There was unexpected drama at the end of Petworth Town Band’s first overseas tour when three illegal immigrants were discovered under their coach as they waited to board their ferry at Calais.

Band chairman John Sheridan told the Observer; “There was a long queue and we were joking that we might miss our ferry. Our turn came and UK Border Force officers came over with a sniffer dog which got very excited and they found three young men hidden underneath the coach in a void over the axle. They were detained by the French authorities.

“It is thought they crept under the coach at the last place we stopped which had been one and a half hours back at a motorway service station.”

It meant the 32 strong band and its supporters missed their ferry, but eventually made it back to Petworth by midnight on Sunday, August 6

The band had been based in Caen for four days presenting three concerts including two on the seafront at Arromanches-les-Bains and St Aubin-sur-Mer, two of the Normandy towns liberated by British, America, Canadian and other allied forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

“At Arromanches we enjoyed a guided tour of the D-Day Museum and we also enjoyed mornings in Honfleur and Bayeux and were privileged to present another concert at the renowned Pegasus Bridge Museum, close to Ranville, the first town in France liberated in the early hours of June 6,” said Mr Sheridan.

Petworth has twinned with Ranville since 1989 and band members and supporters, including Janet Duncton, chairman of the Petworth Twinning Association were given a civic reception at the town hall, hosted by the Mayor of Ranville and the chairman and members of the Ranville Twinning Association.

“Our first overseas tour led by bandmaster, Martyn Streeter and musical director. Paula Streeter, was deemed a great success,” Mr Sheridan said, “and members are already thinking about another – perhaps in 2019.”

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Mention growing your own fruit and veg and almost everyone will tell you how much better home-grown produce is than stuff you can buy in your local supermarket.

And it’s true. But the real taste is one of satisfaction in digging up your own potatoes, pulling some fresh young carrots, cutting a lettuce - or even snapping open some fresh pea pods and eating them on the spot.

And this, of course, is the time of year when you can really reap the results of your previous hard work as you harvest the fruits of your labour. And if you haven’t done it before, why not put your name down now for an allotment?

While there are waiting lists in some areas, others have vacant plots just waiting to be snapped up.

Some are run by local councils and others by allotment societies and while most have a few site ‘rules’, what you decide to grow on your allotment will be down to you.

Traditionally, most people opt for growing staple vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, cabbages, runner beans, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, kale, pumpkins and the like - but there’s nothing to stop you from being a bit more adventurous.

And while a greenhouse is useful, it isn’t essential even if you want to try your hand at growing non-frostproof plants such as sweet potatoes, cucumbers, melons and peppers. All you have to do is sow early and pray for good weather.

Well, it’s not quite all: there’s no getting around the fact that cultivating an allotment is hard work. But the secret to success is keeping on top of the weeds which will always grow at a faster rate of knots than anything else.

If you’re new to allotmenteering and taking one on now - during National Allotment Week - clearing the weeds will be your first and biggest task.

But if you start with a relatively small clear patch, there’s still time during August to sow your first crops. You should still be able at this time of year to sow a quick salad crop: lettuce, spring onions, radishes, lamb’s lettuce and the like.

If you’re lucky, your plot might still contain the remnants of someone else’s previous efforts with apples, pears and autumn raspberries just waiting to be picked.

Once you have gone on and cleared your plot of weeds, you need to dig it over - and make sure it remains weed-free throughout the dormant winter months, or it will be back to square one in no time.

As you plan your action timetable for spring - the gardener’s busiest sowing and planting season - there are still many jobs you can tackle. The secret is in always planning ahead.

Peas and broad beans can be sown in October for an earlier crop than those that are grown later in the spring.

There’s no need, of course, to limit yourself to fruit and vegetables. Many herbs are surprisingly hardy and will give you a year-round fresh supply. Sage, rosemary and thyme are all a good bet.

Chives not only taste great, but have pretty blue flowers as well - although the plants will die down during the winter months before emerging once more in spring.

And don’t forget flowers. Bees, of course, love them and they will help pollinate your vegetables.

Many are quick-growing and can be sown and grown in a single season. Look out for tall-growing sunflowers, ground-trailing nasturtiums and brightly-coloured calendulas - the flowers of the latter two are also edible and will provide a posh touch to your summer salads.

You might even save some money – edible flowers are now all the rage but cost a pretty penny in upmarket supermarkets.

In a week’s time (August 21) Chichester Harbour’s biggest sailing event of the year will be under way, with hundreds of dinghies competing for the prized Federation plates at Race Week.

Already sailors from 24 clubs round England – from Devon to Yorkshire – have signed up to join competitors from nine clubs within the harbour in five days of racing on courses stretching from Hayling Island towards Emsworth, Thorney and Itchenor.

Latest entrants are the foiling Moths, tiny boats that fly above the surface of the water and outpace all other sailing craft. They will have their own start, as will classic dinghies such as Solo and Finn and well-established newer designs such as RS200 and RS Feva.

With five handicap divisions, too, and provision for the youngest sailors in RS Teras and Optimists, there is scope for all dinghy sailors to take part in the event.

In all, from August 21 to 25 there will be 17 starts each day for dinghies on three separate courses, each with its own committee boat, followed later in the day by keelboat racing for RS Elites and XODs.

The spectacle of so many boats racing is one of the highlights of the year for the harbour and can be watched from East Head or the shore at Sandy Point, Hayling Island.

Overall positions are calculated on entrants’ best three results (six for juniors, who have more, shorter races). Even sailors who aren’t able to come for the full week can stand a chance of being in the prize lists, as entry by the day is a feature of the event.

There are also awards for the best club team and best club junior team. A social programme provides completes the appeal of one of the largest dinghy events in the UK.

Chichester Harbour Race Week 2016 drew just over 400 entries, and the limit this year has been set at 450 to ensure there will be room for all at the racing base, Hayling Island SC.

More than 100 volunteers from member clubs of Chichester Harbour Federation run the event and provide safety cover.

Online entry continues until midnight on Saturday, August 19, and full details are on the website – http://chichesterharbourraceweek.sailevent.net

DELL QUAY

The final five races of the Dell Quay short race series attracted 17 boats, ranging in size and speed from a Lymington Scow to an RS 800 high-performance racing dinghy.

The race officer set a short triangular course of two laps per race, taking into account the initially-light and westerly wind conditions on what turned out to be a very pleasant, sunny day’s racing.

