How can we be proud of airport?

I AM certain I was not alone in reading the letter from the CEO of John Lennon Airport, Craig Richmond, (Daily Post, January 31) with some amusement. How anyone can state that the reduction of the ‘dropping off’ time will have “little, if any, impact” on the number of customers needing to pay for the privilege is ridiculous. Why, if that is the case, change it?

He also fails to address the complaints made by recent contributors to this page. Let us compare JLA with Manchester once again for his edification. To drop off at JLA one is corralled into a parking area from which one will now have to pay to escape. Passengers then have to walk across a wide expanse of open road to reach the terminal. In Manchester one can drop off in a designated area under cover, without time constraints. One can proceed through the security checks in minutes at Manchester, without the need to pay. Mr Richmond infers that the queue on the stairs is a rarity. I have yet to meet anyone who has not had to queue, regardless of the time of day or year.

And we have the £1 surcharge for taxis of course.

I would like to be proud of our airport, but it is quite impossible at present.

I am sure that people from outside Liverpool, having experienced JLA once, would prefer to fly from other airports if the option is there. Mr Richmond could have apologised for the airport’s deficiencies, or he could have brazenly said that he didn’t care. But to treat us all as stupid is unacceptable.

I Poole, Mossley Hill

Keep NHS public

IF Councillor Nick Small'sŠconcern about the cost of delaying the building of the New Royal Hospital is true, why does he show no concern for the millions of pounds of extra fundsŠthat will be taken from hospital budgets to hand to private consortia – who will own the new hospital?

ŠI have spoken to hundreds of people. The overwhelming majority don’t understand PFI but those that do are strongly opposed to it.

ŠThe NHS was a service fought for by millions after the war.

At its foundation, the government of the day stated that it would be funded by taxation alone in order to give equal levels of service to all from the cradle to the grave.

ŠBut instead of taxes being used directly to fund services, millions of pounds are being hived off to the private sector.

ŠAlready we have seen many services privatised and many of us continue to suffer the effects.

Because of the lack of any political opposition to privatisation we are forced to fight in the courts and anywhere we can.

ŠCouncillor Small you may agree with the privatisation of the NHS but many millions do not.Š

ŠYou are now attempting to stifle any opposition by objecting to legal aid being used to expose the waste of public money on privatising our NHS.

Celia Ralph, on email

Weather stories

THE oldest profession in the ascent of humankind has now more than met its match with the ancient art of story-telling. The science of weather-forecasting has apparently moved into the realm of the children’s story with the BBC’s Dan Corbett narrating.

To listen to his Radio 5 Live weather reports is to be taken back to childhood; with his soft cadence and onomatopoeic inflexion, one could almost be listening to something from Watch With Mother, or Tales From The Riverbank.

I’ve no idea what he’s going on about; and just like Hammy the Hamster, I have to venture outside to discover if we might just be due a spot of rain.

D Frederick, Garston

Cat killing

I WAS horrified to read about the horrendous death of innocent feral cat Tooch, in Knowsley.

As an animal lover I found this upsetting. The odious yobs who did this with their vicious dogs should be flogged and strung up.

Sadly in this foul-mouthed, hate-filled day and age, vile behaviour and cruelty to the few normal people left and to animals has become all too common – and I put it down to the breakdown of discipline, which of course starts in the home.

Society must change its ways, and bring back good manners and discipline.

Miss P Lord, Thingwall

Marathon success

WITH the formal announcement of the return of a marathon event to the city now complete I would just like to thank all those who have supported the efforts of the 'runliverpool' initiative over the last six years.

As a local lad and lifelong distance runner I am immensely proud at being given the opportunity to deliver such a prestigious event.

With such a magnificent city and waterfront aspect this really will be a marathon success story.

A special thank you to Dr Ron Hill, MBE, who was kind enough to give us his recollections of his marathon debut in the city back in 1961.

Alan Rothwell, Race Director, RunLiverpool Marathon