Letters - January 4, 2018

On behalf of pet wellbeing charity, PDSA, which has a busy Pet Hospital in Hawes Side Lane, Blackpool, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the Fylde coast players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We have received fantastic support from players this year, which has helped to secure a better future for thousands of pets, as well as providing emergency care and life-saving equipment.

In 2017, the funding has helped us to:

* See 71,000 pets brought to us with emergency conditions requiring immediate veterinary help. This included those treated at our Blackpool Pet Hospital.

* Purchase 34 items through a National Emergency Equipment Fund to repair or replace old clinical equipment.

* Host 52 pet first aid courses across the UK, which have equipped hundreds of people with potentially life-saving skills.

* Promote PDSA’s online symptom checker, which has been used over 128,000 times. The free tool has helped owners with queries about their pets’ health.

Just like people, pets can suddenly fall ill, or sustain an unexpected injury.

Whatever the cause, the emergency care we provide is vital. For some pets, immediate assessment and diagnosis can be the difference between life and death. PDSA is home to the UK’s busiest pet A&E service, so this funding helps us provide a vital lifeline for pets in need.

A total of £255m has been raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery for good causes across Great Britain since the lottery launched – an incredible achievement. On behalf of us here at PDSA, and all the pets we treat, well done and thank you.

Rebecca Ashman

PDSA Senior Vet

POLITICS

Stop moaning...

You voted them in!

Re Gazette, December 26. The people of Blackpool are always moaning about the Labour council - but you voted them in.

Labour is all about borrow-spend, borrow-spend, putting up barriers and diverting traffic to dig more holes.

Mr A Gibson

Pilling Avenue
St Annes

SHOW

Never take me back to Neverland

While we realised Peter Pan at the Opera House was advertised as a musical adventure (and not a pantomime) we were expecting a lavish production to shadow the Cinderella panto at the Grand theatre.

The new version of the classic Peter Pan story may well have a different outlook but while it all took place under a permanent marquee with odd scenery changes (and not much of those) the shadow puppetry was poor. Peter Pan and his clan were portrayed flying by stencilled shadow landmarks including Blackpool Tower, it wasn’t very impressive.

Captain Hook’s ship was compiled of half a circle of the ship’s bow, the cast laid down or stood up when required.

As some of the characters were waiting in the wings already, suspended and ready to fly in on wires, it wasn’t discreet when sat in an off centre aisle. We could see them waiting.

Considering the Opera house is able to stage spectacular shows with lavish sets, there were none here.

Captain Hook was similar to a younger Ruth Madoc from Maplins holiday camp, and we were expecting her to cry out ‘Hi-De-Hi’ at any minute.

I actually thought ‘Nanny’ the dog was running aside one of the characters on entry but realised she was working it and making dog sounds and at one point we could even see the wooden under frame the puppet dog was built around.

X-Factor’s Jake Quickenden’s singing we could hardly hear and an actor he is not!

The contemporary class hit songs were not appropriate and I do hope Sellador’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ next year proves to far outweigh this present effort.

In the meantime, Cinderella at the Grand, as a traditional pantomime, is far superior in quantity and quality, and the sets are literally stunning!

Clifford Chambers

Ashton Road
Blackpool

HONOURS

No recognition 
for 999 crews

Where was the recognition for the emergency services in the New Year Honours?

Or were our politicians too busy looking after their own (see picture of Sir Nick Clegg)?

Andrew Mercer

Address supplied