Goring News - July/September 2003

News of local groups and societies
St Richards Church Parents and Tots
A Song for St Barnabas

Clapham wood declared magical
A team of psychic experts braved a night in one of the UK's most notorious "haunted" woods - but ended up declaring it "lovely". A group from Prediction magazine spent a night in Clapham woods, north of Goring, said to have been used by a sinister black magic cult for 50 years. The area has become infamous for reports of dog disappearances, UFO spottings and meetings of a group called the Friends of Hecate.
(Argus 9 September 03)

Neville Duke re-enacts air-speed record
Neville Duke broke the air-speed record back in 1953 flying at 100 feet between Bognor and East Preston. On Sunday lunchtime he re-enacted the event, waggling the wings of his Hawker Hunter as he made the turn over Worthing Pier.

Sudden Death of Goring Councillor
David Marchant suffered a stroke on Saturday evening 6 Sept and died in Worthing Hospital. David, 67, lived in Arlington Avenue, Goring, was a magistrate, Tory councillor, pillar of St Mary's Church. He had a wide interest in the well being of the parish and the protection of the greensward and the Goring Gap. This is a great shock; he will be sadly missed. Our condolences go to his wife and family.

10% Increase in water charges
The average house will pay an extra £17.60 a year on their water bills, half to meet new higher standards of water quality required by the EU, and half to enhance the network to minimise leaks, and improve waste water treatment. Water is becoming quite expensive, sometimes as much as £400/year. It is said that in the short term you can reduce the bills by installing a meter.

Birdman of Bognor results
Birdman veteran Ron Freeman, from Northumberland, flew more than 80 metres in a modified hang-glider and won £1000. He was a long way short of the 100 metre target but it was a a good effort. Richard Branson was spectacular but managed just 11 metres. A great day was had by all.
(Argus 1 Sept 03)

Details

Yobs rampant in Limbrick Way
Durrington style vandalism and abuse has drifted south into Maybridge and residents there are not at all pleased. The police promise action but this has not solved any problems so far. They have identified the 15 chief trouble makers and are interviewing their parents.
And there was a breakin at the scout hut in Mulberry Lane and lot of expensive camping equipment was stolen.
(Worthing Herald 21 Aug 03)

Worthing gets the most sunshine
There is a comment in one of the local papers that Worthing is the unofficial capital in the sunshine stakes. That could be so. But tempered by a cooling breeze, or even a howling gale. Bognor have a man that measures sunshine hours and they are rated officially as the sunniest. We beat Bognor surely?

The Worthing Lumps
There is a lot of chalk amongst the flints that form the shingle on the beach. Apparently this comes from a ridge of chalk some miles out called The Worthing Lumps. To complete the record, the Kingsmere Rocks are even further out, and are the best place for fishing, and also the place where the seaweed comes from on a bad day. And Kingsmere Sands off Littlehampton, marked by the very visible beacon, are formed of spoil washed out to sea from the River Arun. Larger boats should keep this side of the beacon lest they run aground on the sandbank.

Less Topless Sunbathing
Topless sunbathing in and around Worthing is on the wane, according to beach inspector Tim Smalley. "In the past two or three months, with the hot sun, there has been some, but nowhere near as many people doing it as in previous years. It now seems to be the men who are peeling off their traditional beachwear - a practice frowned upon by the council". Apparently there were streakers on Jetskis, male and female, last week.
(Sentinel 13 Aug 03)

Neighbourhood 2001 Census results
Detailed results for Goring (and other areas) is now available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/ Starting in Worthing Profiles, there is a neighbourhood search page; key in your postcode and all will be revealed.

10,000 web visitors a month
During July we had 9598 unique visitors, who looked at 29560 pages - about three per visit. The most popular pages in order of popularity were:
the map of south east england - easily the most popular probably by people searching for a useful map of how to visit someplace
Map Index - perhaps searching for a more useful map
News - which is as well the time I spend on it
Weather - my favourite
Radio Links - an eclectic list of Internet trivia, many coming from radio programmes
Beach Huts - a result of the recent sale at £7250 for a £2000 shed
Picture Index
Local Radio and TV stations
Worthing Festival - we were the only website to publish the full programme in a coherent way
Motor Car Number Plate meanings
Local diary
Local attractions
Worthing Society Photo Album
Places to eat
Features Index

Early morning on the Sea Front
Those that get up early see the best of the day. Before it starts to rain, before the wind gets up, before the sun gets too hot. Some of the dog walkers have brought balls to throw, one man brought a tennis racquet to hit the ball further. Some dogs are running at the water's edge chasing the sea gulls. On the rising tide there will be fishermen with rods and lines. A man digs in the sand for bait. There was a man standing by a breakwater playing the saxophone.
A number of vans are parked with the drivers checking that the tide is going in and out correctly before starting the days work. And the joggers, some of whom look very fit already. There has been a golfer practicing chip-shots; we know because we keep finding golf balls. And at low tide horses galloping in the surf.

