Letters to the Editor - 1st July 2008

Jul 1 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Big Brother is law unto itself

CAN someone tell me what it will have to take for the television bosses to take Big Brother off the air? A serious assault? A murder? From what I can gather, and I am not watching the series (this is from what I read in the papers) there has been some utterly disgusting behaviour from the housemates (or should that be inmates?) this series, and it has barely even got started.

Bullying seems to be the stock in trade now for this programme. And to hear that, at the end of last week, one contestant spat in another’s face, is truly disgraceful.

Last time I looked, that was actually an offence, so I do hope that the whole thing will be getting fully investigated by the police.

This show, many moons ago was interesting, and had some relevance to the viewing public. It was new and exciting and fun to spy on people, and the housemates were largely ordinary people, with albeit the odd quirk.

Now the makers seem to have made it their mission to find the most unpleasant creatures they can to go into the house. They then ply them with truckloads of booze and when it all kicks off act all shocked and as if it has nothing to do with them. It is truly deplorable and not much above when the rich people used to go and laugh at the inmates in Bedlam for amusement a century or so ago.

Mind you, if they were to scrap Big Brother, I fear some of our national newspapers would have to close down for the summer as they do not seem able to find anything other than this programme to write about.

GH, Neston

Let down by Bishop

IN RESPONSE to your recent article about Ss Peter and Pauls Church in New Brighton, I felt I had to write.

As a member of Ss Peter and Paul's Church for more than 28 years, I feel let down by the Bishop of Shrewsbury and other Priests that have decided to close our Church. I could understand if no-one or few people attended, but ours is a well-attended church. Also, it is not a “poor” church, there is money to cover maintenance, but I suppose there is a larger amount of money on offer if they sell this “prime site” off for building houses.

The church is on the highest point of New Brighton and the views across the river are what makes this area priceless. Once the church is closed, I can't see the excellent school lasting much longer. When the church is closed many like myself (no car) will no longer be attending a Mass. I walk to church now, but I won't be walking to Wallasey Village or Liscard, especially in the evening when it's dark in the winter.

The Church/Vatican are always talking about low attendance at masses, people not practising their religion, or children not being taught a religious education, but here they are closing a perfect example of a Catholic community without a second thought. I knew this would happen, as soon as we found out about someone wanting to buy our “prime site” (for a housing estate) a few years ago.

Johanna Niccolls, via email

Story of Soviets

IN REPLY to Phillip Griffith, UKIP (Letters, June 25). He states that, had it not been for the help of the Americans in World War II, Europe would not have been liberated.

I would refer him to Rodric Braithwaite, ambassador to Moscow, and his book, Moscow 1941.

This magnificent book tells the story of the Battle of Moscow, 1941, and clearly states that, if the Red Army had not stopped the German war machine in its tracks, there would not have been any D-Day landings. He states that the Battle for Moscow was the biggest in history.

The total loss to the Soviet Union was 27m, more losses than to the whole rest of the world combined including the US, Britain and Germany.

Winston Churchill’s famous words after the war were that the Red Army had torn the guts out of the German war machine.

The history of the Soviet Union’s role in WWII is being distorted to the extent that some younger generations are beginning to think that they were the enemy, rather than our ally.

Sam Watts, Bootle (WWII vet)

Don’t forget seamen

LAST week it was Veterans Day, and we heard a lot about the Armed Forces being remembered for all they are doing and what they have done in the past.

Being a retried Merchant seaman of over 40 years’ service, I do find it sad that the veteran seafarers are very seldom mentioned.

Through the Second World War, some 30,000 of them were lost sailing on mostly unarmed vessels in U-Boat infested seas, keeping our country in food, etc.

There are still a few of those men and women left but, as time goes by, I think we really are becoming a forgotten service.

I must add that here in Wallasey and in Liverpool we still have services and remember our lost shipmates in a small way.

