Taking to the streets
DO protest marches work?
Well, the hard-working people at the campaign that saved Worthing Hospital will certainly claim they do.
I've no doubt that the overwhelming local public opinion certainly helped the cause, although part of me still maintains that the "closure" threat was all part of an elaborate game of government spin.
The proposed closure of Worthing Hospital was dramatic, it affected us all, and as I said locally, we were lucky that we had a number of Worthing people who picked up the cudgels and fought.
But had they left us without a hospital in a town numbering more than 100,000 people, it would be bordering on anarchy.
By keeping it open, and "saving the day", the government was then able to enforce other, supposed lesser, cuts, which went through almost unopposed because the hospital was saved.
Will it be a similar story for Findon fire station?
This Saturday the good people of the village and beyond meet for their own march in order to save the service.
As I said last week, I'm very much in support of the campaign, although perhaps significantly within hours of the paper being published, sources close to County Hall got in contact and told me that the decision had already been made and the closure was a done deal.
Thankfully, experience tells me that's not quite the end of the matter – down the years, West Sussex County Council have done more U-turns than Starsky and Hutch, so there is always hope.
Staying on the motoring analogy, one of the biggest factors for me with the Findon station is its immediate accessibility to the A24.
I would be interested to see the figures over the years of how many times the brigade at Findon had been first to road accidents on that road and what the response times were, and, if possible and as I said last week, how many lives have they saved in the process?
So, I hope all goes well with the march on Saturday, and, hopefully, it can still strike a chord within the corridors of power.
The anti brigade will no doubt have a field day, along with the Bognor contingent, over a high-profile Birdman getting injured at the weekend's event.
By the very nature of the competition, I doubt it could run without any hiccups but as was shown at the time of the injury, the safety staff worked quickly and efficiently.
What more can people ask for?
I was actually elsewhere at a charity football match, but the commander-in-chief went down with friends to watch my mate, Jeremy "Ribbsey" Ransom, make his attempt in aid of St Barnabas, and she came back raving about the whole day.
Whilst some might comment that, after 20 years married to me, she's easily pleased, I can assure you for her to be impressed it had to be good day.
Ian Hart's comment is published in the Herald series every Thursday
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Weather for Worthing
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
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