Letters - February 18, 2019

Fond farewell to best actor of his generation

A fond farewell, then, to 
Albert Finney, who this month passed away at the age of 82.

He was one of the original ‘angry young men’ of British kitchen sink dramas of the late 1950s and early 1960s cinema and star of probably the best of those in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

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He is, without doubt, one of the best actors this country has ever produced and certainly the best actor never to have won an Oscar, even though he was nominated five times.

It is testament to his ability that the great Laurence Olivier described him as the “greatest actor of his generation”.

It is perhaps fitting that in his last film appearance, the Bond movie Skyfall, he gave a most telling performance in a small part towards the end of the movie in what I consider the best sequence in it.

A giant of British cinema.

RIP.

David 
Gibbs

Address supplied

TRANSPORT

We can’t afford 
or need HS2

When will Theresa May realise what a disgraceful waste of public money HS2 is?

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The cost has now been estimated by some to top £100bn when finally completed.

We do not need HS2 and we cannot afford it. Britain isn’t big enough anyway.

Our present pathetic rail system needs billions spending on it.

We need longer platforms and longer trains so that passengers paying the highest fares in Europe can have seats.

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There seems to be no control of spending on the project. There is a staff of 1,346 - with 46 on more than the £150,000 salary of the Prime Minister and 15 on £250,000.

Time to scrap it, Mrs May .

Margaret Thatcher used to say: “If we can’t afford it , we can’t have it.”

I agree.

Terry Watson

Address supplied

BLACKPOOL FC

All praise to club for a great day out

I am a lifelong Blackpool supporter from way back in the 1960s.

In this time of trouble and turmoil at the club I just thought I would tell you of a real positive and inspirational occasion that has happened at the club in recent days.

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I am group leader for the Frizington Arlecdon Bandits. We are a youth group in Cumbria for less fortunate children ages 4-11.

On Saturday February 9 we were ViP guests of Blackpool FC.

The children were picked up by the club’s first team players’ coach. On arrival at the ground we were met by staff and players. We were given a tour of the ground where the children met the players and staff who were preparing for the game.

A tour of the pitch and facilities, then they were all given a bag containing pencil sets, lunch boxes, water bottles and money boxes. Then it was into the sponsors’ lounge where they received lunch and drinks. Four of the children were given full kits as they were to be mascots for the day. These four walked out with the teams and met both teams and the officials.

The group all watched the game from the executive seats and at half time were given sandwiches and ice cream. After the game they were spoken to by the owner of the club before the coach returned them to Cumbria.

What is so special about this visit you may ask?

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Well the children were treated as very special guests and given access and privileges otherwise denied to people. But what made it beyond belief was the way the club has done all of this free of charge.

Our group are honoured and cannot put into words the feelings we have for what Blackpool FC has done for us.

Some may say its just a way of ‘looking good’, but to me the club deserve special praise and mention for what they have done.

These children will remember this day for the rest of their lives. The club did not have to do anything, as we are not Blackpool based, but they did do something.

I contacted out nearest club and got no response yet my boyhood club responded in such a way that it made it an honour to be a supporter.

Stuart Jeynes

Group Leader
Frizington Arlecdon Bandits