Letters - Monday December 14 2020

Amongst the doom and gloom coming out about delays transferring goods across the Channel to us, surely there are some entrepreneurs and manufacturers in this country who can see the silver lining?

Virtually everything that comes into the country can be grown or made here and if unemployment is supposed to rise due to the current situation then there is a workforce ready and waiting.

A simplistic and long term view maybe, but better than sitting crying in the corner because you can’t get your Camembert.

Also, the EU seems to be implying that when their regulations and standards change we will be bound by them.

If that’s the case, then every other country that trades with them should also be bound by them.

Seeing as that’s unlikely to happen, it’s obviously just another scare tactic to try to keep us from prospering and to discourage other uppity EU countries from following our lead.

Come on British business – see the opportunities.

Paul Morley

via email

We hear daily what will happen to us as a result of a No Deal Brexit. What we have not had, however, is the reciprocal consequences that the remaining current EU members could/would have to comply with when dealing with the UK. It works both ways.

Tim Bradshaw

Address supplied

Virus

Where’s the common sense?

I am 79-years-old and I have always felt that I have more common sense in my little finger than all the professors put together.

We should not have delayed the lockdown for about three weeks at the beginning of the epidemic.

All they had to do was look at Italy and see the mess they were in.

Common sense!

At the beginning they said that it was not necessary to wear face masks.

They said that they would not be effective, and that they would be even more dangerous because when we have masks

we have to touch our face.

Anybody with any common sense would know that masks are essential.

How on earth anybody would condone putting untested patients from hospital into care homes is beyond belief.

That is worse than a lack of common sense, it’s downright stupid.

John Hall

via email

Society

Only winners are the bookies

In the 1950s and 60s, bookmakers were not allowed to advertise and, to my mind, this was a good thing.

Of course everyone who was a gambler knew where they could put a bet on.

Nevertheless gambling was recognised as a way to take food out of children’s mouths as parents became hooked on it.

Gradually the rules have been relaxed to the point where gambling is widespread in its many forms.

In the 1970s, there was a gambling school running and one of the bosses took the bets to the bookies, they would boast about their winnings but never a word about the money they

lost.

I refused to join in as I well knew that the only real winner was the bookie otherwise he would never have been in business.

Gambling, like drug taking, is for fools and I am surprised that it has been allowed to flourish.

Peter Hyde

via email

Tribute

Alliss was always a joy to listen to

I have never played golf, and only know the basic things about the game, but I always thoroughly enjoyed listening to the golf commentaries given by Peter Alliss who died last weekend.

Along with the late Jim Laker and Richie Benaud, I have always regarded Peter Alliss as one of the three best ever sports commentators. He combined wit and knowledge and only ever said as much as was ever needed – unlike 99 per cent of today’s commentators.

Alliss could describe events, courses, people, the scenery and atmosphere so accurately and appropriately. He was always a joy to listen to. He let the pictures speak – as does Sir David Attenborough. He is a huge loss to golf and all round entertainment.

David Quarrie

via email