Rodmell Parish Pump

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I’m afraid Parish Pump is short and sweet this week, as I have to submit it on Friday, and I have had a hectic week, which is turning into a busy weekend.

Trying to find bookings for B&Bs is getting more difficult as so many people are giving up. I have to say, I am finding it difficult, especially in these months when the heating bills go up and up and people do not want to pay higher rates to cover it - I’ve had several people phone me needing help to find accommodation at a reasonable rate. People in the hospitality businesses are really struggling at the moment with all the things being thrown at them.

Farmers are getting a lot of sympathy from people about the inheritance tax. You only have to watch programs on TV about farming life, to see how hard small farmers in small communities work for a pittance.

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One young farmer's wife on TV recently had three children under five years old, was helping her husband and also running a farm shop to stop them going under. She seemed to cope very well, and the children who went with her everywhere were lovely and so happy.

Rodmell SignpostsRodmell Signposts
Rodmell Signposts

When you think a fleece of a sheep is valued at 60p and it cost more than that to pay a person to shear it - reality sets in. We could do more to help if we buy British, start wearing woollen clothes again as well as use fleece to insulate houses, as they do in other countries. We should also realise that we get food, especially milk, which has always been a contention between farmers and governments so cheaply against other countries.

Having just seen on TV that Band D council tax is going up £100 pound a year, I will no doubt hear people from our villages saying that Band D in Lewes gets more for their money than Band D in Rodmell.

Here in Rodmell, we now have virtually no facilities like a post office, shop, school, lighting, night buses, road signs and signposts that need cleaning and painting. So many things have gone since I moved here in 1969 but still, we pay for what we don't have. We need some fairness on such issues.

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Don't forget, we have the quiz night in our pub on the 26th of November in aid of St Peter and St James hospice in Chaley, which is a much needed place of of compassion and peace for people near death. Tickets are £15 pounds with a buffet supper.

A villager has also asked me to mention here how she was astounded at her adverts for the charity quiz night being taken down after she attached them to the Monk’s House carpark sign, despite being supportive of the Hospice...

As an afterthought, if you came to Ian Everest’s talk on farms, people and other issues to do with the land, you would find it full of farmers from areas around here. And the talk was so informative and much appreciated. Well done yet again, Ian!

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