NOT having been mobile for the last six weeks or so it has been a revelation to me to go out into the town again after what seems an absolute age.

The first thing I noticed was how many bits of road were being dug up just as the crowds were starting to come into Brighton for their Christmas shopping.

The seafront seems to spend its entire time gridlocked since one can no longer go up North Street.

It is basically the only East-West route available to cars, unless you start a lot further North. But then of course you can't get to the places you want to visit.

There was a great clot up of traffic when all of a sudden notices appeared at the London Road end of Carden Avenue, not to mention a set of temporary traffic lights and cars were backed up right up as far as Winfield Avenue at times.

If you lived in a side road off Carden Avenue your chances of joining in the traffic mayhem were fairly slight, especially as it seemed that the traffic lights had been set to favour the cars coming off the London Road at the mini roundabout rather than those wishing to leave Carden Avenue.

Add to all that the number of cars belonging to Albion supporters who, in spite of notices to the contrary, parked in any side road which had an inch of space to spare, as well as both sides of Carden Avenue and life became very interesting, if rather frustrating.

Of course in time those irritations will pass, but what will not pass, as far as I can see, is the fact that slowly and sneakily a number of parts of the town are becoming out of bounds to those who cannot take buses, afford taxis, or walk carrying heavy packages for any distance.

It is no longer possible to park within easy distance of the shops in North Street, even if you have an orange badge. Bond Street is no longer available for legal parking, though a number of vehicles park illegally.

Ship Street is the same and is always full of cars right round the corner and down to East Street.

Western Road is out of bounds, as I discovered when I wanted to visit an organisation which used to have a very convenient office in Hove where one could park outside for the short time needed.

Now they are near Churchill Square and for a number of us who are less able it is very difficult to park within any reasonable distance.

I realise that parking restrictions have to be applied to busy parts of the town, but little or no thought appears to have been given to the disabled in

the parts of town which are now bus and taxi or, heaven forbid, bicycle ways only.

The London Road area is another virtual 'no go' area and if rumour is to be believed It will not be long before St James Street follows suit.

Is it really beyond the combined wit of the ruling 'Cabinet' to find ways of making some sort of limited access available to these shopping centres? Perhaps Father Christmas will hear my plea and give me a helicopter for Christmas.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.