OUT IN THE FIELD: Little folks' litter-picking legacy

With videos doing the rounds of little darlings vandalising property in Hampden Park (yes, they have been filmed and images passed to the police), it was refreshing to hear the story of brother and sister Emily Paterson, 10, her six-year-old brother Alex and family friend Oliver Davis, eight, who took it upon themselves to tidy up after people left their barbecues behind in Motcombe Park. Dad Jason Paterson said the youngsters cleaned it up because they want their park to be beautiful and a nice place. The bin was less than 20 metres away. If you know who had a barbecue under the tree sometime Sunday evening and left it like this, have a quiet word in their shell like. As Jason says #leaveonlyfootprints #hiitthepark #hiitsquad

Leading the fight against litterbugs: Emily Paterson, 10, Alex Paterson, six, and Oliver Davis, eight

There’s a long list of names on the birthday shout out this week starting with the lovely ex-St Thomas a Becket School secretary Pauline Taylor. Others to give a mention to are Joan Feneron, Bonnie Poole, Claire Carpenter, Jodie Morris, Lee Smith at the new Poppyseed Bakery, fundraiser Nicole Coyle, who will be jumping out of a plane later this month, and last but certainly not least the lovely Darcie Enness who turns 17 on Sunday. Happy birthday one and all.

Ivy House in Eastbourne, which provides support for families affected by dementia, and some of the people it helps will be featured in an episode of Channel Four’s Dementiaville series on marriage at the Birley Centre on Sunday June 4 at 2pm. The programme, scheduled to be shown on Thursday June 18, follows four wives who embark on emotional journeys to build new memories with their husbands, who all suffer from dementia. The programme is a tribute and in memory of their husbands Vic, Derek, George and Mike. The special screening on Sunday is open to the public and as well as the programme there will be a chance to see the great work at the highly acclaimed Ivy House, the person-centred care for people with dementia.

This time next week all the election hype and guff will be over and the town’s MP revealed. Without wanting to sound like that broken record again, please vote. At least we live in a democracy where people can vote. Your vote is important.

Finally this week, long after my moaning and groaning at the location of the lingerie department in M&S and that I didn’t want the world and his wife walking past as I chose my smalls, the powers that be have moved the whole section from the middle of the store. To right by the entrance with the Arndale Centre which is even worse and even more public. I was walking in to the store the other day behind a young man probably about five or six who told his mother in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want to see “boobs” or women’s knickers as soon as he walked in. I couldn’t agree more young man, I couldn’t agree more.