Plenty to talk about

I admire Jenny Groves for her ability to make a positive from the second rejection of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. She trumpets the fact that "more people are talking about Swindon" and suggests "That is success in her book".

The problem with Jenny's summation is that she is wrong. There are many reasons people are 'talking about Swindon' and I doubt the proposed SMAG was one of the foremost – indeed Swindon's vibrant musical, dance and arts culture attracts nationwide attention despite the woeful lack of support from the local authority and is justly talked about with a sense of awe and genuine delight. Matt Holland has every right to be proud that the Swindon Festival of Literature enters its 25th year and the organisers of the Swindon Music Festival, first held in 1909, are to be congratulated for continuing the fine tradition of seeking out local talent. Swindon Dance is justly recognised as a national centre of excellence and a number of local bands and choirs have achieved national recognition. What characterises these organisations is that they are led by people with a vision and the participants are full of energy and commitment.

Coun David Renard has suggested he will 'engage with those who were critical of the HLF bid'. I am not holding my breath as history suggests he will studiously avoid any meaningful contact with individuals or groups which have opposed the Council's plans.

For decades local voices have articulated ways in which the much lauded collection of art works could be displayed, each has been met with resistance by 'those who know best'. Wouldn't it be nice, if just for once the prevailing attitude was one of 'let's just do it'?

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon

There is a solution

It is not surprising that it is those who deny climate change are also, on the whole, those who are vociferous about immigration and international aid, because there is a strong correlation between them.

Take Syria for example, apart from western interference, a major cause of the unrest that led to the civil war was the continuing drought that drove farmers from their land into the cities. This led to overcrowding and food shortages that led to the demonstrations, civil war and a flood of refugees who migrated.

These of course were refugees from war, but the large numbers of immigrants both legal and illegal arriving in the EU from sub-Saharan Africa are motivated by similar reasons. Not war in this case but desertification that in turn leads to poverty and the need to move somewhere more prosperous.

How does international aid come into this equation? I have a lot of sympathy with the argument that we shouldn't give aid to countries that have a space programme or to use it in a way that is essentially a bribe to dictators. However there is a way that aid could be used to mitigate both climate change and immigration.

The Sahara Desert is moving southwards about 50 metres a year partly through anthropogenic climate change and partly through unsustainable land use. African nations from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east have signed up to a scheme called the great green wall, a ten mile deep belt of trees. So far Senegal and Ethiopia have made the most progress with striking results. The problem is that the countries between are some of the poorest in the world.

Were international aid to be diverted to directly fund this project this would be a blow against climate change.

Steve Thompson , Norman Road, Swindon

A pair of suckers

I was at the Tawny Owl pub a couple of days ago hiding from the heat with my son. We had a coke each and some crisps (£7 total!).

We sat near a window and were probably there for 35 or 40 minutes. During this time a man and woman outside were sucking continually on those awful electronic vape things, blowing out huge clouds of smoke like a broken steam train. The man was taking a puff at least every 20 or 30 seconds, the lady a lot less.

It got me wondering, how safe are these things compared to normal cigarettes and do people inhale more often because they don't assume they're as harmful as normal tobacco products?

I'd love to have a bit more information from other readers.

Roger Lack, North Swindon