Letters - January 5, 2019
Following the closure of Tesco Metro in Cleveleys town centre last month, the heart seems to have been torn out of Victoria Road. The empty store in the middle of the retail area stands empty and ghost like.
We used to see people sitting and chatting on the many seats outside or listening to the many excellent buskers. There was always a busy throng of customers using the store with its helpful and friendly staff.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdI don’t know who is responsible for the closure of this store but I do know that they have done the residents of Cleveleys a grave disservice.
J Elliott
Lyddesdale Avenue
Cleveleys
Transport
Government must freeze rail fares
The average commuter will be now paying nearly £3,000 for their season ticket, that’s £786 more than in 2010.
It’s the responsibility of the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to regulate the amount by which train companies can raise fares, but he’s choosing not to.
These rail fare increases are an affront to everyone who has had to endure years of chaos on Britain’s railways.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFalling standards and rising fares are a national disgrace. The Government must now step in to freeze fares on the worst performing routes, like Northern.
We must bring back our railways back into public ownership, so they are run in the interests of passengers, not private profit.
Chris Webb
Parliamentary Candidate for Blackpool North and Cleveleys
Service
Nothing too much trouble at eaterie
I cannot praise the Waters Edge pub in St Annes enough.
I was too ill to go for our pre-paid Christmas Day dinners, so they packed them in plastic boxes to be picked up to eat at home. Nothing was too much trouble.
Mr A Gibson
Pilling Avenue
St Annes
Appeal
Please donate your unwanted presents
Barnardo’s is asking people on the Fylde coast to donate any unwanted gifts to their local charity shop.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf Santa didn’t quite get it right this year, delivering the wrong size jumper or multiple copies of the same DVD boxset, don’t hoard your unsuitable presents – please deliver them to Barnardo’s gift amnesty.
A new survey has revealed that more than 60 million unwanted presents are given every year, at a cost of £380m.
By donating any unsuitable pressies to Barnardo’s gift amnesty at your nearest shop, people can feel safe in the knowledge they are helping to support vulnerable children across the region.
The value of unwanted gifts really does add up and could provide vital support for the hundreds of thousands of children Barnardo’s helps every year:
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad. An £18 cookbook could pay for three young carers to enjoy an afternoon of respite from their caring duties, giving them the chance to relax and meet other children.
. That £20 DVD boxset you’ve already got could help to pay for an outreach worker for a vulnerable child.
. The £50 too-big jumper could help pay for a senior specialist to spend an hour working one-to-one with a child to help them recover from sexual exploitation.
To find your nearest Barnardo’s shop visit: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/shops.
Javed Khan
Barnardo’s Chief Executive
society
Why can’t we all give our DNA?
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRecently the identity of a deceased person was resolved with the DNA of the child of a missing person that the body resembled.
This showed that it was actually their missing parent. The discussion of this case included the point that not many people provide DNA that could help to identify bodies that had been found.
This leads to the question of why don’t we get everybody’s DNA even if it will take time to accumulate all the samples.
There will be an outcry from civil rights advocate but why? The benefits with appropriate privacy considerations will include identifying lost people, helping to catch criminals and to reunite families when they are separated due to wars.
Perhaps the only real concern will be the possibilities raised by the Harry Belafonte song’s words ‘Your Daddy ain’t your Daddy, but your Daddy don’t know!’
Dennis Fitzgerald
Via email