Home’s staff should be praised for care

My father has been a resident of this home for the past two years and neither myself, my wife or my sister can find any fault with the home.

We have always found all the staff without exception to be very friendly and caring to all residents and to visitors. We have never found any issues over cleanliness or offensive odours whenever we have visited which is usually at least twice a week at various times of day.

It is always a difficult decision when you have to put a relative into a residential home and when we had to do this for my father we looked at four homes and we decided that Four Seasons was the one for him. We have never regretted the decision that we made.

I am sure you would get as would the CQC (inspector) the same response from other resident's families.

We would have no problem in recommending this home to any other prospective residents or their families.

Alan & Judith Workman Boundary Close Swindon

Neigh argument

I read Mr Tingey’s letter casting doubts on evolution and championing ‘intelligent design’ with some amusement. Ignorance is a terrible tool left in the hands of those who have not spent enough time investigating facts!

I will direct your attention to the evolution of the horse from the Eohippus or Hyracotherium that lived in the Eocene age, about 52 million years ago.

It was an animal approximately the size of a fox. All this information can quite easily be found by using the internet. Evolution shaped this creature into the shape and form of the modern horse.

The horse that we know today did not come into existence by ‘design’ but by the long years of nature shaping this animal. It was once a forest animal that over the millions of years changed its diet to grass and took to the plains.

Here, in this very different theatre of survival, it changed to cope with the new conditions that it had to cope with. From running on three toes, it evolved to run on the middle toe and developed the hoof.

It took a long time, Mr Tingey and had been well documented. Evolution of all species is a fact. This is the mechanism that orders all life on this world. Live with it!

Barry E Woodham Scotby Avenue Swindon

Church for youth

How refreshing to read Geoffrey Heaford’s letter on the proposed changes to St Michael’s Church (Letters April 4), especially the last paragraph.

We are very fortunate in having a wonderful vicar and curate who very actively encourage the younger generation to attend our church with all its activities.

The children participate with great gusto in many of our services much to everyone's enjoyment.

Without them we have no future and they deserve a church which is equipped to face that future.

Prue Hardie The Dormers Highworth Swindon

...not for pagans

‘Living Church Has To Move With Times’. (Letters April 4, Geoffrey Heaford).

Mr. Heaford, Christians attend church to hear the Word of God, not to listen to the annual sproutings of a very casual pagan visitor pick faults with the church environment and then have the nerve to dictate to regulars how to ‘modernise’ the place.

By your own admission you hardly ever attend church and yet you complain about the discomfort of the pews!

The ‘church’ is the worshipping Christian congregation, not the church building.

Next you’ll be wanting to modernise parts of Scripture which offend you.

J Adams Bloomsbury Swindon

Croquet anyone?

I read the letter from your anonymous correspondent regarding provision for bowls with interest.

While I have every sympathy with the lack of information about the facilities for indoor bowling when the Oasis is redeveloped, I must take issue with the statement that ‘it’s the only sport most pensioners get exercise and pleasure from’.

Although croquet is not primarily for pensioners, many of the members of Swindon Croquet Club are older people and we get a lot of pleasure and exercise from our games.

Croquet can vary from a gentle game of Golf Croquet taking about 30 minutes, to an exacting game of Association Croquet which can last for several hours, involve walking up to three miles and exercise the brain by working out the tactics involved.

Swindon Croquet Club welcomes anyone (bowlers included) who would like to try this sport.

Come and meet us at our club sessions at the croquet lawns in Moredon Playing Field on Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday afternoons and early evenings, and Sunday afternoons.

We are also running a Beginners Course on six consecutive Tuesday mornings starting on April 24.

For more information see our website www.swindoncroquetclub.org.uk or phone our secretary, John Airey on 01793 873026.

Mary Bedells High Street Haydon Wick Swindon

Revisit war zone

I organise return visits back to the Egyptian canal zone where I also served in the 1950s along with thousands of other service personnel.

I am again organising a group visit back to the Egyptian canal zone [in September] and I know that many service people who live in your circulation area were stationed there during the troubled times of the 1950s.

Many of our service personnel died and are buried in the cemeteries that we visit: Iismailia, Fayid, Moascar and Tel-el-kebir.

I will take photos of any friends or loved one’s graves if any of your readers would like me to (complimentary). Also if any of your readers would like to join us on our next group could they please contact me for details.

We will be visiting Cairo and staying at a hotel in Fayid overlooking the Great Bitter Lakes and visiting other places in the canal zone.

I am limited to 30 places on this reunion visit due to the fact that it is still a military restricted area. Spouses are welcome.

