Letters - February 8, 2016

This kind of negative media is enough to make anyone living or invested in Blackpool depressed. We need to understand why the national media have got it in for Blackpool.

However it’s not all bad, last week I had the pleasure of meeting a group of university film students who were filming an interesting case study of Blackpool and its better aspirations for an online broadcast. While they clearly recognised the social deprivation, they appreciated the genuine efforts being made by the creatives.

There is a growing sense of optimism among the creative characters who have a vision to help clean up the town’s image with arts and culture.

When Blackpool was still looked upon as a prosperous premier seaside resort,was there enough done to recognise changing tourism markets? Did the tourism bosses not notice the shifting balance of an ageing visitor population? Many of the ‘die hard’ coach trip-style visitors had been returning since the 1950s heydays.

With a fair amount of media and TV exposure that is not purposely exploitative, Blackpool has the potential to be one of the finest resorts in Europe. I believe this success is not beyond the reach of probability, simply because of the town’s strong British seaside heritage.

School education trips should be devised, for pupils to visit the resort. This will contribute to putting the town on the map, and attract new generations of tourists.

Stephen Pierre

via email

ANIMALS

Show the elephants some humanity

It’s time for some humanity towards animals in our care.

The council should reject a planning application submitted by Blackpool Zoo to build a new elephant enclosure.

Elephants are highly intelligent, sensitive animals whose needs cannot be adequately met in captivity. In the wild, Asian elephants roam huge distances and live in complex family groups.

In zoos, they are forced to spend their entire lives behind bars, alone or in artificially created groupings, often displaying stereotypic behaviour, known as “zoochosis”, because of boredom and frustration.

Two elephants have died at Blackpool Zoo since 2014. Rather than condemning future generations of elephants to this miserable existence, Blackpool Zoo should phase out elephant displays altogether and retire its one remaining elephant, Kate, to a sanctuary.

Gordon Sinclair

Smithy Mews

Blackpool

APPEAL

You can help change a young girl’s life

I am writing to you to ask for your support in regards to an upcoming charity event at HMP Kirkham, in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

I am a prisoner who is currently training to be a barber at the Joseph Lanzante Academy, which is based here at Kirkham.

One of our tutors, Debbie Davies, has a relation with a small child who was born without bones in her hand and is currently undergoing constructive surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Along with our main tutor, Rochelle Ryder, students on the course have got involved in various fund-raising activities for our upcoming charity event on February 12.

If you are able to assist us in any way, please could you contact our tutor Debbie Davies at [email protected] or Rochelle Ryder at HMP Kirkham on 01772 675418.

Chris

HMP Kirkham

ENTERTAINMENT

Give up big salaries, not free TV licence

As an avid watcher of the Great British Bake Off since it began, I was horrified when I heard presenters Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry were each to be paid an additional £100,000, bringing their fee for the programme up to £600,000.

This news came just after the poor old BBC were claiming to be hard up and asking elderly pensioners – such as ourselves – to give up our free licence to 
help them in their financial plight.

If this is an example of how the BBC uses licence fee payers’ money, I will certainly not give up my free licence.

Pat Vivian

Address supplied

CHARITY

Make a Valentine’s Day donation

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to appreciate the support you receive from your loved ones. For couples caring for seriously ill children this is more important than ever.

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity supports more than 1,900 families who are caring for a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. The pressure this brings to parents is unimaginable as they support each other through an onslaught of practical and emotional challenges. Rainbow Trust helps the whole family in whatever way it can.

This Valentine’s Day, I am asking readers to make a donation to our charity, which relies almost entirely on voluntary donations. Please donate £5 – the cost of a Valentine’s box of chocolates – to help Rainbow Trust support even more couples and give them the break they so desperately need?

To find out more and make a donation visit www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/donate or call 01372 363438.

Anne Harris

Director of Care at Rainbow Trust