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Amenities closed

YESTERDAY being more like summer weather my sister-in-law and I chose to walk through Coate Water and on to Chisledon. It was so good to see so many families out enjoying themselves in Coate.

On our return through Coate we noticed on the opposite side to us young children shouting for joy, but on looking over to our shock they were jumping into the lake! Surely adults that were there should have had more sense. Back at the entrance the splash area for children was closed so I guess bad reason still for youngsters jumping in the lake. No shop open either!

On reaching the toilets, luckily they were open. Just as we were about to leave a man called out to ask was it OK to come in as his wife with him was in a wheelchair and needed access as the disabled toilet was locked! No key was available. We had to hold the door open so he could push the chair in.

After this we carried on walking. We had not gone by car but felt sorry for those who had to pay for the privilege and not have full amenities for a lovely summers day.

MAUREEN SKINNER, Watermead, Stratton St Margaret

Road closure surprise

THE plan for the closure for Edington Close on 25th August came as a surprise to my family and several neighbours.

It would have been polite of the organisers to inform other residents of the closure even though our children have left home.

I am disabled and need access to my car and that particular day (25th) I have two appointments, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. How would I have left or accessed the street?

There are places that children can play safely around here if the parents can be bothered to supervise their offspring, a large grassed area between Edington/Stamford Close, large park between Rowton Heath Way/Freshbrook Way near to the Oliver Tomkins school and a large park off the bottom of Edington Close. We have plenty of open spaces here without having to close our street. Lydiard Park is also within walking distance.

NAME SUPPLIED, Edington Close, Swindon

Shared aims of EU

BRAVO, John Stooke and Adam Pool, courageous voices in defence of the EU; shouted down by an angry chorus accusing the EU of all sorts of ‘crimes’ and ‘intentions’ towards Britain, as if it were some malevolent being, rather than what it is: a supra-national collective of shared aims and aspirations.

Mr DN Simpson even goes as far as seeing Britain in a boxing match with the EU ‘opponent’, our Celtic nations and Remainers as treacherous seconds, who will force her to ‘throw in the towel’, and ‘stitch her up’.

Forty years of press sniping and ridicule of the EU, which has been used as a handy scapegoat for many of our own governments failings, has created a partisan and nationalistic view of ourselves in relation to our neighbours, in many. Originally, we were very keen to join the EEC and did so with our eyes wide open to the intention of further harmonisation. We did so well out of our membership that we enthusiastically pushed for further integrations, such as the single market, and eastern expansion.

History shows us that when countries voluntarily sign up and agree to supra-national law, which is above the jurisdiction of individual governments, and trade agreements, their citizens are more protected and wars avoided. Whereas, absolute sovereignty is dangerous.

Whenever sovereignty is absolute, countries very soon start abusing their own citizens and declaring wars. Military war has always followed trade war. Take Nazi Germany, the absolute opposite of what the EU is all about.

STEVE ROUSE, Wroughton