WHISPERING SMITH: My pudding is misplaced, with a little friendly help

However, during 2013, members of Laura Goddard’s Littlehampton WeightWatchers group, at the Tamarisk in Beach Road, have misplaced between them 3,039lbs – that’s 217 stone, to which I happily donated 22lb.

Where that huge lump of pudding is I neither know nor really care, just so long as it never heads back my way and, with the continued support of this cheery group, I don’t think that will happen.

To my mind, WW is not a real fad diet, it is simply a sensible eating plan that anyone can follow with a little help and encouragement from their friends. You would be stunned if you added up the whatsits in your daily consumption of meals and ‘snacks’. Keeping track and knowing when to stop is an easy lesson to learn. It isn’t rocket science, it is just common sense, really, and a large number of folk would be a lot healthier for taking it on board.

CREDIT where credit is due. The county council must have done a mighty fine drainage job along Sea Road for the recent deluge of rainwater to drain away and not form the mighty lake of yesteryear.

Great job, a pity it took so long and so many complaints to finally get the work done. Worth complaining about in the first place? Of course it was, like my old gran used to say: “It’s the squeaky gate what gets the oil, son...”

THEY all went down to the sea on a lovely sunny morning, difficult to tell how many, as they were spread out in all directions, but I would guess well over 200.

Children and adults hauling plastic bags, litter-picker-uppers and a determination to rid the recently storm-ravaged beach of detritus. Well done Lyndall King and her team for organising the clearance and well done the folk who turned up to do the work.

THE WORD on the street is that our cinema is set fair to return on or around February 21, and will once again be reunited with our popular Windmill Theatre.

Still awaiting confirmation of the exact date and the opening programme, but after waiting for 322 days, we must be patient a little while longer.