Readers' letters - September 27

The Labour Party Conference has inevitably raised again the question of retaining or scrapping our nuclear deterrent based on Trident.

As usual, cost and the horrific nature of nuclear weapons is at the forefront of the demand to scrap it.

The bomb is a horrible weapon, a manifestation of the worst aspects of human nature.

But it cannot be uninvented.

Unilateral disarmament by one or more states will not make the world a safer place.

A report in 2016 by a consortium of nuclear scientists showed that any of the major powers could easily remake a nuclear warhead within months.

The best defence against the nuclear weapon is another nuclear weapon.

All weapons are terrible but they do not cause wars.

These are caused by hatreds, and animosities based on ethnic, religious, ideological and power factors.

Disarmers have to be admired for their devotion but one is in awe at their stubborn denial of futility.

Mutually assured destruction has proved to be the best strategy for preventing the use of the ultimate weapon.

Despite their childish rhetoric, both Trump and Kim know this.

The late American Secretary of State, Adlai Stevenson, said: “There is no evil in the atom, only in men’s souls.”

Colonel (retired) Barry Clayton

Via email

transport

‘Good old days’ were rusty

I was interested to read your contributor, Ted Fowler (LP Letters, September 18), writing about cars of the 50s and 60s.

Ah, such nostalgia, but somewhat inaccurate.

Ted, while the engines and other mechanical parts were relatively easy to maintain – helped in no small measure by those marvellous Haynes Guides – the bodywork of these vehicles were less so.

They had a tendency to rust from the inside out so, while from a distance they looked gleaming due to much washing and polishing by the owners, on closer inspection the tell tale bubbles of rust coming through the bodywork was evident.

Thus they tended to spend more time in bodyshops than in the garages, being welded, patched up and sprayed.

These days, with multiple coatings being applied to the bodywork, such rapid rusting does not occur.

Also engines have become so sophisticated and full of new technology that is evident in today’s modern cars that one needs a degree in computers to at least make a start on repairing them.

That has included installing various engine performance monitors which includes Ted’s dreaded and costly Lambda Sensors.

Well, Ted, you should know this an anagram of LAMBDA SENSORS is AM ROBD SENSLAS!

Just thought you’d like to know.

Happy motoring!

Neil Swindlehurst

Walmer Bridge

gratitude

Thank you to our customers

We would like to sincerely express our thanks to all our customers for your company and friendship over the last 25 brilliantly happy years (Cheese sellers say farewell after 25 years, LP September 21).

We are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of wonderful messages, tributes and good wishes from our friends who have supported us in our very happy time with you in Garstang.

It has been wonderful meeting you all and we will always remember you with a happy heart.

We will really miss you all.

We did not manage to say goodbye to everyone personally but you are all in our thoughts and always will be.

Thank you.

God bless you all.

It’s been a privilege.

Maureen and Paul

Garstang Cheese Stall

technology

No benefits of new system

I have had cause to telephone HM Revenue and Customs.

(They had, without any cause known to me, given me too favourable a tax code).

Initially I was taken through a security procedure like that when telephoning any financial institution these days.

That’s fair enough.

At the end of this, I was told I was to be enrolled in their new automatic voice recognition system so I would never have to go through the security procedure again.

I was required to repeat the same stated phrase several times and then pronounced as enrolled.

All very “high tech”.

Then ensued a wait of a fraction under 20 minutes until I actually spoke to a person. I understand this is par for the course.

In that time I could have completed the conventional security ten times over.

In such circumstances, I cannot see how the new advanced technology benefits either party.

I bet it cost a pretty penny.

I am left wondering who persuaded HM R & C to invest taxpayers’ money in this innovation.

Neil Inkley

Walton-Le-Dale

politics

‘Sir Vince’s past his sell-by date’

Hearing the ramblings of the new Lib Dem leader, Sir Vince Cable, on Brexit, I wonder if it is time for a default retirement age to be introduced as an amendment to the Representation of the People Act of Parliament.

This could prevent those clearly past their sell-by date standing for election as an MP.

DS Boyes

Address supplied