Letters Wednesday, January 6

He starts of by saying that "things haven't worked out as I had hoped" which is shorthand for 'we failed again' – the Kimmerfield Development, according to Coun Renard, is a private sector project outside the Council's control and if it wasn't for the taxpayer-funded £15m car park, sheltered housing and the soon to appear health centre, the site would still be nothing more than a windswept piece of open land.

As for the Oasis, I think we can safely say that Moirai has failed to deliver what it promised within the timeline promised.

But according to Coun Renard we should look at what happened at Regent Circus, what he refers to as a fantastic success – the only issue I have with his claim is that the success of this project was despite the administration's opposition to the scheme; many readers will recall the council favoured the Farnsby Street development which would have featured the old Tabernacle Stones for which they paid £360k.

As for the £1.8m contract signed with UKBroadband – at the third time of trying the Council still cannot bear to admit they have got it wrong – again.

Coun Renard believes his own hype when he proclaims he has secured ministerial support for the scheme, in fact the minister (a Conservative) only gave his approval to the process employed by the council. Coun Renard maintains the fiction that the 'new deal' will provide 99 per cent availability when in fact version two allegedly did pretty much the same.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive

Swindon

IN THE last few days I seem to be aware of an acrid taste to the air that is causing my wife to suffer from a severe dry cough. I mentioned this to somebody else, who said that they too had felt this taste to the air and also another person had complained.

The strange thing is that I can detect this acrid taste inside my house and outside in the ‘fresh air.’ Some time ago we were warned about a toxic cloud wafting over Europe from Africa. Is this happening again and we have not been told?

Or is it a build up of fumes from traffic? The amount of traffic has increased tremendously along Marlborough Road since the housing estate is being built by the hospital (so much for the 50,000 petition signatures against!).

Having said that, the other observation came from someone who lives on the other side of Swindon. I know that during the summer Swindon can be viewed through a blue haze if you are approaching it from Wanborough across the higher hills on a sunny day.

So maybe this will be our future – smog in summer and winter with a dry cough?

BARRY E WOODHAM

Scotby Avenue

Old Town

IT WAS with great regret l read of the death of landlord Bob Warren of the Trout at Lechlade. I was away at the time and only read about it when l had returned home.

Bob was a truly lovely fella and will be sorely missed – not only by myself, but many, many others.

He was a true gentleman in every sense and a great character.

I came to know him quite well, as I often called in on my boat and moored up at the Trout.

A keen lover of jazz, we often popped in to listen to the array of jazz bands and also the many steam events, circuses etc during the summers.

He gave me many anecdotes which I used to contribute to the River Thames magazine.

He and his lovely wife Penny always gave a warm welcome, and ran a superb kitchen.

Here's hoping his legacy will continue at the Trout with his devoted family.

As is often the case – also with Mick Daniels (a good friend of mine) – the best always seem to go long before their time.

CHRIS HUMPHREYS

Fuller Close

Swindon

CAN any of your readers help me in my confusion? I had the distinct impression our honours system was designed to recognise (and to an extent recompense) selfless good works, carried out in an exceptional way, often in difficult circumstances, sometimes for modest or no pay and little immediate reward. We called this altruism when I was a young lad.

So when even the Daily Mail, quoting others, stated the process was ‘borderline corrupt’ I decided, with the Xmas holidays and all, to look at this list a little closer.

One in six (yes one in six!) of this lot of awards were given to career civil servants who today are extremely well paid and mostly retire early on gold standard, inflation proofed pensions, not available to us but sadly paid for by us. Jean Oglesby, wife of Michael, who apparently handed the Tories £50,000 this year; Dame Lin Homer, whose well catalogued and abysmal failure in a string of high profile civic service management roles, demonstrating clearly that leadership failures are no bar to promotion or yet more ‘honour’; the chief executive of a chain of sex shops... for services to what I am not quite sure (can they now make use of the royal crest over the doors?).

But most worryingly of all, Lynton Crosby, an Australian political fixer paid £500,000 to get the Tories re-elected in May. Even Tory MP Mark Garnier had to agree that describing this as ‘great public service’ was ‘probably a bad idea’. Any view on this Justin? Confusing exceptional good works with party political hirelings speaks volumes of the contempt in which we, the general public, must be held.

In fairness, trading honours for political favours is not new and is a trend well established by (Labour) predecessors, which is what makes the whole process so distasteful in the eyes of Joe public.

There were of course some meritorious candidates included: Dorothy Start at 99, a BEM for 50 years selfless charity work, Anne Dowling and Sir James Dyson appointed to the Order of Merit... but then inexplicably Martyn Lewis crops up, a seemingly nice guy who read out the TV news rather well for several years (and was very well paid for it) becomes ‘Sir’ Martyn Lewis?

I have some small experience in this area. I tried unsuccessfully three times to nominate someone for an honour that had spent almost 40 years of selfless, unpaid service to the community. Despite a powerful and competent citation, it was implied by the committee clerk that only the last five years of any ‘good works' are taken into account and even though the 35-year plus period was exceptional, honours were unlikely. I heard nothing further.

The next time David Cameron ruminates over his sugar puffs as to why his loyal subjects are so cynical about politics in general and politicians in particular, he should open his desk drawer, look at this list, and hang his head in shame. Honours? Dishonour more like.

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End

Havisham Drive

Swindon

ABDUL Rahman Haroun a 40-year-old Sudanese walked 31 miles through the Channel Tunnel, and was granted asylum in the land of milk and honey at hard-working taxpayers' expense. Let me give my two points of view regarding this outrage of unlawful entry into my country being accepted by the so-called judiciary.

My first thought was, I admire his resilience and fortitude. My next thought was where does this all end, regarding the protection of our borders? If you park your car in Swindon, over your time, you receive a fine. But to be fair to Swindon council, they have always be more than fair to I, on the occasions I have disputed their decisions.

Back to my point in question . The law is the law, it is the basis of any civilised society. What message does this send to all and sundry intent on invading our overcrowded island? As a God-fearing man, I have no conception of the horrors this man has went through. Or perhaps none?

But one thing I do know without exception regarding the human race is, to use an old adage, blood is thicker than water. Your heart may bleed for the horrors that surround us. My heart does, but your heart bleeds deeper when it is your own flesh and blood. I speak from great experience on that last comment. Looking after our own and preserving our way of life and our children's and our country, must come before any other priority, hard though it may be.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham

Swindon