Published at 11:10, Thursday, 21 June 2012

SIR – On Thursday our GPs will not be working. They are on strike. At a time when we all know that the economy of the world, the country and most importantly the area is in crisis, they choose to strike to support a pension provision that most of us can only dream of as a salary, much less a pension.SIR – I find I am not alone in expressing disbelief of Seascale Parish Council being so insensitive as to draw attention to the West Cumbria shootings by mounting what is, to all intents and purposes, a headstone, in a children’s play area.

Can any section of society have been so well rewarded over the past few years? They no longer work weekends, they no longer work nights and – in my practice – all doctors only work four days a week. For this they are remunerated around £100,000.

As they are effectively employed by their practice, they will not lose a penny by this action.

It seems to me that, whereas medicine used to be a calling, it is now simply a job and the BMA a union.

Our doctors have always been respected members of the community. By this action they will cause distress and inconvenience to those they purport to serve. They have lost my respect and should be ashamed.

Name and address supplied

SIR – The owners of Sellafield Ltd, Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), have suffered some criticism within this paper. This letter provides an alternate view.

The recent announcement of the closure dates for the Magnox and Thorp reprocessing facilities (in 2017 and 2018 respectively) is of clear concern to employees and their communities. For Magnox this is well over 10 years longer than planned due to performance not matching predictions (so either poor performance or poor predictions). NMP’s “Journey to Excellence” endeavours to change workers’ behaviours/attitudes so that “new missions” can result in new jobs to accommodate inevitable losses (admirable). More confidently, management of the Evaporator D project looks set to ensure that delivery delays will result in a lack/reduction of evaporative capacity that will result in Thorp’s reprocessing completion date being extended.

Reason number 1 – Need More Processing? You’ve got it.

Sellafield Ltd’s drive to implement a new organisational structure based on a standard nuclear performance model is also admirable. Population of that structure requires a significant increase in management numbers and the opportunity has been taken to re-grade other roles. Net effect could be over 10 per cent of the workforce directly or indirectly getting paid at a higher grade.

Reason number 2 – Need More Pay? You’ve got it.

Population of the management positions with shopfloor workers leaves – and will continue to leave – a hole in the shopfloor teams. An external recruitment campaign is therefore underway and looks set to increase.

Reason number 3 – Need More People? You’re getting them.

So lots of reasons for Sellafield Ltd’s current or prospective employees to be cheerful. But what about the rest of us? How cheerful should we be of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority which oversees this? Competition time: what should the acronym NDA really stand for? Answers on a postcard to NDA Head Office, Westlakes.

Name and address supplied

SIR – With reference to your story “Wind Firm Heating Pledge” (The Whitehaven News, May 31), we were assured that the application for this windfarm would not be decided by promising the community large sums of money. The government already has a grants programme for home insulation.

Where else in this country would allow six turbines the height of the viewing platform of Blackpool Tower to be built on a hill overlooking and dominating a small village like Moresby and destroy the wonderful view of 14 mountain tops?

S McCONNELL

Address supplied

SIR – Whit holidays. Just been to St Bees beach, one of our favourite destinations on our holiday to Grandma’s at Distington. Let dog out at car park. Kept him off play area – that wouldn’t be very nice for kids. He ran down to beach. He LOVES it.

Then some locals warned us about the on the spot fines. How were we to know? The only sign I saw was outside the cafe. No signs at the main car park or not that I saw.

What is this? A ruse to drive away tourists? Let them do it and make money out of them? I don’t think many would come back, do you?

I’ve been going to St Bees beach for years. To change things with no signs comes over as an act of aggression. In other resorts a “No Dogs on Beach” order is a make-or-break in holiday plans.

If I had been given a fine notice I wouldn’t have paid it. I would have taken the council to court and, with no signs at the entrances to the beach from the main car park, I’m sure I would win. How much would that have cost the council?

Sue BLANCHARD

Address supplied

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copeland Council’s dog control rules call for dogs to be on-lead on grassed areas and car-parks but they are allowed to run on sand and shingle.

To take down the information on how the sundial operates and replace it by highlighting the shootings, beneath a cannon, is as crass as it comes, treating the tragedy of that day as if it was a badge of honour, a tourist attraction.

In South Parade there are residents who are still deeply affected by the events of that day. Now, every time they come out of their house, what is the first thing they see to remind them on a daily basis? The sign.

This stone is in bad taste and should not be placed anywhere. There was so much thanks that could have been paid to the people that did so much to help the victims and families that day, without mentioning the shootings. Furthermore this area played no part in the events that many people witnessed that day.

The council may wish to distance themselves from this headstone, however you can’t. It was councillors on another committee that commissioned the stone and the council who took on the responsibility for allowing it to be placed on the castle.

