April 12, 2024

Welcome to this week's blog. As always, thank you for sparing the time to have a read. It goes without saying that our thoughts are with anyone affected by the bad weather and floods this week, including those at the Medmerry Holiday Park and Bracklesham Caravan and Boat Club who were evacuated. 

It has been a busy week on the Campaign Trail of the election on May 2 for the vacancy in Selsey North for Selsey Town Council, caused by Patrick’s unexpected passing. Our candidate, Gareth Gofton-Dann, is a lifelong Selsey resident as we made clear in our first video last week. This week Donna and I have finalised more campaign materials (in between meetings,) the team has begun delivering our main leaflet and we have released our second video. We are very grateful for the warm welcome and good wishes you have given Gareth (and us all) since we announced his candidature last week: he will be an asset to our Town Council, as he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about our home here on the Manhood, but needs your vote!

Ali caused a bit of a stir on Sunday when she visited the first Selsey Scooter Club meet to be held at Hillfield Road Car Park: the members of the team on STC’s Assets & Amenities Committee happily agreed to trialling it twice with the hope this can be a more permanent arrangement. Once again Ali is grateful for the welcome (and flowers) she was given by the club, and to all of you who popped by and greeted her.

On Wednesday Donna has CDC’s Planning; the day before, Tuesday, CDC’s Cabinet decides the new policy for the use of CDC car parks which is of great interest across the Peninsula because of the Manhood Classics. (You can watch all public CDC meetings here and WSCC here.)  CDC did not know they were using East Beach car park in Selsey for publicly advertised meetings, until they received a complaint. We have been working to resolve this since December so they can continue to meet there, and succeeded in getting the affected parishes, which include Selsey Town Council, consulted by Officers as well as early sight of the proposals (which reflected concerns raised with us by local traders and residents.) I was also recently able to clarify some of the finer points with the Director of Growth & Place and Donna and I have been in regular contact with Adrian Moss, the Leader of the Council. Whilst we can’t be there, Steve will put forward the views of Selsey Town Council and those of you who have been in touch with us.

Don’t forget CDC is upgrading the street cameras in Selsey to 4G and 5G wireless for enhanced surveillance and security measures, helping to deter crime and ensure the wellbeing of residents. STC part funds this initiative because of their commitment to investing in the safety and security of the community. CDC will be upgrading cameras by the Fire Station, The Neptune, the junction of West Street and the junction of Church Road but removing the camera in East Street Car Park.

A reminder that nature enthusiasts are being invited to help capture the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife at the RSPB Medmerry Nature Reserve, as part of an exclusive series of creative workshops as part of a Culture Spark community art exhibition. There will be a free ‘naturewalk’ workshop run by award-winning photographer Jakub Bors on Sunday 12 May between 2pm-5pm. All types of equipment are welcome, including digital cameras and mobile phones. People are also invited to attend a special sculpture workshop on Saturday 27 April, offering the opportunity for their sculptures to be part of a temporary installation at RSPB Medmerry from 10am to 1pm at the RSPB Pagham visitor centre.

Do you think we live in a welcoming area? As we age, we can feel each new generation is getting slightly less polite, but it seems we live in one of the UK’s less brusque areas as a study has identified the UK's rudest and most polite cities (and what is considered the rudest behaviour!) 

We have always found National Trust venues give a warm welcome. Nearly all our immediate family are members except our paramedic daughter (who has her birthday this month so soon will be too!) The National Trust has found that three-quarters of children want more time in nature and is therefore campaigning for children to be no more than a 15-minute walk from a suitable green space. Of course there were once many more such spaces as our country has a long and vast history. You may have heard, that the remnants of a gladiatorial arena have recently been found near Chichester in the South Downs National Park. 

As spear phishing has been in the news because of the recent Westminster scandal, we thought it worth reminding you of a couple of things to watch out for online. It is common place to check social media sites when looking to purchase a second hand car, scammers are taking advantage of people’s need to save money and are now all over social media posing as potential sellers. A common tactic is to ask for a deposit to be paid before the purchase of the car, perhaps to secure the vehicle as there is a lot of interest in it. Buyers may be tricked into sending the deposit via bank transfer, and as soon as a payment is made, the buyer will be blocked and the seller's profile will disappear. Learn more here. 

Ponzi schemes are fraudulent investment schemes, whereby criminals create the illusion of profit being made, when in fact they are just using their new investor's funds to repay earlier investors. They rely on constant recruitment of new investors, so criminals will post messages online trying to encourage people to invest. They will also encourage current investors to recruit their family and friends too: -

• Always do your research, if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.

• ‘Low risk, high reward’ advertising is a red flag, every investment carries risk and online investments are no different.

• Criminals will try and rush you into making snappy decisions, always be sure to seek advice from trusted people and take your time before committing.

If you have lived here for a while, you may remember the ‘Chichester Antiques, Vintage & Decorative Arts’ street market which is making a welcome return after five years and promotes the ultimate in upcycling. The market will be situated in North Street and East Street from 10am until 4pm on Sunday 21 April and is one of three visits that the market will be making to the city in 2024. The market promises a huge array of interesting items including clothing accessories, textiles, mid-century furniture and traditional homeware, kitchenalia, gardenalia, photograph,retro art and prints,vinyl records, jewellery, vintage and retro.

Meanwhile, families are invited to join an exclusive VIP (Very Important Palaeontologist) Day to celebrate the launch of an exciting new dinosaur exhibition at The Novium Museum in Chichester!  ‘Dinosaurs: Hungry Hatchlings’, which opens on Saturday 11 May, showcases how even the largest dinosaurs started life as eggs and tiny hatchlings. The opening event invites budding young palaeontologists and their families to be one of the first to view the new exhibition. Event visitors will also take part in themed craft activities and pose for ‘jurassic’ photos using a green screen. 

Families will then be taken across to The Guildhall in Priory Park for a very special immersive ‘How to Train Your Dinosaur’ show, featuring realistic baby and adult dinosaurs! Participants will have an opportunity to meet and interact with ‘real’ dinosaurs, including ‘Tiny’ the Triceratops! The show promises slapstick mischief, educational entertainment and lots of magical moments. VIP visitors will receive dinosaur-themed refreshments, included in the ticket price, and VIP seats for the best view of the show. The VIP launch event runs from 9.30am to 12.15pm, starting at The Novium Museum. Tickets start from £18 per child (family discounts available.) ‘How to Train Your Dinosaur’ shows will run at 11.30am and 2pm on Saturday 11 May at The Guildhall in Priory Park. Tickets for the show start from £7 per person. Visitors to the ‘Dinosaurs: Hungry Hatchlings’ exhibition can discover the secrets of dinosaur eggs and babies with amazing dinosaur specimens from around the world.The exhibition will follow iconic dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Diplodocus on their perilous journey from egg to adult. Skeletons, authentic models, and stunning artworks will bring the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to life.

The exhibition will also showcase dinosaur fossils from the local area including Iguanodon and Horshamasaurus kindly loaned from Brighton and Hove Museums and Horsham Museum.

Finally: - 

• Report potholes to WSCC

• Housing Health & Safety

• Warmer Homes UK

• Suicide in Sussex

• Domestic Abuse

• Supporting You

• WSCC Meetings

• CDC Meetings

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim