Name: Carole Buchan
Profession: I wear two different hats: I’m a journalist and an arts administrator. I’ve written nationally and locally, including for the Argus and the Sussex Express. I used to write the arts pages for the latter, and, in the early nineties, when the LDC were looking for an Arts Development Officer, they gave me the job. At the time the government was encouraging a lot of money to be put into the arts, so it was a wonderful period. I opened two galleries - Thebes in Lewes and the Crypt in Seaford, and launched the Sculpture Trail and Artwave Festival, among other things. Now I work for the Asham Literary Trust, which organises the Asham Award for female short story writers, and co-organises the Small Wonder Festival. And I’m a trustee of the MAP Foundation, which works with the terminally ill.
Are you local? I’m originally from South-East London, but I’ve lived in Lewes over 25 years now. My late husband and I moved from Brighton, because we could get a bigger house at a cheaper price. I’ve really come to love the place.
What do you love about it? The people are terrific, and there’s a great sense of community here. But sometimes the place drives me mad. It can be too self-congratulatory. It's not as maverick as it used to be. I can't believe how everybody just swallowed the parking scheme - and couldn't see it had been dressed up on a green ticket.  It's just a money-maker. Parking should be a service, but the local authority has lost sight of this. It should be run by their own staff, not NCP. People would feel happier knowing the money was going back into the community. It's completely changed the easy-going nature of the town. And the scheme hasn't even reduced traffic in town. What’s more, where there is free parking in residential areas, it is filled up with cars bearing County Council staff stickers - because the council hasn't made their own car park big enough.