Hilary Gavin

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Isn’t it time to change? My weekly news round-up is challenging you to ask whether the “law is an ass!”

By HILARY GAVIN

I’M A day late posting my weekly Facebook news round-up, but with good reason because I was rather busy yesterday afternoon tending my back garden.

Of course, I could have spent the morning sowing my cabbage patch and repotting my brussel sprouts, but I decided to attend two Sunday church services instead – one at St Stephen’s in North Mundham and the other at St Leodegars in Hunston.

Now, I’m not going to bore you here with the two very different sermons on the Raising of Lazarus preached at these churches – but I can see how their message might have merits and flaws in the eyes of either “right-on” or “old-fashioned” churchgoers.

Personally, I enjoyed them both as one delved into Byzantine history expanding on the old Greek meaning of the word “wept” in the New Testament while the other explored the story of Balaam and his donkey in the Old Testament or the Jewish Torah.

I must say that I winced when Rev’d Wynn Jones explained that Balaam continually beat his donkey for stopping unexpectedly on his journey until his donkey turned around and spoke to him!

Rather than being disobedient to Balaam, his ‘naughty’ donkey had shown obedience to God as an angel had blocked their path.

At this stage, I’m not going to expand on why Rev’d Jones’s sermon struck a chord with me but I had to laugh when he said donkeys, of course, can’t speak! Hasn’t it watched Shrek?

Anyhow, all this pontificating and waffling brings me on to the seasoned actor Nigel Havers and the one-man band show he’s bringing to the Chichester Festival Theatre soon.

As you can see, from my first Facebook news snippet on this blog post, I talk about the play Redlands about the Rolling Stones drugs bust at band member Keith Richards’ coastal manor nearby.

I have to admit that I haven’t see the play but I mentioned it in one of my WordPress blogs because Mr Havers’ father, a barrister, had successfully defended the Stones at their trial in Chichester.

At the time, I was indignant that a Crown Court murder trial was being held at the “pop-up” court in Chichester and yet there wasn’t an experienced court reporter to cover the proceedings.

Anyhow, that’s by the by. I’m flagging up Mr Havers and his father – who later went on to become Attorney General during Maggie Thatcher‘s prime-ministry – because I think it’s time our Judiciary displayed some adult joined-up thinking on online chatrooms.

There’s little doubt in my mind that our Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and defence solicitors were well behind the curve as the goofy Internet and online gaming morphed into social media publishing and broadcasting.

I would say that their inability to predict the harm an unfettered Internet would have on society and young adults was criminal and instead of punishing its many victims, both male and female, our barristers and Judges should be fully engaging in their stories.

Okay, enough said. So what else have I been banging on about this week? Habeas Corpus. Yes, it sounds brain-achingly complex – but Englishmen and Englishwomen (and Welsh men and women too) fought hard for their Rights to Liberty over many centuries, so I’d invite you to discover more about Sir Edward Coke.

Ironically, I briefly touched upon this renowned Elizabethan and early Seventeenth Century barrister during my Wikipedia research of the origins of the Mr Bumble quote: “The law is an ass!”

Of course, I attended the Hunston Parish Council meeting on Monday, March 16th, 2026, so I hope you enjoy reading my report on the issues currently facing villagers here in West Sussex.

If you’ve been following my Facebook posts, you’ll know I’ve got a little caravan holiday let at the Seal Bay resort in the seaside town of Selsey which it ideal for young families on a tight budget.

Saying that, I’ve no idea why the bosses at Seal Bay haven’t supplied me with a breakdown on my £7,500 2026/27 site fees. A short while ago I mentioned this issue to Chichester District Councillor (CDC) Donna Johnson, who represents Selsey, so I tagged her in on a Facebook post because I’d like to have an update.

As you can see from my news snippets, I’m glad police PR offices appear to be starting to pick up the phones to accredited journalists again (it’s only common sense), and I’m gently reminding elderly folk NEVER to give their wifi password away to delivery drivers who are told to check ID but can’t get data roaming signal.

Still, the CEOs of the delivery firms need to sort this problem out!

Finally, I should say that I’ve not included by gardening updates here in this WordPress post but you can catch up with them on my A Year in my Back Garden Facebook group.

Please excuse any typos in this weekly news round-up, but I’m about to cook breakfast now before pottering about outside.

Hilary Gavin

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Copyrighted Monday, March 23rd, 2026

Hilary Gavin

A freelance journalist who wants to see a return to public accountability in the local press

Hilary Gavin

Freelance Journalist & Writer

6 Southover Way

Hunston

CHICHESTER

West Sussex

PO20 1NY

Tel: 07940 444664

Email: grumpywoman@hilarygavin.blog

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