Letters Wednesday, April 12 2017

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Listen to the people

More of the same words from Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker and his fellow trust member Robert Hiscox, banging on about “the new cultural quarter “ and the borough’s treasures that the world cannot wait to see.

Robert claims “business rents and rates will increase, shops and restaurants will flourish”, and goes on to say the new museum will “re-position Swindon as a thriving cultural concern.”

Well Mr Hiscox and Mr Dekker, I have resided in this town for more than 60 years and I can tell you with little fear of contradiction that you are barking up the wrong tree.

The last time people regularly visited Swindon in large numbers for any “cultural events” was back in the ‘70s when the Brunel Rooms took the initiative to book punk bands week in week out - young punks came from far and wide to witness unknown bands that very soon became household names.

Now MECA, near the town hall, has one of the most beautiful interiors of any building within the town and if situated in Bristol, or Reading, or Oxford, or Cheltenham would be full every evening with masses of bands, new and old that do the university circuit, they are supported every night.

It is not the fault of the guys running the MECA, as most everything they put on is successful, however they could not afford to be part of the O2 uni circuit as the apathy of our town would see them poor. The Oasis is the only venue large enough to put large bands on, not ideal, but rarely does it not sell out.

Listen to the people, allow someone (and many have tried over the years) to breathe life into the few buildings that mean something to the people such as the Corn Exchange and the Mechanics, build a decent concert hall that WILL bring people to the town and fill the shops and restaurants and who knows one day we may be in a position to develop a “cultural quarter”.

If it was as simple as spending £22m to totally revitalise a dying town I’m sure it would have been done by now, so go and get your money from a private source and build your big glass museum and leave our council money alone.

KEVIN EDMONDS Covingham, Swindon

We want action now

AS A reader of the Adver I was keen to spot the April Fool spoof conjured up by your excellent journalists.

I was not quite sure which of the stories on p4 or p5 was the joker in the pack butsettled on the story that councillors were considering removing the S from Swindon.

Of course it was, but it was a close run thing – after all, the story on p5 regarding the work to be undertaken on the Carriage Works could just as easily have qualified.

Yet again the residents of Swindon are treated to a ‘preview’ of what might be sometime, not that soon, in the future, and the purveyor of this latest insight into the new ‘master plan’ is none other than Forward Swindon the council-owned and tax payer-funded ‘development company’ Forward Swindon is lauded by leading councillors for its sterling work in bringing new employers to the town, finding them prime office space and offering them parking deals in the £15m Whalebridge car park.

In its latest wheeze, Forward Swindon is trumpeting the soon to be started development of the old Carriage Works which, amazingly, will not be undertaken by the organisation which has done such a superb job on the old Works site, but another as yet unnamed company.

It will come as no surprise that the first tenant of the new development will be the council itself in the form of Forward Swindon. Yet once again we have the scenario of the taxpayer funding what is supposed to be an incredibly attractive business proposition, so attractive that the one thing it lacks is an investor/developer beating on the council’s doors to plead for the opportunity to do what developers do best.

I suppose for me the buzz words used to justify the existence of Forward Swindon and its predecessors have become common currency and have lost any semblance of meaning.

Words such as regeneration, economic and commercial success coupled with making Swindon a nicer place to live no longer set the pulse racing in anticipation.

Rather I see the telling phrase “the vision is very much a long term one” and sigh, knowing that councillors have been talking about regenerating the “historic quarter” for as long as they have the “cultural quarter” - I suppose that’s because talk is cheap.

As for ambitious plans, the town has had enough of designer drawings showing what something might look like in ten or 20 years time, in the words of Nelson what we want, what we really, really want is “Action this day.”

DES MORGAN Caraway Drive, Swindon

Facts about Rover

Steve Halden really has painted himself in a corner over MG Rover. Having claimed on March 25 that it was “brought down” by left wingers, including Red Robbo Robinson, he now wants to blame Tony Blair, (Industry needs aid, S. A. 1st April).

Therefore, to be consistent he has to label Tony Blair a left winger, which is just nonsense.

MG Rover was formed from the remnants of British Leyland, a company that was already performing badly in 1972.

Admittedly it produced almost as many cars that year as its greatest rival, Volkswagen, but it earned only £6,000 an employee compared to £10,000 an employee earned by its German competitor.

A probable cause was under-investment, which no doubt contributed to the industrial unrest at Leyland at that time.