Do you look under 21?
A notice on the wine racks at Spar this week.

6ft Ling on beach at Alinora boat ramp
The Ling fish with a long thin body like an eel normally swims in the North Atlantic. What it was doing to get washed up on Goring beach is a mystery.
(Sentinel 30 July 03)

No new houses at Beeches Avenue
Fields on the South Downs behind Beeches Avenue, Worthing, will not have houses after all. The developer, Hargreaves, has decided not to appeal. This throws even more pressure on the West Durrington area.

Goring Beach Webcam back on the air again
Webcam of Goring Beach

Council could do better
WBC bosses have been given a lukewarm performance review after inspectors ruled most of their services were up to scratch but political infighting was hampering progress. Their performance is "fair" but no better, the local government watchdog revealed today. Audit Commission inspectors found the authority is exceeding targets to provide low-cost housing, manages the benefits service and its own finances well and keeps its parks and seafront clean. It is also improving facilities for youngsters. But they also found a lack of consensus between the political groups and "unconstructive relations" have delayed important decisions and service improvements.

The council has not been good at managing the "big picture". It has poor information systems, so it does not keep on top of its plans and lacks a financial strategy to realise ambitions. Worthing has not planned for the long term and is now faced with major decisions on ageing leisure sites which need considerable investment. They are providing some good services and starting to engage local people about priorities but it must keep up the momentum by moving on from past difficulties and ensure it makes its resources work to the best effect delivering improvements local people want to see.

Since May's local elections, Worthing's Liberal Democrats and Conservatives each have 18 seats each.
(Argus 24 July 03)

ASDA Protest continues
West Sussex Highways Agency have produced a plan for roads round Durrington Station to accommodate the proposed ASDA Superstore. Field Place Residents Association are loud in their protest against both this, and the Superstore. The Asda planning application will come before Worthing's development control committee by the autumn.
(Argus 24 July 03)

Goring Community Forum Report
Five councillors were among 32 residents came to St Laurence Hall on Wednesday evening. We saw a short presentation by Julian Carrington, WEBC Comunity Development, and then were offered coffee while discussing the detail of the Interim Community Strategy. We made over 70 comments on post-it notes, which will now be considered before the Strategy is seen at The Steyne Gardens in Worthing on Saturday.
We have a list of things we would like to see improved at The Goring Life Page. Do you want to add to this list?

West Durrington Development Brief
The Development Brief for housing at West Durrington has been published by WBC Planning Department. The consortium of builders will now draw up their detailed planning application and submit this later in the year. We have not yet seen the full document, but a summary has been published in the Argus Sentinel. Details
The plans can be seen at Portland House in Richmond Road. From quick glance it would seem that some of the recommendations made by the Planning Inspector or local residents have still not been taken into account. There is still housing right down to Titnore Lane. And part of Titnore Lane will be 'improved'. What is good is that the parkland right round Castle Goring is to be protected.

£7250 Beach Hut
Beach Hut number 76 in Marine Crescent, Goring, has just sold for £7,250 after a bidding war. The hut was advertised for £6,000 and as soon as the board went up, three people began bidding for it. 76 is brand new, a short walk from Sea Lane Cafe and the loos, and near the water tap. It has a short distance from the road for parking and you can bring your dog. But it still seems a lot of money.
The agent is Oliver and Saunders

Four dolphins off Worthing
The Worthing beach inspector reports seeing a pod of four dolphins off the end of the pier last Saturday.

Jetskis at 4am
4am on Saturday morning 19 July and all of Goring heard four jetskis at speed off the beach near Marine Crescent. Only one person could put his hands on the Environmental Health hot line to complain. Which was a pity. They would like about three complainants giving their name and address about the same noise at the same time before they call the police out. One anonymous call is not enough. So if it happens again in the middle of the night, could everyone please call 01903-0821992. And if you feel strongly, why not go down their and make a note of his car registration number. We would not approve if you damage his car.
Not many Goring residents like the jetskis anyway, but at 4am is definitely not on.

Worthing has less crime
Worthing is among the safest towns in England and Wales, and the South-East has topped the list as the safest region. Changes in policing style have led to crime in the Worthing area being lower than this time last year, police said today. Vehicle crime in the town is down by 21.6 per cent on last year with detections higher than before, and burglaries are down by 7.3 per cent with 157 per cent more detections. Overall, detections have risen by 12.6 per cent.
(Argus 18 July 03)

Worthing Festival Weekend
The programme for the Worthing Festival weekend has been published in the Argus.

