Keep our pretty parks clean
What a wonderful asset we have in the parks in Preston. The whole community can enjoy these beautiful well kept oases away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, for walkers, joggers, dog owners, families or sports participants.
We are so well blessed to have so many of these green areas spread throughout the city.
But why do we treat them so badly and take the work of those who maintain them so much for granted?
Walking through Waverley Park the other day, I was dismayed at all the evidence of our modern, throwaway, anti social lives - glass bottles, plastic bottles, crisp packets, chocolate wrappings, fast food trays.
This litter was all over the park, but the worst areas were around the edges of the football pitches - half-time drinks bottles and food wrappers, of which I counted more than 50 items just between two pitches on the touchlines.
I know that the staff do a wonderful job cleaning up this mess, but whatever happened to social values, taking pride in community, having regard for others?
There's such a simple answer - take a plastic bag and take your litter home or dispose of it in one of the bins.
Proud Prestonian (name and address supplied)

Find out if you can get pension credit
Do older people know that they could be eligible for extra benefits to help them with the spiralling cost of living?
Do they also know that if they make a successful claim for pension credit before the beginning of October they can get 12 months backdated benefit?
Help the Aged estimates that approximately 520,000 older people in the North West are eligible for pension credit, yet 160,380 are not receiving it yet – almost certainly older people in this area will be among them.
We're encouraging older people to find out today if they are entitled to benefits such as pension credit, council tax benefit, or housing benefit. Even if people have made an unsuccessful claim in the past, changing circumstances and changing benefit levels may mean they are now eligible for money that can make a huge difference.
People can find out if they are eligible for benefits by calling the Pension Service advice hotline on 0800 991234 or visiting
www.pensionservice.gov.uk/
pensioncredit; getting a copy of the Help the Aged benefits advice leaflet, Can You Claim It? from www.helptheaged.org.uk or 020 7239 1845; or calling SeniorLine, the free Help the Aged
advice line on 0808 8006565.
Julie McCaughey, regional development officer, Help the Aged

Boozers not worthy cause for the NHS
In response to your "boozers surgery" article (August 16).
What a pathetic state of affairs this country has got itself in.
I thought that the NHS were strapped for both cash and staff?
And would the police be able to spare manpower at these mobile centres in case of trouble?
Paramedics should be on stand-by for more worthy causes, not to tend to the self-inflicted needs of yobs.
It was stated in the article that "someone could dish out water".
The fire brigade would be used to better effect to douse these drinkers down.
Comparing this boozers' surgery with an army field hospital is an absolute disgrace. It's obvious they don't know what they are talking about.
I served my country in the 1939-1945 war and what for? A better country? I haven't seen one yet.
Name and address supplied

Disabled entitled to better health care
How insulting to the physically disabled people in Preston that heavy drinkers should be provided with extra health care (Evening Post, August 16)
This, at a time when disabled people still have to fight tooth and nail for even basic access to public facilities, including health care.
Public funds are to be frittered away on people who are so awash with money that they can choose to drink to the point that they put themselves in danger.
All at the expense of disabled people in this city.
E Timoroska, Preston (full address supplied)

Trust issues should not involve the ill
I read with great sadness the article about Mrs Barbara Hudson, who was struck off her GP's list for using Primary Care services and who later died of cancer.
Maybe three years ago, I had a similar problem with a now retired GP, when I was caring for my own mother, who was 90 years old and needed 24-hour care. This GP was telling me that, every time a doctor came out via Primary Care, it affected his
wallet.
If GPs are having a problem with the Primary Care Trust, they should not involve their patients. Their argument is not with them.
Name and address supplied

County cricket win can't be soon enough
Now that I am in my 70th year, I'm entitled to a sporting moan. Several years ago, in some correspondence with Mike Watkinson of Lancashire County Cricket Club, I told him that my lifelong wish was for North End to win the FA Cup, or more realistically, for Lancashire to win the county championship.
On the soccer front he recommended I support Bolton Wanderers - right - but he assured me Lancashire could and would win the title "very soon".
How long is "very soon", Mr W?
Still, how would soccer clubs react if they had developed a couple of star players and then England said, "sorry fellas, we're having them, not you?".
I wonder how Lancashire would fare if we had the services of James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff full time?
Still, it's all academic. It never stops raining long enough for us to win a game!
Allan Fazackerley, Monks Walk, Penwortham

Post box was not a permanent fixture
The story about dangerous metal poles being left at the site of the post box on the corner of Acregate Lane and Ribbleton Avenue in Preston, stated that the box had been there for around 50 years prior to removal.
Talking to my cousin, she remembers it being put there around 34 years ago as she was taken to infants' school this way and I recall it was moved to the side of the post office after it was hit by a car.
Paul Reilly, via email

Reunion hope after old photo published
You printed a photograph of the 1954-55 at Storey's Commercial School in Lancaster in a recent edition of Lancashire Evening Post.
My wife spotted herself on the photograph, on the far right of the back row. She was Sandra Baxter. We have contacted Pauline Rigby and Patsy Wilcox by email and a reunion may take place.
John D Watson, Whitby Road, Lytham St Annes

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