For example, in 1972 the Volkswagen factories had capital investments of £6,000 an employee while British Leyland struggled on with barely one third of that.

Moreover, the competition was about to introduce front wheel drive, while Britain lagged far behind.

British Leyland was effectively nationalised in the 1970s and Margaret Thatcher poured £2.9bn into the company by 1988, when it was sold off to British Aerospace who re-named it the Rover Group.

In 1994 BA sold it on to BMW, but they couldn’t make a profit so the company was broken up in 2000.

Land Rover was sold to Ford, leaving a rump with so little market value that it was sold for just £10 to Phoenix Venture Holdings. They continued production under the name MG Rover.

Performance declined year on year under Phoenix and by 2005 the company had accumulated losses of £1.4bn and all attempts to find a buyer or trading partner came to nothing.

In effect, MG Rover was virtually dead in the water and I think Blair was right to refuse further assistance.

Incidentally, it subsequently emerged that the four directors at the heart of Phoenix had taken out £42m in salaries and bonuses and had also paid millions in consultancy fees close business associates.

They were never prosecuted although the accountancy firm Deloitte, that had been advising the board, was subsequently fined £14m for professional misconduct.

DON REEVE Horder Mews Old Town, Swindon

Abolish the convention?

I WOULD like to thank Chris Gleed for responding to my letter (Marine is no hero) – however there are several points in his reply (War rules worthless) 8 April that I would like to address.

1. Chris says he believes that ex-Royal Marine Alexander Blackman still has a right to be a Royal Marine, despite the fact that Alexander Blackman knowingly broke the Geneva Convention by shooting dead a wounded enemy combatant whom he should have been caring for.

He then had his sentence reduced from murder to manslaughter, on the grounds that he was suffering from a mental disorder, does Chris seriously believe that such a man is medically fit to serve in the military?

2. Chris asks why is it always us who has to abide by the Geneva Convention, the rules of war don’t only apply to us it applies to all those who enter the battlefield, so surely it’s right that anyone who breaks the rules should face the consequences of their actions.

I’m sure Chris can remember the members of the US Army who through their cruel and inhumane treatment of Iraqis in the 2003 Iraq War were given prison sentences.

3. In his penultimate paragraph Chris writes “If Alexander Blackman had a choice he would not have been in the situation he found himself in.” Sorry Chris but he did have a choice, its known as a ‘conscientious objector.’ Does Chris believe that the Geneva Convention should be abolished, Therefore allowing the Alexander Blackmans of the military to carry out heinous crimes with impunity?

MARTIN WEBB Swindon Road, Swindon

Crossing is a danger

I WAS sorry to read the story “driver hits boy on crossing” SA Saturday April 1.

I am very surprised this has not happened at the zebra crossing in Ferndale Road near to the Southbrook Street bus stop. This is a crossing used by parents and children.

Swindon Borough Council in their wisdom have installed parking bays nearly up to this crossing on the south side of Ferndale Road. There are three full zigzag lines on the east side of this crossing but only two and a bit zigzags on the west side of the crossing.

This makes it very hard for a driver travelling at 30mph to pick anybody out waiting to cross on the south side due to the cars and vans parked in the bays.

I would urge Swindon Borough Council to act quickly and do the sensible thing and put the three full length zigzag lines on the west side of the crossing before we read another story in the paper “driver hits someone on zebra crossing.”

LES MITCHELL Ferndale, Swindon

Thank you, my heroes

I FEEL the need to write this letter about the wonderful Swindon people who came to my aid. I visited Specsavers to pick up my new specs and foolishly decided to wear them home as I wasn’t going to be driving.

I reached the Parade safely but then tripped on a paving stone and literally went flying, nearly taking out someone carrying a baby.

I smashed my knee, twisted my foot and wrenched a shoulder and rolled around in a lot of pain. I am 80 so was unable to spring to my feet.

At once two ladies and a young man came to my assistance, checked me over carefully before getting me to my feet. The young man smiled at me and said “I couldn’t walk past.” The got me to a bench and checked on me again before continuing on their way.

I was sitting there, still in shock, when a young lady came out of the shoe shop called Foot Asylum. She was very concerned and asked could she phone someone for me. I reassured her and she went back.

A young man called Sam then appeared. He said he was a community worker and the lady from the shoe shop had contacted him. He walked me back to the bus stop and saw me on to the bus.

I do feel these good Samaritans deserve a mention in the local press. Thank you, my heroes.

COLLEEN WILSON Rushton Road, Swindon