Already being derailed

I was interested in Mr Reynolds short letter about the closure of the GWR in Swindon.

Funnily enough I read an article last week about the new Hitachi Electric Trains being built in Japan and assembled in the North East; which unfortunately “someone” forgot to check could not run on our track lines.

Mistake number one.

We then have the problem that there are several bridges which were too small for the overhead cables which has added a mere £1.2B to the cost of the London to Bristol project with similar costs expected for all of the other lines scheduled to be done later.

Another government disaster ?

IAN HUNT Swindon We should leave the EU I see the subservient nodding donkey 'stay in the European Disunion' brigade are creeping out of the woodwork with their scare stories.

Quite frankly they are an insult to my intelligence. Rubbish about it costing every household £3000. Going back to war time rationing and illegal immigrants storming the lorries and ferries on the French side. We managed to keep the might of Nazi Germany, who swept across Europe, at bay from our shores, did we not?

Once we are out, we stop the handouts to all who have never put a penny in, problem solved. That will stop them coming then. Import tariffs of 20 per cent being introduced; what nonsense, with no factual basis. Lose the finance of the city of London, that was the same tripe we were threatened with, if we did not join the euro. Regarding the frightener of losing Honda, no one in a position of authority at Honda has come out with that one to the best of my knowledge.

How did we manage for thousands of years on our own, before we joined this corrupt undemocratic cabal? Let us see what we may gain. Fifty odd million pounds a day.

Ports like Grimsby that once had one of the largest fishing fleet in the world, down to a few trawlers now, getting back its prosperity when we demand our fishing rights back. More trawlers being built again, creating employment and giving hope to our steel manufacturers. Selective immigration that would stop the importing of cheap labour which is reducing our wages.

More houses and jobs for our own children, who are struggling because of the millions who have entered our country. The National Health Service getting back its status instead of being the International Health Service. Laws made by the British for the British, not unelected Eurocrats in their best interests. Stopping the legal aid racket by lawyers appealing on behalf of people who should not be here in the first place.

Putting a stop to the criminals and sex offenders waiting to invade us – many are already here. By taking the right of every sovereign nation. Control of our borders. Make no mistake about it if we vote to stay., If you think it is bad now, you ain't seen nothing yet from mad woman Merkel and her cronies. Last but not least, honouring our war dead by regaining the freedom they died for.

T REYNOLDS Wheeler Avenue Swindon

Saving the children?

Re the 3000 plus Syrian children that Save the Children charity want brought here.

There are issues that need to be addressed before the ‘suffering children’ hysteria takes off.

These children are already in a European country.

What guarantees are there that these children are genuinely unaccompanied? Desperate people take desperate measures.

We have already had unaccompanied ‘children’ discovered who lied about their ages and were in fact young adults, some of whom had university fees paid for them. In Kent, we have vulnerable British children being moved out of the county to accommodate massive influxes of child asylum seekers.

One doesn’t need to be a clairvoyant if they are accepted: we’ll witness a sudden appearance of ‘close relatives’ demanding entry to the UK to join their children, and this excuse of a prime minister, will give in.

This in turn will encourage further instances of lone children being sent on dangerous boat trips. And so the cycle will continue.

I suspect that the Save the Children Charity is doing it not so much for the children’s sake but for the accustomed lifestyle of the fat cats that run it, with one eye on future honours lists.

JEFF ADAMS Bloomsbury Swindon

You have to wonder

Mr Spry says many things. He tells us about the wooden coaches – this is the reason then, this huge engineering site was closed, no thought of moving on and building the next generation of coaches.

They had an impeccable reputation for building the older style coaches, why not build on that?

He asks about my thoughts about the Lydiard Park fiasco and others; he must never read the Advertiser apart from when he is on song. Can I remind him? The Corn Exchange, burnt down so many times, I’m surprised the police never noticed. That is an eyesore in the area and nothing seems ever to be done about it, bit like the Bell hotel opposite.

The Mechanics Institute fiasco goes on and on, and the building gets worse every day. I won’t mention the council that could have bought it for £1. I wonder how he sees the million plus spent on the ‘temporary’ roof of a building, that the council doesn't even own. And yet we have closures for child care centres etc.

Same with Lydiard Park; we can't afford that, yet we can afford to give the bus company it owns £2m, we can afford to give Forward Swindon over half a million pounds every year to run its business, and that on top of its wages.

We are about to be shafted by the council precept which, if they were were honest, is now a done deal, blackmail or not. I'm off now, to check out my naval books, to see where all these magnificent submarines were used.

BILL WILLIAMS Merlin Way, Covingham

Narrow-minded views

AN interesting meeting took place recently, that being of the Anglican Church where it gave free rein for some of its leaders to spout off their narrow minded, bigoted attitude to people in the LGBT community.

The next day Oxfam released a depressing report on the state of inequality in the world, that said 62 billionaires own more wealth than that of half of the world’s population.

Isn’t it time that some of those in the church with such views towards the LGBT turned their views to some issues of real concern, such as inequality, human rights issues, the ongoing refugee crisis, rising levels of poverty and homelessness, and the ugly, repugnant head of racism that is becoming more evident due to the language of certain politicians at home and abroad. They are just a few real and more serious issues they should be tackling, not people’s sexuality.

Is it any wonder that church attendance on a Sunday morning has fallen below a million?

Unless they change their views that number will drop even more.

MARK WEBB Old Town

Heart-breaking abuse

Olive Cooke, the devoted 92-year-old lady who plunged to her death in the Avon Gorge, after 3,000 cash pleas a year from charities, and felt that she could take no more, leaves many serious questions to answer.

It really is a heartbreaking account of the abuse this lady suffered in the name of charity; her name, details, address and home number had been bought and sold by 70 organisation in their hunt for money!

To be driven to take her own precious life due to the overwhelming monetary demands, questions the bullying procedures that some organisations adopt, and their total lack of respect and consideration towards the many charitable people who give their all often without a support group!

These stalwart armies of volunteers must be well supported and protected by the firms that use them!

This dear, devoted lady. Olive is believed to have sold 30,000 poppies! A remarkable achievement, serving of a posthumous recognition or our love and deep gratitude for her outstanding contribution to life on earth.

Albeit the price Olive paid by ending her life is the tragic closure to an overburdened heart and soul!

Mary Ratcliffe Old Town

Focus on ourselves

What a start to the New Year for our troops, who are being hounded by these so called Iranian prosecutors, trying to get money for our enemies!

This is a war and unfortunately it will drag on into 2016 and beyond, unless a Soloman comes along and finds an answer to the whole Blair/Brown sorry mess.

Like I said in 2015, my own answer is for atomic bomb like Hiroshima, the same capacity, dropped in the right spot.

Innocents will suffer of course, but that is the sad fact of all wars over the years both past and present.

One swift blow would end it once and for all. Then, finally keep our noses out of conflicts, tribal mainly, and let our three forces concentrate on our Island and its people.

If the USA want to keep on being the great solver of all others troubles on the planet then so be it!

Just concentrate on peace and defence of our values and life only. The 860 MPs who sit in judgement on we ordinary mortals should be given uniforms and arms and be flown out to the heart of hot spots to fight it out.

That’s my own opinion as usual but I bet in a national vote I would not be alone.

H G Smith Wroughton