Archive

  • Genetically-modified convenience

    I wish I had been genetically modified. A bit of Claudia Schiffer here and a bit of Jennifer Lopez there would be ideal. Vain perhaps, but it's only natural to want a perfect body and it's only human to want to eat perfect food such as potatoes with built-in

  • The elderly pay enough already

    Elderly people pay enough to stay in care homes without being told to cough up 17 per cent VAT on top of their weekly payment. It's just disgusting. That is what VAT paid in their early working years should be funding: For keeping them in care homes in

  • Secular schools? Spin would win

    In his attempt to justify the secularisation of state education, R G Jenkins states: "Home and religious establishments are the places for religious instruction" (Opinion, June 25). This implies an advocation of educational establishments as places for

  • Reins kept kids safe

    When I read about the James Bulger case, I wondered how the two boys were able to abduct the toddler. When my son was his age, I didn't let him out of my sight. In fact, I had him on reins most of the time, a practice which is not used these days. Perhaps

  • Adams blasts Cardiff 'stunt'

    Albion boss Micky Adams has branded Cardiff's proposed £2 million bid for Bobby Zamora as a "cheap publicity stunt". And he has told his former No. 2 Alan Cork and Cardiff chairman Sam Hammam to "put up or shut up." The Argus revealed on Saturday that

  • Youngsters in road crash horror

    Pub-goers lifted a car off a teenage boy after he and a girl were badly hurt in a crash last night. The pair were crossing Kingsway on Hove seafront when the accident happened. Witnesses said Renault 5 was in collision with the girl, dragged the boy underneath

  • Man of the world

    Proving the point that transatlantic telephone calls are not a new event, I offer another of my supporting actor series. This is Eric Blore, king of the scowlers and the most famous gentleman's gentleman of them all in the Thirties. British and nearly

  • Back burner

    The National Society for Clean Air report stated modern incinerators do not pose serious health impacts (Argus, June 20). This comes as no surprise, because the society has held this position for a while. Even were this true, I hasten to add there are

  • No privilege

    Congratulations, Brighton and Hove City Council. Presently, I travel to work from Hove to Lewes using public transport. I only use my car at the weekend, when I visit friends and family in remote areas. I share a place with two other people and we live

  • Cricket: Hussey keeps Horsham on top

    Horsham and Hastings are locked in a fierce battle for the Shepherd Neame Sussex Cricket League title. Both recorded their sixth win in eight starts on Saturday and the two are separated by just six points at the top of the table. East Grinstead had little

  • A sad day

    It is a sad day for Brighton now that Hanningtons, the long-established department store in North Street, has finally shut. Hanningtons is almost as old as its famous neighbour the Royal Pavilion and, to many Brighton people, just as much an institution

  • College to sell fields for homes

    A college is to sell fields to housing developers to pay for an extension scheme. Varndean College in Brighton says it needs the expansion scheme to cope with rising student numbers. It is applying for planning permission which will allow it to sell three

  • Calm down

    For many years, the residents in my area have pleaded with the authorities for some kind of traffic calming before someone is killed. Consequently, we were delighted when we were informed such measures were to be introduced. The necessary work was carried

  • Cricket: Waugh's worked England out

    Steve Waugh insists it is not all work and no play when you are captain of one of the best cricket teams there has ever been. But at Arundel last week, where the all-conquering Australians were continuing their build-up towards the Ashes series, it was

  • School fields must be saved

    Varndean College in Brighton should be wary about selling land on its campus to meet part of the cost of an extension. The extension itself will take up room. The sale will lead to three acres of precious greenery going for housing. When East Sussex County

  • Albion icons: The fiery captain who loved a good punch up

    "I'm a nice man, but I had a bad attitude during my time as a player which I regret." Words from Jimmy Collins who led the Albion to a Fourth Division title triumph in 1965. Midfielder Collins was considered The General of the Championship-winning side

  • Pipped at the post by Southampton?

