Readers' letters - May 24

Once a week, I take a stroll along the River Ribble and through both Avenham and Miller Parks.

The views are exceptional – the slow-running river with its variety of bird life, the large expanses of grass, a large selection of trees and the borders which will soon be a sea of colour.

Unfortunately, late Sunday morning, one sight spoiled the scenery.

That was the overflowing litter bins.

Of course there will always be the louts who

leave their litter on the park’s grass but most people make an effort and dispose of their rubbish in the litter bins.

Unfortunately, the bins were overflowing and people had to place their rubbish around the bins.

This scenario does not encourage the public to dispose of their rubbish in a sensible way and spoils the vista of the parks.

One of all councils’ basic functions is to keep their town’s streets and parks clear of rubbish.

Preston Council, “Do not spoil the ship for an ha’p’orth of tar.”

Bernard Darbyshire

via email

brexit

Border issue’s a political ruse

The issue of the Irish border being a stumbling block in Brexit negotiations is nothing more than a political ruse, caused by both Brussels and Dublin, who are doing their utmost to keeping the UK in a customs union and stirred on by splits within the Cabinet and a dithering PM.

Switzerland and Norway are not in the EU customs union and yet both goods and people cross smoothly across their borders every day. The same applies around the world such as the border between Canada and the USA.

Because of new technology and intelligence, there is little or no need for full checks and according to the World Bank, following a recent review of 19 countries, on average only two per cent of goods are checked at borders.

Brussels, along with Dublin, are using the Irish border as a pretext to keeping us shackled to the EU and customs union and are relying on our weakened Government, under pressure from Remainers in both Houses, big business, the CBI and other voices with vested interests.

It is high time that both the Government got on with the Brexit that 17.4 million voted for, and to quote Mrs May, “Brexit means Brexit”.

Philip Griffiths

Broadcaster and commentator

education

Don’t ditch convention

I have been hearing it said that there are some children who can’t tell the time by the old conventional clocks with hands and they can tell the time much better with digital clocks.

Their schools shouldn’t have to ditch their old conventional clocks and have all digital instead.

Schools ought to teach their schoolchildren to tell the time by both of those types of clock.

On the 24-hour digital time system, do you know how to convert the times from 13.00 to 23.59 to ‘pm’ in the 12-hour system?

All you have to do is subtract 12 from the hour, for example, the time of 16.30 is: 16 take away 12 equals four, so it is 4.30pm.

Dick Appleyard

Address supplied

FINANCES

£10k or perks

Regarding Molly Clare’s letter about £10,000 payments to 25-year-olds (LP Letters, May 12), anyone from older generations who objects should remember that, while they may not have received cash handouts, they did benefit from low house prices – as a proportion of income – more secure, long-term employment, free prescriptions, dentistry and opticians, MIRAS and countless more ‘perks’, now long abolished.

Phil Laurence

via email

tessa jowell

Fought battle with dignity

Sad to hear of the passing at the age of 70 of the former Labour cabinet minister Dame Tessa Jowell, pictured.

She died of a brain tumour after fighting her battle for a year.

I had a neighbour who died in his late 40s of the same condition, after fighting it for two-and-a-half years.

He had a very positive mental attitude as, I think, did Dame Tessa, who helped to bring the Olympics to London in 2012. She was a strong person who fought her battle with dignity. RIP.

Brian George

via email