It doesn’t pay to be sick and be parked

Since June 11, I have been suffering from a cyst growing on the side of my neck and made arrangements to see my GP at the first occasion. This proved to be no earlier than Tuesday 19th June at my local surgery.

During the night of Friday 15th June, my suffering increased dramatically so sleep was impossible and on Saturday I decided to seek immediate help. My local surgery is closed on Saturdays and the out of hours telephone helpline advised visiting the walk in surgery in Carfax Street, Swindon, which is located just behind the bus station.

Having used the bus station on numerous occasions, I decided to use the Cheltenham Street car park as I am familiar with this one and purchased a two hour ticket, secure in the knowledge that this time period would be ample.

I had not expected the huge amount of people waiting for attention at the surgery and indeed used up the two hours waiting for my name to be called. If I had returned to my car to buy another ticket, I would have lost my place in the queue for medical attention.

Upon racing back to the car park after seeing the doctor, I discovered the parking ticket had been issued two minutes previously and the attendant sympathised with me and suggested I write to the council.

My emailed appeal, including injury photographs, to Swindon Borough Council did not challenge the parking charge notice but merely requested sympathy and understanding over my reason for overstaying. There appears to be very little of this at Swindon Borough Council, as the appeal rejection I received left me in no doubt what would happen if I didn’t pay the fine and that I should have used a different car park!

I shall be paying the parking fine, but there are two morals to this story: don’t get sick at the weekend and don’t expect any sympathy from your council.

B Snell Knowlands Highworth Swindon

Reply over Rec

Even though I have written to Mrs McCurdy of Morris Street directly, I would like to offer through your paper, a public apology to for not keeping her and others informed of what action I have taken over the play area in Mannington Recreation Ground.

Whilst I am guilty of not keeping her informed, I am not guilty of inactivity, as I raised the issue of the play area on the day of the annual council meeting in May, and due to no action by council officers, I raised it again with the relevant director on the day of the special council meeting two weeks ago, and due to the appearance of Mrs McCurdy’s letter in your paper I received a call from the director on Saturday promising me that an officer would be ringing me on Monday.

Further to this I spent most of last week preventing the borough council and Thames Water from building a new car park on the top end of Mannington Rec, whilst Thames Water connect new sewage pipes from Wichelstowe to Barnfield, they were to use the existing car park as a compound for workers comforts, and storage.

Whilst they will still use part of the car park, Thames Water have made an arrangement with Homebase for footballers and other users of Mannington to use part of their car park during this period, therefore saving the recreation ground from further concrete intrusion.

Finally, can I reassure Mrs McCurdy that I do care about Rodbourne? I have lived here all my life and I am proud of that fact. I am often down Mannington Rec and I will do everything possible to protect this beautiful piece of green open space.

Whilst Jim and myself have been found wanting on this occasion, in the norm Rodbourne councillors do work for our community, keeping them informed via the Western Voice and through public meetings. I can only again apologise for the error.

Kevin Small Jennings Street Swindon

Who cared?

I read with disgust about the death of Mr David Hackman, when he had informed certain people of his feelings about money worries.

Mr Hackman was obviously a very popular and well known gentleman in the community, so how did this happen? I personally did not know the gentleman, however I was horrified to read of his death. Has society really got this bad, that we no longer care about an elderly gentleman living alone and with no family?

Surely that is the reason why he went to the Broadgreen Breakfast Club, which as stated in the Adver, is a morning service for the homeless and vulnerable. I feel it was admirable of the workers who tried to help Mr Hackman in an unofficial capacity.

Mrs M Ricks Silverton Road Swindon

Pud in our place

Two items of possible interest to your readers: The front page of the Advertiser, Monday 25th June, “Clampers to get their just desserts”. Were you thinking of “pudding them in custardy?”

Dear Les Fox, are you seriously advocating three mother-in-laws? The mind boggles. My deepest sympathy.

Big Ron Penhill Drive Swindon

Petition details

Your recent story in the Adver (June 22, main and online versions) about ‘Campaign beats its target of 10,000 signatures’ confuses two separate stories. In the interests of clarifying this for your readers, could I please point out that it is the Meningitis Trust petition that has reached (and exceeded) 10,000 signatures? This petition calls for the right support to be available at school for every child who has survived meningitis, enabling them to achieve their full potential. We will be delivering this petition to Downing Street next week.

More information on the petition and the wider campaign is available by visiting our website at www.meningitis-trust.org The website address you gave is for another charity and the quote you include is from the chief executive of this charity, and for a separate campaign, concerning vaccination, that is not connected to our campaign.

Our Chief Executive is Sue Davie and I’m sure she would be delighted if any of your readers would like to sign our petition. Two minutes of their time could mean a lifetime of opportunities for children who are struggling with the after-effects of meningitis right now.

Andy Hopkinson Senior Communications Officer Meningitis Trust

Family search

My name is Darryl Hudson and I am trying to find any information on my late uncle Larry Dexter. He died in 1980 and lived at 36 The Mall, Swindon.

Larry was born in Czechoslovakia in 1921. His birth name was Ladislav Koncuriak and he served in the RAF initially as a wireless operator and gunner and then a pilot with 311 Squadron.

My family lost contact with Larry in the early 60s and never heard from him again. Over the last few years I have been researching my family history and trying to track him down, eventually finding his death certificate in Swindon. Larry’s wife was called Victrice (Vicky) Emilienne Felicienne Dexter.

I am in contact with an aviation historian from Slovakia who is also keen to find out what Larry did with his life after the war. On his death certificate it says he was a maintenance man in a private nursing home. I was hoping some of your older readers might be able to shed any light on his life. I would appreciate information on Larry or Vicky. I can be contacted on 0151 608 4669 or darryl.hudson@sky.com Darryl Hudson Calder Road Bebington Wirral Merseyside CH63 2JS