Alf Avison Middle East Land Forces Association P O Box 99 Spalding Lincs PE11 9NS Email: alfavison@talktalk.net Telephone: 07814 832441

Will you byte?

I am astounded at the clamour from the liberal chattering classes over the Home Secretary’s eminently sensible proposals to force Internet Service Providers to afford police and security services untrammelled access to customers' email and web browsing records.

Don’t these unprincipled scoundrels and enemies of the state realise that access of this sort is invaluable in combatting crimes and moral turpitude such as tax avoidance, immorality and conspiracy to frighten the horses?

Ever eager to assist, I have resolved to forestall any legislation by forwarding copies of all my email direct to Mrs May at mayt@parliament.uk and would urge your readers who have nothing to hide to do the same. After all, if it saves one child.

John Eoin Douglas Spey Terrace Edinburgh

What democracy?

A total of 580,497 British and Commonwealth servicemen (killed or missing) gave their lives during the Second World War in defence of democracy against dictatorship.

Those of us who participated in and survived this bloody conflagration have since witnessed the treacherous conversion of the UK from a democracy to a dictatorship at the hands of post war politicians.

A promised referendum in respect of EU membership demanded by the UK electorate was brushed aside. A call for controlled levels of immigration to this small, overcrowded island from the electorate has been totally ignored. The illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed by most people in the UK, the cost of which has brought our country to a state of bankruptcy.

Planning regulations demanded by the electorate designed to protect the environment are being scrapped by the present government.

Nearer to home, opposition to massive housing developments adjacent to Coate Water and Gorse Hill are being disregarded against the wishes of the people.

In view of the above, the ritual of the ballot box can best be described as a sick joke.

Frank Avenell Beckhampton Street Swindon

Thanks so much

On Monday March 26, my husband suffered a massive heart attack at home. It is only due to the rapid, superb care of the ambulance crew, I still have my husband.

Due to instant surgery on arrival at GWH and constant nursing care, he is now home.

We both want to convey our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

R G & I J Hobbs Denholme Road Swindon

Support runner

I will be running in this year’s Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, April 22 for The Children’s Trust, Tadworth, a national charity that provides specialist therapy, care and education for some of the UK’s most severely disabled children and young people, and rehabilitation to children with an acquired brain injury. I would like to extend a special invitation to runners, who have secured a place in the marathon but have yet to decide on a worthy cause to support, to join me and be part of the Trust’s team. Joining the Trust’s team will offer a great way to enjoy the world famous running event, with lots of enthusiastic supporters cheering you along the route at four ‘cheering’ sites. There will be a warm welcome at the finish, with physiotherapists on hand to massage weary legs.

And, finally, runners will be able to relax and enjoy food and refreshments with their family at a nearby venue to celebrate.

Having sustained a serious brain injury myself as a result of an accident, I am only too aware of the daily challenges that the children receiving rehabilitation at the Trust have to face, so I am delighted to be supporting The Children’s Trust in this way.

On a recent visit it was inspirational to see the work that goes on and to meet the children who are working so hard in rehabilitation. When I’m running the London Marathon, these inspirational children, their amazing parents and the phenomenal staff who work alongside them all, will never be far from my thoughts.

So please join me and help make a difference to some very special children. Look out for me on marathon day. I will be joined by 18 runners from BMW Group, who are also raising money for The Children’s Trust – the company’s chosen charity of the year. If you would like to sponsor me, please visit: www.virginmoneygiving.com/cracknellrunslondon.

For further information about The Children’s Trust and details about other running events in the UK and abroad, please visit www.thechildrenstrust.

org.uk/londonmarathon, or telephone: 01737 365018. James Cracknell On behalf of The Children’s Trust www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk

Hope for sufferers

After the recent Brain Awareness Week, I would like to alert your readers suffering from tinnitus that research funded by Deafness Research UK is bearing fruit. They should not give up hope.

The number of recent suicides of tinnitus sufferers has increased the sense of urgency surrounding research and while these things do take time, the latest research is backing up anecdotal evidence that hearing aids can help alleviate the condition for some sufferers.

The same research is also looking at the potential causes of tinnitus within the brain, which could help us manage symptoms better and even deliver a cure.

If your tinnitus symptoms are becoming unmanageable, contact your GP for advice. People can also contact us at Deafness Research UK directly for guidance, practical support and free literature on managing tinnitus.

Free information is available from our website at deafnessresearch.org.uk, by email to info@deafnessresearch.org.uk or by calling our freephone helpline on 0808 808 2222.

Vivienne Michael Chief Executive Deafness Research UK