Letters - June 26, 2017

The potential to attract European visitors and a wider demographic from London to Blackpool could be achieved with some ‘joined up thinking’.

The capital receives millions of overseas visitors every year. Blackpool visitor attractions that are well managed by Merlin Entertainments could offer a marketing package promotion with London-based attractions also managed by Merlin.

Virgin Trains offer a superb West Coast Service to Preston, Liverpool and Manchester. Their advanced off peak fares offer excellent value for regular business commuters such as myself. Blackpool deserves to be recognised as part of the Virgin Trains destination hub of The North West.

To meet the expectations of the modern visitor and rail user, passengers from London to Blackpool don’t really want to be changing trains at Preston.

I’m a regular commuter to Blackpool and I’m quite embarrassed by the condition of some of the older ‘bone shaker’ trains running from the change over at Preston.

If Blackpool wants to become a destination town again a direct and affordable rail link to London will prove a massive plus point.

What other UK seaside town has a heritage electric tramway, a world famous Tower and Ballroom, three Victorian piers, the Winter Gardens complex and a permanent fair ground such as the Pleasure Beach?

Blackpool is unique, steeped in tourism and social history. The town should not be on its ‘backside’ or receiving the anywhere near the amount of negative press that it does.

Was the closure of Blackpool Central Train station in 1964 a big mistake? The closure was not included in the 1963 Dr Beeching Axe Report of British Railway abandonments. However surprisingly Central Station and land was early purchased by Blackpool Council from British Rail to acquire a prime site for redevelopment. Fifty-three years have shamefully passed and no such ‘lucrative redevelopment’ has ever materialised. The loss of Central Station was undoubtedly the start of Blackpool’s decline.

Stephen Pierre

Blackpool

MEDIA

Selective hearing
in newsrooms?

Why is it that the Channel Four news story about the Conservatives apparently breaking election rules in the last election are not being covered by the rest of the media?

And why has the same media shunned the story about Boris Johnson having a nightmare interview on BBC Radio 4 in which he ummed and erred embarrassingly throughout?

When Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott gave equally embarrassing interviews the papers were all over them like a rash, declaring how they were incompetent to the extreme.

It seems like our newsrooms have selective hearing.

Harry Francis

Via email

CHANGING TIMES

Sad to see state of BT phone boxes now

It’s sad to see BT phone boxes, well, what is left of them, in a state of neglect.

In their heyday they were used by nearly everyone.

A team of phonebox cleaners were there every day. Now alas their days are numbered. But surely BT could keep what is left in a clean and well-maintained condition or remove them. Thus depriving the people who don’t possess a mobile or house phone the means of communicating.

EB Warris

Via email

ROYALTY

Even more respect for the Queen now

I have always admired the Queen and even more so in the past weeks.

I am sure she is very worried about the health of her husband Prince Philip, yet she undertook making The Queen’s Speech at the opening at the House of Lords. In previous weeks (together with Prince Philip) she had the Trooping of the Colour and her visit to survivors of the terrorist attack in hospital.

I am pleased she has managed to get some relxation at the races and hope Prince Philip is soon back at her side giving her support and, on occasion, putting his foot in it.

Edna Levi

Via email

POEM

Dismal picture of our changing land

William Shakespeare said of 16th century England:

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,

The earth of majesty, this seat of mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by nature for herself,

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a most defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm,

This ENGLAND.

My 21st century England:

Welcome to my England

This terrorised island

This land waste by liberal conquest

This earth of sectarian sorrow

This sceptic isle of cultural suppression

This Sodom and Gomorrah in aged sea

Name withheld