Overheard on a bus - a sad indictment of today's youth

Travelling back to Selsey by bus on Tuesday evening, I and other passengers had to listen to 25 minutes of near-illiterate conversation between two youths aged 14 and 15.
Every other word was a four-letter swear word and the one making most of the noise kept bragging about his criminal activities – beating up people and burglary and boasting about his brushes with the law.
I was inclined to stand up and speak to the youth, but given the amount of information he was imparting to his cohort about his violent behaviour towards others, I chose not to get involved, for fear of being on the receiving end.
The driver of the bus was totally oblivious to any of the bad language (he, too, probably kept his head down), and I cannot help but feel these two individuals represent 'youth of today' in an extremely poor light.
Then, to top it all, the Observer had a story with a clear message from the judiciary that if you are a young criminal who nearly kills someone, you can have your sentence reduced by improving your behaviour while in custody, having a chat with Cherie Blair and finding God.
What an example this will set to others who embark on the road to crime and violence. I suggest Lord Justice Hughes and Cherie Blair travel incognito on public transport in the Chichester area, then they might not be so lily-livered in their approach to offenders, and do something positive for the innocent and victims of our society.

Neville Taylor, Selsey

The YouthNet study on young people's attitude towards sexual health filled me with horror and extreme sadness that these young people should take their lives to such a low, degrading and superficial level.
The message that appears to be projected to the public is one of no purpose to their lives and no respect for one another.
The sadness to me is that society has allowed this to happen by not guiding our children and young people by showing them sound morals and principles and by discipline.
Instead it has drifted them into materialism, a lack of parental responsibility, family breakdown and no opportunities for spiritual growth.
To young people this must feel like staring into a void and to some of them this is being filled by drink and sex which must spiral them into an even larger void.

Betty Peake, Chichester



Dodging potholes - a new skill we all have to learn

West Sussex County Council runs a brilliant course especially aimed at young drivers. It is aimed at the 17 to 25 age group and intended to help obtain further skills in driving for the youngsters, especially on difficult road conditions.
The cost of the course is, apparently, heavily subsidised by the council and very well worth it as two of my children say who have attended this course.
However, recently it appears WSCC has helped to arrange a similar course for free. It is held at Apuldram Lane every day, although between the hours of 7.30am to 9am is particularly busy and unless you are already a skilled driver, these times are best to be avoided.
The skill that is tested to the limit on this course is... avoidance of potholes.
All drivers are required to negotiate a series of potholes of various depths and lengths while at the same time trying to miss the oncoming traffic, where drivers are doing just the same but on their side of the road.
This week, WSCC (or so the bollard suggests) have even placed a hazard cone IN one of the potholes to help the drivers' awareness of the depth of this pothole, with the top six inches clearly visible on a tight bend.
While this course is proving very popular, I would urge WSCC to review their policy of highway repair and suggest the normal venue for such skillful driving, the Goodwood circuit, is still more than adequate and perhaps some of the money raised by those courses could be used to repair the potholes in Apuldram Lane!

Maxine Payne, Chichester

Watching two men with a bucket filling a pot-hole in The Avenue meant someone had apparently reported an imperfection.
The adjacent potholes were ignored – presumably because whoever reported the mess had not reported all of them. Unbelievable as it may seem, one has to be specific and point to a particular imperfection in this third-world mess.
When visiting the continent we travel on smooth, well-marked roads. In France, kilometre after kilometre will often be resurfaced at one stretch. In Germany and Holland, the standard of surface and marking is so good it is quite impossible to describe to West Sussex highways authority.
I contacted the authority to offer to arrange a visit to a local council in Nordrhein where they could be shown the standards and could learn how taxpayers' money can be spent on surfaces. Needless to say there was no response.
Money itself is not the problem. My German and Dutch friends pay a similar amount in taxes but far more seems to end up paying for the infrastructure.
When one arrives back at Dover and is confronted by the undulating litter-strewn mess, one could be forgiven for thinking one had arrived in another continent.

