Letters - February 28, 2017

The shopkeeper would say “how are you today Mrs Jones?” or use first names and have a conversation laced with family topics. Today, in supermarkets, assistants talk kindly to you, and ask if they can help with the packing, but they have limited time. We avoid being checked out by machines.

Our identity is affected by the buildings around us. At the end of our road, small shops at the corners keep changing. I have also noticed over the years many of the small shops on the main road have closed –the butchers, fishmonger, banks, the post office, a gents outfitters, opticians, carpets shops and many more have all gone. Luckily, we still have some small shops left.

The provision, location and accessibility of shopping facilities are aspects of the environment which contribute to an individual’s feeling of wellbeing and sense of community. In the future, will we be sat at the computer ordering our food and goods online, to be delivered by drones? We seem to be moving in that direction. How times have changed.

P O’Connor

Portland Road

Blackpool

ENERGY

Fracking protest has a negative effect

Admittedly, the weather was somewhat inclement for this weekend’s fracking protest, but the turnout seems to have been unreasonably low, even with the “extras and heavies” brought in from other areas. Looks like the protests are running out of steam.

But why am I, a Fylde/Lancashire council tax payer, paying out for our police to manage these events when they could be better employed elsewhere?

There may be a few motorists who are “tooting to support”, but the vast majority simply see it as an irrelevant delay in their journeys. As the news of these delays are mentioned in the media, it is bound to have a negative effect on the tourist industry, particularly with the Easter holiday coming up soon. Much of our local economy is dependent upon money brought into the area by visitors.

The current activity on the Preston New Road site appears to be of an exploratory nature and the results should give us a better understanding of “the facts”. So, until this phase is completed, there seems little point in the protest activity.

And, finally, the actions of some of the disguised individuals who were provoking the police, trespassing, deliberately disrupting the traffic and causing wilful damage will not endear them to the local residents. If the local protesters are looking for support, this is not the way forward.

All-in-all it looks to have been a negative effect.

Frank McLaughlin

Lytham

ENERGY

Protesters’ actions are a disgrace

I would like to thank the anti-fracking brigade for making our lives a misery on Carr Bridge Park and Preston New Road.

On several occasions we have gone to catch a bus, but no bus has arrived because the road has been closed by the police due to these protestors. People on this park are elderly and with no transport are virtually like prisoners.

We do not agree to fracking, but it is a disgrace the way they are acting.

Kevin Long

via email

POLITICS

There is an answer to the Tories’ rule

When I look at the way this country is going I despair. I used to be immensely proud of it, but now I find it hard to feel the same.

As a nation we have voted to leave the security of the European Union – it seems because many don’t like immigration. They have voted in another Tory government because it seems they don’t like the Labour leader. This despite their austerity measures hitting us hard with no end in sight to the policy.

I struggle to understand the mindset of people who would prefer to endure this with all that it means.

Our schools are now facing draconian cuts which will mean larger class sizes and fewer teachers. We are seeing the virtual abandonment of any decency and care for the disabled, the elderly and mentally ill citizens – in fact the end of everything that made our country the envy of the world. All because they don’t like the leader of the Labour Party.

Ask yourself a question. Would Tories treat their children or parents the way they are treating ours? The Tories who avoid paying their taxes whilst refusing to spend ours to make our lives better! We are still a very rich country, after all we can it seems afford to spend £250 billion on a missile system that is of no real use to us as we could never use it!

Our present Prime Minister is taking us back to the dark days of Thatcher. Despite being unelected, even by her own party, Theresa May acts like she actually has a mandate for her despicable actions. Nothing she has done or announced since she took office will make our lives better but much of it will make life a lot worse for many of us.

We seem to be wringing our hands and wondering why someone doesn’t do something about it. Well, there is someone, but you have rejected him because you don’t like him!

Think about that when your free health service goes and your kids school has no teachers.

Jeff McCann

via email