WHISPERING SMITH: Unseen, unsung, volunteers help keep our town bright

The East Green was deserted except for a dog walker and a lone figure pushing a metal wheelbarrow across the parched grass quickly browned by the few weeks of brilliant sunshine. He stopped every now and then to fill one of the many holes littering the area with a dark compost, tamped it down and moved on. The holes were made by digging dogs or metal detectorists, a natural enough pastime for the former but the latter should know better. The man sat down on one of the benches for a well-deserved rest. I learned that he is one of a small team of volunteers who tend several of our open spaces as well as the flower beds and borders south of The Crescent. The beds are strewn with wildflowers, a haven for insects and bees, and make a charming and restful background for the visitors either local or from afar who visit our town and enjoy a quiet sit down away from the hustle and bustle of the beach. I learned from him that the group maintain and nurture several sites throughout the town. They are easily overlooked and unseen but you can thank them for their dedicated and untiring service by respecting the work they do and by taking your litter home and by not digging holes. - THERE has been a spate of plant thieving in our area, some valuable and very attractive and often very heavy pot plants have been stolen from front doorways, plants bought to enhance the neighbourhood for all. I urge any resident suffering such a loss to please report it to the police, failure to do so gives truth to the lie that despite the cuts, the crime rate is down. I do not believe it to be so, it is simply that people feel it not worth the effort of reporting such crimes. --- Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage at www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/ 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LittlehamptonGazette 3) Follow us on Twitter @LhamptonGazette 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! The Littlehampton Gazette - always the first with your local news. Be part of it.