The large turnout encouraged a lot of crowding on the start line, resulting in a general recall for two races as many boats edged over the line too early. The size of the fleet ensured some interesting mark rounding as many boats fought for space and collisions were narrowly avoided.

In race six Andrew Buchanan (Finn) was first to cross the line but newcomer Martin Jones took first place in his Solo, followed by Simon Verrall (Solo) and Chris Wood (Streaker).

With the wind dropping away to almost nothing at times, the race officer shortened the course to one lap for the next three races. Fortunes changed rapidly between each race with Jones’ performance in particular standing out with two first places and one third place.

For races nine and ten the wind picked up considerably, providing some fast and exciting reaches and several capsizes in the gusty conditions. The final race was extended to two laps as the wind continued to grow.

Overall winner of the series and the Carriage Clock Trophy is Simon Verrall, with Mike Shaw second and Sue Manning third.

Results: Race 7 – 1 Simon Verrall (Solo), 2 Mike Shaw (Solo), 3rFred Hilgers (Solo). Race 8 – 1 Martin Jones (Solo), 2 Mike Shaw (Solo), 3 Chris Wood (Streaker). Race 9 – 1 Andrew Buchanan (Finn), 2 Jean and Liz Sagues (Lymington Scow), 3 Martin Jones (Solo). Race 10 – 1 Jean and Liz Sagues (Lymington Scow), 2 Warwick Hoddy and John Denyer (2000), 3 Sue Manning (Laser Radial).

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There was a bright, friendly atmosphere at Fittleworth and District Horticultural Society’s summer show on Saturday.

The floral displays in Fittleworth Village Hall were stunning and the vegetables were excellent.

Organisers were pleased to be blessed with a lovely warm, sunny day for this year’s summer show, as last year’s was on a stormy, blustery day.

John Butler said: “Despite the recent rain and winds, there was plenty of enthusiasm and entries resulted in a stunning display of flowers, with some excellent samples of vegetables.

“Cookery was well supported and handicrafts displayed some beautiful exhibits.

“The floral art was also beautiful and the men-only entries featured lovely displays in paint pots.

“The Brownies made some very attractive and imaginative necklaces.

“It was a most enjoyable show with a bright, friendly atmosphere. The afternoon was busy and teas and homemade cakes were served. A popular big prize raffle rounded off the proceedings.”

Best in class winners were:

Flowers, shrubs and pot plants, Beth Houlden for her gladioli spike; fruit and vegetables, Christine Rosewarn for her berries; floral art, Brenda Tilbury for her Botanical Bling arrangement; cookery, Janet Hester for her iced ginger cake; art and handicraft, Viv Benham for her soft material entry; photography, Louise Saunders for her Party Time entry; juniors, Sophie Sperring for her chocolate brownies.

Flowers, shrubs and pot plants

Three stems cluster Roses. 1) Gillie Ross, 2) Lindsay Jacobs.

One specimen Rose. 2) Gillie Ross, 3) Vanessa Mackenzie.

One lace cap Hydrangea stem. 1) Sophie Polden, 2) Vanessa Mackenzie, 3) Chris Selby.

One other type Hydrangea stem. 1) Gillie Waters, 2) Anne Waters, 3) Cynthia Portus.

Three stems of Fuschia, one variety. 1) Cynthia Portus, 2) Julie Stenning.

Five floating Fuschia heads. 1) Chris Selby, 2) Cynthia Portus.

Other flowering shrub stem. 1) Cynthia Portus.

Two sprays of other flowering tree or shrub. 1) Cynthia Portus, 2) Bridget Connell.

Three different foliage plant stems. 1) Bridget Connell, 2) Lindsay Jacobs, 3) Vanessa Mackenzie.

Flowering pot plant, excl. Pelargonium & Orchids 1) Julie Stenning, 2) Claire Pettman, 3) Brenda Tilbury.

Pot of Orchids. 1) Claire Pettman, 2) Julie Sternning.

Flowering Pelargonium in pot. 2) .

Small Foliage Pot Plant. 1) Bridget Connell, 2) Edward Braham, 3) Sylvia Watkins.

Three stems of three Dahlia varieties. 1) Vanessa Mackenzie, 2) Christine Rosewarn.

Three small Dahlia blooms. 1) Christine Rosewarn, 2) Vanessa Mackenzie.

Three large Dahlia blooms. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Christine Rosewarn, 3) Janet Hester.

One specimen Dahlia bloom. 1) Carole Twite, 2) Christine Rosewarn, 3) Edward Braham.

One specimen Gladioli spike 1) Beth Houlden*, 2) Cynthia Portus, 3) Bridget Connell.

One summer flowering bulb. 1) Beth Houlden.

Five mixed Sweet Pea stems. 1) Carole Twite, 2) Vanessa Mackenzie.

Five Sweet Pea stems, one variety. 2) Vanessa Mackenzie.

Annuals, three stems, three varieties. 1) Vanessa Mackenzie, 2) Cynthia Portus.

Three stems of annuals, one variety. 1) Lindsay Jacobs, 2) Vanessa Mackenzie, 3) Cynthia Portus.

Five Marigolds, one variety. 1) Cynthia Portus, 2) Edward Braham, 3) Anne Waters.

Three varieties of herbaceous perennials. 1) Vanessa Mackenzie, 2) Cynthia Portus.

Three herbaceous perennial stems, one variety. 1) Guy Watkins, 2) Gillie Ross, 3) Cynthia Portus.

Fruit

Three cooking apples, one variety. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Cynthia Portus.

Three dessert apples, one variety. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Norman Sperring.

Three pears, one variety. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Cynthia Portus.

Three stone fruit (incl. plums), one variety. 1) Edward Braham.

Twelve berries with calyx, one variety. 1) Christine Rosewarn*, 2) Carole Burne, 3) Nigel Selby.

Three strips of currants, one variety. 1) Carole Burne.

Tray of five distinct kinds of vegetables. 1) NAS.

Vegetables

Four red tomatoes. 1) Lindsay Jacobs, 2) Cynthia Portus, 3) Julie Stenning.

Five cherry tomatoes. 1) Sarah Lakin, 2) Carole Burne, 3) Lindsay Jacobs.

The longest runner bean. 1) Carole Burne.

Five runner beans. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Carole Burne, 3) Cynthia Portus.

