Letters - September 01, 2016

Weapons

Nuclear arms are simply here to stay

Majorie Nye (Your Say, Gazette, August 30) continues to demonstrate her lack of knowledge about nuclear weapons. She is also wrong in saying that they are the only weapons of mass destruction not to be banned. More than 40 years ago chemical and biological weapons were banned by treaty. However, this has not stopped them being used by Iraq and Syria.

Throughout history banning a weapon has never stopped some countries from using it. It never will. Banning nuclear weapons is a pointless exercise as she would know if she had studied attempts to do so since 1951. As Herman Kahn, a giant in the field of nuclear deterrence, once said: “In any case, you cannot disinvent nuclear weapons.”

You cannot eradicate scientific knowledge.

Ms Nye talks carelessly about the madness of their invention and by implication their use against Japan. Presumably she would have preferred instead an estimated 196,000 Americans to have been killed invading Japan ?

She should recall that, although Japan had had plenty of warning, and been given the option of surrendering, the government and the military adamantly refused. Without the two nuclear bombs the Allies would have suffered horrific casualties invading islands where even women and children had been issued weapons.

The unique horrors of nuclear weapons have played a major role in protecting the West since 1945 and will continue to do so. They are the lynchpin of deterrence.

Nothing is more important than the protection of your country and its peoples. Unfortunately, some, for ideological reasons, do not share this view.

Disarmament is a pipe dream, which is why in the last 60 years the emphasis has been on arms control.

It is not these nuclear weapons that cause wars, it’s nasty people.

Colonel (retired) Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys

Nostalgia

Cooper poster is not a trick of the mind

Some readers may have been puzzled by a Palace Theatre poster of The Tommy Cooper Show on page 6 of the Gazette in Saturday, August 27.

The article said it was a poster of him topping the bill in Blackpool, and would be on display in The Tommy Cooper Collection at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

I’m writing to assure variety fans that they are not losing their marbles!

The poster in question is not from Blackpool’s Palace Theatre, which was demolished in 1962.

The poster has the name Prince Littler as chairman, so it was a Moss Empires venue, not a Blackpool Tower Company theatre.

However, dear fans, you could have seen that very show in Blackpool.

The identical bill and artwork was at the Winter Gardens Pavilion for the 1968 summer season.

And posters for that show exist in Blackpool.

Barry Band

via email

Entertainment

This ‘gob-smacking’ show is so uplifting

If you need an uplifting, entertaining time after the wonderful Olympics... book for the Hot Ice Show and you won’t be disappointed.

The first class skaters, gorgeous costumes and incredible music makes this years show award standard.

The non-stop performance is literally “gob-smacking” and uplifting. It’s a real antidote to the void that the Olympic Games has left. Catch it while you can – it ends on September 10.

Kath Bird

Hawthorne Road

Thornton

Tourism

Sky-high prices are making me feel low

Today, August 30, my wife and I had a lovely day in Blackpool, heading out to South Shore and walking back.

As we approached the Tower we thought we would round the afternoon off with a drink in the Beach House – two half-pints later we were £6.80 worse off, daylight robbery.

As a local I find this outrageous. Am I out of touch with prices, or there is no shortage of cash about the town?

Name and address supplied

Comedy

Northern talent is being overlooked

A few years ago while in Blackpool I went to see a Manchester comedian who was getting rave reviews in the papers.

His name? Milly – and it was the best comedy show I’ve ever seen.

He said it was his ambition to win the Edinburgh comedy fringe festival to prove northern comedians are the best.

Everyone was expecting him to win this year’s fringe best comedian award.

But yet again, he’s been overlooked and I just don’t know why.

The only thing I can think of is the fact he’s a working class northern lad and not a member of the ‘Footlights’ set.

It’s a fix!

Jack McKee

Bredbury

Stockport

Good samaritan

Thanks to the person who found my bag

I would like to say thank-you to the kind lady or gentleman who found my handbag on the number 14 bus last week, and also to Blackpool Transport for its safe return.

Thank you all, so much.

Ms R Page

Kingsmede, Blackpool