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3 weeks ago | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
Tan Dhesi is not a name that you see regularly in the headlines, but as the chair of the Parliamentary Defence Select Committee he is likely to be much more in the public eye in the coming months.
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1 month ago | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
One of my most vivid memories of living in Lewes, the county town of East Sussex, is of sitting out in our garden on summer evenings watching the displays of Swifts circling at breakneck speed above our heads, filling the air with their high-pitched cries. Unmusical but somehow joyous and unforgettable. That was many decades ago, and tragically the numbers that filled those skies have shrunk to a handful of birds, still performing their grand prix circuits above the town.
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2 months ago | 
cvhomemag.com | Ginny Smith
Spring’s first flowersA reminder of nature’s resilience, early bloomers break through the cold bleakness of the winter months to celebrate the welcome arrival of spring. With pops of color, early-season flowers, shrubs and trees provide the hope of warm weather and blue skies. Colorful blooms promise that days spent outside in the fresh air are just around the corner. Very early bloomersTwo of the earliest bloomers in Central Virginia are snowdrops and crocuses.
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Feb 24, 2025 | 
yorkshirebylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
When I told friends that I was going to be interviewing Alastair Campbell for the Bylines Network podcast series I received a torrent of advice about the questions I should ask. Many went back to the Iraq War of 2003 and his role at the time in Tony Blair’s Labour government. It was obvious, but surprising to me, that Campbell remained a divisive figure, added to which, I was a little nervous about meeting a man whose reputation in his early career was that of a bruising street fighter.
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Feb 1, 2025 | 
cvhomemag.com | Ginny Smith
What to consider now for convenience & efficiency laterBreaking ground on a new home is an exciting event that usually occurs after years of dreaming, saving, planning and decision-making. Most of us start with a pie-in-the-sky house plan and then whittle it down to something that fits in our budget. But planning before the groundbreaking ensures that we can meet our budgetary needs now and be ready for future renovations.
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
Nostalgia is a funny thing. It can lead you to view the past through wonderfully rose-tinted glasses, longing for a time that exists almost entirely in your imagination. But it can also occasionally point up some hard truths. I was reminded of this recently when I came across a photo taken decades ago of one of the local characters in the Sussex village where I was living.
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Jan 10, 2025 | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
Having a secure roof over one’s head has long been recognised as a basic human right. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) describes it as “the right to live in safety and dignity in a decent home”. At the moment many people in the UK find themselves in situations far removed from that ideal and millions lack the security of a permanent home.
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Dec 28, 2024 | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
I detest the run up to Christmas. I loathe the rampant consumerism – the tidal wave of glittery plastic trash that invades the shops from November onwards, the schmaltzy Christmas songs playing on an endless loop in supermarkets, the B list celebs appearing on television in silly Santa hats. My “bah humbug!” grouchiness develops apace as Christmas Day approaches. But then, almost invariably, something happens to transform my mood.
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Nov 23, 2024 | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith
In the light of the recent widely-publicised farmers’ protests against the government’s proposed introduction of inheritance tax (IHT), a report that landed in the inbox of Sussex Bylines this week was particularly interesting, and we publish a summarised version below. It covers the South of England Agricultural Society’s annual farming conference held on 23 November, entitled “What is Our Land For?” with the question apparently drawing a record in-person and online audience.
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Nov 21, 2024 | 
sussexbylines.co.uk | Ginny Smith |Emily Kenward
Time is what so many of us in today’s busy world lack. Time to stop and look around us, connect with others, build relationships. And the result is that many in our society feel lonely and isolated, especially the elderly. According to Age UK, more than two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.