Five French beans. 1) Norman Sperring, 2) Carole Burne, 3) Anne Waters.

Three peppers or chillies. 1) Edward Braham, 3) Nigel Selby.

One Cabbage. 1) Kelvin Morgan, 2) Carole Burne.

Four spinach or chard leaves. 1) Bridget Connell.

Two courgettes, one variety. 1) Carole Burne, 2) Sophie Polden, 3) Anne Waters.

One cucumber. 1) Nigel Selby, 2) Carole Burne, 3) Julie Stenning.

One marrow. 2) Kelvin Morgan.

Three sticks of rhubarb. 1) Norman Sperring, 2) Bridget Connell.

Three beetroot, one variety. 1) Carole Burne, 3) Nigel Selby.

Three carrots. 1) Carole Burne, 2) Anne Waters.

Four white potatoes, one variety. 1) Carole Burne, 2) Bridget Connell, 3) Edward Braham.

Four coloured potatoes, one variety. 2) Edward Braham, 3) Norman Sperring.

Three large white onions. 1) Edward Braham, 2) Carole Burne.

Three red onions. 1) Carole Burne, 2) Edward Braham.

Six shallots, one variety. 1) Edward Braham.

Three of any other vegetable. 1) Carole Twite.

Collection of fresh herbs. 1) Christine Rosewarn, 2) Carole Twite, 3) Chris Selby.

Floral Art

‘Botanical Bling’ arrangement. 1) Brenda Tilbury*.

‘Afternoon Tea’ arrangement. 2) Hazel Stone.

A tied bunch, using natural materials. 1) Brenda Tilbury, Jt. 2) Claire Pettman & Gillie Ross.

Men only: Riot of colour in a paint tin. 1) Wade Houlden, 2) Stephen Crosan, 3) Nigel Selby.

Cookery

Three Eccles Cakes. 1) Sophie Polden, 2) Joyce Sperring, 3) Carole Burne.

Three Jaffa Cakes. 1) Carole Burne, 2) Joyce Sperring, 3) Sally Tanner.

An iced ginger cake. 1) Janet Hester*, 2) Sarah Lakin, 3) Hazel Stone.

Jar of soft fruit jam. 1) Vanessa Mackenzie, 2) Bridget Connell, 3) Brenda Tilbury.

A baguette. 1) Sally Tanner, 2) Joyce Sperring.

A vegetable pate. 1) Sarah Lakin, 2) Sally Tanner, 3) Lindsay Jacobs.

Summer cordial, undiluted. 1) Guy Watkins, 2) Sally Tanner.

Men only – Three croissants. 1) C. Sperring, 2) K, Mackenzie, 3) C. Moger.

Art and handicrafts

Any hard material. 1) Brenda Tilbury, 2) David Connell, 3) Viv Benham.

Any soft material. 1) Viv Benham*, 2) Pauline Gilpin, 3) Brenda Tilbury.

Watercolour, any subject. 1) Clare Jackman, 2) Anne Waters, 3) Nina Farr.

Painting any other medium. 1) Brenda Tilbury, 2) Anne Waters.

Pencil or charcoal drawing. 1) Anne Waters.

Photography

Four photos of a pet or pets. 1) Mark Saunders, 2) Bridget Connell.

One photo of hills & mountains. 1) Bridget Connell, 2) Mark Saunders.

One photo of ‘Party Time’. 1) Louise Saunders*.

One still life photograph of ‘Food’. 1) David Connell, 2) Bridget Connell.

One photo of a garden gate. 1) Bridget Connell, 2) Louise Saunders.

Junior Classes

Aged 9 to 13 years, Three chocolate brownies. 1) Sophie Sperring*, 2) Charlie Sperring.

Aged under 6 years, A decorated stone. 1) Patrick Sethi, 2) Leo Sethi.

Aged under 6 years, A picture made with hand prints. 1) Leo Sethi, Patrick Sethi, 3) Zachary Tanner.

Brownies

A necklace in any material. 1) Tilly, 2) Olivia, 3) Chelsea, Fraya (Highly Commended).

Guides

One piece of origami, any subject. 1) Amelia.

The former Barcelona boss was quick to point out that people also had his side down as the front runners last season.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea ended up champions finishing seven points clear of Tottenham Hotspur with City 15 points off the pace in third.

Brighton & Hove Albion managed to hold the Manchester giants for 70 minutes on Saturday, before a Sergio Aguero strike and Lewis Dunk own goal got them off to a winning start.

It was a result that plenty of people expected, but Albion could take plenty of positives from a decent display against a side which is chasing Premier League glory.

On being installed as the top pick, Guardiola said: "Last season, I was sitting here after the Sunderland game and you said 'you are the favourites, you are the most beautiful and handsome'. And you know what happened last season? Chelsea killed us.

"It's ok we accept that and we have to try and improve, which we have done and we are getting getting better. But who are the favourites is your job not ours."

On whether he was annoyed at being labelled as favourites, the Spaniard replied: "No. I cannot control it, you tell me what I can control. As a manager, last season was the same and look what happened, but I used to that. I was manager at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and guys everyone says we are favourites, but I can handle that.

"The frustration in football it takes one week. After the new illusiion is coming, last season we were third, the frustation, one week. People say it's a disaster, ok, always one week later we say what we can do to be better next season. That is the sport, I am a fan of sport, sometimes you win sometimes you do not.

"Last season we were a humble team and an honest team, whatever we did we played with the best intentions, but it was not enough, so we try again this season."

Two bodies spotted in the water early this morning have been identified as those of two men missing since a boat collision earlier this month.

The first body was spotted by a fisherman about 2.5 miles off Shoreham Harbour around 7am.

The RNLI Shoreham lifeboat was launched to recover the body and as they were returning to shore a second body was spotted in the water just before 8am, according to police.

Both bodies were landed at Brighton Marina where they were handed to the coroner’s officer.

After their families were informed, the men have been formally identified.

They are Mircea Ilie, 40, of Elm Grove, Brighton (left) and Irinel Popovici, 41, of Barcombe Road, Brighton (right).

Police and marine accident investigators have named the boat believed to have collided with the boat that the men were fishing from off Shoreham in the early hours of Sunday, August 6.

The vessel, the scallop dredging boat, Vertrouwen, left Shoreham around the time of the incident bound for Grimsby. Police are in touch with the owners, MacDuff Shellfish Ltd, who are co-operating fully with the investigation.

