Letters - April 20, 2020

Congratulations to Captain Thomas Moore who has raised in excess of £15m in support of the NHS.

A modest gentleman who, at first, set a target of just £1,000 as a thank you to the staff who cared for him, after falling and breaking his hip.

He was to raise this by sponsorship as he completed 100 laps of his garden before his next birthday at the end of the month.

Then it became clear that his efforts to raise this amount were really quite a target, as on this birthday he would be 100 years of age!

No wonder it caught the imagination of not only this country, but around the world.

This news was a little ray of sunshine in what, up until now, has been nothing but grim statistics on the coronavirus which has had the majority of us locked down for some time.

What I have difficulty in understanding is quite why there is nothing else being covered on every news programme we try to watch.

This has also extended to most other programmes, which used to be light entertainment, but are now also dominated by the news of this virus.

Add to this the criticism of pretty much everything the Government has done to try to get us through what is a very difficult time.

Constructive criticism is one thing, but this constant knocking and questions designed to find fault with everything being done are unacceptable.

Come on you TV programmers, lighten up a bit and please let us have a few more little rays of sunshine like the news of Captain Tom and the millions he has raised.

Graham Archer

address supplied

Virus

Don’t use sky lanterns

Sky lanterns are posing a risk to creatures and the countryside. We are concerned that lanterns, being flown as a show of support for NHS workers during the coronavirus lockdown, could cause serious problems for wildlife.

Sky lanterns are paper-covered wire or bamboo which are powered by a flame inside. They can frighten and kill birds, if they get tangled up in the wire or string attachments. There is also a choking hazard if wildlife sees the material as food.

Our staff and members will be on the doorsteps clapping in support of the courageous and outstanding job being done by our NHS workers and other care staff.

However, we would encourage people not to use sky lanterns because of the damage they can cause.

We don’t want our support for the health workers meaning more work for other emergency workers like the fire service.

It would be wonderful to ask people to make stationary, decorated lanterns that can be used on the street during the clapping in support of the NHS – photos could record their beautiful designs and be displayed on our website.

The RSPCA reports that 200,000 lanterns are flown each year, which do untold damage to the countryside.

The Wildlife Trust supports calls by the RSPCA and the fire service to ask people to stop using sky lanterns.

Moorland fires devastated many square miles, killing hundreds of thousands of creatures, during the hot summer of 2018.

Director of Conservation

Tim Mitcham

Campaigns Manager Alan Wright

The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside

Virus

Young should pick ‘tatties’

Young people should be willing to help pick our crops and be told how teenagers helped in the production of our crops in the war years, and after the war.

Not only will they help the country, but they will have spending money when they resume their academic studies.

As a young teenager and at secondary school, I used to look forward to October half term – “Tattie Picking Week”. For a day gathering potatoes I was paid five shillings (25p) and given a small bag of potatoes to take home. It was a back-breaking job, but I gained satisfaction as I had earned some spending money.

In the autumn, I also used to gather rosehips in the hedgerows and take them into school from where they were collected. We were paid three pence a pound and I would be delighted to receive a half crown (12.5p in today’s money) for my efforts.

These memories go back to the 1950s when food and other commodities were still rationed. There were no handouts.

This year’s crops will soon be ready for harvesting – sixth form and university students take note. You can earn pocket money and help this country.

Stephanie Shield

via email