There are many good places to meet and eat in our area. Rustington and East Preston, Ferring and Goring, Angmering and Findon, like Worthing, have many companionable pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes too.
At festivals and carnivals, there are pop-up food places. We can share the pleasure this week and next, starting perhaps at the East Preston Food and Drink Festival, the Worthing Beer Festival followed by Rotary’s Seaside Carnival. There are other events listed on the Time for Worthing website.
Many customers appreciate the staff who combine to provide good food and a great time. Each establishment overcomes logistical challenges. They organise staff for the fluctuations in business and they cope when weather changes affect the pattern of trade.
The problems of Covid and the price rises caused by the Russian President’s assault on Ukrainians and their country increased costs. Places sadly closed or changed ownership. People lost investments; others have returned to square one to start again. I salute them.
When there are calls for capital spending, I think of the sums needed to do up a family pub or to replace the old premises on the pier. Our councils have an interest in making the villages and towns attractive for businesses across the range from manufacturing, services and hospitality.
I worry when there are developments without appropriate public services, going beyond the essentials of clean water and waste disposal. In most places we could have an open gathering area within two hundred yards or metres with a bench where the elderly or parents with toddlers can stop to rest, to talk with others and to socialise.
Every half mile, there could be a larger play area for older children and within a mile there should be larger facilities for teenagers to congregate to enjoy sports and acceptable fun. During a summer week on a nearby beach, I watched an eight-year-old rowing purposely. At an informal singsong, an eleven-year-old took the microphone to sing a song about being happy.
We have a family tradition of shore sports, including three-legged races, bobbins-and-buckets and racing in sacks. When the tug-of-war rope is found, the pulling begins. After a few bruises, the long jump replaced the high jump.
At this time of year kind-hearted people with surplus apples leave them for passers-by to enjoy. We give our extras to the local horse lady. She lets us have the mature manure. Most of our apples are processed for winter afters.
The nearest I came to becoming a chef or a baker was with my mother’s ancient Kenwood. The one we used for mashing apples since marriage ran into difficulties. I was delighted to discover the Fix It Workshop website. Matt fixed ours.
Do read his reflections after repairing over 100 Kenwood Chefs of all ages. He says there is no right or wrong answer to the question whether old or new machines are better. Judge by power, noise, durability and repairability? You can read his non-scientific conclusion before enjoying the real-time videos of repairs taking place.
When Virginia joined the Cabinet, I offered to do the shopping, the cooking and the driving. I do not aspire to be a chef; I can do things with vegetables and fruit. Generations ago, there were never enough small saucepans. Now with two microwaves, just watch me go. The only real credit I deserve is for washing up utensils as I proceed. I learnt the value of that as cook’s assistant on a cargo vessel sailing from Brisbane to Liverpool.
When I eat locally, I try to clear my plate as praise for the chef and to make easier the task of the washer-up.
