Is it just me, or others also totally hacked off with our so called road planning experts?

Surely the first and premier example must be the new Whalebridge junction. You have to call it that as it isn’t a roundabout any more. It was far better before than it is now and that’s an obvious fact to anyone who uses this main route into the town centre.

The council professes to have green credentials. How can they possibly have when there is twice an much fuel used negotiating the new ‘junction’ as there was before it was changed?

This applies to an awful lot of changes that have been made to our roads and streets over the last few years. Another that springs to mind is the traffic light controlled junction in Gorse Hill, the one at the junction of Chapel Street, Cricklade Road and Ferndale Road. The bias on the traffic lights at this one is a joke. The bias is in favour of Cricklade Road. This, added to the narrowing of the road at this point, causes havoc for any vehicle attempting to exit Chapel Street into Cricklade Road.

Our present road traffic planners should retire immediately and we should then get a new team who possess a modicum of common sense. It’s costing the people of Swindon a fortune to subsidise their grandiose plans for the town. I cannot think of one junction/ roundabout that they have actually improved upon.

David Collins Blake Crescent Swindon

UK is my home

Mr Thipthorpe accuses me of saying the English are lazy. I said no such no such thing. That was Boris Johnson. I said that England did not fight in the two world wars, the United Kingdom did. In fact, the last time England fought a war was against the Spanish Armada in1588 and even then we had Welsh and Irish sailors fighting on our side.

I get fed up with reminding people, generally those with a right wing point of view, that our country is the UK and all that atrocious flummery about St George’s Day that we have to put up with this time of year, is in fact unpatriotic. Unlike them, I love my country and it is the UK.

Steve Thompson Norman Road Swindon

Risky roundabout

The Corporation Street crossing on the new roundabout is unsafe.

Maybe the powers that be have not noticed that there is a sheltered housing block down Medgbury Road, where people would like to get safely to the medical centre and Tesco and Greggs, without going a long way out of their way. We do not have the safety of the underpass now and are thrown on the mercy of the traffic. I do not have a lot of faith in that. It is not a safe crossing and in fact there is not a safe crossing on the new expensive roundabout.

Mrs J Gibbard Medgbury Road Swindon

Backing bikers

I am fed up with people complaining about the bikers coming through Royal Wootton Bassett on Sunday.

The real people here are proud of the day and all the people that come to see them. They raise a lot of money.

We all know it’s Mothering Sunday but regards going to church for the service, they can park about five minutes away, so it’s not far to walk. At least they can celebrate the day with their children. The mothers of soldiers can’t, that’s why some come to Royal Wootton Bassett.

E Park Vale View Royal Wootton Bassett

Falklands fiasco

I have just read, in a national newspaper, a statement by a senior officer of the British Army saying we would not be able to hold onto the Falkland Islands if the Argentinians decided to have a go.

He went on to say about us not being able to engage the enemy because we haven’t got this and that in our present position.

By heavens, why can’t he have a chat to the Prime Minister and his cabinet, instead of blathering to all the world of our position? He may just as well send them a postcard. If he was of a lower rank, I’m sure he would be charged and reprimanded for assisting the enemy. In World War II we were told to keep mum.

T Cleverly Stafford Street Swindon