Letters: September 7, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

State of the nation

THE NHS being starved of cash, junior doctors in a continued dispute with management and set to go on strike again over the coming weeks, reports that some may desert the NHS over the imposition of the new contract.

Libraries closing across the country, children’s centres being closed, bus services decimated, so what does the government do?

Give a £20m payout to Southern Rail. Yes, the company that allegedly runs some sort of rail service, and who have just in the last week made over £100m profit, I know where that £20m should have gone. Welcome to Theresa (Dis)May’s Britain.

MARK WEBB

Old Town

Swindon

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Lesson to be learnt

GOSH! What a pleasure to read recently so many letters from lady readers.

I certainly did not believe Esther Rantzen would take to the gauntlet. However, I am sure I am not the only one who enjoyed Bill Williams’ humourous tales.

Take up the pen again, Bill, I suspect you are having withdrawal symptoms by now.

By the way, has anyone noticed the remarkable resemblance between Councillor Derique Montaut and Victoria Beckham? I have never seen them smile on any of the numerous photographs published. Both are successful in their own field.

Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt. If one ceased grinning away and putting on a smile life could become happier and successful. What a miserable face we would show though.

BETH HUNT

Hill View Road

Swindon

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Get baking for charity

AT Wiltshire Air Ambulance we are continually amazed by the commitment that people show to raise money for us and would like to say a huge thank you.

This summer has been extremely busy, with many community fundraising initiatives taking place – ranging from village fetes to music concerts, and from a schoolboy swimming in his local pool to an octogenarian wing-walking on a plane.

Every penny raised makes a real difference in helping us to keep our helicopter and crew flying and saving lives.

We’re now gearing up for one of the biggest events in our annual calendar, National Air Ambulance Week from September 19 to 25 .

If you enjoy baking or eating cakes and feel inspired to get involved, then you might like to take part this year as our theme is Bake Off for Lift Off!

From bake sales, bake offs in your home or office to custard pie fights and even tallest cake competitions, there are lots of ways to get involved, and you’ll be raising vital funds for our essential Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).

Haydens Bakery, in Devizes, is sponsoring the week and will be joining us with their baking expertise as we encourage you and your friends, family and colleagues to Get Your Bake On.

We can provide fundraising tips, recipe cards, posters, judging cards, winner certificates and bunting templates – all we need is you.

If you would like to join in the fun and raise some ‘dough’ for us please get in touch by emailing bakeoff@wiltshireairambulance.co.uk or call 01380 739453.

REBECCA DE LA BEDOYERE

Senior Fundraising Manager

Wiltshire Air Ambulance

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Key customer service

LAST Friday morning, I journeyed into the town centre by a Thamesdown Transport bus from West Swindon.

On my return home a little later, I realised I did not have my house and car keys and must have lost them in the town or on the bus.

On telephoning Wendy at customer services at Barnfield Road, she showed great concern and took full details relating to the specific bus I was on to make enquiries.

Within the hour, she telephoned me to say that she had tracked down the bus and their two drivers and the keys had been found. She then arranged for the keys to be transferred to their office on Fleming Way for me to collect very soon after.

My thanks to her, the drivers and the administration at Thamesdown Transport for their help and efficiency.

PETER AMIES

Lineacre Close

Grange Park

Swindon

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A van-tastic delivery

I WOULD like to thank the staff from Logical Project Solutions Ltd, including their managing director Karl Lodge, for the kind help they gave me with a fence panel while I was shopping in B&Q on August 25.

The shop said they couldn’t deliver it in time for me and these two guys, who were just doing their own shopping, offered to drive it to my house in their van. When I arrived home the fence panel was there.

Their kindness and generosity was very gratefully received. They made an old lady very happy.

PAT SMITH

Queensfield

Swindon

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Misleading opinions

I PICKED up my Advertiser this morning and was astonished to see a letter from that ardent Brexiteer, Steve Halden, (Better tax system idea, SA, September 5).

I must be psychic I thought because I’ve already sent in a response to this. Then I realised you’d already published Steve’s letter previously (‘A big bite out of Apple’ SA September 2).

Publishing it twice gives everyone the opportunity to be misled twice by Steve’s misunderstanding of the EU’s powers.

The EU doesn’t “demand tax” from anyone.

What it can and does do is insist that member states follow the rules that they’ve signed up to.

This is to ensure that, as far as possible, they are competing with other member states on a level playing field.

DON REEVE

Horder Mews

Old Town, Swindon

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Anomaly of libraries

REFERRING to your report in (SA, September 6) is it not all done and dusted by this arrogant council?

I would choose not to use the word “strategy” as justification for the proposed path ahead as, on local radio last weekend, the county librarians seemed to suggest that, obviously outside Swindon’s boundaries, use of libraries showed an increase year by year.

In that case, why hasn’t it in Swindon?

This town almost gave birth to the principle of lending libraries – as with NHS – so why do we find ourselves now lagging behind in this respect?

Is a new artists’ quarter really justified (as well as the companies seemingly established by this council)?

Who will realistically come to Swindon – and spend money in the town – especially to see it?

It’s potentially another waste of taxpayers’ cash, possibly to deflect attention away from the earlier seemingly unrecovered loss sustained on wi-fi?

JOHN LISTER

Swindon

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Nation building ethos

IF the new Theresa May government is serious about Brexit meaning leaving the EU, then I would hope they realise that the Single Market is less to do with trade and more to do with nation building.

That nation being the Federal Republic of Europe, which was envisaged when the Common Market was set up by the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

NOEL GARDNER

Carlisle Avenue

Old Town, Swindon

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Religious question

RE the canonisation of Mother Teresa.

With the heavens clearly cluttered with all those saints looking down on us and Catholics praying to them, can someone please advise what is the point of the Catholic God?

JEFF ADAMS

Bloomsbury

Swindon