A small boat had left Shoreham Harbour around midnight with four pleasure fisherman on board.

It is now known that the collision occurred around 12.30am and the boat was lost without raising a distress call.

One man was rescued by commercial fisherman after clinging to a buoy for more than five hours and another man’s body was recovered by an HM Coastguard helicopter later that morning.

Clare Fitton from The Midhurst Gallery presented the ‘best in show’ prize to artist Karen Brown Markley for her ‘Misty Rother Bend’ painting which gained 19 votes at the Midhurst Society summer exhibition beating last year’s winner, Jim Ludden by one vote.

Runners up were John Robinson, Richard Ashcroft and Jean Wapshere. “The show was highly complimented this year with no paintings submitted not being hung, more visitors through the door and more sales than last year,” said chairman Jeanette Sutton. “We hope to have more prizes next year for specialist subject paintings.”

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Chichester has almost reached capacity for the number of restaurants and other non-shopping units allowed in its retail centre.

Of the city’s central shopping area, 24.75 per cent of store frontage is occupied by non-shopping businesses, just under the 25 per cent limit set by Chichester District Council.

Vacant lets previously used for eateries or offices may be taken for any use without exceeding the cap, but there are now no vacant retail units that are small enough to be re-purposed within the 25 per cent limit.

The figures, published by the district council last month, are part of a planning policy to monitor shop usage in the centre.

The 25 per cent monitoring indicator is restricted to the city’s ‘primary’ shopping area – closest to the Market Cross – and is considered when determining planning applications.

Limits are raised to 75 per cent for a wider ‘secondary’ area, including Southgate, the Hornet and the end of North Street, which is currently at 54 per cent.

The 150-seater restaurant planned for Baffin’s Lane will not affect the figures, but Caffè Nero’s application for a vacant let in North Street has been submitted as ‘mixed’ retail and restaurant use.

The frontage for the café and shop would be eight metres, just over the 4.5 metres remaining for non-shopping usage if it were classed soley as a café.

A Chichester District Council spokesperson said the survey would be checked if the usage cap was a ‘critical issue’ when considering a planning application.

In the wider city centre, restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways make up 16.4 per cent of occupied space, 13.7 per cent of 343 units in use (see diagram).

But the Chichester BID directory of 650 city centre traders lists 80 eateries.

Not included in either set of figures are in-store cafés in shops such as M&S and House of Fraser.

The district council also classes outlets such as Shake-a-Delic and Greggs as retail units, but beauty salons (unlike hairdressers and barbers) are not. Clothing shop figures do not include shoe shops.

Chichester’s central streets have been approaching the 25 per cent limit steadily, with non-shopping use at 23.63 per cent in February 2015 and 24.42 per cent in June 2016.

The Seagulls' return to the top flight after 34 years away has captured global interest since finishing second in the Championship last season.

The fact that their opening game with against title favourites Manchester City stirred up more interest with the match then also being selected for live television broadcast.

The media foray has been intense as anticipation and excitement grew in the build up to the season opener.

But with that now done, manager Hughton is hoping things might calm down as they look to bounce back and pick up their first win against Leicester City on Saturday.

He said: "I must admit there is a little element of that. It is understandable from the history of this club and it being our first game in the Premier League that it was going to be a big occasion.

"I think it would have been a big occasion whoever it was, but the fact it was Manchester City made it bigger. My responsibility is to make sure we are a Premier League team next season and the hard work that goes with that.

"It's a very tough league and what you have to be able to do is park these defeats quickly and look forward to the next one, because there are no easy one that's for sure.
"We have to make sure we have a squad by the end of this window that can compete in this division.

"You can't change the quality sides have got and what we have, but you are reliant on discipline in the side. You are reliant on the shape and of course reliant on getting the breaks."

Projects to protect communities against flooding have been awarded funding in Itchingfield, Haywards Heath, Petworth and the Manhood Peninsular.

In the latest phase of Operation Watershed £500,000 has been made available for groups to bid for by West Sussex County Council.

Further projects still have time to submit applications for funding to protect properties from surface and ground-water flooding.

The first five successful applications for 2017/18, worth a total of £54,126, include drainage works, a new gulley, pond alterations, and equipment for volunteers.

Bob Lanzer, cabinet member for infrastructure and highways, said: “Operation Watershed is up and running once again for those community projects that protect people and properties from the risks of surface water and ground water flooding.

“Thousands of homes have already been protected from potential surface water or groundwater flooding and other flood related issues thanks to Operation Watershed over the years, and there will be plenty more to benefit this year.

“The first five schemes all met our criteria for help, and clearly demonstrate how communities want to help themselves and take responsibility for flood risk in their areas.”

The five successful applications were:

Itchingfield Parish Council: £38,942 towards drainage works.

Four areas in Itchingfield have suffered with drainage issues over the past four years. Residents will now benefit from a series of improvements. This includes unblocking culverts and clearing ditches in the Sandhills Road/Plumtree Lane area; drainage work to stop the footpath flooding in Smugglers Lane; replacing pipes and culverts in Trout Lane; and drainage improvements to the south side of Fulfords Hill.

West Itchenor Parish Council: £4,602 towards alterations for Itchenor Road Pond.

Itchenor Road Pond is built to store water at a higher height than the adjacent road and nearby farmland. It is often stagnant and polluted, and has little value as either a habitat for wildlife or a holding pool for water in rainstorms.

This scheme will alter the pond wall to reduce the risk of overflowing, and add a sleeper feature to retain water during rainstorms. Community volunteers have already completed hours of preparation work ahead of this project.

Haywards Heath Town Council: £3,944 towards a new gulley at Barnard Gate.

For the past year there has been a flooding issue at Barnard Gate. Residents have not being able to use the footpath network at the junction with Balcombe Road. This scheme will mean a new gulley can be installed, connected to existing drainage systems, to fix the problem so residents can use the footpath safely.

FLOW Project: £3,590 towards equipment for volunteers.

Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group is a grassroots charity aiming to improve flood resilience along the flatlands of the Manhood Peninsula. The project supports 11 parish and town councils on the peninsula to work with residents and landowners on fixing and linking wetlands. As part of its recruitment drive for volunteers, it needs basic tools and equipment to help with tasks such as ditch clearances and pond improvements. This project will help fund these tools.