Ray Pickett, Graffham Close, Chichester

Remember the saying a stitch in time saves...?
If a pothole has loose gravel in the bottom of the hole, remove it to a firm base, treat with a tar base liquid, and fill with a coarser tarmacadam, not the sand fine mush, and roll down. The fine rubbish picks up on passing vehicle tyres and lasts for about three months.
If you leave loose gravel in bottom, it will give way under pressure and break up. Using coarse gravel will be more stable for much longer.
If a hole contains water at the time of filling, that should be removed.
When the highways authorities decide to use contractors to fill these sometimes-dangerous holes, and the work is only second-rate, they should be held to account and do it again properly.
The same applies to WSCC sub-contractors.
The stayability factor of filling is very poor!
We have been suffering with potholes for many years and the state of the roads now is downright disgusting. It has got nothing to do with the winter we have had. It's down to bad workmanship.
I suffered damage of about £300 to £400 to my car four years ago on the Coats Castle road thanks to a five-inch deep rut under a flood.
The council said it had not been informed of this pothole so therefore could not help.

B Reed, Northside, Lavant

I think readers should be aware of the West Sussex County Council attitude to any accidents that might occur because of the vast number of potholes in our roads.
I hit a very deep pothole in Old Park Lane last October, and when my car had its MOT in January, all four tyres had worn excessively, with the tracking a long way out. The garage agreed hitting a deep hole would have caused this.
The council's defence is the 'minor' road (class C) needs inspecting only once every six months to meet its statutory defence, unless defects had been reported. Unfortunately no-one had reported this pothole and it had been inspected in August, just two months earlier.
I would urge all car drivers to report any pothole they see to West Sussex County Council on 01243 642105 (highways) so any person having an accident might be able to claim.
You never know, it might be you.
A six-monthly inspection for Old Park Lane is woefully inadequate, as any user of the road will be aware.
I have reported Apuldram Road South on many an occasion with only the very deepest holes being repaired, leaving the others to deteriorate.

Mike Lander, Fishbourne



Saga of the roadworks that never end

I should like to enquire when the completion of the never-ending roadworks in the Sherborne Road/ Parklands areas can be expected.
There is a seemingly-endless procession of utilities digging up, re-instating, ruining the verges with continual stop-and-go lights and the inevitable encampment of yellow pipes complete with portaloo.
The current culprits are the Southern Gas network and given the intermittent lack of urgency and their commitment to works elsewhere in the city, one wonders whether they have the manpower to service all these works.
I was delighted to see comments about the appalling state of the roads in the area. I have some sympathy with the rational argument the weather has made things difficult but the real culprits are the planners of yesteryear.
Their decisions not to build a by-pass to the north of the city (the purple route), to grossly under-estimate traffic volumes and their failure to identify a practical north-south route around the city means minor roads have become major thoroughfares, carrying unexpected volumes of traffic.
The considerable amount of work that has been done to the approaches to Goodwood is noteworthy. The Revival, Festival of Speed and horse-racing meetings contribute to the progressive deterioration of the roads, disruption to traffic flow and policing costs on these occasions.
The decision to proceed with the Graylingwell development will inevitably impact on the northern sector of the city, where the increased volume of traffic, combined with the likelihood of regular heavy lorry traffic down the A286 through Spitalfield Lane from the Lavant gravel site, would have a major effect on the local environment.
Let us hope our planners are awake this time.

Timothy Bastow, Westgate, Chichester



It's no first-class service here

Having tried to use the post-and-go machines, I found they do not dispense second-class stamps. The alternatives are to buy first-class stamps, at extra cost, or join the post office queue. Perhaps the post office hope I would chose the first alternative.
On raising the issue with one of the two managers who seem to be permanently occupied standing around the machines instructing the public how to use them, I was told they were thinking about altering the machines to include second-class stamps.
How much easier, and less costly, to have thought about it when the machines were being designed.
Also, would it not be better for at least one of the two managers to be filling in behind the counter?

