatment and lived to 97.
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Hide AdMaybe I shouldn’t speak too soon, but aren’t we lucky to live in this area, where we don’t suffer the awful floods that people ‘up North’ have to cope with. We of course have areas like Alfriston, parts of Newhaven and Patcham who get problems quite often not forgetting Barcombe, but our problems don’t seem to be as bad as those in Northern areas. For those of you that have relations in the USA, especially at this time of fires and snow it must also be worrying. I had a phone call this morning to say that my cousin’s husband had heard that his relations are in trouble in LA in the fire area. We all hope that things get better. So many of my family are great travellers, and also live all over the world, so many have experienced many problems and have had to deal with them. I suspect many parents worry when their children say they are taking a year out to travel, but at least technology keeps them in touch and as they say, ‘you can’t have them tied to your apron strings forever’.


At last snowdrops, bluebells and daffodils are popping up everywhere and soon Southease churchyard will be a picture. I was not able to get to the Christmas Eve service this year but heard it was packed. Lorna my neighbour played the organ there this year. Southease church has always looked a picture with its candle lit service, as I’m sure many other churches do, and it’s in such a pretty hamlet. I used to walk miles with my beagles but can’t unfortunately do that now. The walk to Southease and back along the riverbank used to be one of my favourites especially around 6am. Ali tells me she has been walking down there all over this last weekend as the frost and mist has made it even more beautiful than usual – and easier to walk on as it has been very muddy.
As I’ve said before there are many people I know who tell me they don’t watch TV, as they find all the news depressing but they do watch all the various items about the world on their phones, isn’t that depressing too?
I also hear from people that they haven’t had a flu injection, and I know this is a worry to the NHS because so many are in hospital with flu, thus taking up time, which needs to be spent dealing with people who are in dire need. I take every injection offered and have not had any problems. The people who have not had the injection, in several cases have been very poorly for weeks. It is a right not to have these injections but isn’t it better if you suffer from side effects as some do, for a short while, to have the injection and not be ill for several weeks infecting others and putting more work on the NHS who really don’t need it at the moment.
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Hide AdWhilst it’s cold, I go to bed early and listen to the radio especially the World Service where people phone in from all over the world letting us know all sorts of interesting things. It’s lovely nestling in my lovely warm bed hearing people talk to me on the radio.


I know my neighbours, and various other people in the village, keep an eye on me, for which I’m very grateful, and they are always on hand to help, but I do want them to know that I am ok, very independent and hope to end up like Dot Medhurst, a villager who is now 102, lives independently and still does her garden. Our birthdays happen to be on the same day 17th June – is that an omen!
I haven’t been out in the last few days but suspect a few drivers have come to grief on the C7 as it gets icy. I should know this because on Christmas Eve 1969 I drove home from Lewes on ice beneath deep snow, and my little VW took off through the hedge at Northease, landing upside down with me still in it. An off-duty policeman and his wife rescued me badly bruised and shaken up. Every time I look at that hole in the hedge, I think of this. I was not driving fast as some do, or it could have been worse. I was very grateful to this couple for rescuing me and taking me home. Ali tells me there has been an update on the Safer C7 project you can see the update and the plans on their website https://www.thec7road.co.uk/new-page-1 and I (or Ali) will try to write more next week.
I just wanted to let you know that on Thursday last week I had a scam call telling me they were bank security, saying my bank had been got into, I hung up, checked the number on the back of my bank card and rang the bank myself. Everything was ok. Your bank should never ring asking for security details – so if someone rings purporting to be from the bank always be suspicious, hang up and ring your bank using the number from your bank card or statements. They will be able to confirm that it is a scam and reassure you whether all is ok with your accounts.