Dear Whistler
A major area of Brighton constantly has issues concerning ATMs that are either not working at all, or they are, but they have no cash in them. I don’t know if The Whistler or its readers are aware of this. The area concerned is the Seven Dials and I have experienced this problem for the last 18 months at least. I’m sure this is a major issue for residents of the Seven Dials area, because the next nearest ATMs are either in London Road or in Queen’s Road. This means if you are a pedestrian, which I am, at least a 30-minute round trip from the Seven Dials, whatever the weather conditions.

The situation is absurd as I’m sure many would agree.  I get the impression that the Post Office, and the two Co-op stores in the Seven Dials area have taken the decision not to store cash in their ATMs over night; before 8-9am, or something like this.  I thought that The Whistler might like to know what’s going on. I have also complained directly to the Post Office and to the banking section of the Co-op to see what they say.
Andrew Jenery

Dear Editor

In November there appeared to have been a bit of a ‘cock up’ to the construction at the Dials. Much of the roundabout (the road part, where the cars will travel) was dug up…right
alongside where central ‘cobbled’ stones had already been laid.  I chatted to an engineer, who insisted it wasn’t ‘a mistake’, that’s the way it was all scheduled to happen, but it seems odd to me (but note: I’m NOT an engineer) to be digging up the road right next to newly-laid blocks. It seems it had just been realised the road levels from one side of the roundabout to the opposite side differed by approximately four or five inches. My informant seemed uncomfortable with my questions.

As ‘relief’ (I thought) I introduced the problem as to how blind people will be able to negotiate the new layout once the traffic lights are all removed. My engineer friend said his mother was blind, insisted she WOULDN’T be able to handle the crossings as planned, but added that “Look, blind people are an extreme minority. In today’s world you
just have to accept you can’t please everybody!”
Bob Potter