Readers’ Letters March 31, 2017

I was told by my mother that the day was organised in the 1800s or even earlier so servants could have a day off and visit their mothers, and attend church with them. I recall when I was small we would always go to our parish church for the Mother’s Day service and we children would troop along the aisle to the altar where the vicar would hand us a bunch of fresh violets to give to our mums.

My mother had two daughters and so received two gifts of violets whereas the mums of some larger families struggled to keep hold of them all! I recall there were few fathers or men in the church; and it was a lovely, serene time in the church.

However, back to commercialism: I don’t think there is one shop or business which is not promoting Mother’s Day with special gifts or treats or cards. And this is what is making me mad and sad.

It’s getting to be like Christmas or Easter when the significance of what we are supposed to be celebrating is lost in a mass of garish lights and baubles, overpriced gifts, and the fat, roly poly vision of a bearded Father Christmas. The original St Nicholas obviously did not look like that as today’s Santa is another image which has been invented by advertisers to sell their wares.

I do not go to church nowadays, but I fear for our children who will grow up thinking Father Christmas is real, and there are elves and reindeer which can fly, and begin to think of this as being fact, not fiction. Effectively fake news.

Mrs D HOLLINGWORTH

email

Another case of progress over nature

It was with a feeling of sadness that I noted on Sunday, March 19 the beautiful flowering cherry tree outside the library has been cut down and removed.

The tree has long been a source of joy when in full bloom and will be sadly missed by many locals.

The bench underneath the tree was also removed, which means that people no longer have a place to rest while waiting for the over 60s club to open or to break the journey into town – a matter of irritation for a blind friend of mine, who used to wait there with his guide dog. I saw no explanation given for the removal of either the tree or the bench, and can only assume it’s another case of progress over nature.

Mrs J ALLSOP

Raglan Street

Lowestoft

Concern over bypass eyesore

Who on earth is responsible for that hideous mess alongside Kessingland bypass? I couldn’t believe my eyes when it was done a few years ago.

The hedgerows are so neat and tidy and we have that mess! What an eyesore, talk about hit and miss. I assume there was a plan – I can’t think what it was! I certainly wouldn’t want my name associated with that.

B TOWNSEND

Wrentham

Third crossing demand

I acknowledge Jackie Cheesman (Your Opinions, March 24) has lived in the Lancaster area and has family that still does. However my colleague also lives there. He advises the thinking behind what is in effect Lancaster’s third crossing was to ease congestion in the town centre.

The fact it may not be as bad as that in Lowestoft town centre does not mean the same principle of induced demand does not apply. Initially it brought relief but for that reason more cars started coming into the town centre until the induced demand exceeded the extra capacity provided by the new road.

Ironically, if the congestion is not as bad as in Lowestoft it is arguably more reason to take note because the induced demand could be worse here.

What a negative and morbid letter from Mrs Cheesman. Is it really believed the only way we can save Lowestoft is to have more cars coming in?

Yes, roadworks are a pain but do we spend millions of pounds of taxpayers money trying to guess and cover all eventualities of roadworks?

If people don’t know where East Anglia is they will hardly know where Lowestoft is. Oh of course, I suppose that is down to East Anglia’s poor road network generally.

My experience is different. When I visited the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides and told the hotel barman where I lived he said, “Aha, the most easterly town.”

Many people outside East Anglia say things like, “Oh lovely, I envy you,” “We went sailing at Oulton Broad,” and “Lovely quiet part of the world.”

All this said, I accept it is now likely the third crossing will happen. That is why I will be pushing radical ideas for cycling.

JOHN THOMPSON

Dell Road

Oulton Broad

Recognise war victims?

I am acting on behalf of the authorities at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery Busan South Korea, where more than 800 British Servicemen are buried.

The authorities there wish to obtain photographs of those servicemen interred there, and, also of those who died but have no known grave. Copies of the photograph will be placed in the man’s records, and will also be displayed on the walls of the Cemetery Hall of Remembrance, for all time.