Name and address supplied

Wartime training

YOUR article “Learn to be a fuel miser” (Daily Post, June 25) will mean nothing to most motorists today. They may start to learn when we are paying £2 a litre.

I am reminded of the period from 1941 to 1946 in the Second Tactical Air Force. Then our drivers had to check fuel pressures every day, they also checked the oil levels, radiator water level and the anti-freeze in the winter. All the vehicles had governors on the throttle connection, and they would not exceed around 40-42mph. These were removed after crossing the channel.

MT instructors at the school rammed home to us economical driving, saying “every time you brake, you waste petrol”. Men are dying to bring this petrol.”

I still follow these rules. Every trip I make, I see continuous brake lights on cars, sometimes many hundreds of yards before lights, roundabouts and turn-offs. The keeping of your hands on the wheel at ten to two has also been lost by many drivers. It is all mobile phones, cigarette or one-armed driving these days.

A Gelder, Formby

Year for the people

I WAS very interested to read the article in Monday’s Daily Post about how the Friends of Liverpool Monuments have set up a website to hold photographs of every street in Liverpool.

This seems another example of local people acting on their own to make a major contribution to our year as the European Capital of Culture.

Huge numbers of people from across the world are interested in Liverpool’s history in a way in which, with due respect, they wouldn’t be about Manchester or Birmingham because of our history as a port, with all the coming and going that it entailed.

Some people are rude about the other British cities and there may be a mood of triumphalism in Liverpool, following all the recent publicity and the opening of the Metquarter shops. But my point is simply that Liverpool is far better known in other countries.

I think this website will score a record number of hits. It’s a great idea.

Peter Killen, Wavertree

No city cover

RE: “DECLINING Service” (Letters, Daily Post, June 26).

I agree with David Highet and other correspondents of your Letters page that Granada is not doing its bit to cover Liverpool and the wider region, but I do not think they are alone in this.

The BBC is just as guilty of focusing on Manchester. Its early evening local news programme is more likely to cover a car boot sale in Salford than a major event happening here in Liverpool.

Yet there are so many exciting news stories taking place on the banks of the Mersey, so I cannot understand why they are not here to cover it.

Liverpool may no longer be the Second City of the Empire, but there is still plenty going on here, not least the Capital of Culture year.

Sure, the city has had its rough patches, but surely that made for even more interesting news.

S Parker, Allerton

Liverpool is buzzing

I ATTENDED the launch of the Liverpool Independent Fringe Festival, and would like to congratulate all who have made this possible.

The Lord Mayor and Warren Bradley gave speeches, and I was overwhelmed with the passion and knowledge Warren put into his speech. He clearly knows his brief and understands what is needed to make Liverpool great again.

As a Mancunian, I always thought Liverpool was in our shadow, but I think the opposite could now be said. Liverpool is buzzing – should I be happy or sad?

Gee Curtis, Trafford

Paying for a penny

LIVERPOOL, the city of culture where you now have to pay 30p to use the toilets at Lime Street Station, and now, at the new shopping precinct in Paradise Street, it is 20p to use the toilets there.

I don’t always have loose change on me, so when I went to the new John Lewis store about my new TV I got from there, I was glad to see they had toilets. I wasn’t the only one.

I also use Central Station in the mornings and they have told me you might soon have to start paying there, too.

What is this city coming to? All the street toilets closed years ago, too. It is a good job that St John’s Precinct toilets open from 8.30 in the morning.

G Etherington, L8

‘Evil little wretches’

I WISH I could say that I found the words of your letter writer M Laidlaw (Letters, Friday), who described children these days as feral and evil little wretches very harsh, but I cannot. The more I see of youngsters these days, the more this seems to be an accurate depiction of them.

Why any adult would want to risk approaching a young child these days is beyond me.

S Lowe, Formby

Pigeon plan disturbs

I AM very concerned to hear of plans to kill pigeons. There's organisations that specialise in humane ways of managing populations, but this seems to be a poorly thought-out and vindictive reaction.

Cris Iles, via email