Nik Butler: ‘Sussex wunt be druv’ - discovering a wealth of history

The phrase is mentioned in poems and discussed in a book by David Arscott and occurs frequently in various Bonfire Societies mottos.

I first learned about the phrase through Dan Thompson’s website ( mrdanthompson.wordpress.com ) wherein he discusses the prospects of Worthing in relation to Greater Brighton.

It appears that historically speaking Sussex has demonstrated through its dialect and its people a propensity for having ‘a mind of its own’ and will not be forced into accepting ideas.

None of which explains the present scenarios we experience; in which we seem to walk almost absentmindedly through council policies and decisions.

Council tax is continuously frozen but there are rarely better questions asked as to how services might be paid?

Those services are reduced, withdrawn or reallocated and apart from a few dissenting voices on websites or letters to the press the occasional response is to wonder why those concerned do not accept what is delivered or why it should need to be questioned.