Letters - January 31, 2019

No surprise butcher’s are shutting down

Back in the 1970s and 80s, we had dozens of local butcher’s shops. Now there are but a handful in the whole area.

Meanwhile the growth of nail bars, ladies’ hairdressers and beauticians has rocketed.

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The demise of the butcher’s shop has also brought about the loss of the wholesale meat markets and abattoirs that every large city or town had.

Now there are only a handful of abattoirs and they have to be hidden from the public in case of animal rights protesters.

I was recently in the company of a young couple who are vegans.

They openly admitted that they are bringing up their children to believe that “meat is the work of the devil”.

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I did, however, point out that they were both wearing leather shoes and belts and the husband had a leather jacket.

They said they realised it was a “double standard” attitude. With these changing attitudes towards meat, is it any wonder that we are witnessing the demise of the independent butcher?

Chris Ramus

Address supplied

We are urged to adopt a low meat diet to save the planet and cater for a projected global population of 10 or 11 billion people.

These strike me as being rather inconsistent objectives. Concern for the planet is hardly a sentiment which inclines one towards facilitating such growth in the human population.

JG Riseley

Via email

BREXIT

Ration books are the way forward...

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We are being told that Brexit is likely to bring shortages of fresh food and medical supplies.

With the very real prospect of a no-deal Brexit looming on the horizon, surely is time for the government to act and introduce rationing before the country descends into chaos? Ration books, and queuing up for supplies, is a small price to pay and will help bring back that famous Dunkirk spirit, uniting the whole country again to pull through together...

Phil Cray

Via email

BREXIT

Why reveal our hand in EU talks?

The naivety of Labour is beyond belief – they are sponsored by, and funded by, the trade unions who, if they were in negotiations with their employers, would not rule out strike action as a negotiating tool to strengthen their arm at the negotiation table.

So why does Labour want Theresa May to remove the threat of a no-deal Brexit from the table while still trying to negotiate with the EU?

Labour should take some lessons from their masters.

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The main problem with the EU is only one party wants to negotiate – and that’s the UK.

J A King

Via email

BANKS

Not all of us want to use web banking

The disclosure that Santander is closing even more branches is appalling.

This is typical of the new trend of banks to force us ‘oldies’ to use the internet to bank, meaning that the banks save money, both on staff and premises.

That might be fine from their point of view, but many of us don’t wish to use the internet to bank.

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What many banks fail to realise is that not all of us have access to the internet.

Many older folk are unable to afford the astronomical cost of line rental and broadband.

Many prefer to deal with a real person and not struggle with obstacle-ridden websites or alternatively, in some cases, a faceless wonder at the end of a phoneline.

Maybe if Santander stopped sponsoring overpaid racing drivers, they wouldn’t need to close so many branches.

Karl Sheridan

Address supplied

EDUCATION

Toughen up rules on academies

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According to the Public Accounts Committe, academies damage children’s education but continue to pay bosses huge salaries.

PAC claims that parents are fighting for information about their children’s schooling, and that some are having to submit freedom of information requests.

On top of this, nearly a quarter of all schools have failed to provide information on the extent and control of asbestos in school buildings.

The PAC report lays bare the many ways in which parents, staff and local communities are being ignored or sidelined by academy trusts.

The Department for Education should toughen up its rules to make academies more accountable.

John Appleyard

Address supplied