    Here we go again - another closed football season, another faltering start to the proposed new football stadium and another excuse as to why it cannot be built. Would it be possible to find in advance reasons why, for the next three closed football seasons

  • Plea over missing paedophile

    Detectives today appealed for help tracing East Sussex man Warwick Spinks, one of Britain's most wanted paedophiles. The hunt for Spinks, 36, has led Scotland Yard detectives to Hastings, where he lived when convicted in 1995 for abducting a teenage runaway

  • George Street's back in business

    Shoppers thronged a pedestrianised shopping street as former boxer Chris Eubank declared it officially open. Some traders in George Street, Hove, had complained about the work to pedestrianise the street, but most welcomed the boom in business after Saturday's

  • TV star Tarrant joins Sarah service

    Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for eight-year-old Sarah Payne last night on the first anniversary of her disappearance. TV star Chris Tarrant joined Worthing residents on Goring Beach to celebrate the life of the youngster who was abducted

  • How the Downs are returning to normal

    When rural Sussex virtually closed during the foot-and-mouth outbreak it brought home how vital the countryside was to daily life. People were unable to go for quick breath of fresh air over the Downs and were restricted to where they could take the children

  • Genetically-modified convenience

    I wish I had been genetically modified. A bit of Claudia Schiffer here and a bit of Jennifer Lopez there would be ideal. Vain perhaps, but it's only natural to want a perfect body and it's only human to want to eat perfect food such as potatoes with built-in

  • The elderly pay enough already

    Elderly people pay enough to stay in care homes without being told to cough up 17 per cent VAT on top of their weekly payment. It's just disgusting. That is what VAT paid in their early working years should be funding: For keeping them in care homes in

  • Secular schools? Spin would win

    In his attempt to justify the secularisation of state education, R G Jenkins states: "Home and religious establishments are the places for religious instruction" (Opinion, June 25). This implies an advocation of educational establishments as places for

  • Reins kept kids safe

    When I read about the James Bulger case, I wondered how the two boys were able to abduct the toddler. When my son was his age, I didn't let him out of my sight. In fact, I had him on reins most of the time, a practice which is not used these days. Perhaps

  • Me And My Kids, by Bini McCall

    We were all up early this morning as daughter was leaving for her school trip to France at 6am. She has been very excited and was all packed two days ago, so her clothes should be nice and creased by the time she unpacks. There was a lot of discussion

  • Albion make fourth signing

    Albion were today making Bristol Rovers rightback Robbie Pethick their fourth signing of the summer. Pethick was putting pen to paper on a Bosman free transfer move from relegated Rovers, subject to a medical. Manager Micky Adams has swooped for the dependable

  • Man clubbed by street thugs

    A gang armed with a baseball bat and a home-made weapon beat up a man in a "sustained and vicious" daytime street attack in Haywards Heath. The 30-year-old victim suffered a series of blows to his head and body and his leg was broken. At least three men

  • Plea over missing paedophile

    Detectives today appealed for help tracing East Sussex man Warwick Spinks, one of Britain's most wanted paedophiles. The hunt for Spinks, 36, has led Scotland Yard detectives to Hastings, where he lived when convicted in 1995 for abducting a teenage runaway

  • Stabbed PC's brush with death

    A policeman stabbed in the back by a burglary suspect came within millimetres of death, it emerged today. PC Gary Thompson was stabbed twice with an 8in kitchen knife as he struggled with three suspects in Southwick. The blade cut into one of PC Thompson's

  • Nuclear fear

    I was alarmed to read that Labour wants to go down the nuclear road again. Has the party learned nothing from Chernobyl? Are some of its big-business friends behind this move? Serious government backing for a sensible mix of alternative energy and conservation

  • Runners remember cancer victims

    More than 2,300 women took part in the Race for Life to celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to cancer and raise money for those still alive. It was a fun event for the runners, many of whom were gasping for breath at the end of a three-mile run in

  • Man of the world

    Proving the point that transatlantic telephone calls are not a new event, I offer another of my supporting actor series. This is Eric Blore, king of the scowlers and the most famous gentleman's gentleman of them all in the Thirties. British and nearly

