Letters - December 11, 2017

Santa dash painted the town festive red
Picture by Julian Brown 03/12/17  The race begins  Santa Dash from the Sandcastle to Central Pier, Blackpool, and back in aid of Brian House Children's HospicePicture by Julian Brown 03/12/17  The race begins  Santa Dash from the Sandcastle to Central Pier, Blackpool, and back in aid of Brian House Children's Hospice
Picture by Julian Brown 03/12/17 The race begins Santa Dash from the Sandcastle to Central Pier, Blackpool, and back in aid of Brian House Children's Hospice

I was delighted to join World Class Zumba professional Zumba Suzy, dressed as Santa and her enormous dog, “Ludo” and some 1,700 Santas on Blackpool’s famous promenade for the annual popular fund raiser “Charity Santa Dash”, raising some £30,000 for local Brian House Children’s Hospice.

In the beautiful sunshine, hundreds of people, of all ages and abilities, dressed in red and white were sent along the promenade in glee!

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Such a community atmosphere enjoyed by all. Police were on duty keeping the event safe. We painted the promenade in joyous red as the spectacle of Santas fled along with smiling faces and pride. The tide came in to cheer us on as did on lookers, stewards and first aiders.

Such a well organised event as were the welcome hot chocolate and cookies at the finish line! I will treasure my medal with immense pride and indeed I look forward to next year’s event.

Well done to the organisers and indeed all who took part. I always say, when community comes together, amazing things happen!

Andrew Noble

via email

HEALTH

Mortality rates are not good enough

I was shocked and disappointed that The Gazette chose to place an article showing that Blackpool had the highest mortality rate in England, in 2016, on Page 9 (Gazette, November 28).

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The short article, using data compiled by the Office for National Statistics, said of Blackpool: “The resort has 1,287.8 deaths per 100,000 - the worst in the country.”

The average mortality rate in England was 959.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

I’m sure this information was lost to many people. Why was this not front page news? Why was there no reaction from the council on these figures?

Have we really got to the point where the fact that the death rate in Blackpool in 2016 was almost double that of the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (667.4 deaths per 100,000 people) merits nothing more than just a few column inches on Page 9 of The Gazette?

Alex Jackson

St Annes

FUN

Festive game

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We need a new game for Christmas parties and beyond. Starball is a game with a difference.

There are five players in all. Each player stands at a different point of an imaginary star rather like cardinal points on a compass.

The original position of each players is as follows. A red clad player stands due north. A yellow clad players stands north east. A blue clad player stands south east. A green clad player stands south west. A white clad players stands north west.

The ball moves clockwise round the star. Each player in turn tries to pass the ball to the next player but one on his left until the ball has completed its passage round the star and returned to the player who originally passed it first.

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Every time the ball is passed from one player to the next player but one, the immediately next player between them tries to intercept the ball in mid passage. He then in his turn tries to pass the ball to the next player but one to him.

The completed (unbroken) passage of the ball is called a star, and a star is awarded to the player who originally passed it first and has received it back. A starlet (or small star) is awarded to each player who has contributed to the successful (unbroken) passage of the ball.

John Buckle

St Annes

BREXIT

End this drawn out Brexit purgatory

I (and I’m sure I’m not alone) am sick, sick, sick of reading in the press about Brexit.

The worst thing former Prime Minister ever did was hold a referendum on the subject - and this mayhem is the result.

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I know Blackpool was one of the biggest supporters that we leave the EU so on their heads also this chaos rests.

As it was so close a vote in the UK generally, I suggest we have another vote and I’m damn sure there would be a totally different outcome and the majority would change to the sensible view (which happens to be this writers) and all this drawn out purgatory Theresa May (also deeply an ‘anti brexit’) is experiencing now and for the next umpteen months. I know this will raise a shoal of ‘Ark at him’ response but then the truth often does.

Neil Kendall

South Shore

POLITICS

Let Trump come for his State visit

Why on earth should we not invite Donald Trump for a State visit here? After all, we are at loggerheads with most of Europe and have disagreements with the leaders of Scotland and Ireland closer to home. There is no question of any of these leaders being barred.

Barrie Crowther

via email

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