Mike Hillier, Longmynd Drive, Fareham

I was pleased to see the story highlighting the terrible queues in the post office.
A week or two ago while waiting in a long queue one morning, I asked a member of staff who was wandering around why there were only two positions open.
She said there were three, but one of those was for travel money.
However, a few minutes later they did open one more. When I finally reached the counter after about 20 minutes, the assistant was very good and helpful. All I wanted was to post a letter with enclosures to USA and to buy air letters. Formerly I could do this in the shop at the other end. I used to weigh my letter and the assistant would sell me the correct stamps.
One could also buy air letters, stamps of any denomination, stationery, etc. Why did they close this shop and install machines which people find it difficult to use? Apparently one can buy only books of stamps, not loose ones.
Of course things have got much worse since the Sadlers Walk post office was closed. A few years ago we also had a post office in Cambrai Avenue, which was very convenient for people living in this area.
I do hope pressure can be put on the post office to employ enough staff to man the kiosks properly. If only they would re-open the shop, things would be much better.

Monica Maloney, Caledonian Road, Chichester



Flower troughs look nice - but there's a drawback

I wholeheartedly agree the Barnham Bridge Hotel floral tribute has enhanced the aspect of the village.
I appreciate the flower troughs were to ward off unauthorised parking, which could be a danger to pedestrians as the cars reversed across the footway.
There has, however, been one drawback to the picturesque scene. Now all would-be parkers obstruct the footway leaving the pedestrian with a choice of trespassing on hotel property or putting their life in danger by walking into the busy road. At this point the footpath is not paved but tarmac, possibly giving motorists the mistaken impression it is part of the road.
If West Sussex County Council highways division made a pronounced demarcation that this is the footpath, perhaps pedestrians would not be so inconvenienced.
The construction of this footpath is a danger to pedestrians as it slopes towards the hotel at angles of between five and ten degrees. If WSCC gave us a level pavement we would all be safer.

HS Taylor, Farnhurst Road, Barnham



Dog ban is so unfair on owners who look after pets properly

I see no justification for the need for all dogs to be on a lead in Hotham Park. May I ask how many people have been attacked by dogs in the past ten years?
Of course there are owners who keep their dogs on leads in the park. This is either because their dogs will not come back when called or because they are of uncertain temper. These people should consider dog training classes.
Most owners let their dogs run free. There is a big difference between dogs running free and dogs running wild.
When I see children feeding squirrels and birds, or hear the sound of the train coming, I call my dog to me. Is this so difficult?
Children who are afraid of dogs are often so because their parents are, and dog-awareness classes could be held at local schools.
Dogs kept permanently on leads are not happy and are more likely to be aggressive. Do we really want lots of aggressive dogs in the park?
I believe there are only two dog wardens in Arun, so are others to be employed?
If this rule is passed of only dogs on leads being allowed in Hotham Park, it will mean those people who do not have cars will be victimised, as will their dogs, and there will be no need for dog training classes any more. So I ask you to speak up; not just for the owners but also for the dogs.

David Box, Shelley Road, Bognor Regis

The proposals are completely unfair to the majority of responsible dog owners who use the park, and have done so for many, many years.
Hotham Park was given to the people of Bognor, not to Arun Council. Most of the people who use the park year round, are dog owners resident in Bognor.
It appears myself and other responsible dog owners have been demonised by Arun council. It also appears Arun council is using, as an excuse for these proposals, the idea that somehow dogs negatively affect the conservation in the park.
I would just like to remind the council bird and insect numbers have been decimated by the felling of trees and shrubs over most of the park.
The only conservation that has happened since the felling is the growing number of crows, squirrels and rats, all vermin and pests. If their numbers increase any more there will be very few, if any, small birds left in the park. This is down to Arun council's actions, not dog owners.
Since the council has taken an interest in Hotham Park, walking my dog has been an increasingly unpleasant experience, with hostile comments from non-dog owning people and others, making me feel a second-class citizen for owning a dog. This is despite the fact I clean up any mess and keep my dog under control.
As for not being able to exercise more than four dogs at a time, I have never heard of anything so ludicrous. We have a civil right to walk as many of our pets together as we wish. People should be penalised if they behave irresponsibly, not before.
The dog owners of Bognor, who are also council tax payers, have a right to have somewhere to exercise their pets.
A blanket ban on dogs off their leads in the park is unfair.

