Shame on you

To the driver who damaged my father’s blue Renault Twingo in the Asda car park, Orbital Shopping Centre, Swindon, earlier this week: My father is 86 years old and deeply upset; not so much that his car is damaged – annoying as that is – but because you simply drove away after the accident without leaving a note of any kind.

Perhaps to have left your name and contact details would have been too much to expect (although that would have been an act of common decency); but even an anonymous apology would have made a huge difference to how my father is now feeling. He is fully aware that this incident is trivial relatively speaking, but nonetheless, your actions are shameful. I wonder how you would feel if a stranger treated your family or friends in the same way?

You probably won’t read this and wouldn’t care anyway; perhaps someone who knows you will do both.

D Wilson, Bedfordshire

 

Age old wisdom

The following quotations from Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman author, philosopher, orator and politician, 106-43BC, are well directed in our day towards our politicians, both local and national, indeed anyone in a position of authority.

  • “Any man can make mistakes but only an idiot persists in his error”
  • “If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it”
  • “More law, less justice”
  • “What is permissable is not always honourable”

And my favourite, with our coalition partners in mind, l “A nation can survive its fools and even its ambitious but cannot survive treachery”.

Ian Miller, Grange Park, Swindon

 

Quotation error

Under Thursday’s Quote of the Day (Adver, January 9) I notice that you have said that Anne Frank was a survivor of the Holocaust.

In fact she died in Bergen Belsen in 1945, aged 15. As the Holocaust is still a very sensitive subject for some, I am sure that you will want to correct this mistake.

Ella March Tudor Crescent Swindon Councillors noted How many people reading the Advertiser of January 9 about the flooding in South Marston noted that not one of their councillors made any comment? Indeed, try contacting them; Holland, Lovel and Haines.

The first two have not returned a number of calls and the third works away. Please can we find suitable councillors who will do their job? I for one have taken note and feel the people within their ward should do the same.

Paul Hayes, Shrivenham Road, South Marston

 

Swindon Relying on God

I see once again the public have been witness to its so called Honours List for the New Year! What a farce it has become.

No name is given headline news that deserves the gongs. They are handed out like raffle tickets rather than to the real heroes that have given so much to the country, ie courage, self-sacrifice, medicine et etc. A hairdresser to the PM, the usual list of showbiz luvvies, sportsmen all gain awards ending in British Empire OBE, MBE and CBE!

Don’t they know Queen Victoria is dead! Celebrity awards OCC, MCC and CBE at least would be truthful and modern or better still scrap it all together. Outside the UK these honours plus the knighthoods mean nothing. Ever since the crazy 1960s (make love not war era) the American influence on this once proud island has been the main contribution to its present state. Now it is compounded by mass immigration, which the majority do not want. Only God can bring sanity back to this nation, it is obvious man or woman can not do it.

H G Smith, Wroughton, Swindon

 

Pets pay the price

Reference the story in The Adver about the two dogs abused and one dead in the bin, I met a gentleman from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, at ASDA a few weeks ago, and he said the neglect and abuse has increased, in fact doubled.

The home is finding it hard to cope, as are all the rescue centres throughout the country.

I wonder if is has anything to with the terrible cuts and bedroom tax, this government are making. I know vet bills are so expensive, nearly £30 to walk through the door, plus treatment on top.

I feel we should be making donations of pet food as well as human food to food banks to try to help the situation.

How can the likes of David Cameron and his party understand what so many people are going through?

Duncan Smith, who is the instigator of these cuts, went in to Channel 4’s reality show to live with hard-up people, and guess what – he lasted all of one night. He was not in Government then!

What can be done to alleviate the suffering of all those poor animals? Any ideas?

S Giles, Bodiam Drive, Toothill, West Swindon

 

Help young Luca

The story about brave Luca Railton, the ten-year-old boy who needs an operation in the US to avoid losing his leg (Adver, January 9) is truly inspirational.

How wonderful that the community is rallying to help raise the £135,000 needed.

It is worth giving the web details again for anyone wanting more information about how they can help: www.facebook.com/lucarailton

Karen Magee, Swindon