Letters - Tuesday January 19, 2021

Having reached the age of 85 and now spending a lot of time relating my boyhood life in Blackpool to my grandsons I’m missing a few pieces of my mental jigsaw and memories of wonderful times growing up there.

For example what happened to the outfitters Rawcliffes in Church Street where my school uniforms were purchased ? Or even Hunters in Abingdon Street, a more expensive alternative?

Also on that street was Batesons Sports shop (one of my favourite) and Sweetens bookshop? Just round the corner in Talbot Road was Berry’sPork Butchers, the best pork pies and sausages in Lancashire I swear. What happened to the Clifton Cinema, or The Tatler in Church Street? Is the jewellers Hyams still doing business and is the snooker hall above Montague Burton in lower Church Street still operating?

Are there still shows at the Palace and is there still a ballroom there? What happened to Ardrons, Derbyshires Electricals, Brown and Mallelieu (next to the Winter Gardens), Abingdon Market, St John’s Market, Wells cafe in Central Drive, King Edward Cinema and pub, The Empire in Marton (where many of us did our courting) Peeneys Ice cream parlour in Adelaide Street and Hesketh’s fish and chip shop?

Forgive me for rambling on but at my age, and in the present climate, nostalgia is about the only thing left to wallow in and as my grandchildren love to hear about my childhood and youth I see no point in disappointing them. So, can anybody fill in the foregoing gaps and make an old Grandad very happy?

Many thanks for your forebearance and listening to my ramblings , of which there still are many stored somewhere in my grey matter!

Yours nostalgically

Rex Watkinson

via email

virus

My experience of having Covid jab

One of the advantages of age is that you get further up the queue when it comes to administration of the vaccination against the Covid-19 virus.

I’m pleased to say that I have had mine today. I was beginning to think that somehow I had missed my turn, as I know of several people who have had theirs and they were younger than me!

It seems that some doctor’s practices have had allocations of the vaccine before others.

Part of the problem being availability, not only of stocks of the vaccine, but also the facilities to store them, some requiring temperatures lower than is normal in the fridge which is standard issue to surgeries.

As part of the vaccine routine, we are at present being asked to stay for 15 minutes after the injection, just to monitor and check if any problems should arise.

No such problems seemed evident where I had mine done.

My only disappointment being that I was sat on a socially distanced chair in a corridor, when others I have spoken with were housed in a heated marquee and offered tea or coffee while they waited!

A minor inconvenience of course and I would probably not have had time for a drink in the time available.

The clinic I attended was very busy and streamlined to a degree of efficiency I have only seen before when in the forces, doing my national service.

Every time a chair became vacant it was sanitised, as were surrounding areas, before the next person was allowed to occupy it.

Even with the socially distanced spacing of the chairs, folk were chatting to each other about how pleased they were to get this first step towards eliminating this virus and once again being free to get out and about again.

Not one person had any complaint about how things were going, in fact the opposite was certainly true.

Several people were saying that they were fed up of watching the news and hearing negative comments about how things have been done.

Perhaps it is because most of those present have lived through harder times in the past, possibly during the war and the rationing, which was the order of the day then.

For what it is worth, I certainly urge everyone to take up the offer of having this vaccination, regardless of age.

With new strains of the virus developing frequently, it is critical that we all build our defences up as soon as we are able.

It is a painless, simple procedure and the likelihood of a reaction is very small, compared with the value of being protected.

Of course, we still have to follow the guidelines on wearing a mask and social distancing, but that is a small price to pay compared with the terrible effects of the virus if you do catch it with your defences down.

Please have the vaccine when it is offered and do take care and stay safe.

Graham Archer

address supplied

vaccine

Clean venue and kind staff

Just to let you know I have had the jab and there was no problem. I went to Issa Medical Centre in Preston, and wow, what a place. It was miraculously clean. It was done in a military and swift way. I couldn’t fault it at all. All the staff were kind and helpful and put me at ease. I felt so relaxed. Well done Issa.

Barbara

via email