  • Back burner

    The National Society for Clean Air report stated modern incinerators do not pose serious health impacts (Argus, June 20). This comes as no surprise, because the society has held this position for a while. Even were this true, I hasten to add there are

  • Don't be a mad dog in the sun

    The promise of more hot weather to come means thousands of families will flock to the South Coast this summer. With less than month to go before the summer holidays start, Siobhan Ryan looks at how parents can ensure their children and themselves don't

  • Art for all

    Councillor Taylor really should stop jumping on bandwagons. It's a dangerous pasttime and, sooner or later, he's going to do himself a nasty injury. As regards the issue of "Dancing children" being refused cash (Argus, June 26), he has failed to recognise

  • Sketchy reply

    I phoned the Sita helpline recently. The conversation went something like this: Me: Good afternoon. Could you tell me which day the refuse will now be collected from St James's Avenue? Sita sent a leaflet round in the middle of the strike to say the day

  • A sad day

    It is a sad day for Brighton now that Hanningtons, the long-established department store in North Street, has finally shut. Hanningtons is almost as old as its famous neighbour the Royal Pavilion and, to many Brighton people, just as much an institution

  • College to sell fields for homes

    A college is to sell fields to housing developers to pay for an extension scheme. Varndean College in Brighton says it needs the expansion scheme to cope with rising student numbers. It is applying for planning permission which will allow it to sell three

  • Calm down

    For many years, the residents in my area have pleaded with the authorities for some kind of traffic calming before someone is killed. Consequently, we were delighted when we were informed such measures were to be introduced. The necessary work was carried

  • Cricket: Waugh's worked England out

    Steve Waugh insists it is not all work and no play when you are captain of one of the best cricket teams there has ever been. But at Arundel last week, where the all-conquering Australians were continuing their build-up towards the Ashes series, it was

  • Pipped at the post by Southampton?

    Here we go again - another closed football season, another faltering start to the proposed new football stadium and another excuse as to why it cannot be built. Would it be possible to find in advance reasons why, for the next three closed football seasons

  • Football: Rivals could meet in cup

    Eastbourne Borough could face town rivals United in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup. Borough must first overcome Whitchurch United while Eastbourne United must win at Whyteleafe in their preliminary round tie. Another possible tie could see Bognor

  • Plea over missing paedophile

    Detectives today appealed for help tracing East Sussex man Warwick Spinks, one of Britain's most wanted paedophiles. The hunt for Spinks, 36, has led Scotland Yard detectives to Hastings, where he lived when convicted in 1995 for abducting a teenage runaway

  • Trio's attack on woman

    A woman was attacked on Hove seafront as late-night revellers passed just yards away. Three men are believed to have been involved and one had a bicycle. Police said the attack was serious and the 43-year-old woman was deeply upset. She is believed to

  • George Street's back in business

    Shoppers thronged a pedestrianised shopping street as former boxer Chris Eubank declared it officially open. Some traders in George Street, Hove, had complained about the work to pedestrianise the street, but most welcomed the boom in business after Saturday's

  • TV star Tarrant joins Sarah service

    Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for eight-year-old Sarah Payne last night on the first anniversary of her disappearance. TV star Chris Tarrant joined Worthing residents on Goring Beach to celebrate the life of the youngster who was abducted

  • Farewell to Hanningtons

    The atmosphere felt like a funeral party as staff sipped wine and reminisced, upbeat music masking the sombre mood. As they remembered the store's good old days it was as if they were talking about an old friend. Around them, shoppers were packing up

  • Driver dies in blackspot smash

    A motorist died after a two-car head-on crash at a notorious West Sussex accident spot. The man died in hospital after suffering serious head and chest injuries in the crash on the A29 at Slindon on Sunday morning. The male driver of the other car escaped

  • Never too old to help

    Most people would be expected to put up their feet when they reach their late 80s - but for two hospital volunteers nothing could be further from the truth. George Bain and his colleague Deborah are familiar faces to patients and staff at Royal Sussex

