Where was support at Remembrance event?

This annual event is produced and directed by Roy Smith of the Royal British Legion Swindon Branch Poppy Appeal.

The audience was treated to a Festival that contained excellent entertainment followed by the emotion of a very moving Service of Remembrance.

Festival Compere was Shirley Ludford, manager of a local radio station who ensured the Festival went along smoothly.

A Veteran of the Paras recited some moving poetry.

Local talent providing an excellent mixture of singing and dancing, backed up by the Swindon and Pegasus Brass. How lucky we are to have such talent locally.

Sadly the excellent quality of this year’s Festival was not matched by the numbers attending that was very poor.

During the past four years, we have witnessed in the district the repatriation of hundreds of brave service personnel – one would have thought that attending a Festival of Remembrance such as this would be a small way of thanking and remembering them.

Organising the festival at the main theatre in the area must carry considerable costs. I doubt very much if they were covered.

This will of course affect the funds raised for the Poppy Appeal.

Hopefully the public will consider this when they meet up with the poppy sellers rattling their tins.

Albert Davey Wootton Bassett

Help for nurses

Volunteers and fundraisers from Marie Curie Cancer Care will be holding Tesco collections in Swindon on Thursday 8th and Friday, December 9 to raise funds for the Marie Curie Nursing Service this Christmas time.

Marie Curie Nurses in Wiltshire will be working throughout Christmas and the New Year to provide free care for terminally ill people in their own homes.

The support of Marie Curie Nurses at this time means that patients can spend Christmas with their families at home, the place where most people want to be cared for.

The charity is looking for people to volunteer as collectors, so if you can donate an hour of your time, then please contact the local Marie Curie fundraising office on 01460 76716 Julia Chapman Area Fundraising Manager

It’s time EU see

My friend and erstwhile sparring partner Steve Thompson offers an interesting perspective on the EU crisis in particular the matter of a referendum (Adver, November 3).

He suggests that we in the UK have already had a referendum of EU membership, a point which, even if it was totally correct, is irrelevant.

It is true to say that the country was invited to vote in a referendum on continued UK membership of the European Economic Community or ‘Common Market’ – the exact question being: “Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?”

He opines to the view that having had a referendum in 1975, it is then inappropriate to have another 37 years later – why should that be so troubling to him?

Surely he would accept that ‘things change’ and that arrangements made in a bygone day can be subject to change, after all I am sure he is happy to see ‘primogeniture’ change I love his description of ‘these people’ a seeming pejorative reference to citizens who seek to exercise their democratic right.

I wonder if he felt so disposed to the commissariat of the EU when they forced Ireland to return to the ballot box when the Irish had the effrontery to vote against the Nice Treaty.

Surely, he would concede that if its okay for the EU to demand a second vote be made within weeks of the ‘wrong answer’ being produced, it’s only fair that people ask for one after 37 years.

Des Morgan Caraway Drive Swindon

Sceptical view

In Justin Tomlinson’s column, October 28, he told us why he rebelled against the Government and voted for a referendum on our involvement in the European Union.

He said the Tory government was proud to be Euro-sceptic and Cameron has robustly stood up to our European neighbours to protect our interests, but no referendum!

We joined the Common Market in 1973 under a Tory government but no referendum!

It signed up to the single market and the exchange rate mechanism under Thatcher and the Maastricht Treaty under Major, again with no referendums, and all treaties being precursors to joining the single currency.

In the Tory 2010 election manifesto it says “the European Union has a crucial part to play in enabling the countries of Europe to meet the challenges of the 21st century, a Conservative Government will play an active and energetic role in the European Union to advance these causes. We believe Britain’s interests are best served by membership of the European Union”.

That doesn’t sceptical to me!

Be honest, Justin, you cannot see a ministerial future and your bet to be a future Prime Minister is dead.

You believe that to show yourself to be anti-European will help you keep your seat at the next election.

As for Robert Buckland, he can dream of a cabinet post, attorney general or justice minister, so you can’t blame him for voting for Europe with the Government, but you were both true to Tory principles. Look after your own interests first!

M J Warner Groundwell Road Swindon

Labour too lavish

The chalice referred to by Don Reeve, is spoilt by his one sided view of the situation.

The debt problem left by Labour as they went out of office, is nothing new as we know, but this time around it was a mixture of events that brought it about.

The bankers were responsible for the main crash, but Don never says anything about the fact that when they took office, they set up the FSA to regulate banks, and yet they then sat back and watched them play pass the parcel with other people’s money.

He never says anything about the knighthood given to Fred the Shred for his services to banking.

He never mentions that part of the debt left, was the defence budget, nearly £39bn overspent, and for what? Billions spent to produce a replacement for the snatch Landrover and when the project was cancelled last year, not one vehicle, even trial standard, had been produced, let alone a production batch.

Nimrod comes to mind, the first of the new Astute submarines was about £800m over budget, and there is at least five more to come. Projects like the Portsmouth harbour and the Scottish Parliament building were over £400m overspent.

Yes, Labour did provide many things but at what cost?

Has he read this last week that many NHS trusts are in the process of closing departments like A & E, as they can’t afford the index linked PFI payments for the hospitals built?

Can he confirm that there are now no classrooms with over 30 children in them, can he confirm that every hospital has ended the mixed ward situation?

Regarding the hospitals, when they are paid off in 2049, the total cost will be around £49bn and yet the actual cost of the hospitals in total is about £11bn.

Then have to consider the NHS IT scheme, which was also cancelled this year – years behind schedule and nothing to show for it, and the cost of that is about £12bn.

So the hospitals could have been built, at cost price, and there would have been money left over.

Back in 1979 when they left office, it was the IMF who kept us afloat with loans, and this time around it was the printing press of the Bank of England that kept us going.

Who pays for the IOUs when they come in for that tosh of money?

You have a choice, live like kings while they are in power and spend everybody's money, but when they go out of office, you the taxpayer and you the employee have to suffer to pay for it then.

I wonder what Don thinks of the latest Labour think-tank idea of getting the older people to give up their houses and move into smaller ones to make more housing available.

Yes, think hard. Gordon Brown’s advisors, Mr Balls and Mr Milliband, are now the main power house of Labour.

T Reynolds Wheeler Avenue Swindon

Good still here

On Monday, October 31 my wife tripped over the dangerous kerb in Westcott Place and fell headfirst on to the road.

While I was trying to help her, a man went past in his car, pulled up in front of us put on his hazard lights got out of his car and telephoned for an ambulance.

He then waited with us until the paramedics arrived to take my wife to hospital.

Without the kindness of this gentleman, we could easily have been run over as the road was busy and it was dark.

As we have no details of this man, we would like through this newspaper, to let him know how very very grateful we are for his help and kindness.

It is good to know that there are still people like him in this town.

Gary and Rosemary Harding Rodbourne Swindon