Mrs K Sussex, William Street, Bognor Regis

It is totally unfair to enforce a complete ban on walking multiple dogs.
My eldest dog will be 15 years old in June, and the youngest ten years old in September. The other three are in between. They are all very well
behaved and never caused any trouble or damage to other dogs, people, wildlife or property.
One of them has been a working Canine Partner and is now retired. Another was trained as a Canine Partner but because of weak back legs was not able to work, so both are well mannered and trained, as are the others.
I was a trainer at Canine Partners at Midhurst for some years before I had to leave to look after my disabled father. I am willing to pay a fee and be checked so I can carry on walking my five dogs.
I often find just one dog with an irresponsible owner can cause absolute chaos. It is people like this who need to be targeted and educated, and not pick on the responsible owners just because they are walking multiple well-behaved dogs.

Mrs Tessa Rush, Harbour View Road, Pagham

It would be more advantageous to assign an area solely for dog walkers. As for keeping them on leads, how on earth are dogs supposed to get exercise if they can't run around?
We have a cross-bred dog who needs an awful lot of exercise and plays well with other dogs – and it is a good way of making friends with the owners and having chats.
Norma Hemmings of Felpham wrote about men being banned from keeping dogs. When we take our dog to Hotham Park, it is my husband, not me, who cleans up after our dog – and even after other people's dogs sometimes.

Anita Ball, Bognor Regis

I have a Staffordshire bull terrier of riper years I used to walk in the grounds of Hotham Park.
I am a long-standing resident of Bognor Regis, and was dismayed to read of the support of dog owners fighting against the proposed regulations.
Last year he was viciously attacked by two other dogs off their leads – I don't think they even had collars.
Veterinary skills saved his face, but when I telephoned the owners for reimbursement, surprise, surprise, the number was non-existent.
Owners should be responsible.
As for the issue of allowing them to exercise without a lead – have these people never heard of extension leads?

Miss JA Perryman, Bognor Regis

I have always had dogs and exercised every one of them in Hotham Park – and no-one will ever stop me.
As more attempts are made to restrict dog owners, combined with fewer open spaces, I really think the council has lost the plot.
I envisage a typical Arun councillor as a near-retirement, Tesco-using, non-pet owner, who lives in a flat on the seafront.
I wish the council would concentrate more on improving the drainage system in Hotham Park and preventing four or more drunks using a bench at a time, turning it into a beer-can recycling area and outside urinal.
The drinking in public policy is another example, with certain groups in this multicultural town allowed to drink openly in the park or along the seafront.
I was recently going to bring this to the attention of a local police community support officer who was cycling along the promenade, but then I thought, what's the point?
It's time to wake up, Arun District Council, and live in the real world.

Brian Napier-Parkes, Hook Lane, Bognor Regis



Clowns were just fantastic

The clowns were funtastic. My three-year-old grandson Jack Cox, who came from Waltham Chase with his mum and dad just to see the clowns, cuddled most of them.
It was a great comeback. Well done and thank you to the organisers.