  • Youngsters in road crash horror

    Pub-goers lifted a car off a teenage boy after he and a girl were badly hurt in a crash last night. The pair were crossing Kingsway on Hove seafront when the accident happened. Witnesses said Renault 5 was in collision with the girl, dragged the boy underneath

  • Dog lover calls for vet ban

    A Mid Sussex woman whose pet died after an operation carried out without anaesthetic has called for the vet involved to be struck off. Dr Ronald Porter carried out major surgery on Yvette Davey's dog, Lady, on a kitchen table. However, a disciplinary

  • Dragons take to the water

    More than 100 people took part in a charity dragon boat tournament. The event was held at Brighton Marina in aid of the Salvation Army Citadel being built in Park Crescent, Brighton. Sixteen teams of paddlers from the city competed in the Chinese-style

  • How the Downs are returning to normal

    When rural Sussex virtually closed during the foot-and-mouth outbreak it brought home how vital the countryside was to daily life. People were unable to go for quick breath of fresh air over the Downs and were restricted to where they could take the children

  • Different standards

    I am pretty sure there are no reports of anyone leaving a sex shop and beating a stranger to near-death or being so intoxicated by what's offered they wreak a trail of destruction through the town. Still, let's give consent to another superpub in Chapel

  • Me And My Kids, by Bini McCall

    We were all up early this morning as daughter was leaving for her school trip to France at 6am. She has been very excited and was all packed two days ago, so her clothes should be nice and creased by the time she unpacks. There was a lot of discussion

  • Voice Of The Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    Following my piece about communication, a reader has contacted me about the seeming inability of some public bodies to respond to complaints or requests for information. She was unfortunate enough to be a passenger on a bus travelling towards Brighton

  • Albion make fourth signing

    Albion were today making Bristol Rovers rightback Robbie Pethick their fourth signing of the summer. Pethick was putting pen to paper on a Bosman free transfer move from relegated Rovers, subject to a medical. Manager Micky Adams has swooped for the dependable

  • Stabbed PC's brush with death

    A policeman stabbed in the back by a burglary suspect came within millimetres of death, it emerged today. PC Gary Thompson was stabbed twice with an 8in kitchen knife as he struggled with three suspects in Southwick. The blade cut into one of PC Thompson's

  • Nuclear fear

    I was alarmed to read that Labour wants to go down the nuclear road again. Has the party learned nothing from Chernobyl? Are some of its big-business friends behind this move? Serious government backing for a sensible mix of alternative energy and conservation

  • Runners remember cancer victims

    More than 2,300 women took part in the Race for Life to celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to cancer and raise money for those still alive. It was a fun event for the runners, many of whom were gasping for breath at the end of a three-mile run in

  • Don't be a mad dog in the sun

    The promise of more hot weather to come means thousands of families will flock to the South Coast this summer. With less than month to go before the summer holidays start, Siobhan Ryan looks at how parents can ensure their children and themselves don't

  • Art for all

    Councillor Taylor really should stop jumping on bandwagons. It's a dangerous pasttime and, sooner or later, he's going to do himself a nasty injury. As regards the issue of "Dancing children" being refused cash (Argus, June 26), he has failed to recognise

  • Athletics: Sussex pair get GB call-up

    Steyning's race walker Sophie Hales and Brighton and Hove's Samantha Redd have both been selected for the Great Britain team at the World Youth Games. This competition, at Drebrechen in Hungary later this month, is for athletes who are under 18 on December

  • Great help

    George Bain has been a volunteer at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton for more than 25 years. There is nothing unusual about that except that George, who arrives each week by motorbike, is 85. He's older than most of the patients he is helping

  • Sketchy reply

    I phoned the Sita helpline recently. The conversation went something like this: Me: Good afternoon. Could you tell me which day the refuse will now be collected from St James's Avenue? Sita sent a leaflet round in the middle of the strike to say the day

  • Traffic-free

    Lin and Terry Scott's battle for access for disabled people to Preston Park was reported and photographed misleadingly (Argus, June 14). Contrary to what was claimed, the caf in Preston Park is not particularly inaccessible. It is only a short distance

