Cynical eye on Honda

LIKE most of Swindon I heard the good news about a new Honda Civic coming to Swindon but as a bit of a cynic I tend to mistrust most news items so instead read between the lines.

I am the proud owner of my second new CRV and can honestly say they are the best cars that I have ever owned.

But as an ex-trade union shop steward I have to take the role of agent provocateur on this one.

So let’s look at this information from a different viewpoint and see how it shapes up.

Honda make three models in Swindon but intend to take the Jazz to either Japan or India depending on which story you read and my next CRV will be coming from Canada.

This means that Swindon will have all its eggs in one basket and if the new car does not sell well or we leave the EU then it could be goodbye Swindon.

Is Honda planning ahead just in case? I think so, with only one model to move or more likely to run down slowly; the next new Civic could easily end up somewhere like Holland or France, so will still be in the EU.

Honda’s responsibility is to its shareholders, not Swindon, and if the EU changes its rules on imports from Britain after we leave then selling cars there could be a very hard job indeed.

Ask any businessman or woman what they think about putting all your eggs in one basket and you will get the same reply from all of them, not a good business idea at all.

Can you imagine your stockbroker telling you to only buy one company’s shares or the local gardening centre only stocking roses? Neither would last long.

You need to have more than one string to your bow in order to play music that pleases everyone.

We build some of the best cars in the world here in Swindon but that will count for nothing if the rules change or the car does not do well in the showrooms of the world.

Sorry to be such a pessimist but life has taught me to look at both sides of the coin before it gets tossed into the air.

ROY CARTWRIGHT

Covingham

Swindon

Let’s salute our heroes

WHAT a good idea for Swindon to have an Armed Forces Day on June 27.

This is a chance for Swindon to show their appreciation for all those brave people currently serving in the three branches of our armed forces.

We should also remember those who have kept this country proud and free by putting their lives on the line in the heat of the battle during the last few hundred years and more recently in two world wars.

Swindon has always had strong links with the armed forces with the proximity of RAF Lyneham and the moving ceremonies that took place at Royal Wootton Bassett where the British casualties were welcomed home to Britain with honour.

Let’s hope that sufficient sponsors come forward to make this Armed Forces Day a real success, and make it a genuine tribute to our brave boys who have served this country both in the past and also those who are proudly serving their country today.

TERRY HAYWARD

Burnham Road

Swindon

An insult to liberators

SO US envoy Andrew Shapiro considers that he has some sort of ‘god given right’ to dictate to Czech President Milos Zeman that he should not attend the victory parade in memory of the Great Patriotic war on May 9 in Moscow.

Shapiro is a 51-year-old well-heeled lawyer and obviously being of the younger generation has little knowledge of the historical significance of the landmark celebrations, and what’s more cares very little, which is surely nothing other than an insult to the 150,000 courageous Soviet soldiers that gave their lives to liberate Czechoslovakia from Hitler’s grasp.

Quite rightly the Czech president has told him in no uncertain terms that such a critical attitude is certainly not acceptable from the USA, and in a direct snub to Shapiro has stated that he is no longer welcome at his Prague castle residence. He also went on to scathingly attack the US in saying that, “I cannot imagine a Czech ambassador in Washington giving advice to the US President on where he should travel, and I will not let any ambassador interfere with the programme of my foreign trips.”

Several world leaders, no doubt under the coercive dictatorial influence of the US who they see as their influential financial friends have shamefully stated their intention to boycott the especially poignant 70th celebrations, which is surely no better than a slap in face to the Soviet heroic saviours of most of the European continent whose decisive actions helped rescue us all from the dark prospect of living under Hitler.

I was born 10 years after WWII, however I often wonder how many of my generation would have been allowed to enter the world both in Europe and the UK if Hitler had been allowed to triumph, as ‘selective breeding’ was one of the Third Reich’s flagship policies.

Hopefully many of these leaders that are certainly now of the younger generation and thus do not remember or seem to care little about the epic struggle to defeat fascism will take time to read their history books, and in doing so ignore the dictatorial hand of the USA, who remained neutral up under the very end of WWII and would have surely remained so if it had not been for the Japanese factor. The USA was built upon the profits that they were only too glad to sit back and make out of the war, and even to this day continue to put the needs of their burgeoning arms corporations above all else.

It is deplorable as of late that there is a clear attempt being instigated by certain current people of power in the US to influence the historical fact of WWII in the Baltic countries, by ‘muddying the waters’ in some sort of perverted attempt to rewrite the history books. This is not only sad but insulting to the point of criminality to the memory of all Soviet soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice, and thus has enabled Europe and the UK to enjoy the freedoms that they have to this very day.

GA WOODWARD

Nelson Street

Swindon

Hypocrisy of age

I AM a fervent believer in giving youth a chance. We were all young once, and in general made the same mistakes. Mature readers agree? Or do your memories fail you? If I opened the cupboard door regarding my youth, you would find more skeletons cascading out of that door than you have ever seen in all the Hammer production horror films put together.

I am also a great believer in respecting the opposite sex. The main reasons being, my late mother was a woman. Without her assistance I would not be here. No disrespect to my late father. My only sister and my only daughter, not to mention my four precious granddaughters, are surprisingly also women. The mathematical fact that women, give or take a few percentages, account for half the population of Planet Earth comes to mind as well.

My point: Give our youngsters a chance, let them gain experience. Remember your own youthful misdemeanours. Are some of you blushing, because I am briefly, at past thoughts regarding my youthful conduct. They are our future, as we once were.

Regarding the female sex: May I assure you, as the supposed head of a household for over 52 years, the real master of the universe at home was my little four foot eleven inches Good Lady. Before her health problems. Agreed lads ?

BILL WILLIAMS

Covingham

Swindon

History of violence

MARTIN Webb (SA Letters, April 4) tells us that the death penalty is no longer required in the modern world.

Let me remind him of our major historical conflicts with Napoleon, the Kaiser and Adolf Hitler.

In these three wars Britain would have been overrun by cruel enemies if we had not used maximum force in self defence.

I wonder how Martin Webb would have reacted if he had been alive when the Normans attacked our country way back in 1066.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green

Swindon

Useful bus service

WE ARE a coach operator in Birdlip who have been approached by a number of Swindon parents who send their children to schools outside Swindon; for whatever reason this seems to be on the increase — we are amazed at the number of students who travel from Swindon to schools well outside the catchment area.

We have been asked by around 50 parents to operate a service into Stroud schools which I am pleased to say will be operating as of September 2015. The parents that are supporting this coach service inform me that there are many other parents who would be interested in supporting this service but tell me these parents are probably not aware of the service.

We operate a number of Swindon services covering Sir Thomas Riches in Gloucester and Pates Grammar in Cheltenham; these are well established services which have been in operation for many years. The new Swindon to Stroud service may prove of interest to some of your readers.

ROB DENNIS

Denwell Mini Coaches

Birdlip

Gloucester