Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Proud of success

Firstly, I’d like to thank Robert for his kind words, printed here last week.

My mother and I started The Octagon nearly 34 years ago, in what was the council’s concept glass structure. It was simply a basic shell without a floor or any services.

By 2000, it was phenomenally successful and I employed nearly 30 staff, including three chefs and we worked flat out, providing real home-made food, seven days a week.

During those years, I am proud to say that I trained seven chefs and a baker through their qualifications as well as training a manager, to relieve my workload.

Sadly, since the council’s delay in development, it has been impossible to maintain the success and I have had to slim down the operation. However, with care, we have managed to maintain a steady business for the last decade, much due to my fantastic staff, most of whom have been with me for between two and three decades and most importantly, our wonderful regular friends of The Octagon.

Approaching retirement, I am pleased to pass The Octagon on to new owners who will take over from 16th September. Being much younger, they will want to stamp their own sense of creativity into the business and I wish Jon and Heidi every possible success.

I should like to thank all my loyal customers and all of the hundreds of staff I have employed here over the years, without whom, the business would be pointless.

Dennis Offer, The Octagon, Swindon

Net is closing in

With all of Donald Trump’s problems on the home front closing in on him, his duplicitousness and/or stupidity seemingly has no bounds.

On Sunday night he tweeted that his overall approval rating is now at 52%. In actual fact, no poll gave him this high figure, even right wing Fox News poll had his approval at only 44%. A Gallup poll had his disapproval rate at 52%, but Trump seems to have mistaken it for approval, or he hoped his supporters wouldn’t fact-check it.

Had Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn claimed an erroneous approval rating in their favour they would have been hauled over the coals for such a mistake, but with Trump, it’s just another day at the office.

It’s patently clear to any reasonable person why he refuses to show his tax returns to the American people, and why he wants to shut down the investigation into him by the special counsel. His comment that he’s against people having immunity from prosecution from the FBI, so that they can go after the head of the crime family is proof, if proof were needed of his guilt.

The net is closing in Mr Trump.

Tom Horwat, Upavon Court, Penhill, Swindon

Lack of consideration

The only thing we get from Jeff Adams latest letter is one more thing to add to the list of issues he knows nothing about.

He claims the NHS “seemed to have coped perfectly well” before mass immigration. No, it didn’t. Immigrants were central to its staffing as they were to the economic growth which paid for it. The self-serving racist politician Enoch Powell had to invite immigrants to the UK for each of these reasons. Without them, stagnation instead of growth.

The rest of his letter seems to be arguing refugees aren’t genuine and shares some irrelevant thoughts about the attitude of Saudi Arabia, whose regime is Britain’s ally and is armed by the UK so they can make masses more people into refugees.

The likes of Jeff Adams don’t see people as people. It’s OK if wealth continues to flow from “less developed countries” to the UK (eg the control of Africa’s resources by British based multi-nationals means every year around $192 billion is taken out while only $134 billion flows into that continent, mainly in the form of loans, foreign investment and aid).

But the moment he sees someone in the street from one of those countries he comes over all agitated. “Oh no look, there’s someone who looks and sounds different from me. May my British God protect me.”

Peter Smith, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Fear a ‘no deal’

To protect the UK’s ability to create sustainable wealth – essential to build anything, including Steve Halden’s houses (Adver, 25 August) – we need to maintain our high tech manufacturing industry. This counts for 11% of the UK economy and also provides 44% of our exports and 70% of our business research and development (UK Manufacturing Statistics).

In the Swindon Advertiser Business News (13 August) it was reported that The South West Manufacturing Barometer has found that “Some of the region’s largest manufacturers, including Airbus and Rolls-Royce in Bristol, and car makers Honda and BMW Mini in Swindon, are very concerned about a so-called no-deal Brexit.” Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, has emphasised the dangers to Airbus UK operations in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

These companies are vulnerable because they rely on the ease of movement of components across borders. Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI, warned recently (quoted in The Times) that when these jobs go, they don’t come back. When centres of excellence and manufacturing know-how are lost they are lost for good – it’s not a case of “some short term pain to ensure long term gain”.

A “no-deal” Brexit is likely to decimate our manufacturing industry.

This isn’t “Project Fear”, just reality, and the penalties of leaving the EU - and the single market – are now being much more widely understood and acknowledged.

To avoid the “no-deal” risk to a vital sector of our economy, now is a good time to drop the idea of Brexit. Write to your MP.

Daniel Pitt, Okus Road, Swindon

We all have opinions

Since Mark Webb is a contributor who expresses his opinions, on the Swindon Advertiser letters page, I assume he believes in freedom of speech and open democratic debate, “Condemn these attacks” (SA August 24).

Boris Johnson’s frivolous comments about the burka have undoubtedly divided opinion and raised serious questions about freedom of expression and freedom of speech.

In response to Mr Webb I would say, any debate should take place within the confines of the law and should definitely not incite any type of violence.

However, the right to say something, which may be perceived by others as offensive, is the essence of democracy.

How is sensible democratic public debate possible when critical analysis is immediately labelled offensive and meaningful discussion is stifled by sanctimonious authoritarians who say “you are not allowed to say that”?

Julia Hartley Brewer had an interesting conversation, on her Talk Radio show, with Dr Taj Hargey, Iman at the Oxford Islamic congregation.

During this conversation Dr Hargey said Boris Johnson was right to describe the burka as looking like a letterbox. He said it should not be dignified by calling it a veil but should be called what it is “a face mask”.

He also said, nobody is entitled to anonymity in a public space and described the wearing of the burka as a pre-Islamic custom which inhibits social cohesion.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) gives a poignant warning with his quotation, “I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance”.

I would say to Mr Webb, listen to all sides of any debate and don’t shoot the messenger.

You are entitled to your opinion and other people are entitled to theirs.

Mr K Kane, Wharf Road, Swindon