The following names are just some of the young men from the East Anglia area who gave their lives in Korea: Capt David L Astley-Cooper; Pte George H Overy; Capt John L Lane; 2nd Lt Jonathan Wormald; L/Cpl Cecil Sharpe; Rfn Lawrence Bell; 2nd Lt John R K Doig; Lt Richard J Overton (RN); Fus John Dockerill.

Any family, or friend, who lost a loved one in the Korean War 1950-53, and wish to take part can send the photograph to me via Brian Hough 116 Fields Farm Road, Hyde Cheshire SK14 3NP. If more details are required telephone 0161 368 5622 or 07467037742. You can also email bhough116@gmail.com

BRIAN HOUGH

Cheshire

Lloyd Cole show a good night

There was a good turnout to see Lloyd Cole at The Aquarium on Sunday, March 26. Plenty of diehard Lloyd Cole fans turned up for what was the first seated gig I’ve been too. It was a change, but the seats weren’t very comfortable.

Lloyd put on a good show, and had a very dry sense of humour. I didn’t really know any of his songs apart from Perfect Skin, which went down very well.

He wasn’t a bit like his moody photos, and in the second half of the show he brought out his son William Cole, who played guitar and looked like a young Robert Smith (The Cure). All in all it was a good night out and I even got my poster signed.

BARRY BUTCHER

Cambridge Road,

Lowestoft

Is CCG interest double speak?

Well, well, well…. news that land adjacent to the Sole Bay Health Centre in Reydon is now the subject of recently held meetings by the CCG is more than just a matter for concern but might well be just another example of “double speak” coined by that famous resident of Southwold?

Yes, we are once again asked to go down that well worn consultation route or should that now be rephrased…. an engagement exercise!! Are we to believe that there was any real intent in developing this site for a care home or just an exercise in having to finally come clean by proposing the divestment of expensive land for private housing?

Well, the CCG now says they cannot find a property developer to build a care home there? Why not, where is the evidence they ever tried?

Was it not the case the proposal was just part of the original ploy at large public meetings to close Southwold hospital and replace it with “out of hospital” teams and beds in a private care home even if we now know that they are not really appropriate and fit for purpose for many patients discharged from acute hospitals. Yes, a home is desirable but it’s not a panacea with many discharged patients requiring clinically dedicated hospital stays before returning home or transferred to residential care.

If the NHS owns the land, why not build a hybrid facility, a fusion of a care home with an intermediate facility able to rehabilitate patients discharged from hospital as has been suggested by Lord Carter in his review of how the NHS can save money in order to resolve bed blocking improving patient flow and the predicted extra demand from an ageing population? Surely, this would be a creative application serving an integrated agenda of service-patient care which under the aegis of the NHS brand of public ownership rather than to a remote finance house or beholden to a health group servicing private shareholders?

NHS property services have recently supplemented the Pirlow legacy with half a million in refurbishing the Beccles hospital and now just re-opened as an intermediate facility. Surely, it would be better and cheaper than using private care homes in the wake of the closure of Southwold and the ending of in-patient care at Patrick Stead hospital in Halesworth?

We know adult social care is in crisis with so many care homes close to bankruptcy, have given notice of withdrawal from council contracts and subject to CCQ improvement notices: many of which would have been closed if it were not for the fact there is such a shortage of residential beds. Also, when after such a long gestation period and kept under wraps for so many months, will we be told, what the board of the JPUH intends to do with Lowestoft hospital which for all the world looks ready for demolition?

Finally, let’s hope the Health East CCG, composed of local GPs and health professionals might well put pressure on NHS property services not to scupper by calling time on the redundant hospital as an asset for sale and instead support Southwold residents who in proposing to develop the site as a community resource shows just how much the people of Southwold valued the hospital that served the community for so many years and in hindsight should not have been closed.

RICHARD CHILVERS

Shaw Avenue

Carlton Colville