Sentinel attended Northbrook College's awards ceremony at the Assembly Hall on Friday and emerged about 2st lighter from what was a sauna-like atmosphere.

The official programmes came in useful as fans after organisers shut the main doors to the auditorium, depriving about 1,000 people of fresh air, although side doors were opened.

The students, smart in mortarboards and gowns, must have been sweltering, but the prospect of a night on ice cold lager beckoned like a beacon of light for many of them.

Aussie comic Mark Little, dressed in casual brown suit, loud paisley shirt and snakeskin-style slip-on shoes, presented the degrees.

College principal Michael Thrower gave a fine speech, which went something along the lines of: "Parents particularly will no doubt remember with some pain the time when their adolescent offspring appeared to leave the human race during that awful period of hormonal change.

"It is in that period when you discover that you know nothing and they know everything. I am sure you will be pleased to see they have not only returned to civilisation but also returned a credit to both you and themselves."

The windmill at High Salvington, which held its annual fete on Sunday, is a splendid landmark, with a history dating back to at least 1710, when it watched over men o'war sailing along the Channel, and probably bore witness to many a thrilling maritime incident from sea battles with the French to wreckers plundering grounded sailing ships and murdering their crews.

Today, the mill is kept in fine fettle by a dedicated band of trustees but it is an expensive business keeping those sails turning, with one piece of wood alone costing £1,800 to replace.

Strolling on the pier in stunning sunshine last Wednesday, Sentinel's attention was diverted by two men, one armed with a trident and the other with a spear-gun, wading through the shallows at low tide in the shadow of the Southern Pavilion.

One had caught a mullet, about a foot long, which was curled at the bottom of his bucket, but there was no sign of any bass, which command excellent prices in local fishmongers.

So the fishermen contented themselves with picking dozens of shellfish from the pier's supports, a task accomplished with surprising ease.

Sentinel hears beach inspectors spotted a pod of four dolphins off West Worthing on Saturday - the first sightings of the increasingly rare creatures this summer.

Sentinel attended a public meeting on mobile phones/masts at the Pavilion Theatre last week, which attracted just 40 members of the public - or 30 if you subtract council officials.

With the sun blazing outside, it wasn't an evening to be stuck inside a baking auditorium with no refreshments available.

At one stage, Councillor Janet Goldsbrough-Jones, chairwoman of the meeting, was heard to remark: "It is ever so hot here under the spotlight but don't worry, I won't be stripping."

The professors did a fine job making a very complex subject understandable but we came out no nearer to knowing whether mobile phones fry your brain or not.

After the meeting, Sentinel retired to a seafront bar and paid £2.70 for a pint of lager, a far cry from the 44p he parted with to sample his first mouthful of amber nectar in a glass more than 20 years ago.

The £3 pint is looming but Sentinel has a warning for pub landlords - most of us are in serious danger of being priced out of the beer-supping market.

While downing his pint through gritted teeth, Sentinel watched ten soldiers, presumably territorials, tabbing along the promenade in full combat gear with heavily-laden packs.

Strolling on the seafront on Thursday, Sentinel noted the deckchair attendant was doing a roaring trade at £1 a throw and the pier was positively brimming with reclining pensioners who had spilled from the numerous coaches lining Marine Parade and West Parade.

Photograph albums the length and breadth of the country must now be filled with snaps of people standing next to the town's famous cordylines and palms.

Walking through Beach House Park, Sentinel noted the bird memorial had still not been repaired but his senses were soon overwhelmed by the exquisite fragrances of the flowers on either side of the central walkway.

He was also deeply impressed by the glorious showing of blooms adorning the flat roof of Worthing Bowling Club's headquarters.

Traders at The Broadway shops in Brighton Road, opposite Steyne Gardens, are celebrating after scaffolding which has shrouded their shops for the past four years in some cases was taken down after major structural works on the Edwardian flats above were completed.

A little further east, Sentinel noted the former Board Stupid skateboard and surf shop at the junction of Wyke Avenue and Brighton Road is being turned into an off-licence.

During a recent visit to the English Bowling Association's (EBA) headquarters in Lyndhurst Road, Sentinel spotted a fine bust of Dr WG Grace, founder member and first president of the EBA.

On investigating further and tapping the old man's beard, he discovered the bust wasn't actually made of marble but possibly fibre-glass.

The EBA, which has been based at its smart Worthing HQ since 1987, is marking its centenary this year with a series of international Test matches, culminating in the semi-finals and final at Beach House Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 9 and 10.

The Queen is patron of the EBA and sends her warmest congratulations but, unfortunately, cannot attend the celebrations.

However, Worthing Mayor James Doyle did visit Buckingham Palace for the first garden party of the summer season last week.

HRH came within a few feet of Councillor Doyle and his wife Mel but, bearing in mind there were 4,000 other people there, it was no surprise they were not introduced.

By remarkable coincidence, the mayor did stumble across the Reverend Edward Jervis, vicar of West Tarring Church, near the sandwiches and cakes marquee.

The mayor travelled to London in his official car, a Skoda, which didn't quite match some of the stretch limousines favoured by other civic guests from around the country.

But he at least had something in common with the Mayor of Lancaster and Morecambe, who also had a Skoda, which is generally praised as a very reliable vehicle.

And Coun Doyle also boasted one of the finest chains of office on show, which drew many an admiring glance and comment from other mayors with less opulent accoutrements.

Sentinel attended Gifford House's open day on Saturday and watched as Mayoress Mel Doyle, played the trombone with the Lancing and Sompting Royal British Legion Band.

Wandering around the hospital-home, Sentinel's attention was diverted by the ship's bell from HMS Fearless, dated 1913, which hangs inside.

It was presented by Admiral Sir Charles Little, governor of Gifford House from 1943 and 1963, who commanded Fearless from 1916 to 1919 and was present at the surrender of the German fleet on November 21, 1918.

Sentinel took a late stroll on Goring beach at the weekend and removed shards of glass from two broken bottles from a rockpool where children were playing.

Had he found the culprits, they would have got a slap.

And finally, Saturday evening in Worthing, watched over by a full, peach-coloured moon hovering above a deep-blue sea, came as close to perfection as Mother Nature can conjure up.