I am afraid that the papers have turned to thoughts of Christmas, pictures of children singing carols and preparing for school concerts: general seasonal fluffiness. So there's not much of note going on. However, a few things caught my eye...

THE MIDDY

Kadar Wear - The Erotic Store
Joining in the festivities is Kadar Wear. As shop manager, Karen Chapman, says: "At this time of year you can buy a chocolate penis from a store, and you can buy a vibrator off the shelf at Superdrug." A handy hint there, if you couldn't think of a suitable present on this celebration of Christ's birth!

R.I.P Burgess Hill Farmers Market
Sadly, this idea only comes too late for Burgess Hill's farmers market, who could have created an interesting range in corn dollies. Of the decline in the market, the National Farmers Union claimed that farmers couldn't always provide produce because "they might be producing meat which is sold to an abattoir and then on to a supermarket." So, if you want real meat, you heard it from the NFU, go to Tescos! No farmers market? And there I was wanting to buy an axel for my tractor.

Christmas Lights
The council has arranged for the Christmas lights to come on at 6am. Hooray! Only, who is going to see them? Postmen? Milkmen? Big Issue sellers and their dogs? But maybe not even them. A source close to the website says they weren't on at 12:15 pm, Friday lunchtime.

LEADER

Drinking
Perhaps we need the lights on 24 hour to help the poor stragglers back to the taxi rank. For Chaplins/Chequers have applied to Mid Sussex District Council for a licence to serve alcohol up to 2:30am on Thursday nights and 4am Friday and Saturdays.

The report on Burgess Hill's future, "Better Mid Sussex", proposes a Mediterranean style cafe culture. Well, I think this would make a very good start. Only, by Mediterranean, I don't think they meant Magaluf.

Eamon Casey
Last week I told you about the former Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey's abrupt exit as Chaplin of the Princess Royal. Well, now we find out what the allegations were. He is accused of an assault in Ireland taking place three decades ago.

I have never been happy with these outdated allegations coming to court. Burgess Hill had a case in the early 90s when the offence had taken place in the 1960s. Jon Fernee, music teacher of Oakmeeds, was charged with molesting a boy at the school in the 1960s. He admitted his guilt. So there can't be much doubt about his conviction.

However, is it really safe to dig up all these old cases? There are enough miscarriages of justice when the offence has taken place only recently. I know Jonathan King, the pop impresario, is appealing against the 7 year sentence he received in 2001. He was convicted of offences dating back to the early 70s.