  • Football: Rivals could meet in cup

    Eastbourne Borough could face town rivals United in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup. Borough must first overcome Whitchurch United while Eastbourne United must win at Whyteleafe in their preliminary round tie. Another possible tie could see Bognor

  • Man clubbed by street thugs

    A gang armed with a baseball bat and a home-made weapon beat up a man in a "sustained and vicious" daytime street attack in Haywards Heath. The 30-year-old victim suffered a series of blows to his head and body and his leg was broken. At least three men

  • Monty hits ton as Sussex pile on runs

    Richard Montgomerie scored his fourth century of the season as Sussex chased quick runs on the final day of the Championship match against Middlesex. The county's in-form opener raised his aggregate for the season to 899 by making 116, his first hundred

  • Play your role on life's stage

    Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match I found myself reading the book Just A Moment. Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match at the famous Fenway Park; Boston I found myself

  • Trio's attack on woman

    A woman was attacked on Hove seafront as late-night revellers passed just yards away. Three men are believed to have been involved and one had a bicycle. Police said the attack was serious and the 43-year-old woman was deeply upset. She is believed to

  • Baby dies in crash

    A four-month-old baby boy died and his mother was seriously injured in a road crash. The boy's father and another couple and their two-and-a-half month old daughter escaped with minor injuries after their car overturned near Warninglid. They were taken

  • Farewell to Hanningtons

    The atmosphere felt like a funeral party as staff sipped wine and reminisced, upbeat music masking the sombre mood. As they remembered the store's good old days it was as if they were talking about an old friend. Around them, shoppers were packing up

  • Never too old to help

    Most people would be expected to put up their feet when they reach their late 80s - but for two hospital volunteers nothing could be further from the truth. George Bain and his colleague Deborah are familiar faces to patients and staff at Royal Sussex

  • Travellers in airport chaos

    Thousands of holidaymakers face continuing delays at Gatwick Airport despite the end of the Spanish coach drivers' strike. Hold-ups are expected to last for another two days because of the knock-on effect of the strike in the Balearic Islands. Hundreds

  • Dog lover calls for vet ban

    A Mid Sussex woman whose pet died after an operation carried out without anaesthetic has called for the vet involved to be struck off. Dr Ronald Porter carried out major surgery on Yvette Davey's dog, Lady, on a kitchen table. However, a disciplinary

  • Dragons take to the water

    More than 100 people took part in a charity dragon boat tournament. The event was held at Brighton Marina in aid of the Salvation Army Citadel being built in Park Crescent, Brighton. Sixteen teams of paddlers from the city competed in the Chinese-style

  • Caterpillars turn into bookworms

    How do you stimulate a love of reading? Some might say that, in a technological age, the idea of reading for pleasure is laughable. But computer games do not exclude reading and, strangely, nor do story tapes. Both are wonderful play-things but neither

  • Different standards

    I am pretty sure there are no reports of anyone leaving a sex shop and beating a stranger to near-death or being so intoxicated by what's offered they wreak a trail of destruction through the town. Still, let's give consent to another superpub in Chapel

  • Voice Of The Third Age, by Lis Solkhon

    Following my piece about communication, a reader has contacted me about the seeming inability of some public bodies to respond to complaints or requests for information. She was unfortunate enough to be a passenger on a bus travelling towards Brighton

  • Adams blasts Cardiff 'stunt'

    Albion boss Micky Adams has branded Cardiff's proposed £2 million bid for Bobby Zamora as a "cheap publicity stunt". And he has told his former No. 2 Alan Cork and Cardiff chairman Sam Hammam to "put up or shut up." The Argus revealed on Saturday that

  • Dog lover calls for vet ban

    A Mid Sussex woman whose pet died after an operation carried out without anaesthetic has called for the vet involved to be struck off. Dr Ronald Porter carried out major surgery on Yvette Davey's dog, Lady, on a kitchen table. However, a disciplinary

