Letters - October 21, 2019

Anyone who has seen the new Convention Centre over the last 12 months can assume that it will not be opening next spring. The steel works was erected 12 months ago and there is no sign of any cladding yet. Every project seems to take years longer than anticipated so if the timescale slips why are the contractors not obliged to work weekends and evenings to catch up ?

There should be a public website for all major projects giving a time scale and owning up to delays.

The Talbot Road tramway should be open now so that it will be around three years before it opens.

The Star Hotel was demolished and a new hotel built and opened by the Pleasure Beach in just over 12 months, so it can be done.

In September 2017 it was announced in the Gazette that the Coronation Street development of Wilkos store, cinemas and shops would be starting in spring 2018. In July 2018 it was announced that everything was in place to start construction and that the new store would be opening in “months” and ready for early 2019. I have not seen one brick laid yet. It will be at least 2022 before that is open.

It was announced that Blackpool had 11 million visitors last year. This may sound good but bear in mind that the Eden Project , which is not near any big cities, had 7.3 million and that is only, comparatively speaking, a small site. Why was the new Eden Project not pushed for in Blackpool on the Central Station site. It is proposed to open the second Eden Project in Morecambe which will certainly bring prosperity to the town.

Having been in business in Blackpool for over 50 years trading on Coronation Street and witnessed the dramatic decline in footfall it will be too late for me as over the years all improvements seem to be 10 years in the future.

Geoff Race

St Annes

ENVIRONMENT

Well done on recycling news

Good news from Wyre Council that we can now recycle more in the green boxes.

This includes clean yoghurt pots, margarine tubs (along with their lids) and meat, fruit and vegetable trays (of any shape or colour). Even better news is that we will be getting green bins to replace the boxes in the spring as the green boxes are neither use nor ornament for families especially now we can put even more in them for recycling!

Pity about having to wait until spring but I suppose until then it is a case of filling bin/carrier bags with the extra recycling and putting them on top of the green boxes.

We are all keen to do our ‘bit’ and good on Wyre for accommodating more recycling products.

The next thing is that all the supermarkets do their bit and get rid of excessive plastic packaging etc.

Name and address supplied

Environment

Wrong target

I agree with the message behind Extinction Rebellion’s protests. We need to look after our planet. But targeting London Underground passengers? People who use public transport? Am I missing something here? Sorry XR, I think I’ll stick to the Woodland Trust. Planting trees and looking after woodland helps wildife, people’s mental health and, oh yes, climate change.

Dottie

via email

NATIONHOOD

Songs are to

be celebrated

The hymn title Jerusalem was voted the UK’s Favourite Hymn on September 29’s edition of the BBC programme Songs Of Praise.

I also like that hymn. On some of the previous editions of Songs Of Praise, Jerusalem has been referred to as ‘England’s hymn’, The Skye Boat Song as ‘Scotland’s hymn’, Cwm Rhondda as ‘Wales’s hymn’ and Londonderry Air as ‘Northern Ireland’s hymn’ but I’ve only ever heard that said on Songs Of Praise and I have never yet heard anything that says they are the national anthems of those countries.

Are they now the national anthems of these countries and, if not, why not?

I see no reason why there shouldn’t be a national anthem for England, as well as a national anthem for the UK.

Dick Appleyard

Address supplied

SOCIETY

Innovative uses for old railway guides

Some reader may recall the custom of cutting up newspapers for loo paper.

My father, who was a train driver, would cut up old railway guides and hang them on a nail on the outside toilet door.

They were even more abrasive than newspaper.

Cleanliness was one of the first casualties of wartime austerity.

Newspaper was recycled in several ways.

At the local chippy, the only concession to hygiene was to place the meal on a small piece of greaseproof paper before wrapping it in a copy of the News of the World.

Now I recycle the excess of pristine paper which comes with fish and chips.

Brian H Sheridan

address supplied