Readers' letters - May 4

Re: Cone squad warned after parking dispute (LP May 2).

Quite a conundrum this parking problem is.

I feel sympathy, not only for residents, but people trying to get to appointments or visit at the hospital.

The more parking that becomes available, the more the hospital seems to take on.

The more the council marks areas for restricting parking, the more people find streets further away.

I have no idea why there is so much resistance to building a multi-storey, which is obviously needed.

This is not the only hospital to have such a problem.

Parking at Preston Private causes all sorts of problem for getting past Midgery Lane.

Remedial measures only push the problem further away, on to the next streets.

Quite simply, when these hospitals were built, there was no vision for what was to happen.

This seems to be a common problem for the local council in all areas.

Grab the bull by the horns Preston and build a mega hospital on the Bluebell Way area using, for part of it, the defunct park and ride.

The revenues earned by parking charges would certainly go a long way to financing it.

Fulwood forward thinker

Picture: Residents of Moorfields Avenue have been putting cones out to stop drivers parking outside their homes

religion

Bring back real Catholicism

I refer to your front page headline, Church faces the bulldozer, regarding St Teresa’s Church, and Bishop Campbell’s comments: “Too many churches, too few Catholics” (LP May 1).

Here is my suggestion for well-meaning pastors.

You want to reach those fallen-away, lukewarm, and uncatechized Catholics?

Stop producing them.

Let us turn our attention to shutting off the source.

Focus on those people parked in the pews.

They are there, catechize them.

Pastors, give real homilies and sermons in which you focus on real Catholic teaching, use pre-conciliar language to teach the immutable truths of the faith.

Give them genuine God-centred liturgy.

Give them the tremendous gift, their birthright, the most beautiful music ever made – give them music suitable to that God-centred liturgy.

Burn away all the dross of the past 50 years and teach them.

Might some still leave or become lukewarm?

Certainly.

But it will not be because they weren’t catechized.

Implicit in all the “we must water down Catholicism to make it palatable” approach is that real, genuine, unabashed, fully-orthodox Catholicism isn’t attractive.

They treat Catholicism like the ugly girl who has a nice personality if you just get to know her.

Enough!

Catholicism, real, whole, and traditionally genuine, is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Show it to them.

All of it, every day.

And if you do, a funny thing will happen.

When those once in a while lukewarm Catholics pop in for a visit, they will see it too.

They, who thought thin gruel was all there was, will see the rich sumptuous feast that is Catholicism.

I know that in some places this will not be easy.

There are many people very invested in the gruel-thinning business and they will insist that their way is the only way.

But their way has been a disaster.

For those real pastors out there, bring back Catholicism and I guarantee that you will bring back the Catholics as well.

G Marlow

via email

language

Lanky dialect – then and now

Here are just a few snippets from bygone Lancashire. Below is the pronounced word and its meaning.

Watter boord....Water board

Eesez it’s oareet....He says it’s alright

Thamun gerrit thisel ... You must get it yourself

Eenose nowt... He knows nothing

The moant. ... You must not.

Eenose weer it is ... He knows where it is.

Ee smookes alot... He smokes a lot

Ifell downt steers... He fell down the stairs

Wursta get it fray... where have you got it from.

Gizza suppa watter... Give me a drink of water.

Eez gooin ooum ... He is going home

Ee int reet int the ... He isn’t right in the head

Wurzee gooin ... Where is he going

Esta bin tut skoo? ... Have you been to school?

Ee est theerache ... He has the earache

Thatint reet ... That’s not right

Eez gooin down’t rooud ... He is going down the road.

The maunt gutheer ...You must not go there.

Gerrupt steers ... Get up the stairs

Gufforrit thisell ... Go for it yourself

Ono the waint ... Oh no you won’t

Eez ed nowt tweet ...He has had nothing to eat.

Eez sattint cheer ... He is sat in the chair

Eez frickned othee ... He is frightened of you

Purrit itheer ... Put it in there.

Oldlancsman

Fulwood

HEALTH

Choice should be for everyone

It concerns me that Preston and Chorley Hospitals will only treat patients in orthopaedic clinics and physio departments who need surgery. The physio department won’t accept GP referrals either.

Parliament made a ruling that patients can go to any hospital they want.

It should be the same for treatment as well. Patient Choice should apply in orthopaedic clinics and physio departments as well. We never had this when the Primary Care Trusts ran the hospitals. We need to bring the Patient Public Involvement for Health back. They had more power than the Healthwatch and were able to help individuals who had problems, not just groups.

Vernon Allen

via email

politics

When all is said and done

When all is said and done, more will be said than done.

Let these words serve as a lesson to us all as we consider the most trustworthy party to get our vote on June 8. Who is the best bet to “do” rather than just “say” or promise?

R Urquhart

via email