Letters to the Editor - 14th May 2008

May 14 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

More train co-ordination

FOLLOWING the widely- publicised travels by Merseyrail management on Merseyrail trains on April 29, it is a great pity that they failed to travel on day time Chester trains the following week to witness the surge of travellers for Chester Races in excellent weather.

Despite several train units staying idle at Birkenhead North and Kirkdale depots, the third day, for example, witnessed three – not six – coach trains in use.

This failure of Merseyrail to anticipate demand for known annual events such as Chester Races does not bode well for future events such as the Wirral Show, the Tall Ships, the Open, etc.

As the fifth anniversary of the current Dutch Railways/Serco franchise approaches in July, 2008 – the commitment in the new timetable from May 19, to run some Monday-Friday morning peak and Saturday trains with six coaches, is long overdue. Yet the tight turnaround of trains at Chester continues and is obviously at risk during the autumn leaf-fall season.

Also, over four months – since rail travel using All-Zone Saveaway tickets to Ellesmere port and Chester was permitted – Cheshire travellers still cannot buy such a ticket on demand at Chester station, though they can do so at Ellesmere Port.

Consequently, they are denied the flexibility of bus travel within Merseyside for just an extra 10p.

Perhaps improved co-ordination between Merseyrail, Merseytravel and Arriva may achieve yet more benefits for all travellers.

Christopher Bakalarski, Wirral

Carer support

THIS June, I am proud to be just one of many “famous faces” lending their support to Carers Week 2008 – an annual campaign that pays tribute to, and celebrates, the wonderful work carried out by the millions of people in the UK who care for a family member or friend.

Around six in 10 of us – from all walks of life – will become carers at some time in our lives, looking after someone who is ill, frail or disabled.

I have the utmost respect for these people as I know, from a personal experience, just how draining caring for a loved one can be on both a physical and emotional level.

Wanting to look after our loved ones is human nature – but this sometimes comes at a price, with many carers telling us they often have to sacrifice their own health and well-being. Taking a break, a holiday or even time out to visit the doctor is just not an option.

Carers deserve as much support and recognition as they can get – and more.

That’s why I’m helping the team at Carers Week encourage these “fantastic folk” to seek support and find out more about the resources and advice available.

In backing the campaign this year, I hope I can help to raise awareness of this worthwhile cause and show carers that people do care about them, too.

To find out where you can get help, please log onto: www.carersweek.org

Paul O’Grady, comedian and presenter

Dedicated garden

I WAS so pleased to read in the Daily Post that Olivia Harrison has dedicated a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show to her late husband, George.

George was always my favourite Beatle. How old-fashioned that expression sounds now, but when I was a girl in Birkenhead, we all had our favourite Beatles.

People always used to list their names as John, Paul, George and Ringo and perhaps it was thought then that it was the order of importance.

Really, though, Paul and John were equal.

However, since the split-up of the world’s greatest group, the status of George seems to have grown and grown.

His songs, particularly My Sweet Lord, When My Guitar Gently Weeps, Here Comes the Sun and Something, stand well alongside the best of Paul and John.

It was well-known that he loved gardens, which seemed to be part of his spiritual awareness.

So I’m really pleased about this garden which Olivia calls from Life to Life, again in keeping with George’s belief that our deaths on Earth aren’t the end.

H Watson, Birkenhead

Increased taxes

GORDON BROWN’S satraps should go back to their natural environment underneath rocks rather than attack Frank Field for illustrating his consistent support for those in poverty and their willingness to undermine the low paid for positive headlines.

It is obvious that Mr Field and those associated with him wished for the Government to get its act together and indicate without equivocation that the income tax increase on 5mlow-income people would not stand.

This is why they halted their rebellion some days before the local elections. What the Chancellor then issued was totally unsatisfactory.

The only point the Chancellor made clear was that many people would not be compensated and those who were might not find it backdated to the start of the financial year.

Given the lack of clarity from the Government, it is correct that those who actually care about this issue need to keep up the pressure, since it could be November before the picture is fully fleshed out. People on low incomes cannot plan on the basis of an unclear promise, nor can they pay a utility bill with a nod and a wink from Gordon and Co.

As things stand, the obvious conclusion must be that the majority of the Labour Party is comfortable with increasing the rate of income tax on some of those least able to afford it.

Cllr Chris Lenton, Liverpool Liberal Party

Brilliant singer

IN THE Daily Post’s Thought for the Day on Tuesday, Irene Hall writes about the song, There But For Fortune, sung by Joan Baez.

Indeed, she is correct about Miss Baez having a hit with the song.

However, fewer people realise that the song was written by Phil Ochs, a brilliant and compassionate folk singer, who died in 1976.

Sadly, he suffered from deep depression, worsened by heavy drinking.

During his life, he was associated with the great generation of singer/songwriters including Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, all followers of Woody Guthrie.

In this country, we had Donovan and a succession of traditional folk singers, including Liverpool’s Spinners, who, though not always deadly earnest, allowed social comment in their songs.

This is an old tradition. For example, poems or songs would often be written about mining or shipping disasters.

But Phil Ochs was among the best.

Arthur Peters, Woolton

Carter appeal

THIS is just a reminder to people that £30,000 is still needed for the statue to the Liverpool carters, who kept cargoes moving from the docks during the war when there was a shortage of motorised vehicles.

The carters and their horses were for centuries a familiar sight in Liverpool.

More than £80,000 has been raised for a monument to be put on the Albert Dock. It has been created by Judy Boyt, a very famous sculptor. The hope of so many Liverpudlians is that it will be standing before the end of this European Capital of Culture year.

Donations can be sent to the Liverpool Carters Monument Fund at PO Box 136, Liverpool L14 5WZ.

Arthur Green, Aintree

Smart ties

I REALLY must disagree with Phil Redmond (Daily Post, May 9) about a tie being a useless icon.

Men, who now insist on wearing a smart suit and open-necked shirt, look very silly. I am pleased David Cameron and Aled Jones have been seen recently looking very smart wearing a tie.

They also gain far more respect from many members of the public, whereas previously they appeared too casual and untidy.

I hope certain establishments, as Phil Redmond puts it in his article, will continue to insist on men wearing a tie.

Name and address supplied

Statue tribute

WELL done to whoever it was who came up with the idea for a statue to commemorate Bishop Sheppard and Archbishop Worlock.

They were truly great men whose work had a profound affect on this city. Liverpool wouldn’t be the same city without them, and it is only fitting that we erect a monument to their contributions to society.

There are many young people who will never have heard about them or their work and now, every time they walk down Hope Street, they will learn of it and hopefully tell their own children and so on down the generations.

These two men were truly heroes for our time.

Mrs Jenkins, Aigburth

Better use of cash

I SEE Liverpool now has another monument to commemorate two more of the “Good and the Great” of this city – Archbishop Derek Worlock and Bishop David Sheppard.

While I agree that both men are worthy of the many superlatives bestowed on them, I also believe that the £90,000 cost of the monuments would have been better spent on research into the disease that killed them both, cancer.

Terry Kavanagh, L18

Tragic death

THE terrible tragic death of Jimmy Mizen must make every decent citizen feel sadness and shame.

What sort of nation have we handed on to the next generation and why do we produce computer games depicting every kind of vice and violence?

Will we never learn?

Kay Pugh, Heswall

Truly horrified

WHAT is happening in this world that a young man can be killed in a bakery of all places? I was truly horrified by this story and also terrified for my own teenage sons. Sometimes I fear the Clockwork Orange days are almost upon us.

KW, via email