Pete Shepherd, Lichfield Garden, Aldwick



Why, why, why...so many things need putting right

I see Andy Kerr, Labour's finance spokesperson in the Scottish parliament, has accused Alex Salmond of adding responsibilities to Scottish local authorities without corresponding funding allocations.
Well, well, well – do I hear a pot and kettle tiff brewing?
Whatever Alex Salmond is doing can be but a pale imitation of fellow Scot Gordon Brown, who has been piling extra duties on English local authorities without adequate funding and without joining up the essential work and funds allocations of the sundry quangos, agencies and regulated utilities throughout his time in Downing Street.
Why else do we suffer from many third-world world roads, inadequate sewage processing capacity, poor school buildings, and inadequate transport in the south of England?
Why else is Chichester District Council under-funded by £400,000 for the bus pass scheme?
Why else is it so difficult to match targets for house building under a local development framework with essential highways improvements and major additions to sewage processing capacity?
Why else is our police service unable to provide adequate levels of patrolling?
Why else do we in rural England suffer from such appalling loss of quality of life, worsened mortality from traffic noise and from being woken at night by unchecked speeding drivers, as well as high levels of road traffic accident injuries and deaths?
All too much of the past 12 years of British politics is of the grand gesture variety – make a promise of a great new policy, preferably repeated at intervals by different spokesmen as if another new policy, leave the detail for the implementers and never ever apologise for the myriad failures. It isn't 'just' failed bank and economic regulation, appallingly incompetent though that's been.
Months ago I recall Gordon Brown announcing 'another' measure to help small businesses by making payments from central government within seven days of invoices being received.
I do a little advisory work and last year undertook a small assignment for a very central government unit – for good and sound reasons my client received my invoice at the beginning of February – 36 days later, I'm still unpaid.
No doubt Alistair Darling can prove beyond doubt the new seven is greater than 36 in Brownian arithmetic, but I'll ask Carol Vorderman!
At the weekend another measure, one I'd support with detailed implementation plans following detailed inputs from local communities (and quite a few caveats), was announced – widespread use of average-speed cameras.
Of course, details of what types – cheap gantry-mounted requiring high light levels or more expensive, miniature models operating at low light levels and not requiring either street lighting or camera flashes – were omitted, as was any detail of funding, priorities for locations, confirmation that statute law expressly permits records from
such cameras to be usable in all circumstances and result in an automated fine/points/licence suspension – not, as a few allege, to raise revenue, but to deter
people from driving too quickly, thus damaging the health of others as well as creating more danger than is acceptable.
Also there was no clarification of pre-funding for any other collection and enforcement methods; courts, police, and CPS are all overloaded already. So where is the detail?
Will the funds come from yet more increases in central government debt or from council taxes? If the latter, by how much will the central government grant increase – camera costs or another unfunded requirement? Or is it, as I suspect, merely a spun story with no substance?
Last week in Northchapel, the parish council had a public meeting about traffic. It was heartening to hear the many informed, thoughtful comments of people suffering from the persistent poor conduct of drivers through the 30mph zone.
One, Garry Duguid, had prepared detailed and wholly useful charts of driver behaviour, generated noise levels and so on, all at his own time and cost.
It was also most heartening to hear the Sussex Police representative saying he valued all the comments and would be passing these on within the force. Sadly, that doesn't give Sussex Police more resources.
More than ever we need to devolve priorities to local communities if we are to restore good government to England within Britain.
A few years ago in Loxwood a parish councillor, Tim Spence, whose job is photographing and directing performances, surveyed traffic from the comfort of his home adjacent to the Guildford Road between 7am and 9am on weekdays on two occasions about a year apart.
As he hadn't been one of two people taking breaks frequently and hadn't worn a high-visibility jacket, his results were ignored.
I guess we also need a return to sensible behaviour and standards in all matters, led by a central govern-ment we trust.

John Andrews, Conservative councillor for the Chichester District Council ward of Loxwood, Lurgashall, Northchapel and Plaistow and Ifold



It took some time but someone saw the light

How pleased I am to see that after about 2.5 years, someone has managed to change the light bulbs in the middle of the road traffic island near Midhurst police station.
I drive past this daily in the dark usually, and have considered it a hazard since I moved here.
Now all it needs is a wash so it emits some of the light: that probably takes another 2.5 years.
I rang the police station first, then next Chichester council about it, around 1 to 1.5 years ago, and reported it as unlit. I was told then: 'Oh, we don't know unless someone reports it'.
Still nothing was done, until now.
Is it not a feature of our reasonably-developed western society that we can build safe roads and use them? If we must have artificially-constructed hazards, let us at least illuminate them at night.
I do wonder how the chief engineer or equivalent person for the local council manages to sleep at night, knowing all these artifices have been constructed in the middle of our roads, and left unlit.
Of course, if one were to drive into these unlit obstructions, it would cause considerable expensive damage to one's car, probably writing off an alloy wheel, not to mention personal injury.
I wonder if a road user could sue the council if this happened? Please try a little harder, whichever council department is responsible.

Ian P Leslie C Eng, FIET, Claremont Way, Midhurst



To the point...

Today, I had to go into my local doctor's surgery to enquire if any results had been received about the 50 millisecond x-ray I had had taken about two weeks previously. No, still nothing had been received!
Then I turned and saw a poster on the display board announcing: fish 'n' chips and bingo.
I complained this was inappropriate for a health centre, but was assured it was for a charity.
So is this what is meant by charity – to promote unhealthy activities and food? And is this what we pay the NHS and the PCT for with our national insurance contributions?
When I tried to promote my dance classes a few years ago with a poster, I was refused!