Petworth Town Council: £3,498 towards a CCTV investigation of A272 Horsham Road.

A blocked culvert has been identified underneath the A272 Horsham Road in Petworth. This project will pay for a crew to jet it clean and inspect it with a CCTV camera, to find out what is causing the problem.

The criteria used to assess applications are: It addresses recognised surface or groundwater flooding issues; it has strong community support; it demonstrates value for money; and will realise benefits to your community.

Community groups, volunteer groups, town and parish councils within West Sussex are all eligible to apply.

As before, all applications need support from their local elected county councillor.

In previous years the Operation Watershed Active Communities Fund was oversubscribed.

The earlier a bid is submitted, the more likely it is to be successful.

For more information visit the website at www.westsussex.gov.uk/watershed or email operation.watershed@westsussex.gov.uk

Police and family are concerned for the welfare of a man and his two small children who have not been seen since Monday morning, August 14.

Robert Roche, 36, of Palmeira Square, Hove, and his two children, a boy aged three and a girl aged 18 months, set off from home at 9am on Monday to go to a day nursery in nearby Holland Road, police said in an appeal to find them.

They did not arrive and police say they were were told at 5.30pm when family members realised that they had not returned home.

Robert is described by police as white, 5ft 10in, stocky, with dark hair.

His children are three-year-old Joey and 18-month-old Betsy, who was in a very distinctive black ‘buggaboo monkey stroller” buggy with a pink hood. There is also a step and a ‘saddle’ by the handle bar, police reported.

Detective Inspector Mick Jones said: “We are searching the local area and are keen to hear from anyone who has spotted Robert and his children.

“If you see them or know where they might be, please let us know right away on 101 or 999, quoting serial 1053 of 14/08.

“We also ask Robert to get in touch with us so that we can arrange to meet and confirm that he and the children are ok.

“We are not treating the disappearance as suspicious at this stage but it has not happened before and we are naturally very concerned for Robert and especially for his children.”

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Goodwood held its 2017 club championships with some fantastic golf played across both championship courses.

The seniors kicked things off in beautiful sunshine on the Park course. After round one Chris Maultby led the field with an eight-over-par with Stephen Sutton and reigning senior club champion Robert Mummery tied second just one shot behind.

Day two was played on the Downs course in challenging conditions but Nigel Tibbitt wasn’t fazed by the weather and ran away with the nett competition. He completed his round in an untouchable nett 64.

The final group to head to the tees consisted of overnight leader Maultby, Mummery and Sutton. It was eventually Mummery who propelled himself into first place with seven birdies over the two rounds to see him regain his crown from 2016 to become 2017 seniors’ club champion.

The ladies’ club championship started on the Park course with six-time winner Carol Smith as firm favourite and she proved nobody wrong as she dominated the first day leading seven shots over her nearest challenger Barbara Parker.

Friday brought difficult weather conditions on the Downs and the last group on the tee was consisted of Diane Simpson, Parker and Smith. After a rocky start for Smith, she held her nerve and claim her seventh ladies’ club champion title.

The final days of the 2017 club championships sat with the men, who also had testing conditions. Defending champion David Porter shot an impressive 70, dropping only one shot all round, with Leonardo Ruggieri close behind with a score of 71 on day one.

Conditions got considerably worse through the day, but the Park course was in fantastic condition providing a tough but fair test.

The leaders had a steady start on day two on the Downs, but it was turning into a two-man race between Porter and Ruggieri. A couple of birdies and dropped shots for both meant Porter was leading by two with four holes to play, but three steady pars from both meant things remained the same on the 18th.

They returned to the first hole for a sudden death play-off. Both men had a total score of 144 across the two days, a level-par total which was very impressive in the tough conditions. In the meantime, John Farndell had another good round which was enough to secure the nett prize with scores of 66 and 71.

The pressure was on with both men finding the green on the first. Ruggeiri tapped in for par, and Porter had to hole his putt to stay in the game, but his putt was to catch the left lip and run just past the hole, crowning Ruggeiri the 2017 club champion.

COWDRAY PARK

New match manager Robin Phillips picked up the reins for the first time to lead Cowdray seniors on their annual trip west to the watercress capital of Alresford and their lovely golf course in the Hampshire countryside.

It was the second time in a week the two clubs had met with the mixed teams of both clubs having played out a fine match days earlier.

Alresford’s greens can be among the fastest the Cowdray seniors’ visit, but were running a lot slower than usual.

Cowdray took a 16-strong team with them and were hoping to keep up their recent run of good form.

First out was Phillips and Mike Hughes, facing Geoff Jenkins and his partner. However, it turned out to be a baptism of fire for poor Phillips, as in spite of the Cowdray pair playing quite well they were four down after four holes, falling behind following a string of pars and birdies from Alresford.

Despite the Cowdray pair upping their game further with pars of their own, they kept losing or just drawing holes and ended up losing by the embarrassing ‘dog licence’ score of 7&6.

Cowdray followed that with a win-lose-win-lose series of results, with some fine golf being played by each team to end the day with a 4-4 draw.

This match was enjoyed by all and both sides look forward to the return match in October, which will be Cowdray seniors’ last match of the season.

Results: Robin Phillips and Mike Hughes lost 7&6, Nick Austin and Graham Thompson won 1up, Colin West and Dave Fowler lost 4&3, Dave Lucking and Dave Fowler won 4&2, Ian Gunn and Mike King lost 1 down, Ian Heustice and Terry Adsett won 1 up, Chris Hoare and Trevor Edwards lost 4&3, Brian Carpenter and Roy Penrose won 2&1.

Cowdray ladies’ captain Lil Cummins organised an away day for Cowdray ladies at Hamptworth Golf Club in the New Forest.

The forecast predicted showers and a strong breeze, but it did not dampen the spirits of the ladies looking forward to playing the tricky but enjoyable course.

Twenty-six ladies enjoyed coffee and bacon rolls in the clubhouse before venturing on to the course to play a Stableford competition.

The winning team with an amazing score of 83 points comprised three of the section’s newer ladies, Carolyn Scott, Vicky Lush and Anne Chuter. Second were Margaret Hoare, Jackie Cardiff and Barbara Smith with 72; with Rosie Jarrett, Angela Pike and Pat White third on 71.

Wendy Street and Brenda Rees – who played as a two-ball helped by a silent partner (Vicky Lush) – were fourth with 68.

