Taking credit where it’s not remotely due

To suggest the Conservatives delivered the centre is not only blatantly untrue but also a gross insult to the dedicated trustees who have worked tirelessly to open the centre and make it such a success. When the local primary school was closed in 2010, the residents of Highworth were consulted on what to do with the building. Swindon Council was prepared to mothball it. The view of the people at the meeting was that it might be ideal for a community centre. Highworth Community Partnership Group agreed to carry out a feasibility study. From this they set up a charity called Highworth Community Association, whose sole purpose is to run the centre. The centre was finally opened in June 2011. It has already won an award from the national organisation, Action for Market Towns. If anything, the centre is open and operating in such a successful manner despite the frustrations experienced by the trustees in their prolonged and continuing negotiations with Swindon Council. I look forward to an early retraction of the gross mis-information and a public apology from the Conservative Party to the hard working and dedicated members of Highworth Community Partnership Group and to the trustees of the centre who put in long hours of voluntary time for the benefit of the residents of Highworth and the surrounding area.

Keith Smith Chairman, Highworth Community Partnership Group

An inspector calls

There seems a new fashion among our leaders to send in the inspectors at every opportunity.

Ofsted we know about but soon doctors are to be reassessed every five years presumably by OfDoc, and other parts of the NHS are already inspected from all angles. While doctors do make very occasional errors, politicians have managed to kill and injure many more people over the past 20 years in all sorts of ways than doctors have ever managed.

It therefore seems strange no one looks at whether politicians do their jobs and applies meaningful sanctions when they don’t.

No one in the public sector poses as big a threat to this country or its finances as the men and women at Westminster.

What I would like our local elected representatives, who seem strangely shy over revealing the date when all local schools get Eton-like money, is to tell us when similar inspections will be applied to politicians so we can be sure that they understand minor details like expenses rules, competence (at last something to agree with Lord Tebbit over), honesty, delivering results for the majority not the minority, and sticking to their pledges.

Clearly as so many of these serial failures remain in post for year after year, adversely affecting the future of everyone in the country, a new inspection regime is needed.

Guy Green Old Town Swindon

More love, less war

Many people are worried about their future.

There is no security for jobs, housing and affordable education. In succession, governments of different political parties have told us there is something wrong with the economics, not the politics that produces.

For that reason, they say there is a lack of money for jobs, supporting housing policy and having an inexpensive education system for everyone.

But to our surprise, there is a plenty of money for war, wars that have killed many humans.

So for humanity’s sake, we can put an end to war, replace it with love and spend the money of military industrial complex for the wellbeing of society.

I wholeheartedly believe that that is possible if we make the changes we really want to see in the world.

I don’t believe it is more difficult to spread peace than to wage a war. “Pessimism of the intellect,” Antonio Gramsci wrote, “optimism of the will”.

Axmed Bahjad Fleet Street Swindon

Watershed is a joke

The introduction of the so-called watershed on TV as a moral watchdog really is a joke.

Like every good intention, it was a good idea but as the years have passed the producers and TV luvvies have put it on the back burner.

Nearly every week, year after year, the following has been shown on the box for all to view, especially children.

We have seen multiple episodes of kidnap, robbery, arson, excessive violence, adultery with everyone jumping in and out of bed with each other, lies and cheating – every conceivable form of the seven deadly sins and this only includes Emmerdale, EastEnders and Coronation Street.

Add to this the flow of American horrors and people wonder why the state of the way of life is like it is over the last 30 years.

Oh, for the days of good decent TV viewing to return.

H G Smith Wroughton Swindon

Strange things afoot

Be very careful if you happen to be in the central area of town and find yourself walking along Curtis Street late at night, for strange things are afoot.

It’s reported that ghosts of regenerations past are haunting what has now become the phantom bus lane.

This bus lane has been redundant for so long that some people will say this has always been a haunting waiting to happen.

Some observers say that at midnight a coach and horses driven by headless horsemen can be seen galloping towards Crombey Street and then apparently disappearing somewhere near the Rolleston pub.

It’s hoped that these ghostly apparitions will haunt the Highways Department until they utilise this wasted road space and devise a scheme to slow the speeding traffic in Crombey Street and save a few front garden walls in Curtis Street.

Could this be a new dawn, or will everyone just let sleeping ghosts lie?

Ron Burchell Crombey Street Swindon

Thank you so much

During Guide Dogs week we arranged a number of events to help raise the awareness of the difficulties that visually impaired people havetrying to get around safely and confidently.

The events were a Blind Walk Challenge with the Mayor of Swindon, Coun Mick Bray, the Mayoress and Swindon South MP Robert Buckland, a collection in The Brunel Centre, an abseil at Swindon Town Football Club and a quiz evening at The Village Inn at Liddington. It all culminated in runners taking part in the Swindon Half Marathon.

We would like to thank everyone who participated or donated at these events, and we raised £4,000 during the week.

The money raised will support the 20 guide dog partnerships in the town for nearly six weeks.

Without your help we would not be able to give visually impaired and blind people the chance to get the freedom, mobility, independence and confidence to lead a normal a life as possible.

Thank you all once again.

Alan Fletcher Chairman, Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind