Quiet haven of library shattered
In the three years since I retired I have become a regular visitor to the excellent library at Longton, making use of the online facilities as well as the more traditional books, magazines and newspapers.
I am sometimes irritated by the all too obvious fact that many parents exercise little control over their young children and see no harm in them treating the adult section of library as a playground.
When I raised the matter with the librarian, I was told that all notices relating to behaviour had been removed so that people using the facilities were not confronted with negative or offputting strictures. This was a dictat from head office and naturally enough made the
librarian's job rather difficult if intervention of any sort was ever attempted.
I thought, however, that at least the staff could be relied upon not to make excessive noise: today though I was unpleasantly surprised to witness the librarian take up his guitar and mouth organ and start singing through amplification equipment.
This, I was told, was part of a new Let's Make Noise in Libraries project, designed to enhance their attractivness to more members of the community.
Well, they are going the right way about reducing contact with this member of the library. I require the adult section of a library to be reasonably quiet - though not the deathly hush of years ago - and free of playground activities.

Irritated Longton Library User
(full name and address supplied)

Councillors cashing in on bus restriction
I recently had a letter published in the Evening Post criticising our local councils for ending the free travel concession after 11pm on weekday evenings.
I was not however aware of all the facts when I wrote this letter and had I known that this saving was necessary in order for our South Ribble councillors to be in a
position to award themselves a 125% increase in their meagre
allowances, I would not have
complained.
After all it is only right that tax-payers' money should be spent where it is most needed and not frittered away on luxuries for pensioners and the disabled.
At least now when I am paying my full single fare of £2.50 to get home on the last bus on a Friday, I will know it is for a worthy cause.

Jeff McCann, Hoghton, via email

Forced to strike over below-inflation 'rise'
Unison members in local government have voted to take strike action tomorrow and on Thursday over the offer of 2.45% for most members and an extra £100 a year for the lowest paid.
This is way below inflation and is actually a pay cut.
Coming on top of 10 years of below-inflation pay rises, it's no wonder that we are saying this is the last straw.
Mortgages up 8%, petrol up 22%, fuel bills up 15%, inflation up 4.3% but council workers are offered 2.45%; it doesn't add up.
We are taking strike action not because we want to. Many Unison members are low paid, part time women workers struggling to pay bills, so losing two days' pay is not something we are doing lightly.
We know that shutting services down will cause disruption and for that we are genuinely sorry if you are inconvenienced but we cannot afford another pay cut.
Unless we get a fair settlement on pay, local communities will suffer too. We empty your bins, clean your streets, care for your parks, check the safety of your food, teach your children to swim, promote tourism, just to mention a few of the services we provide.
Our colleagues at County Council level look after and care for your children in nurseries, schools and in care, maintain the highways and street lighting… the list goes on.
Local government employees have the worst pay, holidays, parental rights and sick pay in the public sector. Some 250,000 earn less than £6.50 an hour- and most of these are women.
Please give us your support.

Linda Jones, branch secretary, Unison, Ribble Valley

Making more room
Here's a possible cheap solution to the Broughton bottleneck...
Build an exit/entry slip road from the M6 to the new Barton Grange roundabout and use the Brough-ton interchange, the M6 and the new roundabout as a bypass route. The hard shoulder could be used for local traffic at busy times.

P Richardson, Thirsk Road, Lancaster

Add to brilliant Led Zepp memorabilia
From August 1 to September 3 there is an exhibition of Led Zeppelin memorabilia in the library of Knebworth House in Hertfordshire to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's formation. All proceeds are being donated to the ABC Trust - Action for Brazil's Children of which Jimmy Page is the founding patron.
I am loaning some of my memorabilia to the exhibition, in particular part of my large collection of articles about them.
The band performed twice in Preston - the Public Hall in 1971 and the Guild Hall two years later, when I met them after writing them a 31ft long letter!
The story and photos were published in the LEP under the headline "Caz - the fan who stops at nothing".
Although I have a photocopy of the article relating to Led Zepp's first Preston appearance on November 23, 1971, I would love an original to complete my collection.
Does any reader possess an original cutting they would be willing to let me have?
There is a website giving all the details of the Knebworth exhibition - www.memoriesinmusic.com. There is a competition on there to win stuff signed by Jimmy Page.

Caz Kay, Lostock Hall via email (cazikay@fsmail.net)

Thanks for ferrying me to appointments
Following my letter of June 16 "NHS did a great job after my ladder fall", I would like to follow up with praise for the Patient Ambulance services, the clinics at RPH and the x-ray department.
I had to return two weeks later.
During this visit I had two visits to the clinic, two visits to x-ray, one to the plastercast department, then some treatment, physiotherapy and finally to the appointment desk. By the time the ambulance crew came to get me at 4pm I had been on the go since 9.15!
Today (June 30) I was back at the hospital. After the last marathon I was wondering if I would be home for Deal or No Deal. I made it back for 11.10am... well in time for Loose Women!
Well done to you all.

John Atkinson, Penwortham, via email

Get in touch
I write as an exiled Prestonian, now living in Cornwall. I'd be obliged if your readers could assist me with information to form part of a future publication, proceeds of which are to be donated to the Ribble Preservation Society.
I spent five summer vacations as a student working for Ribble Motor Services, meeting many of the characters of the crews.
I would like to include the stories of mechanics, bodyshop staff, clerical staff, inspectors, drivers and conductors. Individuals like Bill Healey, Doug Lees, Roger Pilkington, Alec Park, Terry Park, Nobby Clarke, Shelia Clarke and driver Livingstone spring to mind.

Ted Rhodes, Carraholly, Caradon town, Liskeard, Cornwall PL145AR Email: ecrgraphics@btconnect.com
Tel: 01579363102

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