The day ended with a buffet in the newly-refurbished dining room.

Vicky, on behalf of the winning team, thanked the captain for organising such a great day.

Cowdray ladies competed in the Daily Mail Foursomes. The winners with a score of nett 71 were Brenda Rees and Jo Fife, who will go on to represent Cowdray ladies in the national competition in 2018.

Runners-up were Angela Pike and Lina Cullen with nett 75.

BOGNOR

The Evening League’s end-of-season golf match and supper was held at Bognor GC.

Teams of 12 were invited from Worthing, Ham Manor and Littlehampton. Although having not played in 2017, a team of two pairs were invited from Cowdray Park in readiness for their return to the league in 2018.

With current Bognor senior captain Chris Hickling as starter, 26 pairs, just avoiding the rain, set out to play greensomes Stableford. 

Some very good pairings were entered by the evening league captains and off the white tees in blustery conditions they returned some very admirable  scores.

Old friends and adversaries later sat down for an enjoyable supper and prizegiving.

This season’s League Trophy was won by Worthing, just pipping Ham Manor to the title by the smallest of margins, with Ham Manor second and Bognor third, Littlehampton taking the wooden spoon.

To enhance Worthing’s league success, they also took the Supper Trophy with 196 points with Ham Manor on 190, Bognor 179 and Littlehampton 170.

Individual Pair winners Nick Roberts and Richard Branson from Ham Manor scored 44 points, ending ahead of Kris Dance and Stephen Blake from Worthing with 43.

Best current club captain pair and trophy winners were Norman Lee and Mark Watson from Bognor with 34 points.

Bognor’s team comprised Norman Lee (club captain), Mark Watson, Ron Stevens,Willie Dunn, Phil Hawkes, Ian Paine, Simon Watts, Richard Beresford (Evening League captain), Pete Stoneham, Richard Perry, James Maclean (club manager) and John Cable.

CHICHESTER

The ladies’ club championships attracted 17 ladies to play two medal rounds on the Cathedral course. This is tough at any time but they had wet and windy conditions, with torrential rain for the latter part of the first round.

Showing great grit and determination, everyone completed both rounds. Congratulations go to Sang Porter who shot a gross 157, including an eagle on the 11th, to become this year’s club champion, and Kathy Donohoe, who shot 162 to be the runner-up. Rachel Greenland won the handicap prize and Kim Wells was runner-up.

Other results: Medal - 1 Caroline Hawkes 75, 2 Nicky Eastland 76, 3 Yvonne Dunckley 79. Nine-hole qualifier - 1 Hannah Stephens 19, 2 Angela Perkins 18, 3.Jeannie Blackman 17. Qualifying Stableford - 1 Maria Conner 38, 2Vena Lee 32, 3 Val Swain 31.

The friendly matches continue to be well-supported and the winning streak has yet to be broken.

At home to Hill Barn they enjoyed a 4-0 win and against Foxbridge, also at home, Chichester won 3½-½.

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Sutton and District Horticultural Society had a glorious day for its summer flower show.

The weather on Sunday was perfect and everyone had a lovely time, with visitors enjoying tea and homemade cakes on the lawn.

The raffle afterwards was a great success and there were bargains to be had in the auction of produce.

Show secretary Judy Seers said: “The standard of the entries was as usual extremely high across the classes, with Chris Dudman once again going home with most of the cups.

“Martin Shepherd beat off the ladies for best cake in show with his Victoria sandwich and Martin Buckley from the Graffham Society was victorious again this year in the potato in a bucket competition, with a massive 15.07lbs potato, almost double the weight of the runner-up.”

Brian and Joan Verrall were awarded life-time membership after more than 50 years of competing.

Cup winners:-

Perpetual Challenge Cup, highest points, vegetables: 1 Chris Dudman, 2 Brian Verrall.

Lady Mersey Challenge Cup, highest points flowers: 1 Chris Dudman, 2 Brian Verrall.

GK Neale Memorial Challenge Cup, highest points overall, horticultural: Chris Dudman.

Snipe Dix Trophy, best decorative dahlia: Chris Dudman.

Daisy Francis Memorial Trophy, most points dahlias: Chris Dudman.

Burrell Cup, best cactus dahlia: Chris Dudman.

Holland Challenge Cup, best flower exhibit, excluding floral art: Chris Dudman.

Ray Challenge Cup, best vegetable: Chris Dudman.

Henry Tupper Tankard, best rose: Brian Verrall.

Symmons Challenge Bowl, highest points cookery: Janet Shepherd.

Priscilla Burfield Cup, best cake: Martin Shepherd.

J.B. Nevitt Memorial Trophy, highest points floral art: 1 Anne Collis, 2 Avril Southwell.

Ackner Trophy, best floral art: Anne Collis.

Lady Harding Davis Salver, for Master Gardener: Chris Dudman.

Top Tray: 1 Chris Dudman, 2 Brian Verrall.

Top Vase: 1 Chris Dudman, 2 Toni Green.

Howden Hume Challenge Cup, most outstanding child’s exhibit, junior age: Alex Dudman.

Winter Cup for the Summer Show, most outstanding exhibit, intermediate age: Tobias Gillot.

Sir Walter Raleigh Cup, potato in a bucket,: Martin Buckley.

Best fuchsia from a plant plug: Chris Dudman.

Longest runner bean: Matthew Dudman.

Tallest hollyhock or sunflower: Sean Cemm.

Eggs: Toni Green.

The big summer transfer headline belongs to Neymar and his record-breaking £198m move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. But, by anyone’s standards, the spending across English Premier League football clubs has been similarly jaw-dropping. With £40m fees now commonplace, last year’s record-breaking spend of £1.165 billion is almost certain to be smashed again before the transfer window closes on August 31.

This season marks 25 years since the Premier League began and transfer fees have risen exponentially over the past quarter century. But it’s not the fees themselves that are being met with a growing sense of incredulity. Rather, it is the frequency in which vast amounts are being spent on players that are not established stars.

Manchester United’s big summer signing in 1992 was striker Dion Dublin for £1m (the equivalent of nearly £2m in today’s money). This summer has seen the likes of defender Kyle Walker go to Manchester City for £50m and Real Madrid benchwarmer Alvaro Morata go to Chelsea for £58m. Still, the extravagance of England’s top clubs, although shocking, should not come as much of a surprise. Nor should we expect it to last forever.

