Readers' letters: Spare a thought for our feathered friends

You may have noticed that there are very few swallows around at the moment.

They should have been back with us by now but unfortunately many have not survived their journey back from Africa because of a violent hurricane they encountered en route.

Many of the swallows that survived the hurricane arrived in Greece and died of exhaustion, dropping dead in their hundreds onto rooftops, balconies and roads.

Some recovered to make their onward journey but it is feared that thousands have died.

Swallows are incredible birds – able to navigate 6,000 miles across the Sahara and pinpoint their exact nesting place from the previous year – truly amazing, yet they are among many species threatened by loss of habitat, climate change and persecution.

On our farm we welcome the swallows and it is always a delight to see their return in the spring. For the last few years one pair have returned annually to refurbish their nest on a lamp in our front porch. They might make a mess for a short time but, to me, it is a small price to pay for the delight they give us – they are also a talking point when visitors used to call.

If you are fortunate that swallows choose your home to nest, do welcome them.

Kath Walling

Forton

nhs

Grateful thanks to hospital staff

I recently lost my husband Brian to Covid-19. After a brave fight, he finally died on April 20 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

Through your letters page, I would just like to put on record our family’s grateful thanks to the amazing staff at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

Brian was treated in the Coronary Care Unit for most of his time in hospital and then, for the final day or so, he was on Ward 37.

For the 12 days he was in hospital, I was unable to visit but the staff took time to take a phone in to him so we could speak and send messages of encouragement.

Nothing was too much trouble and I could ring anytime to see how he was doing.

We then discovered you could send messages to patients via the hospital’s website. Brian was much too poorly to read his messages but the staff again took time to read the messages to him.

We believe that this kindness kept him fighting for longer than might otherwise have been the case.

Unfortunately his body eventually could take no more but I was able to sit with Brian in his final hours, which was a great comfort for both of us.

I saw the kindness, compassion and selflessness the nurses show to the patients in their care and I saw their bravery at first hand. Brian had obviously been well cared for and loved in the time we had been apart and I will never be able to thank the nursing staff enough. They are wonderful.

Viv Tabner, Forton

politics

Stop scoring political points

Whilst I am not in any way defending the Government’s handling of this pandemic, what does surprise me is the number of people who keep blaming them for one thing or another. Perhaps if they put themselves forward to become MPs, the country would be much better run and the number of failures would be decimated as they have the correct solutions to all the problems.

As for the comment by Valerie Andrews (LP Letters, May 1), regarding the resumption of starving the NHS of money, she should recall this was done by Mrs May’s Government and, prior to that, when she was Home Secretary, she cut the Police Force and made other reductions, so perhaps it would be a good thing to make it an all male government! Remember also Mrs Thatcher and the chaos she caused!

Let us take notice of Ian who asks for us all to pull together and stop trying to score political points (LP Letters, May 1).

G Lloyd via email

virus

Zoom time

Re: VE Day 75th anniversary.

The articles prominently featured have certainly aroused interest and have given us something to plan (LP, April 29).

Although I didn’t step outside the curtilage of my house on Sunday, I began to wonder if we had actually been to church, having enjoyed a participatory service via Zoom, not even leaving the kitchen. Time certainly plays tricks on the mind.

I am in the ‘age’ bracket where I am potentially vulnerable but not particularly fretting to be allowed ‘out’. I do not worry whether I have a job or not or children to entertain. My current concern is controlling the dandelions on the lawn. I look at the seed heads and wonder if the C virus spreads as they do. They will have to be suppressed.

Roger Brooks

via email

M