Programme of Events

Mobile radio masts, good or bad
And in truth no one knows. The public meeting at The Pavilion attended by 40 people produced no good answers either way. But if the 40 million users of mobiles do not get instant good reception they are very upset. Certainly there is significant radiation exposures from using a mobile, using a microwave oven, or even standing in the sun. There are some 400,000 masts at the moment in the UK, which besides voice handle 1.5 billion text messages a year. Planning permission is not required for masts less than 15m high, though 56 days notice must ve given to the relevent council.
(Argus Sentinel 16 July 03)

Goring fights litter in the weekend sun
WBC should be congratulated in keeping the greensward in such good condition after the recent sunny days. Most people appear to use the bins or sacks and tidy up after themselves, but regrettably there are some who do not. Late night teen-age parties often let the side down.
To cater with the overflowing bins, I wonder if we could have a return to the old litter collection system where they used to empty the bins twice on sunny days.

Kite Surfers at great speed
The kite surfers off Goring beach are getting ever more skilful, and more numerous, and with a wind like that on Sunday they travel at great speed. It is good exercise, and a spectacular sport to watch.
But they are a possible danger to the swimmers. They are not bound by the same rules as the jet skis, and feel free to surf inside the yellow markers. What is the right thing to do here?
We understand that the man who was killed by a power boat at Bournmouth was actually swimming out beyond the markers there.

Crash in Alinora Avenue
At 1.30am Sunday morning a car crashed through brick walls and stopped just feet from a house on the corner of Alinora Avenue and Alinora Crescent. Police were on the scene within minutes but the driver had fled. This is the second such crash in a week. The roads down from the A259 to the sea are always being used as private race tracks. Only the speed bumps in Aldsworth Avenue prevent that road being misused. But speed bumps have their own problems instead.
Better late than never, there is a new warning road sign at the junction of Alinora Close and Alinora Crescent. Apparently it has taken over eight years of negotiation with the WSCC to have this sign erected!

A27 congestion to get worse for 30 years
The Government has rejected schemes to cut congestion on the A27, including the controversial Worthing tunnel and Arundel bypass, and the problems at Chichester bypass. Transport 2000 and Friends of the Earth had said the proposals would brutally scar the South Downs national park and Mr Darling has called for the plans to be revised. Road protesters had already begun digging themselves in to stop the Arundel bypass being built through woodland at Tortington Common and nearby Binsted Wood.
A crash mid-morning on Monday 21 July on the A27 near Offington Roundabout saw four people in hospital and the roads grid-locked for miles. Something has got to be done about these roads. (Argus 9 July 03)

Continuing concern about Castle Goring
Experts have not been able to gain access to Castle Goring, the most historic building in Worthing. And they warned Worthing Borough Council may have to compulsorily purchase Castle Goring if their demands are not met. Conservation watchdogs are growing increasingly concerned about the condition of the Grade I-listed folly, owned by the Somerset family. The building, which is partly occupied by a language school, was in 2002 placed on English Heritage's "at risk" register, which warned the building was in immediate danger of further rapid deterioration.
(Argus 10 July 03)

Eirene Road site to be sold?
Worthing Borough Council wants to build a modern swimming pool and refurbish the town's main sports complex but does not have the cash to do it. Now councillors are being urged to offload the Grafton site near the town centre and the area of land at the junction of Sea Place and Eirene Road, Goring, to raise funds. Previous plans to redevelop Sea Place/Eirene Road, behind Worthing Yacht Club, as a windsurfing centre were dropped after a concerted protest campaign by residents. But the area, which covers 2.4 acres just yards from the beach, is now fenced off and overgrown. Many believe it would make an excellent watersports centre, catering for kite-surfers, jet-skiers and windsurfers.
(Argus 10 July 03)

£400 for 4 mile run
On Sunday 6 July Angela Phillips was one of 3500 women to run 4 miles for UK Cancer Research at Stanmer Park in Brighton on Sunday. That's not very far, I hear you say, but customers at John Hayward Chemists at Aldsworth Parade where Angela works were sufficiently proud of her to sponsor her for over £400.

Fines for leaving rubbish on the pavement?
Brighton and Hove council have issued warning letters asking residents not to put black bags out earlier than the night before collection day and warned it could be an offence to leave bags outside their homes beforehand. In Brighton more than 120 £50 fixed penalties for littering-type offences have been issued since Easter.

In Goring the recycle crew never did finish their rounds the end of last week, and a lot of newspaper was blowing in the wind. As is normal, many houses did not bother to recycle anything.

The normal rubbish collection seems to have been done at the expected time of day.

But there was a massive increase in recycling for green stuff in the 65p bags. This is done by a separate crew. There was estimated to be seven times the crews' normal load. We think that the reason was that this was a good week for gardening and the undergrowth received attention.

Goring featured in Herald this week
The Parish Pride feature in the Worthing Herald this week (3/7/03) is about Goring, with a colourful map and pictures of local buildings. There are features on St Mary's and on West Park School. Well worth buying it this week.