As usual, when events such as the petrol crisis occur, it is the older and less able people who suffer the most.

Many pensioners do not keep full tanks of petrol, a fact not unconnected with the price which, even before the latest hike, was pretty horrendous. Consequently many of them got caught out and had to use public transport, which in itself suffered from lack of fuel in some areas.

Since lugging heavy bags on and off buses is not a fun occupation at any time, and less so when you are fighting your fellow man - or more likely woman - for a space on an already full vehicle, it has not been an altogether happy few days.

What I did find astonishing was the sudden realisation by some folk that, in their judgment, the fuel crisis was going to last well into next year - if the contents of their supermarket shopping trolleys were anything to go by.

Considering the majority of households have both a fridge and a freezer most families could exist quite happily for a while on their contents, by which time the fuel problem would be solved.

Admittedly, things like bread do need to be bought on a regular basis but some folk were clearly intent on feeding the five thousand single- handedly, judging by the number of loaves in their basket.

All this did was make the crisis worse, especially for those whose overdraft limit would not stretch any further, again many of them the older folk. Since ours was the generation who lived through stringent rationing and coped admirably it is a bit ironic we should be defeated by a few greedy people in peacetime.

I wonder how many people actually knocked on the door of a less able neighbour and offered help if needed. After having driven a friend of mine around when she needed help after a spell in hospital I was amused and touched when she offered to fetch some of life's necessities on her push bike! I bet Adam Trimingham laughed his little socks off all last week!

IT is the start of the ice hockey season and since Brighton has no rink, in spite of worthy words from the council about one being on their wish list, I wondered if I was going to be reduced to hitchhiking in order to get my weekly fix.

It means a round trip of at least a hundred miles to see a match. It is heart breaking when you think of the Brighton Tigers and their record. There are hundreds of ice hockey fans in the area but whenever there has been a move to try to build a rink we are told "No, not there".

When you think that Waterhall, a serious suggestion for a park and ride scheme, is a so-called area of natural beauty but an ice rink neatly tucked under the hill was not acceptable you do wonder about choices.

The Brighton station site would be a wonderful place for an indoor arena to bring back the Brighton Tigers glory to this would-be city. Think about it. Shout about it?