They say confession is good for the soul so here goes. I have to admit in my dim and distant past I once voted Conservative.

It was when I lived in Heene Ward and the candidate was Stan Moore, who I still maintain is one of the nicest mayors and most hardworking councillors this town has had, at least in my lifetime.

To be honest, the colour of Stan's rosette didn't really come into it. I voted for the person, not the party, and in the main that is how local politics should be approached.

Every party has its good people. I recall that great character Buller Ansell, who represented the Ratepayers' Party in Goring for many years and it was certainly to the detriment of the town that Labour's Jim Deen and the late John Hammond never made it on to the council.

The local elections will soon be upon as again and needless to say the usual promises surrounding a multiplex, a potential new swimming pool, Asda store and the leisure centre will be churned out once more.

Before both parties embark on producing and publishing their manifestos, perhaps they should bear in mind that the overwhelming majority of us in Worthing haven't come down in the last shower.

Realistic and well thought-out policies rather than pie in the sky pipedreams please. Not a lot to ask for, is it?

I'm all for free speech and am still not entirely convinced an American-led war with Iraq is a good idea but I'm also not sure a number of the anti-war brigade are doing themselves any favours when it comes to putting their point across.

One Worthing woman, who I will not embarrass by naming, made a big issue about how important it was to go on a Stop the War march in London.

So important that is, that when the march passed Oxford Street she broke away from the crowd and went shopping for a couple of hours before coming home.

But putting shopping before politics is small beer when compared with the individual who has taken to painting "Stop the War" slogans all over the town in bright pink paint.

Regardless of what a number of the far-left will tell you, this country is still a democracy.

If the rogue painter feels so strongly about the issue, why doesn't he or she do the democratic thing and go on one of these marches?

Daubing road signs and bus stops is vandalism, not reasoned debate.

The anti-war brigade talk about the waste of public money entering into such a conflict but, admittedly on a much smaller scale, what about the cost to residents of getting rid of this mess?

On the subject of vandalism, it saddens me to hear Goring Cricket Club has had to employ the services of a security firm to stop local youths damaging the nets and pavilion at its ground.

It is money I know the club would rather see being spent on its thriving colts section.

Perhaps more bobbies going back on the beat and a few extra panda cars in the Goring area might result in the club actually being to spend some of its money on their sport rather than crime prevention.