Danni Segal, Sleep-deprived The (ir)regular thoughts of Around-Bexhill.co.uk founder, Danni Segal, on life in Bexhill-on-Sea This column reflects the thoughts of Danni Segal, and does not claim to reflect the opinions of around-bexhill.co.uk or any of the shops or businesses listed on this site unless directly stated

Dateline: April 2007

Item: What do you want? Information!

Don’t get me wrong - the Internet is a wonderful thing - but sometimes it is not the best way of getting information to people. When you are wondering around a town centre you want to be able to quickly and easily find answers to pressing questions such as what times the buses run, what events are happening that week, and what time the tide goes out.

Bexhill used to have a dedicated Information Centre down on the Marina (where Hosers is now) which - I believe - changed hands and ultimately closed. Anna at Bizzy Fingerz tried to pick up the key elements of the Information Centre but sadly her business has now moved on. All of which leaves Bexhill with its Information Centre in Battle.

Every time the notion of an Information Centre is raised, the issue of funding is inevitably put up as problem. The costs of running such an establishment, including rent and staff costs, makes it unfeasable to have, or so we are told. So what’s the solution?

A wonderful and innovative solution has been offered by Eric Amstrong, the current Mayor of Bexhill. His suggestion is this...

A mobile information centre - a converted ice cream truck or similar which could be parked in the most appropriate location for the time. Big event going on at the De La Warr Pavilion? Station it in their car park. A hot summer’s day? Park it along the beach front. The continental market? Park it on Devonshire Road. Not only would we have an information centre once again, but we would also have an information centre wherever it would do most good.

In terms of staffing it, we could look to recruit from local students studying subjects such as tourism. This would allow them to get direct insight and valuable experience about real tourism as well as allowing them to bring their ideas and knowledge into play.

This scenario would slash the costs of running and information centre, make it far more adaptable and therefor useful, and provide practical work experience for local students. It’s a fantastic idea, that I only have one problem with: I wish I’d thought of it!

Still, I guess that’s why Eric Armstrong is Mayor and I’m not.

Item: Local Elections 2007

“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country” - the legendary words of President John F Kennedy at his inauguration on 20 Jan 1961.

Approaching half a century later, those words still rings as true as ever they did. The newspapers seem to constantly full of people demanding something for nothing, whilst those who had promises made to them find the promises shattered.

It’s time for a change.

The local elections are coming up, and no doubt national politics will be used as a substitute for local issues. But we mustn’t let that happen - what matters to the local population about local matters is what should decide who gets elected irrespective of which party you would vote for at an election.

So when you come face to face with your local candidates, ask them exactly what they are going to do to benefit Bexhill. Don’t accept waffle and rhetoric - make sure they know that your vote will be decided on their answer to that question.

What can we do for our local community? We can make sure the people elected to serve the local community remember that they are there to serve, and in doing that we can make a major contribution to Bexhill and beyond.

Until next time,

Danni Segal
founder
around-bexhill.co.uk

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