Miles Firth
Having experienced the demands of being Chair of the Parish Council I can appreciate why Miles has decided to resign. In my opinion he has been the best and most industrious Chair in all the time I have been in Fulking. He will be hard to replace. Please join me in thanking him for the wise and dedicated way in which he has served us.
It is worth considering how the incredible and shocking display of mob force in the Capital building in Washington, inspired by the outgoing president, gives us reason to value and protect our democratic way of life in Britain. Democracy is always under pressure from both extremes right and left. It is up to the ordinary citizen to be aware of what is happening and take legally acceptable steps to guard against these self-interested factions.
At the very start of the democratic process the four-yearly process of Parish elections will enable us to vote in a new Parish Council in May (unless Covid delays it). This will require volunteers coming forward to fill the places vacated by the present council and if there are more than 5 candidates then  voting will take place. I urge you to seriously consider how you might consider it to be your duty to stand for election.

Changing Attitudes
I was reflecting on how much attitudes have changed since I was a teenager, !!years ago. We had been brought up to be intolerant of anyone who was not a white, British, Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual protestant. Women were acceptable so long as they knew their place! Indeed, life at school could be very uncomfortable for anyone ‘who was not one of us’. Bullying not unusual and as far as I remember ignored by teachers, probably to ‘toughen’ us up. I suppose this all stemmed from the imperial attitudes of the time when we were expected to go abroad to quell the ‘natives’ and administer the diminishing empire. Fortunately, so far as I am aware, we live in a greatly more accepting world. Changes in the law have been widespread to create a greater understanding of colour, sexuality and infirmity. I believe I have been lucky to have lived in these changing times and seen what great strides have and are being made. It is up to us to ensure it continues. However, would it not be marvellous if the increasing gulf between rich and poor in Britain was limited by some form of wealth taxation on personal assets of the seriously rich. Food for thought!  Oxfam has just reported that the 26 richest people in the world own as much as the poorest 50%. Does that make sense?