We can all help reduce the risk of wildfires by not having fires at picnics which may spread, watching the barbeques don’t get out of hand, and not leaving glass bottles on the ground or throwing cigarette ends out of car windows or on the ground if we are walking. All of these are fire hazards. Did you know that more than 1,000 people died from the heat in England in 2024? This means we have to take care of ourselves as well. I know quite a few people who have had skin cancer so beware of the strength of the sun. I can remember when I was young in the 40s, 50s and 60s it was the thing to get a tan and to do it we used 1 part olive oil to 2 parts vinegar and shook it up in a bottle then coated ourselves with it, we frizzled, and the beaches smelt like fish and chip shops. No wonder so many went down with skin cancer in later life. Now there are many good sunscreen creams and lotions that don’t smell like a ‘fry-up’ when you use them.
It must be awful for the people who are having trouble having their bins emptied and cleared and a real health hazard. Do you remember that in 2024 I wrote in Parish Pump, that the people that deal with our priority systems which keep our lives going, are far more important than those that get such high salaries in sport, celebrities etc, etc, not that we don’t need them for our relaxation and fun, but surely the priorities of life must be dealt with first, such as our water, sewerage, national health, transport etc to enable us to have happy, healthy lives. As someone said to me recently, why do people have to have so much money and what do they do with it all?
If you are trying to contact me it’s always best to ring me in the evenings as I’m nearly always home then. My phone system is still not set up properly, and I was pleased to see that Age UK and an MP were on television recently about phone matters. So many people have contacted Age UK as they feel they want to keep their land lines as it is their main contact with friends and family, and they are worried sick about the situation. Evidently 95% wanted to keep landlines many of them 60+. They were assured on this programme that they would be able to keep landlines. I certainly hope this is the case as so many are feeling so completely isolated these days. If you have elderly relatives, friends or neighbours do talk to them on these matters as it is so important to them. I found this quote somewhere recently ‘I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity’ I agree!
I often go to Ditchling, as I have a friend in Keymer nearby. The village of Ditchling is old and picturesque, and gets many visitors, its streets are narrow, and winding, and traffic problems are many because people will park in the areas where the school, shops and pubs are despite having a large car park at the village hall, and an even larger brand new car park a few minutes walk from the museum and church which is free but hardly ever used. When I drive by, there are always spaces, whilst streets are choked up, why when Ditchling is so lucky to have convenient car parks don’t people use them?
On one of the TV gardening programmes recently it was pointed out that people should use non-toxic sprays on their lawns to kill leather jackets, which turn into what I always call daddy long legs, because it is affecting the starling population as they eat leather jackets. These people probably have bird tables and feeders and love watching the birds but don’t realise that their perfect lawns could be the cause of the problems of certain bird disappearing rather fast. Please think of the natural world before lawn perfection, as once a species goes it’s gone forever, as is our joy of watching them. Ali asks me to remind that nature conservation organisations encourage as many people as possible not to mow their lawns in May and even June and July to ensure our wildlife has a haven in our gardens. Why not give No Mow May a go and see what biodiversity you can encourage on your doorstep.
I wonder if readers realise how much postage has gone up! Last week I sent two postcards abroad, one to France and another to the USA. One was to a friend and the other to a B&B client and they were postcards of the beauty of Sussex. It cost me £7 postage for the two of them! Ali sent me a lovely card from Iona whilst she was on holiday. It was much appreciated as it’s a costly business these days. Thanks also to Catriona and Tim who typed up Parish Pump for me while she was away.
It was with shock I saw on TV that teachers are now expected to show children how to clean their teeth because dentists are very worried about the dental health of children. What will be the next thing teachers are expected to do on the behalf of some parents? When did what we used to call ‘the nit nurse’ stop going to schools, and the health workers. They kept an eye on children’s weight, diet, teeth and general abilities and we had children who were far healthier then. It’s very important to look after our future generation. Sometimes I feel as do so many, that we are going backwards instead of forwards despite the wonders of science and technology.
Hot on the heels of the Easter fun and frolics at the pub we have a great start to the next bank holiday weekend coming up with the band Full House playing at the Abergavenny from 9pm on Friday 2nd. If you like rock and pop, it’ll be the place to be. And the next pub quiz is Wednesday 7th May at 8pm. Booking is advised call the pub on 01273 472416 to reserve a place for your team of up to 6 people.