Letters - July 25, 2017

Obscene pay reflects BBC's judgement
Gary LinekerGary Lineker
Gary Lineker

It comes as little surprise to find the once great institution of the BBC being dragged further into controversy with recent events.

The obscene salaries paid to mediocre personalities is a sharp reflection of its judgement and its sense of balance.

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The disparity between gender pay is offensive to the many millions of women who buy their TV licences with their hard-earned cash.

The BBC’s feeble excuse that it is a competitive industry and they have to compete with other companies is nonsense.

Who cares who presents Match of the Day?

I could name half a dozen recent presenters of the programme who have done a decent job on less than a third of Lineker’s salary, so what are we exactly paying for?

More than 22,000 people pay their licence fee every year to cover Radio Two presenter Chris Evans’ annual salary. No more needs to said about that.

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We live in an age of greed and a complete lack of empathy with the poor and needy.

These bland personalities on our radios and television, most of them millionaires many times over, bleat on constantly about government policy, immigration, welfare cuts and the like and usually take every photo opportunity to be seen holding a hand or wiping away a tear, before it is instantly posted on bland book, dull tweet, or insta-boring gram.

These people should take their lead from the great philanthropists of the past who gave back real help to the needy in the form of homes, medicine and public parks. Perhaps Chris Evans should stop giving rides to under-privileged kids in his classic cars and give them some cash instead.

Recent revelations have thrown up many questions and no doubt many PR men are being hired to give the most sincere answers.

Cameron Fleming

Via email

‘VERMIN’

Seagulls are misunderstood

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After reading Adrian L Hunter’s hateful letter towards seagulls and gulls ‘these flying vermin must be dealt with’ (Your View, July 22), I watched a young seagull in the gutters looking for food.

I thought ‘I suppose your parents would have made you aware of some humans who dislike you because of your species’.

It used to be pigeons that some people hated, until we found out they won medals for their war work.

My niece Karen, from Blackpool, has a regular visit from ‘Shakelton’ the seagull. He is fed on cat food on arrival. He does not squawk but makes a chunnering noise to say ‘I have arrived’. The dish can be held out to him by hand or put in a plant pot.

He is ever so friendly - and they have cats.

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I read about a Peter Rock. he is Europe’s leading authority on seagulls/gulls. He said they are not thugs; they do whatever they can to avoid physical contact. He studied 8,000 of the birds and ringed them. He goes on to say seagulls and gulls are misunderstood.

One question I would ask the wildlife experts is whether humans are destroying the gulls’ habitat? Why are these young seagulls looking in the gutters for some food?

P O’Connor

Portland Road
Blackpool

STORM

Everyone used to have wellies

The downpour that hit Blackpool last week was a one in 800 years storm according to United Utilities, after their analysis of Met Office data.

Fascinating. The Met Office hasn’t got data earlier than the 1850s!

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There are many people around who remember that even more prolonged summer storms, with hours of thunder and lightning, were common in the 1940s and 50s.

Everyone needed a good pair of wellies in those days.

The Gazette photo of the flooding under Devonshire Road railway bridge brought it all back.

That’s where the local kids gathered to see vehicles conk out as drivers dared to try.

Barry band

Via email

DUNKIRK

A war film 
worth seeing

I recently went to see the film Dunkirk.

It certainly captured the desperate plight of the near 400,000 Allied soldiers stranded on the beaches at Dunkirk in May 1940 during the Second World War.

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If it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of the RAF in keeping the Luftwaffe from attacking the many boats and craft bravely crossing the English channel both ways, and the Allied soldiers fighting the advancing German army from breaking through to the beaches things could have been so different. Fortunately many of the Allied soldiers made it back to UK to fight another day and saved us from having to negotiate some kind of peace with the Germans.

Dunkirk is definitely a film worth seeing.

Stephen Briscoe

Via email

WELL DONE LADS

Cheerful and helpful at tip

I have been clearing a lot of rubbish from my loft, which meant trips to Jamieson Road tip on several occasions.

The men who work there never failed to be cheerful and above all helpful.

I would like to say thanks to all who work at the domestic waste disposal area for the cheerful assistance you have given me. It is a pleasure to use the facility.

Well done lads.

Gordon McCann

Wyre Borough Hon 
Alderman

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