Rodmell and Southease

HI-VIZ: I do wish people walking or cycling along the C7 would wear those yellow hi-viz jackets, especially when it's dusk or dark. I had a frightening experience one evening last week. I was driving from Lewes to Rodmell at dusk and there was a family walking on the wrong side of the road, between Wyevale and Swanborough, without torches or hi-viz jackets. One adult had a dark jacket on, as had one child. Fortunately, the other child had a jacket which was blue and my lights picked it up. A few feet ahead a woman was walking in the road dressed completely in black and had it not been for my lights reflecting off her boots, I may well have hit her. When dusk went to dark, which happens very quickly and bright lights coming towards you partially blind you for a moment, imagine what might have happened. Please wear light clothes and walk facing oncoming traffic if you don't want to be yet another country road casualty. We have had a spate of accidents on the C7 of late, let's not have any more.

ADVENT SERVICE: The Advent Service of Light in our church on Sunday December 4 was well attended and was a beautiful service, attended by many people from far and wide. B&Bs who were staying with Lorna and yours truly really enjoyed the experience.

CHURCH SERVICES: Sunday, Matins at Rodmell, 11am. Sunday December 23, Advent 4 Carol Service at Rodmell, 6pm. Monday December 24, Christmas Eve Carol Service by Candlelight at Southease, 6pm. It’s usually packed for this service. Tuesday December 25, Christmas Day Service at Rodmell, 11am. Sunday December 30, United Service of Parish Communion at Rodmell, 11am.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CAROL SINGING: Will be on Monday in Upper Rodmell, meeting at Smugglers in The Paddocks and finishing at Bankside for mulled wine. Proceeds to the Demelza Hospice for Children.

CAROL SERVICE: On Saturday December 8, I went to the Christmas Carol Service at Glyndebourne. It was a lovely afternoon, much enjoyed by all. It was especially nice to see so many young people enjoying good music. The Glyndebourne Youth Opera Christmas Chorus did well under Chorus Master Lee Reynolds, who happens to be my friend’s son and my god-daughter’s nephew. Congratulations also to Ashley Beauchamp for the musical preparation. It is good to give the young such encouragement.

TATTOOS: I do not go overboard about tattoos, face studs etc, but then I’m old as far as the young are concerned. However such things can be a source of amusement at times. A friend of mine sitting in hospital opposite a man of latter days, who had probably in his youth had a lovely mermaid tattooed on his shoulder and chest. Unfortunately he must not have given it thought that as we get older, everything droops (I know the feeling) and the mermaid had suffered much the same as his body, work deteriorated and her face scowled and her breasts dropped. My friend found sitting opposite him amusing, it’s good to have a sense of humour.

LORRIES: Watching lorries coming over from France on TV and people jumping into them to get over here, one wonders why do they not have bolts and locks on the doors? Several people who travel frequently to France have said the same thing, plus they also wonder where the £3,000 that a lot of these people pay to the awful people that exploit them comes from, when they are so destitute. The people that exploit them must surely be the lowest of the low. Let’s face it, only desperate people would take the chances they take, getting across the busy English Channel.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

IT’S LOVELY: To see the sun, but it’s hell driving towards it as it’s so low, even wearing a hat with a brim and thinking you’ve cleaned your windscreen, until the sun hits it and then you realise it’s smeared and vision is obliterated for a second.