OUT IN THE FIELD: Monday night was Dixieland night

Needless to say the one thing most people have been talking about this week in Eastbourne is the closure of Atlantis Nightclub. Otherwise known as the Odyssey, the Roxy, or if you were about in my day, Dixieland. I must admit I haven't set foot in the place for some years but felt very sad considering it was, like most of my age group, where I spent much of my youth. I met my first love at '˜Monday Night Dixieland' for the under 18s in the 1980s. I remember tottering down the end of the pier in all weathers in high heels for the over 18s. And smooching to the slow songs played 15 minutes before closing in the 90s. If the walls of the place '“ and the carpet that had seen better days and your feet stuck to when you went in '“ could talk, the stories would no doubt make your hair curl. So many happy memories for so many people. It's the end of an era for sure.
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Good news to report this week. Following last Friday’s revelations that the Winter Garden was being treated like the poor relation and some of the refurbishments were being scaled back, I am delighted to hear the toilets at the grand old lady WILL be upgraded. Somehow the council has managed to find the dosh to upgrade the toilet facilities, which frequently malfunction and can cause a host of problems for users at the venue. Hopefully some other cash will soon appear for a few pots of paint to be opened too.

Earlier this month Sussex Police concentrated officers’ efforts on getting drivers and passengers to clunk click and belt up when travelling in a car. Very commendable as always and perhaps the five percent of people who don’t see the benefit of seat belts might change their minds. If that fails, remind them that an unbelted passenger could become an in-car missile in a collision, ricocheting around the vehicle at 30-60 times their body weight in a 30mph crash.

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Talk of police campaigns and particularly the ones aimed at stopping motorists from using their mobile phone while driving, some officers would do well to quite literally jump on their bikes to catch offenders. With the fine weather, I have dusted off the cobwebs on my trusty steed and cycling in to town from out in the sticks, gives you a great view of what some drivers are doing with their hands when they should be concentrating on the road ahead. You can spot them a mile off: one hand on the steering wheel and the other – normally the right one – clutching their smart one and sneakily glancing down at it as they motor along while sending a text, checking an email or gawping at who’s doing what on Facebook. It makes my blood boil.

Birthday love and hugs this week to Jackie Errigo, Tori Hammond, Julie Hart, Judd Hincliffe, Colin Belsey, our own sports editor Derren Howard and everyone’s favourite fishing guru Lance Brown. See you in a week.

Photo by Barry Davis.

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