‘Demand-pull inflation’

It has been widely reported that the football industry is experiencing an acute form of hyper-inflation. Specifically, we are seeing a classic case of what economists call “demand-pull inflation”. This is when there is an increase in the supply of money (demand) while the supply of goods stays constant or depreciates. This is precisely what is happening in English football – the increase in available transfer funds has not been matched by a growth in the number of world-class players and prices have rocketed.

An alternative example of this is when Mugabe’s government in Zimbabwe started printing its own currency to fund war efforts and pay its debts. A loaf of bread would ultimately cost 10m Zimbabwean dollars. Although it would be disingenuous to compare the football industry to Mugabe’s regime (or Kyle Walker to a loaf of bread), the end result in these two situations is not too dissimilar – highly inflated prices.

Price inflation has become more severe in recent years, but it is not new in football. Total spending by Premier League clubs has increased by approximately £1 billionsince the 2006-07 season and has grown continuously since 2011-12. When, then, can this relentless trend be expected to stop?

In short: it will stop when the money supply dries up. The hyperinflation of the football transfer market is a direct result of the landmark £5.1 billion broadcasting deal struck with Sky and BT Sports. Since coming into effect in 2016, the deal delivers unprecedented levels of income to English Premier League clubs. The deal will cease in 2019 and that is likely to be when spending falls – or at least stabilises.

There may be trouble ahead

Financial analysis experts Vysyble recently highlighted concerns over the economic performance of Sky, the chief financier of the Premier League. It reported that despite a £6.1 billion growth in revenue since 2012, losses have risen by £945m in the same period. The broadcasting giant’s economic losses stand at £208m for the past 12 months alone.

Couple this with a 14% drop in viewing figures on Sky’s live channels across the 2016-17 season and this makes for uncomfortable news for Premier League bosses. At this rate, it is inconceivable that Sky will be willing to pay £4.176bn again for the privilege of hosting Premier League matches and a reduction in the money supply seems inevitable. This will mean a curtailment of available transfer funds and the fees payed for players should naturally stagnate.

Until then, Premier League clubs will continue to spend record sums of money for all levels of players because they can – and the market dictates that they must. Meanwhile, clubs on the continent are taking advantage of the supply and demand principle and are refusing to sell for anything less than a king’s ransom. Take, for instance, RB Leipzig playing hardball over Liverpool’s £66m bid for the relatively unknown Naby Keita.

The Premier League, however, is not exclusively an importer’s market. As more players arrive this summer, many others will look to go in the opposite direction. When they do, it is important for English clubs to recoup as much of the money they have spent as possible. The so-called “Premier League premium” English clubs are paying can go both ways – and there is no reason why they should not hold out for similarly huge fees. Leicester City’s rejection of Roma’s initial £30m bid and demand of £50m for midfielder Riyad Mahrez is a good example of how to do this.

The transfer madness may well come to an end in 2019 but we can expect it to get worse before it gets better. The hyper-competitive nature of the football business encourages profligacy and, for as long as clubs have the capacity to spend colossal sums, they will. The first £100m transfer by an English club should certainly not be far away.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation

A fresh hike in train fares due in January has been described as a ‘kick in the teeth’ for passengers, according to one rail union.

The cost of tickets has increased at twice the speed of wages since 2010, according to analysis released by the RMT union, which has been fighting Govia Thameslink Railway, the operator of Southern services, over the introduction of driver-only trains since early 2016.

The figures show that while rail fares have risen by around 32 per cent nationally, earnings are only up by 16 per cent.

Yearly increases in regulated fares have been tied to inflation by the Government, meaning certain ticket prices can be increased by as much as 3.6 per cent in January 2018.

Unregulated fares, which include super off-peak travel and advance tickets, will be set in December.

Mick Cash, general secretary at the RMT, said: “The huge hike in fares confirmed today is another kick in the teeth for passengers who already fork out colossal sums to travel on rammed out, unreliable trains.”

The Government links the annual January rise in Britain’s regulated fares with the previous July’s Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation, which was announced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today (Tuesday August 15).

Regulated fares make up almost half of all tickets and include season tickets and standard returns.

They increased by 1.9 per cent in January, but the RPI figure for July this year is 3.6 per cent, which if implemented would lead to the highest increase in fares since 2012.

The news will pile on the misery for passengers using Southern trains, as the network run by GTR has been beset by problems since late 2015.

After a disastrous start to 2016, caused in part by infrastructure problems experienced by Network Rail, a full-blown industrial dispute was sparked by proposals to introduce driver-only operation across the Southern network.

The changes make drivers responsible for opening and closing train doors.

The RMT has raised concerns about the potential loss of a second safety-critical member of staff on Southern services.

Ivor Caplin, Hove’s MP from 1997-2005, said on Twitter: “There can not be any measure which allows @SouthernRailUK to increase any fares in January. Need better service NOW.”

David Sidebottom, director of Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, said: “Yet again, passengers, now majority funders of the railway, face fare rises next January. Commuters do not give value for money on their railways a high satisfaction score – just one third according to our latest survey.

“So while performance remains patchy and with pay and wages not keeping pace with inflation, they will feel rightly aggrieved if they are paying much higher rises next January.

“Why is the Government not using its preferred measure of inflation: the one that is used to determine wages and pension increases, and one which is often lower than RPI? Why not use the Consumer Prices Index for rail fares too?

“Passengers deserve a fairer deal.”

But Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group – which brings together train companies and Network Rail to improve the railway – said:

“Money from fares pays to run and improve the railway, making journeys better, boosting the economy, creating skilled jobs and supporting communities across Britain, and politicians set increases to Season tickets. It’s also the case that many major rail industry costs rise directly in line with RPI.

“Rail companies are working together to improve performance now, adding thousands more seats over the next 18 months and, longer term, simplifying fares and ticket buying so that the country has the railway it needs to prosper.”

What do you think? Email the newsdesk.

A Sussex man is facing a firearms charge following a seven-hour police siege on Sunday (August 13).

Richard Staunton, 42, a stonemason, of Irving Walk, Crawley, appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court today (August 15).

He is due to appear at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, September 12, a Crawley Magistrates’ Court spokesman has confirmed.

He has been charged with possession of an improvised explosive firearm with intent to cause police officers to believe that unlawful violence would be used against them or another, contrary to section 16A of and Schedule 6 to the Firearms Act 1968, said police.

