Interesting tale of twin

WHAT prompted me to write was the picture in the Advertiser of the new signs welcoming visitors to Swindon, and informing them of Swindon’s connections around the world.

A while ago I was tidying my shed and came across a page from an old edition of the Advertiser with faded print. What caught my eye was something about Chattanooga, USA and twinning.

I looked up the Chattanooga website and found its history fascinating, although very sad if you belong to the Indian tribe the Cherokee, and how in the last century they turned things around for the better in their city by a vast rebuilding programme, very impressive.

At the bottom of the page it said Swindon, UK was one of their twinning cities. The Americans have even dedicated a tree to Swindon (English Elm) to celebrate the event.

I have found evidence of this twinning on this side of the Atlantic but no mention of this on the Swindon website. Have we dedicated a Sequoia tree to our American cousins, or are they wrong and put the cart before the horse?

I have made the odd enquiry but no one seems to know for sure about this twinning. Did the council get their inspiration for the Swindon Regeneration Project from Chattanooga, as there are a lot of similarities?

Of course the Chattanoogans haven’t got a canal, but then again they have the Tennessee River with its paddle steamers.

WILLIAM ABRAHAM

Rodbourne

Swindon

UK’s not an easy touch

IN RESPONSE to your front page story and headline, ‘No way to treat a good worker’ of March 27, cases like the one that Andy Carter and Jackey Carter are experiencing are sadly occurring on a regular basis in the UK.

Contrary to the widely held belief of many Adver readers, the UK is not a soft touch when it comes to migrants from outside the EU.

Migrants from outside the EU are not automatically entitled to benefits the minute they enter the UK and in many cases claimants have to wait years to be allowed to claim benefits, leaving many destitute.

The UK has some of the most stringent immigration laws in the world, hence the reason there is so many undocumented migrants in the country.

I wish Andy and Jackey the best of luck in their fight to get the deportation order overturned.

MARTIN WEBB

Swindon Road

Swindon

 

I ALWAYS have difficulty understanding some perceptions of Sharia Law when it is remarked upon by people like J Adams, who seem to have not the slightest knowledge of the subject.

I can tell where he gets his information from – Melanie Philips, who was forced from her post as a Spectator columnist for being anti-Muslim in 2011. The worst part is that she didn’t have a clue what Sharia Law is.

By contrast, what have the scholars said about the Sharia Law in the UK?

In 2008, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said: “There’s a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law, as we already do with some other aspects of religious law.”

Dr Rowan Williams went on to say: “There’s one law for everybody and that’s all there is to be said, and anything else that commands your loyalty or allegiance is completely irrelevant in the processes of the courts — I think that’s a bit of a danger”.

AXMED BAHJAD

Fleet Street

Swindon

 

WITH technology coming into our lives more and more these days, I have had a chance to reflect on some changes.

A couple of changes manifested themselves recently when the BT telephone directory and Yellow Pages dropped lightly through my letter box.

Years ago, when they were delivered, the sheer weight of them nearly broke the floor tiles in the porch if they were thrown in, as they wouldn’t go through the letter box, and if you happen to drop one of them on your foot, then a few broken toes would be apparent!

As time has gone by, these directories that make excellent reading when looking for those unusual names have been made smaller and smaller.

I suppose it is an obvious act of transition due to the coming of the digital age, mobile phones, internet, etc. I have been called Mr Gleam, Mr Greedy, Mr Creed, so it has been nice to consult the directory just to verify my own name and obviously check my address!

I did have a call some years ago from a gentleman who apologised for ‘Not being able to play tennis on the Saturday’! I told him not to worry as it didn’t matter due to the fact that I didn’t play tennis anymore and he had the wrong Chris Gleed!

So as years go by what can we expect? I think we have to look forward to ‘wallet cards’ next year which will contain all the directory information.

The only problem being the magnifying glass supplied with each wallet card will unfortunately be much too large to fit in your pocket.

We all know things get smaller as life goes by, so the magnifying glass will be useful after all!

CHRIS GLEED

Purton

Swindon

 

YEARS before my retirement, because of my good lady’s health problems, I often had jovial remarks from the younger members, and not so young, from the bricklaying gang I worked with. The humorous comments, one being ‘you are looking at the lid, Bill’, referring to the lid of the coffin.