  • Hundreds gather for Sarah service

    Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for eight-year-old Sarah Payne last night on the first anniversary of her disappearance. TV star Chris Tarrant joined Worthing residents on Goring Beach to celebrate the life of the youngster who was abducted

  • Youngsters in road crash horror

    Pub-goers lifted a car off a teenage boy after he and a girl were badly hurt in a crash last night. The pair were crossing Kingsway on Hove seafront when the accident happened. Witnesses said Renault 5 was in collision with the girl, dragged the boy underneath

  • No privilege

    Congratulations, Brighton and Hove City Council. Presently, I travel to work from Hove to Lewes using public transport. I only use my car at the weekend, when I visit friends and family in remote areas. I share a place with two other people and we live

  • Athletics: Sussex pair get GB call-up

    Steyning's race walker Sophie Hales and Brighton and Hove's Samantha Redd have both been selected for the Great Britain team at the World Youth Games. This competition, at Drebrechen in Hungary later this month, is for athletes who are under 18 on December

  • Great help

    George Bain has been a volunteer at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton for more than 25 years. There is nothing unusual about that except that George, who arrives each week by motorbike, is 85. He's older than most of the patients he is helping

  • Cricket: Hussey keeps Horsham on top

    Horsham and Hastings are locked in a fierce battle for the Shepherd Neame Sussex Cricket League title. Both recorded their sixth win in eight starts on Saturday and the two are separated by just six points at the top of the table. East Grinstead had little

  • School fields must be saved

    Varndean College in Brighton should be wary about selling land on its campus to meet part of the cost of an extension. The extension itself will take up room. The sale will lead to three acres of precious greenery going for housing. When East Sussex County

  • Traffic-free

    Lin and Terry Scott's battle for access for disabled people to Preston Park was reported and photographed misleadingly (Argus, June 14). Contrary to what was claimed, the caf in Preston Park is not particularly inaccessible. It is only a short distance

  • Albion icons: The fiery captain who loved a good punch up

    "I'm a nice man, but I had a bad attitude during my time as a player which I regret." Words from Jimmy Collins who led the Albion to a Fourth Division title triumph in 1965. Midfielder Collins was considered The General of the Championship-winning side

  • Man clubbed by street thugs

    A gang armed with a baseball bat and a home-made weapon beat up a man in a "sustained and vicious" daytime street attack in Haywards Heath. The 30-year-old victim suffered a series of blows to his head and body and his leg was broken. At least three men

  • Monty hits ton as Sussex pile on runs

    Richard Montgomerie scored his fourth century of the season as Sussex chased quick runs on the final day of the Championship match against Middlesex. The county's in-form opener raised his aggregate for the season to 899 by making 116, his first hundred

  • Play your role on life's stage

    Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match I found myself reading the book Just A Moment. Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match at the famous Fenway Park; Boston I found myself

  • Family flees kitchen blaze

    A Worthing family escaped through thick smoke after flames ripped through their kitchen in the early hours. David and Tamara Isbell and their daughter Charly were taken to Worthing Hospital after the fire at their flat in Shelby Road, Durrington. Mr Isball

  • Baby dies in crash

    A four-month-old baby boy died and his mother was seriously injured in a road crash. The boy's father and another couple and their two-and-a-half month old daughter escaped with minor injuries after their car overturned near Warninglid. They were taken

  • Stabbed PC's brush with death

    A policeman stabbed in the back by a burglary suspect came within millimetres of death, it emerged today. PC Gary Thompson was stabbed twice with an 8in kitchen knife as he struggled with three suspects in Southwick. The blade cut into one of PC Thompson's

  • Travellers in airport chaos

    Thousands of holidaymakers face continuing delays at Gatwick Airport despite the end of the Spanish coach drivers' strike. Hold-ups are expected to last for another two days because of the knock-on effect of the strike in the Balearic Islands. Hundreds

  • Caterpillars turn into bookworms

    How do you stimulate a love of reading? Some might say that, in a technological age, the idea of reading for pleasure is laughable. But computer games do not exclude reading and, strangely, nor do story tapes. Both are wonderful play-things but neither