Irving Walk in Tilgate had to be evacuated on Sunday due to the siege, which came to an end just before 11pm.

The road was cordoned off for five hours while armed police negotiated with a man in a house. An ambulance also attended the scene.

Families were moved into the nearby Tilgate Community Centre, to make way for officers who were at the scene for seven hours.

A resident who lives in nearby Nash Road told the Observer a bomb disposal team had arrived on scene on Monday morning (August 14), and residents were not allowed out of their homes.

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More than 250 entries were on display at the Lodsworth and district annual flower and produce show.

The display created by 55 gardeners in Lodsworth Village Hall on Sunday was much appreciated.

Organisers from Lodsworth and District Garden Club said the show was well attended and visitors were eager to see the remarkable flowers, vegetables, fruit, cakes and photographs.

The most outstanding entries were produced by Ruth Vivian, flowers and fruit; Roger Comber, vegetables; Ruth Vivian, floral arrangements; Mary Daubeny, culinary skills; and Libby Driscoll, photography.

Prize winners were:-

Frances Hamon, Crosbie Cup for flowers and fruit.

Jo Huffener, Gordon Cup for vegetables.

Roger Comber, Lady Nathan Trophy for a collection of vegetables.

Mary Daubeny and Sue Buckingham, Brecknock Cup for floral arrangements.

Mary Daubeny, Thorpe Trophy for culinary skills.

Libby Driscoll, George Baldwin Trophy for photography.

Jo Huffener, Silver Jubilee Plate for the most points in all categories.

Frances Hamon, Banksian Medal for flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Isobel Reed, Sellar Trophy for most points in the children’s section and Williamson Cup for most outstanding entry in the children’s section.

A group of district councils have expressed their ‘utter dismay’ at their leader’s proposal for Chichester’s A27.

At a recent A27 community workshop there was uproar when leader Tony Dignum stood up and proposed a variation of Option 2, that he said had been endorsed by fellow councillors in a straw poll at an earlier meeting.

It followed a meeting on July 24 between district and county council leaders at which Highways England’s CEO, Jim O’Sullivan, said funding for Chichester could be reinstated but suggested only if there was support for one of its online options.

In a letter to fellow district councillors, cllrs Christopher Page, Keith Martin, Graeme Barrett and Jonathan Brown expressed their ‘utter dismay’ that it took more than two weeks to report the July 24 meeting to the council, ‘at which time we were presented with a ridiculously short timescale either to accept one of their previously roundly rejected options, or lose the money’.

“The leader apparently accepted without demur the threats and opinions of HE’s CEO’, the letter states, asking why Mr O’Sullivan’s statements that it was ‘unlikely’ funding for Chichester could not be found in RIS2, and that offline options were ‘being discouraged’ were accepted as undeliverable.

Mr Dignum has told the Observer both he and CDC’s CEO would respond after returning from holiday.

The letter also questioned why a northern route could not be pursued quickly when options were fully designed before being dropped by Highways ahead of the public consultations last summer.

The letter said: “Councillors Dignum also agreed and signed up to the principals governing the community worskhops led by WSCC where he pledged that the meetings were to set requirements for consultants to work on, the no options were off the table, and that no specific option would be pursued.

“At the last community meeting he then reneged on this by attempting to explain his Option 2 (modified) proposal in a public forum.

“Finally, there is a matter of transparency and honesty. Councillor Dignum announced one of the advantages of his proposals is that they could be presented in two ways dependent on the audience:

“To HE we could say that it was a minor modification of Option 2, which they seemed to prefer; while to our constituents it could be presented as a more or less totally new solution quite unlike the previously-rejected options.

“We are concerned that the handling of the A27 question reflects badly on the reputation of the council among some of our constituents,” the letter added.

It comes as the county council announced that the next A27 workshop would take place on Monday night.

MP Gillian Keegan is due to give an update on her request to the department for transport for a time extension to the September decision deadline, and the group is set to work towards an agreed response to Highways and the next steps.

The county council said the meeting would be strictly invite only.

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The skate boarding competition planned by users to launch a fundraising campaign for new facilities in Midhurst’s Carron Lane is on hold as organisers struggle to meet town council criteria.

Jason Woodman (27) approached councillors last year concerned about the ‘beyond unusable’ state of the skate park and said he was keen to start fundraising for new facilities with their help.

He and fellow skate boarder Stig Else (32) wanted to kick this off on August 27, by resurrecting the competition originally run by the town council. They are also both keen to raise awareness that it was built in memory of skate park campaigner Steve McGill: “We want people to remember this is a memorial park and we want his name to live on in new facilities.”

But their efforts to start fundraising have hit a stumbling block: “The council say they can’t give us a grant because we are individuals and not a recognised group and they want us to pay for public liability insurance,” said Stig. “Now we have been told if we can’t produce a copy of the insurance by the end of this week the event can’t go ahead as scheduled. We’ve decided to postpone, but it will happen later in the year.”

“I asked councillors for help,” said Jason, “but they have put all the responsibility onto us. I don’t want to come across as ungrateful because some of them are very supportive, but we never thought it would be this hard and we thought the council would be more helpful.”

He said he offered to help raise funds because: “My friends and family have kids who will soon start to use the skate park and I don’t want it to become unsafe - it won’t be long before it’s unfit for purpose due to wear and tear.”

Council chairman Mark Purves said: “We are committed to providing this memorial skate park and are aware of the need to refurbish it. We are keen to continue working with Jason and the users to overcome any obstacles, help with the competition in the future and identify sources of funding for new facilities.”

The Midhurst facilities were named the Steve McGill Memorial Skate Park after the keen skateboarder who was killed in a car crash at Easebourne in January 2001.

His mother Linda cut the ribbon to mark the formal opening of the new facilities in November, 11 months after her son was killed with two of his friends.

In his memory, his family and friends had donated more than £2,500 towards the cost of the £28,000 project carried out by Midhurst Town Council. In addition to funding from the town council there was a further grant of some £14,000 from Chichester District Council.

Mrs McGill has joined the skate park users in calling for the town council to support their fund raising bid.

“We as a family would be devastated if the skatepark did not receive funding to secure its future,” she said, ”personally I don’t think the town council is doing enough to raise funds for new equipment, I don’t think it should be left to the users.”

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