OUT IN THE FIELD: Is there a woolly mammoth defecating in Sovereign Harbour?

The reason I ask is there are some gargantuan stools being left on walkways and on grass verges in the area. I am joking obviously but there are seemingly rather a lot of pet owners not picking up after their pooches.

Dog fouling is one of the most unacceptable and offensive types of litter on our streets and not only is it deeply unpleasant, it is dangerous.

Contact with dog excrement can cause toxocariasis, a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures.

I remember the posters showing children almost blinded when they’d fallen into dog mess in the park. Dog fouling is an environmental crime and dog owners are responsible for the mess their dogs make. Some people have suggested that wardens patrol the area in a bid to encourage dog walkers to pick up after their dogs.

I would be inclined to follow the offenders home and strategically place their pet’s mess on their doorstep so they know how inconvenient it can be.

I did have to stifle a laugh when I saw a £10,000 fine had been issued after dozens of people gathered to film a music video in Eastbourne’s Trinity Place car park, in breach of the government’s Covid-19 regulations. According to Sussex Police, officers found more than 30 people present on the sixth floor, along with music and filming equipment and most of them were not wearing face coverings or adhering to social distancing. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t venture into that particular car park, which is dark and stinky, without a face mask at the best of times let alone in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. And as for filming there – what was the backdrop the group had hoped to achieve? A giant toilet?

The Sovereign Centre opened its doors this week – not to the usual band of early morning swimmers or gym bunnies but to clinicians and patients as the large sports hall has been converted into a vaccination clinic. I and my colleague were lucky enough to go behind the scenes on Tuesday morning as scores of people turned up for the joy of the jab. It’s a fantastic set up and very well run with up to 1,000 people going in each day to receive the coveted vaccine. It’s a wonderful community use for the building which would instead be in complete darkness.

Talking of being in complete darkness, the residents of Metropole Court on Eastbourne seafront must feel as though they have awakened to a new world as the scaffold and sheeting which has surrounded it for more than a year now is finally coming down. The building is looking particularly lovely after its refurbishment and paint job. Sadly, that’s more that can said for the former Waterside Hotel a few doors along the promenade. While the boutique hotel interior looks particularly welcoming and it’s clear a lot of money has been ploughed into it, the building itself has been painted a dull charcoal colour which does nothing to reflect the vibrancy of that stretch of the seafront.