Readers' letters - March 20

One of Ken Dodd’s songs was, “Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone”.

Well, Ken, I’m sure we

all will for many years to come.

I remember being at the Charter Theatre some years ago and had the good fortune to be sat on the front row.

Ken teased us mercilessly and, after a wonderful night of fun, he presented my friend and I with a tickling stick.

Today’s comedians take note: Ken Dodd entertained people for years and, at his shows, for hours, without using bad language.

He was funny, articulate and had a beautiful singing voice.

Although (it’s said) he didn’t like parting with money, he was generous to charities.

A friend of mine told me recently that they attended a function where Ken was the main attraction.

He asked to be paid in cash.

This they did and on the way out he dropped the lot in the donation box!

His heart was in the right place.

To be a good entertainer I think you need comedic timing and sincerity from the heart, not foul language from the mouth.

RIP Ken….

“What a wonderful world”.

Grace Robinson

Farington Moss

nhs

Nursing

in crisis

I noted the special report in the LP, highlighting the extreme pressures and stress currently being experienced by NHS staff, and feel compelled to comment (LP March 16).

Despite NHS staff facing unprecedented workload pressures and severe shortages of staff, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has indicated that, if a small rise in salary is to be awarded, nurses will have to forgo a day’s annual leave.

This is in a context of a pay freeze enforced for the past few years, meaning that their meagre pay rise has been well below inflation.

How mean-spirited is this?

On top of this, the cuts imposed by this government means that funds for essential continuous professional development have been slashed.

Time out for professional updates and ongoing development of knowledge, skills and standards is essential.

Annual leave provides opportunity for work life balance and to refresh motivation and energy

levels.

It also prevents burnout and disillusionment.

Nursing bursaries have been abolished and nursing students now have to take a loan out to pay university fees for their training, whilst working on the wards for 50 per cent of the time as students without pay.

This will impact on those people who would wish to train as nurses in the future, especially mature students.

In addition to all this is the pressure caused because foreign students who came here to work have now returned home. Because of the prospect of Brexit, they feel unwanted in this country.

The nursing profession is currently in crisis and these dreadful decisions by the government will make things worse.

This parsimonious approach and lack of investment in nurses, who are the backbone of the

NHS, providing round the clock care, support and treatment, is a national disgrace.

It will potentially impact on every family in the land and everyone should be aware of this very serious state of affairs.

Malcolm Rae OBE

Preston

MUSIC

Great show

After a two-year absence, Paul Carrack, pictured, brought his new show to Preston Guild Hall recently.

Paul’s solo success has never quite eclipsed what he achieved as a vocalist for the likes of Ace, Squeeze, Roger Waters and Mike And The Mechanics.

But he can certainly sing and play live, with an excellent five-piece backing band which included his son, Jack.

For 90 minutes, the near capacity audience appreciated the large repertoire of Paul’s long career in the music business.

Recently Paul Carrack has just celebrated 50 years in the music business – some achievement in a often fickle industry.

Stephen Briscoe

via email

speech

What happened to letter T?

When I went to school, there were 26 letters in the alphabet. Now it seems there are only 25 as, somewhere along the way, the letter T disappeared, particularly from the middle of a word. At times, overhearing conversations, it’s almost like a foreign language. When did this happen?

M Whitehead via email