My genial reply was that we all look at the lid as an inevitable part of nature.

You youngsters might not get to my stage in the game of a mature age, I replied, but at least after a few escapes, the Glasgow Rangers horror of 1971 at the cost of 66 lives I missed by minutes, I have at least reached the age of 70.

To be honest I have known very dear friends and family members who have never had that privilege, including a granddaughter in a tiny white coffin only a few days old, forever burning a sadness in my heart that I will take to my grave. God bless her soul.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Swindon

 

I DID venture to the recycling depot on Sunday at about 9am. There were in fact about seven or even eight rows for cars to park up and wait their turn to use the facilities.

Now there are hundreds of green bales stacked all over the yard waiting to be loaded onto HGV lorries, to be transported to who knows where, or even what’s in them.

One thought did spring to mind was is this the same wood burning plant which by the actions of many concerned people (me included) who objected to it being built so close to homes schools etc, with its 30 meter tall chimney belching out all and sundry, has just been moved 100 meters down the road from its cancelled position.

Could SBC or one of our MPs who like to have a column or half a page to explain to us mere mortals exactly what this beast does? What’s in the green bales and where are they going to?

JOHN L CROOK

Haydon Wick

Swindon

 

RECENT newspaper disclosures reporting the evil scum reportedly holding top positions in politics and the Metropolitan Police, paint a grim picture of those responsible for our country’s future.

Can someone tell me how the MPs of all parties have allowed this to happen? Surely there must be young men in the trade union movement with sufficient fire in their belly similar to that shown by Arthur Scargill prepared to challenge these monsters?

Time is not on their side if they wish to save our once proud civilised country from utter destruction.

FRANK AVENELL

Beckhampton Street

Swindon

 

I WAS recently plodding my way up hill when my body decided to give up, but lo and behold around the corner came two Mormons who helped me home. It restored my faith in human kindness, before I had a chance to express my thank you. I may see them in the area again.

COLIN TURNER

Bath Road

Swindon

 

HOW wonderful that Carole Middleton has found a place in Prince William’s heart by making him cheese on toast. Obviously, even with his privileged upbringing and served by the world’s best chefs, Carole’s toastie is of Mary Berry class.

So, now ladies, take heart that although the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, you only need to produce a perfect cheese on toast, it’s not even necessary to kiss a frog to turn him into a prince. Just feed the frog a toastie. What an easy way to climb up the social ladder! If only I had a been aware of the magic of a toastie, it would have saved me years of baking special meals for my family over a hot stove.

However, it only proves my opinion that the Royals are exactly on the same level as the majority of us. Maybe Camilla could her try hand at producing a cheese on toast at Highgrove to enable Charles to see George more often!

BETH HUNT

Hill View Road

Swindon

 

I WAS astonished to see the article about guide dogs printed on a multi coloured background. Anyone with a visual impairment would have found it difficult or impossible to read. Even people with normal eyesight and maybe glasses would have had a lot of difficulty and therefore ignored it.

Visual impairment doesn’t just mean blind people. Black on white is preferable and very often thick lettering. I’ve written many letters for people in thick felt tipped pen with letters half an inch high.

MRS E PHELPS

High Street

Wootton Bassett

 

WE ARE holding a Coffee Morning at The Village Inn, Liddington on Saturday 11 April 2015 which starts at 10am and ends at noon. The cost is £5 per person and entitles you to a cup of tea or coffee, a slice of cake, one free raffle ticket and entry into the quiz (which is optional).

To ensure we have enough cake, please contact Kaye on 01793 485869 or email keepflapping@yahoo.co.uk

ALAN FLETCHER

Chair, Swindon Guide Dogs for the Blind

 

I WOULD like to comment on the letter from Elaine Fairfax of March 27 regarding the appeal for £135 for rescuing a bear in Peru. Last week, after phoning SIX different organisations to ask for help for an injured fox in our communal garden — he was suffering from a broken leg — I think the last phone call I was told they hadn’t got a fox trap and until they could get one, there wasn’t anything they could do.

Perhaps if they get the appeal money, they could use some of it to buy a few fox traps. I was very disappointed in their response.

MRS W ALLEN

Victoria Court

Swindon