Spalding Guardian readers' letters w/c December 2, 2019
Memories of former Gleed School teacher
Through your letters page I would like to pay a tribute to Mrs Carol Burton, of Spalding, who died on October 23. Carol was a best friend, she was an academic, a brilliant French and English literature teacher. She taught at the St John Gleed School for a number of years and was a supply teacher at Spalding High School on occasions when required.
Carol was a kind, loyal and caring friend, one of a kind who would encourage her pupils and give help to anyone who needed it. Carol supported the Peace Movement whose aim is to bring peace to the world. I shall miss you dear friend. May God bless you and keep you in his loving care, with Christian love. Janet Sauter, Bourne
The whole town is so shabby
I walk into town most days and have noticed, behind the old Bull and Monkie site, washing on a line and two men climbing over the wall by The Vista.
Where are the police? There aren’t any community police about either. They talk on the news about low morale in the police force but I think the people feel the same and let down by the police.
There are cyclists racing along pavements at speed, cars park wherever they like, litter is still terrible and the bins that are actually used are overflowing. There is also open drinking (alcohol) everywhere. There used to be an area where it was banned!
The shops in some parts have broken gutters and downpipes so pedestrians get soaked when it rains, flooded pavements where the drains are blocked. Even Bourne Road, where it was re-surfaced, floods along the edges.
The whole town is shabby, apart from a few shops that take pride in their business. It’s no good blaming Springfields for the lack of trade in town when no one is bothered to go the extra mile in town.
M Mitchell
Spalding
Let’s support only bank
In the Spalding Guardian last week the article over ‘loss of the bank’ had already been overtaken by events before the paper was ‘on the streets’!
TSB in Long Sutton was already secure by Wednesday!
I hope that local people and those in the surrounding communities support our local branch.
Loss of all other banks has caused a lot of inconvenience and trouble locally.
Let us ensure that the one remaining bank in Long Sutton goes from strength to strength so that we do at least keep this bank with its friendly, helpful service.
Chris Brewis
via email
EDITOR: We spoke to TSB on the Wednesday when we were told a decision would be announced the following day.
Sir John is so widely respected
Tasked with travelling across our nation to gather evidence about the strength of communities for a Centre for Social Justice study, I was thrilled when Sir John Hayes agreed to serve as parliamentary chairman of the subsequent report.
Here at the CSJ, we are personally familiar with the goodwill and respect with which John is held by those in political parties across the House of Commons. His eloquence and thoughtful intellectualism are matched by his character and relentless hard work for social justice.
Without John’s time and insight, I do not believe our recommendations would have received the positive reception and widespread media coverage they did.
The people of South Holland and the Deepings have been fortunate to have such a widely-respected MP, who can use his own personal reputation to fight for good causes, charities and campaign for those in need.
Thank you, Sir John, for all you do.
Imogen Sinclair
via email
Only Labour can save the health service
It’s the eleventh hour for our NHS and only Labour can save it. Labour created the NHS, only Labour can save our NHS, only Labour truly respects the workers who now desperately need reform.
What’s the difference between a python eating a hamster and the Tories being in charge of the NHS?
Absolutely nothing, according to former Conservative prime minister John Major, who famously quipped that the NHS is about as safe with Boris Johnson and Micheal Gove “ as a pet hamster would be with a hungry python”.
Many say the NHS is already half-way down the python’s gullet after nearly 10 years of Tory rule, even without the risk of Johnson selling it to Trump, and that the only way the health service can be saved is if Labour extracts it from the serpent’s jaws.
But what will Labour’s NHS rescue mission look like? For starters, the most immediate threat to the NHS – Tory plans to include the heath service in a trade deal with the Trump administration – will be quashed.
Stopping the Tories from doing any more damage to the NHS is just the first step. After the rescue will come the resuscitation, rehabilitation and the strengthening of the health service.
Labour will restore a publicly administered, publicly accountable, comprehensive and universal NHS. It has pledged £26billion in a real terms funding boost.
Instead of the staff and skills shortages crippling the health service at the moment, Labour will invest £330million in staff training, legislate for safe staffing and bring back NHS bursaries to train 24,000 more nurses and midwives.
GP training places will be expanded by 50 per cent to 5,000 a year, helping to deliver 27 million extra appointments, while the number of health visitors and school nurses will also be increased.
To fully fund public health services, Labour will implement a number of measures, including raising income tax for the top five per cent of earners, as well as increasing tax on private medical insurance.
Measures will also be introduced to secure generic versions of patented medicines at affordable prices – including the creation of a new publicly-owned generic drugs manufacturer to supply better value medicines to the NHS.
This coming election is a fight for the future of our NHS. It’s a fight for each and every one of us in every community. A fight for a fully-funded NHS, a National Care Service, an end to privatisation. More doctors, more nurses.
The health of every child first. Free prescriptions, the best quality care for all and a public and universal NHS, this is what we strive for. The next Labour government will rebuild our NHS.
Rodney Sadd
SouthHolland & The Deeping’s Constituency Labour Party
Thought For The Week
A few years ago I encountered Christmas in April. I was close to Bethlehem staying at the Tantur Institute for Theological Studies. I could see the wall of separation.
It was really strange singing ‘While Shepherds Watched’ in the shepherds cave, rather than in a carol service in church in December. On a grey damp day there was opportunity to walk through the check point to reach Bethlehem square. Saw the guards with their guns, heard about curfews and rationing, kept close to the guide, held my visa and passport tightly, and was shaken by the entrance to this Holy town.
My idyllic picture of ‘O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see you lie’ was shattered. Even more so when I saw the different sized baby Jesus plastic dolls in the souvenir shops and the fast food outlets so close to Nativity Square and its church over the manger site.
Bethlehem, the place of Christmas, still occupied, not now by Romans but by consumerism, and the fears and dreads of living within a Palestine/Israel unresolved political and religious agenda.
The angels were absent, didn’t find a stable with Mary and Joseph, but at least I can sing carols with today’s reality of Bethlehem.
Rev Frances Ballantyne
Spalding Methodist minister
Previously...
Free Press readers letters w/c December 2, 2019
Spalding Guardian readers letters w/c November 25, 2019
Spalding Guardian readers letters w/c November 11, 2019
