Readers' letters - April 25

What is it about councils and large-scale plastic containers?

People in power who can see no further than choosing the next colour of ugly receptacle to thrust upon on us.

Instead of intelligence prevailing and unnecessary waste being reduced at source – namely food manufacturers and the supermarkets – blind thinking forces us to suffer a growing wall of bins spoiling and soiling the backs, and often the fronts, of our properties.

Chorley Council, where the answer to everything is another bin, has much to answer for – more plastic invading our lives, more pollution going into the atmosphere and now the introduction of a cash cow bin for garden waste.

When I bought this property some years back, 
it had one regular metal 
bin.

Now it has four giant containers styled to encourage waste and excessive packaging.

If packaging was reduced at supermarkets and the like, this would see waste per household plummet and thus the need to collect and recycle it.

Oh yes, we’ll hear that it’s all to do with recycling, but is it?

Personally, I wouldn’t bet on it.

Three giant bins per property was more than enough, four is ridiculous and way beyond the capacity of cottages built circa 
1790.

No more bins please!

There is no more room.

Joe Dawson

Withnell

parking

Roads too narrow and old for cars

I am writing about people complaining about cars and vans parked on the pavement.

I am a retired HGV driver and there were many times I had deliveries for estates but couldn’t get through because of cars parked on the road.

I then had to get out and knock on doors to get people to move their car.

The roads we’ve got in this country were built long ago when there weren’t a lot of cars. You might get, twice a week, the rag-and-bone men and the greengrocers with their horse and carts.

Now some families have two and three cars, so parking is difficult.

The best thing these people can do so they don’t get fined is to park on the road and see which services complain first– dustbin lorries, fire brigade and ambulance service.

When you’ve got roads that were built 60 years ago and are not wide enough, what do you expect people to do?

Mr D Matthews

via email

heritage

Tracking down town’s history

I’m appealing to your readers for help in tracking down missing bits of Chorley’s history.

I currently have (to the best of my knowledge) Chorley’s largest collection of stoneware and old bottles dating from 1860 to 1950, numbering over 200 items.

Many of these are unique and irreplaceable and it’s been a lifetime hobby of mine for over 40 years.

These are key objects relating to our local history and it’s my intention, when I’m too old and feeble, to donate them to a local museum for display.

They have already been on show in Chorley Library, evoking fond memories for many older residents who can still remember breaking Codd bottles for the free marbles inside!

If anyone has found some old bottles from Chorley or the local villages, or knows the whereabouts of any, could they contact me so I can hopefully fill in some missing gaps in the history of our borough?

Likewise, if there are any local groups that would like an informal talk on the subject, feel free to call me too and maybe we can arrange something for your members.

Simon Grundy

Chorley

07867 523993

event

Please consider the residents

Re: Leyland’s annual duck race.

Let us hope that the organisers of this annual debacle make a better job of cleaning up than they did last year.

I live on Western Drive and have had to put up with rubbish blowing into our garden and people parking across or on my driveway.

So, whoever is organising this event, please consider the Western Drive residents for a change.

You might also like to consider the birds and wildlife along the River Lostock.

Many of these are rearing newborn young and would prefer some peace and quiet.

Fat chance of that is there with some stupid person emptying hundreds of plastic ducks into the river?

A resident

Leyland

traffic

Bus hazard for pedestrians

Re: Preston city centre’s new traffic restrictions.

In certain hours, traffic is diverted off Fishergate, except for taxis and buses.

The public may mistake this system for full pedestrian only, and forget about buses.

I have just watched buses travelling down Fishergate at some speed, missing pedestrians on both sides by a couple of feet! How soon will it be before a distracted walker steps to one side under a bus? It looks a certainty, sooner or later. It is a crazy system.

Who will be responsible for a fatality? It should be fully pedestrianised or not at all.

Pat Burns

Lytham

traffic

Drivers, learn to use a roundabout

Please could you publish an article on how to use a roundabout?

Many drivers in Chorley have not got a clue which lane they should be in, especially when leaving at the third exit.

I am fed up of being beeped at.

Gerry

via email

sport

Alf was Ashton’s team captain

The date for the photo

of Ashton Secondary School football team was 1960 not 1970 (LP Looking Back, April 24).

The team won

4-1.

I think it was against Fishwick but am not 100 per cent sure.

I know a few names.

Back row, second left: L Hamner; third, Arthur Bennet; goalie, John Preston; end of row, S Woods.

Front row from left: Ken Hardman; George ? scored two goals; End of row ? Parkinson.

The first name of the captain holding the cup was Alf but that’s the best I can do.

bill robinson

via email