Letters - October 23, 2019

Do these people see what resort offers?
Blackwoods Rock ShopBlackwoods Rock Shop
Blackwoods Rock Shop

The Conference Centre Steering Group’s remarks highlighting, in their opinion, the lack of restaurants and quality eateries in Blackpool are uncalled for. (‘Plans to revive old rock shop’, Gazette, October 21).

Do they actually go out and see for themselves and sample what we have? Without singling out names of restaurants and eateries, I’m sure those of us who use them regularly will object to the steering group’s comments, which incidentally I find offensive, as I am sure customers and proprietors do too.

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An abundance of restaurants of different cultures, aside from the numerous eateries that serve quality food with quality service, have built up a clientele of customers because of their rating and standards.

There may well be a handful of eateries below the highest standards, as you would expect to find in most towns, but the aforementioned are in a different league from fast food venues and outlets.

I suggest the members of the Steering Group choose their words more carefully in future, especially when it seems they’re making judgements over culinary venues they know little or nothing about.

Clifford Chambers

Ashton Road, Blackpool

TRANSPORT

The death knell for rail privatisation

When the Tories are saying that Northern Rail might be renationalised, you know the death knell of rail privatisation has arrived.

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It has never made any sense and now even those who, for dogmatic reasons, pioneered privatisation of our railways, are having second thoughts.

Taxpayers and passengers have been taken for a ride for far too long, while shareholders have laughed all the way to the bank.

If Grant Shapps doesn’t gather the courage to bring Northern and the rest of the franchises back into public ownership, rest assured come the general election, Labour will.

Manuel Cortes

TSSA General Secretary

TRANSPORT

Northern Rail deserve support

I recognise that I am in the minority, but as a regular user of Northern rail services, let me offer just a little support to the beleaguered operator.

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I am fortunate not to have to suffer the huge problems commuters face around our biggest cities on a daily basis, although I have had to put up with awful congestion on certain services, where rolling stock is also decidedly antiquated.

Yet the operator should be praised for introducing smashing new trains, with comfortable seating and free wifi.

Moreover, they have also established some imaginative new services such as the cross-Pennine through trains. For those of us fortunate to travel at quieter times, Northern also offer innovative £10 day ranger tickets throughout most of the year.

So, whilst thousands have good cause to label them Northern Fail, I think we should be prepared to give them some credit.

Yet that is unlikely to save them in the coming months.

Ian Richardson

address supplied

POLITICS

We have to turf

out the turncoats

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In his View from Westminster column, Chris Moncrieff says that no reputable English political party should have it’s ranks tainted by turncoats (Gazette, October 15). After all, the electorate voted for a specific party rather than the individual.

This statement brought to mind the situation within Fylde Borough Council when two gentlemen from Freckleton, immediately after being elected under the Independent Candidate banner, swapped horses to the Conservative Party, where they have remained ever since.

One wonders why they stood as Independents in the first place and why they swapped horses so rapidly?

The story reminds me of an old tale from history lessons regarding the wooden horse of Troy. Also reminds me of a certain recent British Prime Minister whose lifestyle is very much at odds with his espoused political beliefs at the time of his election.

Peter K Roberts

Warton