Gillian Tracy, Nyton Road, Westergate

How glad I was St Richard's was not downgraded.
I had a motorcycle accident at Fernhurst and the ambulance crew that attended (very promptly and efficiently) said they should take me to Guildford hospital, but as I came from Bognor they would take me to St Richard's (saving my visitors about a 50-mile round trip).
Obviously if we had not had an A&E at Chichester they wouldn't have had a choice.
I was operated upon that evening and discharged four days later.
I would like to thank the ambulance crew for the treatment I received that morning and all the treatment I had at the hospital, particularly on the orthopaedic ward – even down to the meals, which were very good. Well done!

F Cole, Bognor Regis

May I thank all those who generously donated to our collection in Chichester on January 31. A total of £339.82 was raised which will contribute towards the running costs of our branch, enabling us to continue to provide emotional support for anyone in distress or despair.

Chris Ryder, Samaritans, Bognor Regis branch, Argyle Road, Bognor Regis

In support of local business, I would like to congratulate our registered childminder Michelle O'Mahoney from Southbourne, on her recent Ofsted report results, when she was graded outstanding. She has childminded my daughter for the past three years and I dearly believe she deserves the grade she received.

Mrs D Novell, The Avenue, Hambrook

Tangmere Parish Council denies the credit crunch and puts up the precept by a record amount of £2,500. Who needs bankers to cripple the country? We could leave it to the local councillors and let them freely spend other people's hard-earned money.

Paul Neary, Chestnut Walk, Tangmere

I agree with Peter Day (Observer letters, March 5) – why don't drivers use their indicators?
I wonder how they would cope if they had to use hand signals as I needed to use on my test.
Sometimes there is a good reason not to use them, as I found out the other day.
Waiting at a roundabout and giving way to a driver on my right, who was not indicating, I presumed he was going straight on, but then he turned left into my road.
I was about to swear when I saw he was on the mobile, so had no free hands for indicating...

Phil Cremmen, May Close, Climping

Can I please pass on my thanks to all those who contributed to our recent cutlery appeal to aid various charities.
Many households have far too much cutlery for their needs and by donating, the very kind people of Bognor Regis and Chichester have helped many, many folk, especially overseas.
Particular praise must go to Steve Dell, Mark Harnett, Lesley Todd, Pip Turner and Darren King, who gave their time and efforts with huge generosity. Bless you!

Trent Millbank, Rose Green

For something over 20 years now, we have been in correspondence with Southern Water with a view to them putting in a little effort to improve the sewer infrastructure at Elmer Sands.
Basically, the system dates back to 1939-40 and was, no doubt, designed to cope with the demands of a holiday village.
The whole system leaks like a sieve, so that in periods of heavy rainfall the excess water pops up the manhole covers and raw sewage runs into the streets.
Needless to say, whenever this occurs – with, I might add, increasing regularity – we dare not flush the lavatory for fear of over-topping the pan.
In fact, several local householders have spent hundreds of pounds having their drains jetted, only to discover the problem lies beyond their property.
When challenged, Southern Water claim they have submitted bids for the necessary funding, but OFWAT have seen fit to remove this item from the
next capital spending round, with no possibility of a review before 2015.
Logically and given these circumstances, Arun District Council should place an embargo on all planning applications that result in any additional load on the local infrastructure, but insist government directives preclude this option, to deny any responsibility.
Seems we will need an outbreak of typhoid before we can get anything done.

Geoff Matcham, The Hard, Elmer Sands

Cometh the hour, cometh the man!
We, the silver-haired bewildered, have long scoured the misty uplands of political Olympus for just such a champion.
Now just as we are about to give up and lower our tear-stained gaze back to the dark foothills, we see a tiny light, a faint glow, right here at our feet.
In the parish of Ebernoe an acorn has become a sturdy oak. Cllr Tony Colpoys (Observer, last week) has raised the banner against the so-called 'political correctness brigade' (not to be confused with, but treated the same as, the Health and Safety Police).
We, who are too old, too weak, too weary, to fight, but dream of a Henry V, an Elizabeth I, a Churchill, salute you Mr Colpoys.
We who are led by milk sops, anoraks and appeasers of dubious intellectual integrity, envy Ebernoe.
Lead on, sir, lead on. May the force be with you!

AS Absolom, High Path, Midhurst



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