Viva Lewes Issue #112 January 2016

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Lewes Out Loud
Plenty more Henty
First of all – a very
Happy New Year
and thanks to
several of you who
have given my new
approach to this
page a ‘thumbs-up’.
I don’t do names
but you know who
you are. As far as
2016 is concerned,
for someone like
me who was born in 1936, I have to say I view
the New Year with a fair degree of trepidation.
However, following my tried and tested KTTT
philosophy (Keep Taking The Tablets) I
popped into Boots the chemist locally in late
November to purchase, in addition to the pills,
one of their scribbling diaries for 2016.
You see, I’m not into the other sort of tablets
and an A4 desk diary has been an established
part of my daily routine for at least 25 years.
“We don’t stock them” I was told, “You should
try our big branch in Brighton – they carry
those sort of things”.
Not any more they don’t, as I discovered a few
days later. After much searching upstairs, with
the help of an assistant, we established that
the Nottingham-based company had ceased
to manufacture the iconic scribbler. As far
as it is concerned then, I said to the woman,
2016 won’t happen. She laughed nervously as I
headed back to Lewes and good old WH Smith
in the precinct.
Later in Cliffe, I enjoyed a chat with friend
Caroline who told me she is concerned, like
others, about cars using the road we were in,
parking there illegally and causing difficulties
for pedestrians - especially children. Amongst
other things,
Caroline would like
to see improved
signage in Railway
Lane and she’s
actively pursuing
matters with the
council and hopes
for action in 2016.
As we spoke, we
were passed by
a sizeable 4 x 4
vehicle which compounded the issue by loudly
hooting at a wayward pigeon. “Bollards!”
commented a cheery local woman, overhearing
our conversation. At least I think that was her
comment! “They’ve got ’em in Chichester –
retractable ones… and they work!”
Caroline’s friendly dog, Billy, was not amused
either. I’m told he regularly visits local care
homes and is a great favourite with residents.
I love these impromptu sessions which seem to
be so much a part of our lively town. In 2016
I reckon we should create a Speakers’ Corner
somewhere central – a semi-permanent soap
box where locals could air their views and opinions
in the true spirit of Thomas Paine.
Meantime I’ll have to make do with Cliffe, and
the aisles in Waitrose where numerous issues
are resolved, and not always serious ones. Most
recently I recall a lengthy discussion with John
and Gill from Norton, close-by Bishopstone,
on the varying merits of cherry or lemon drizzle
cake.
Finally, I have been asked to identify the
smiling woman in the December issue who
was walking her rescue dogs when we met in
Grange Road. Thank you to Val and I don’t
have the names of her dogs - yet! John Henty
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