Letters - August 12, 2019

I enjoy holidays but needn’t damage the environment excessively by doing so. Having weighed up problems caused by air travel, I gave up flying 20 years ago. Apart from noise pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, the less publicised effect of high level water vapour from aircraft contrails is damaging – it is also a greenhouse gas. Nearly all my holidays since have been in the UK and it isn’t the miserable place he describes. Britain has more variety in a small space than any other country on earth. I still find more parts to discover, even in the North of England, where Sedbergh and the Howgill Fells was a recent delightful find. Strangely enough, I’ve never been rained off from a UK holiday. If I waited for politicians to set a good example, I’d wait a long time, but we can all take our own measures. While I am not environmentally perfect, I can manage life quite well without owning a car and by avoiding air travel.I suggest other readers follow suit. They might even learn that Britain really is a great country in which to holiday. They could start with a trip to the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Harrogate. In The Mikado, they will hear the lines “The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own”. I couldn’t put it better.Roger BackhouseAddress supplied

FRACKINGNo desire to live near frack siteI have been following the fracking debate with great interest and can see the arguments from both sides. However, the simple reality for me – and I suspect many people, even those theoretically in favour of it – is that I would have no desire to live anywhere near a fracking site.Jenny Eaves via email

APPEALDo what you can for coffee morning

I am thrilled that Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘World Biggest Coffee Morning’ event is fast approaching. I love a cuppa as much as the next person, and it’s great that you can help people with cancer at the same time, so I would love for readers in Lancashire to get involved.Macmillan’s Coffee Morning raises millions for the ever-growing number of people affected by cancer. Macmillan is not government funded, so without the public’s generous help, they simply can’t provide the services that are needed here in Lancashire. Around 200,000 every year host coffee mornings in their workplaces, schools and homes across the country. It couldn’t be simpler and more fun to take part - come together as a community in support of people living with cancer and raise money for Macmillan.Macmillan is here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can, providing physical, financial and emotional support. The charity provides advice and support seven days a week on its free support line as well as through its 7,700 healthcare professionals. But demand for Macmillan’s services is constantly growing and it needs your help to support the growing number of people living with cancer across the UKMacmillan’s Coffee Morning takes place on Friday September 27 (but people can host whenever they want) and people will be making a difference however they get involved.Whoever you invite and whatever you serve, you can host your coffee morning your way - if you can’t bake, that doesn’t have to stop you! Homes, workplaces and communities from the Shetland Islands to Land’s End will be hosting Coffee Mornings this year; readers in Lancashire can find events nearby using the interactive map on the Coffee Morning website (www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee).Do something amazing today sign up to host a World’s Biggest Coffee Morning at coffeeregister.macmillan.org.ukThank you very much,

Martin Clunesvia email

BREXITA far worse betrayal of democracy

Yet another privileged member of the titled (and entitled) class has given voice to her opinion that a no-deal departure from the EU would be a “betrayal of democracy”. Might I suggest to Baroness Altmann that a far worse betrayal would be to ignore the vote by 17.4 million people in the 2016 Referendum – and that the repercussions of such a betrayal could be far worse?James RobsonAddress supplied