The times that we are living in seem to go from bad to worse.

After taking retirement from my job, I decided that it was time to look around for some sort of part time employment, to keep the wolf from the door.

I looked out of my window, as the English drought suddenly turned in to an endless cloud burst but there was nothing else for it other than to don my spats, and grab my brolly and make my way to Swindon town centre in search of the employment exchange. I must have walked up and down Regent Street a dozen times trying to find it and, sadly, everyone that I asked either had never heard of it, or didn’t have a clue where it was.

However, my luck was about to change, as a young fellow said to me, ‘oh they don’t call it the employment exchange these days squire, but the job centre.

‘But don’t go there because there aren’t any jobs on offer there.

‘If you really want to chance your arm then it is Princes Street that you require, but be prepared for a long wait, as you will need to join the long queue outside in the wind and rain.’ I duly thanked him and said, ‘oh, it won’t be so bad when I get inside there, as I know exactly what sort of job I am looking for.’ I joined the snaking queue halfway down the length of Princes Street, having wished that I had brought a survival kit with me as several people who had been waiting for God knows how long in the pouring rain and howling wind looked like they were about to drop on the spot.

Eventually I managed to get inside, and join a new queue, so as to get to the one person staffing the desk, but after another protracted wait I finally made it, and dying of exhaustion totally forgot myself and blurted out, ‘is this the employment exchange?’ The stoney faced man replied, we haven’t been called that for years now, but can I help you? I replied that I knew exactly what type of part time work I was looking for, as I had seen a banking geezer, on the TV news, the night before called Bob Diamond, and I was looking for a similar job with a minimum wage of £8.2m a year, for a two-day week, along with a deferred shares option bumping it up to £17.7m.

Despite my protestations, to the stoney faced man, that I was a willing learner, and had a lifetime of experience, he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and showed me the exit door, despite my protests, of ‘give us a job mister.’ I still can’t work out where I went wrong that day, but I suppose, someone will eventually beat a path to my door and recognise my talents, as I come very cheap.

I am sorry to be so cynical but it must be due to the current era that we find ourselves living in.

G A Woodward Nelson Street, Swindon

Vote tactically

I am sorry that Chris Barry is going to spoil his vote (letters 2/5/12) – perhaps he might consider tactical voting instead. I do think that candidates do themselves no justice when they fail to produce a worthwhile election leaflet. What the electorate needs is some really good information about what the candidate’s views are, what they already do in the community, their past record and experience and, also, to know what they actually look like. Far better to make a considered choice, than to vote for someone who has done nothing more than be a member of a particular party.

The recent ‘thumbnails’ in the Adver were interesting and, in some cases, useful; strange though that there appeared to be at least two unidentifiable candidates as well.

Here, in Wroughton, we have not had a decent parish council election since the late 1990s. There have, in that time, been only two elections out of a potential four – one with no written information about candidates at all and two occasions where there were insufficient candidates to hold an election, so they were returned unopposed. With resignations and co-options to the council over the years it is very difficult to know who these people are, where their interests lie and how they think they can represent us.

Unlike Chris I will be voting but not for anyone who hasn’t had the courtesy to tell me about themselves.

Liz Derbyshire Perry’s Lane, Wroughton

End Eton mess

Voting day is upon us, and we are all scratching our heads who to vote for. I have to say it’s not an easy task this year, we read every day of wrong doings and bad decisions made not only by local government, but the Eton Mess in London.

Our economic future is unsure, unemployment through the roof, and crime still a big problem.

I am certain,that we cannot allow this band of ex public schoolboys to continue to bankrupt our green and pleasant land, what we need is people for the people, decisions that help us all, not the cranks who are only in power because they could not get a proper job.

The choice here in Swindon seems to be between Labour or the Eton Mess(Conservative), Good Luck!

Alan Carr Beverley Swindon

Dementia call

There are 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK, yet a new report by Alzheimer’s Society shows that three quarters of us don’t feel the country is geared up to deal with dementia. The Dementia 2012 report has found that almost half a million people with dementia are battling depression, loneliness or anxiety. Not only do they face a struggle for a diagnosis and support from the health and social care system, but everyday things we all take for granted – getting to the shops, spending time with friends and family, getting money from the bank, going on holiday – are made difficult by the lack of understanding of dementia in our communities.

We must face up to the fact that people with dementia and their carers are being failed.

In the 1950s attitudes to cancer changed and in the 1980s we did the same for AIDS.

Now is the time to begin a movement on dementia.

We all need to respond to the dementia challenge.

KL Henson Alzheimers Society Swindon Services St Andrew’s Church Centre, Raleigh Avenue, Swindon

Thanks for aid

I should like to take this opportunity to thank T Taylor of Hathaway Road for his kind wishes. I should also like to pose the question regarding the statement that Coun Tray is one of the proposers of this draconian piece of legislation.

Does Councillor Tray live in Queensfieled?

If he does, then did he vote for this traffic ban to be passed?

If so, does this not contravene the fact that he had a vested interest in passing the ban. i.e. It was for his personal benefit.

I had always believed that if this was the case then one should leave the discussion and abstain from voting. Or is Coun Tray another NIMBY?

The police officer who stopped me actually told me “It’s not our fault, we were told to do this by the council.”

Where then is the rights of this terrible assault on the freedoms of the people of Swindon?

Are we going to allow the likes of Coun Tray to ride roughshod over us in getting his personal way?

I have received many calls regarding this wholly ridiculous business, and most of them are of a supportive nature.

And does it take into account the council’s green policy, when it take four times the amount of fuel to go around and therefore four time the amount of CO2 emissions. How green is that?

David Collins Blake Crescent Swindon