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COLUMN<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong> Out Loud<br />
Plenty more Henty<br />
As a former member<br />
of the British Guild<br />
of Travel Writers,<br />
I happen to know<br />
that several of my<br />
fellow journeymen<br />
and women have<br />
chosen to live in this<br />
area over the years.<br />
I only mention the<br />
fact because it does<br />
suggest that, having<br />
travelled extensively<br />
‘away’ from Sussex as part of their enviable jobs,<br />
they must know a thing or two when it comes to<br />
calling a place ‘home’.<br />
They must also have – as I do – firm views on<br />
what is their preferred form of transport and<br />
for me, today, it has to be feet, or walking! Air<br />
travel used to be fun when I worked for BEA in<br />
the sixties. Airports were less security-conscious<br />
then and aircraft less crowded. The same can be<br />
said for motoring. I find motorways now verging<br />
on the maniacal, and there are just too many cars<br />
constantly on the move 24/7.<br />
Trains? Chocker when and if they do turn up on<br />
time. Fancy a cruise John? What - with 2,000<br />
people aboard and two other mega-boats trailing<br />
closely around the Mediterranean? Not for me.<br />
Thank goodness then for ‘Daisy’. Yes – I know<br />
what people say about geeks who give names to<br />
their cars but with a registration plate offering<br />
‘DSY’ and a bright yellow vehicle, ‘Daisy’ it had<br />
to be and currently, she’s looking very good.<br />
This is largely down to the young people who<br />
work for Zest car valeting in the grounds of<br />
County Hall. Zest is a community interest<br />
company which supports and trains adults with<br />
learning disabilities and autism to deliver a professional<br />
car valet<br />
service.<br />
Meet, as I did<br />
recently, Sophie,<br />
Paul, Sam, Kieran<br />
and Arran together<br />
with their mentors,<br />
Kerry and Martin.<br />
Martin told me<br />
that the work<br />
allowed individual<br />
members of his<br />
team to experience<br />
having a job, engage in banter and relate to customers<br />
in a friendly way. This they do with great<br />
enthusiasm and the end product is sparkling.<br />
The service, supported by East Sussex County<br />
Council, is also available in Eastbourne.<br />
Naturally, I’m now reluctant to venture out in<br />
my dishy ‘Daisy’ and the thought of attempting<br />
Southover Road – or ‘Pothole Passage’ as I call<br />
it – is a daunting one. Then there’s the hazard<br />
of negotiating the ‘Weak Bridge’ at the railway<br />
station. The warning sign is hardly reassuring<br />
and what do the letters ‘MGW’ mean? When I<br />
suggested ‘Might Give Way’ to a local taxi man,<br />
he grinned and said it stood for ‘Maximum Gross<br />
Weight’. Phew!<br />
Bill, from Whitehawk in Brighton, prefers the<br />
bicycle for his transport, he told me when we<br />
chatted at the foot of Keere Street. He’s 75, has a<br />
stent fitted, and relishes the “peace and quiet of<br />
<strong>Lewes</strong>”. Splendid bloke!<br />
I’d also like to mention Shannon from Seaford<br />
who was busking on Cliffe bridge one morning<br />
and really knocked me out with her powerful<br />
singing and personality. At 20 she has a bright<br />
future ahead. John Henty<br />
zestsussex.org.uk<br />
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