Interviews in Pagham-on-Sea
We asked residents of Pagham-on-Sea what they thought of these questions.
What is the gravest sin anyone can commit?
What, like murder? Murder, yeah. Like Hitler an’ that.
– Josie, 15, student
Betrayal.
– Anon., age unknown, shadow lurker
Not paying your tab.
– Mirren, age unknown, nightclub owner
Can you be damned [in your belief system]?
Bloody hope so, some right nasty c***s about.
– Joe, 83, retired engineer
‘To be condemned to live in only one form, that would be damnation’ – do you know who said that? Joseph Barker. Some think we’re damned already, and I tell them, no, that’s those undead twats. Do I look dead to you?
– Lola, 38, retail manager
Damnation is so last century. It’s all cancel culture now.
– Mirren, age unknown, nightclub owner
What do you think of the Seven Deadly Sins? What are they to you/do you have an equivalent?
Lust, Sloth, Vanity, Pride, Envy, Grumpy and Doc.
– Ralph, 56, farmer
Why stop at seven?
– Mirren, age unknown, nightclub owner
I don’t know if I can name all of them, what do you think? Equivalents? … Racism… Fascism… Slavery but like sweatshops and kids and trafficking and that, like you know, I don’t know if there’s like a word of it. Being, like, any sort of -phobic, just let people live their lives, yeah – how many’s that, is that seven? Oh, I guess like trafficking is a separate one… so that’s five… we’ve got five… Toxic positivity, yeah. Yeah and when people tell you to just do yoga, they can fuck right off.
– Josie, 15, student [with mum Lorraine, 42, retail assistant]
Who is one of the most famous ‘sinners’ you can name?
Frank Sinatra. S’in the name, isn’t it?
– Ralph, 56, farmer
Jack the Ripper maybe?
– Lola, 38, retail manager
Me.
– Mirren, age unknown, nightclub owner
C. M. Rosens 