Brenda PARSONS

South Parade, Seascale

CLIVE Willoughby, chairman of the Seascale Community Day Committee replies: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this letter. Firstly, I would like to stress that at all times the Community Day Committee has been sensitive to the feelings of those affected on June 2, 2010.

The siting of the memorial plaque was deliberate. The Castle was the focal point for the village service a week after the tragic events and also for the open-air service on Community Day one year later, both of which were attended by hundreds of local residents, as recorded by photographs taken at the time by The Whitehaven News and the world’s media. It was therefore the obvious location to use.

It is unfortunate that one resident has found this memorial a cause for complaint, although a large number of other residents have already expressed their approval.

Once again, on behalf of the Seascale Community Day Committee, I would like to thank the parish council and the good people of Seascale for their continued support.

SIR – These days we seem to only hear of people complaining of poor services for the elderly. I would like to tell you about my good experience here in West Cumbria.

Sadly my mum, Jennie Cronshaw, died, aged 92, on June 14.

She moved here from North Wales five years ago and for the past two years had been living at West Winds Residential Care Home in Harrington, under the supportive management of Maud Wilson.

She received excellent care from all the staff at the home who treated her as an individual. Nothing was ever too much trouble for them and we always felt we were entering a happy family atmosphere. There were daily activities for her to enjoy, as well as outings, and every annual or special celebration was carried out in style.

It was after enjoying one of the monthly bar meals at ‘Oilys’ that mum fell and fractured her leg and shoulder. The staff at this hostelry made her comfortable until the ambulance arrived, whose crew carried out their duties with cheerful banter.

At West Cumberland Hospital A&E department she was treated with efficiency, respect and dignity by Dr Sam Sailer and all the staff in the department. This excellent service was continued after she was admitted onto Overwater Ward.

Mr Steven Allcock performed the surgery after personally discussing the options and possible outcomes with me. He kept me informed of her progress every step of the way. Unfortunately she did not pull through and died peacefully, later that night, with myself and her granddaughter by her side.

The whole family would like to thank everyone who came into contact with my mum on this sad day for their professionalism and kindness. Keep up the excellent work in these difficult times.

Barbara WILLIAMS

Flimby

SIR – Here in South Africa we were delighted to hear about an article in your latest edition about the Whitehaven Town Mission, and to be able to view it online.

My mother, Mrs Edith Moore (née Stephenson) used to live on Solway Road, Kells, opposite Haig Pit, and her mother, our grandmother, Mrs Mary Stephenson featured in two of the photographs – the 1954 mission choir and the 1960 catering ladies.

My uncle called to tell us about the feature on the Mission; my grandmother had been a member for many years and both my sister and I were thrilled to hear about it. We showed it to our mother who is now 80 and she greatly enjoyed taking us down memory lane... and a whole lot more!

We emigrated to South Africa in 1968 but have always kept in touch with family back home and enjoy reading The Whitehaven News online. Thank you!

David MOORE

Gauteng, South Africa

SIR – On the BBC Sunday Politics programme at the weekend, it was stated that an IPSOS/MORI telephone poll found that a majority in Copeland were in favour of the nuclear waste repository being sited here.

Nirex thought that they could win over public opinion with sweeteners – they were proved wrong. They were also proved wrong regarding the geological survey which declared that the local strata was far from suitable for storing this waste. Other sites in the south of England were found to be more suitable, if not perfect.

This repository (or more correctly “waste dump”) does not only concern the residents of Copeland, it concerns the whole of Cumbria north to south, east to west, not just the “Stepford” employees who would sell their souls for today. Tomorrow is not ours to give away, it belongs to those not yet born.

Sellafield is finite. One day it will be gone, however its legacy will remain here for millennia.

Never mind opinion polls taken from the pro-lobby aimed at giving a misleading impression of the area. Let’s have a county-wide referendum on this matter and see the truth of what Cumbrians feel. I’m sure the nuclear industry would fund this exercise to prove their point.

My point is this: if the science says no, if we have already said no, get real! America needs jobs too, send it there.

Mr A TAYLORSON

Kells, Whitehaven

SIR – I watched the CountryFile programme on Sunday in which a professor came and inspected the rock formation and found it unsuitable for the storage of nuclear waste.

Having then discussed this with the presenter they went on to say which should be given a priority, politics or safety in the rock formation. They came to the conclusion it should always be health and safety with rock formation.

S LINFOOT

Egremont Road, Hensingham

SIR – I am writing to you on behalf of the Peacocks store in Whitehaven to personally thank all of our loyal customers for their support over the past few months when the company went through a difficult period.

We are delighted that Peacocks has recently been bought by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group and will remain in Whitehaven as a Peacocks store.

Once again, a big thank you for all of your support and we look forward to welcoming you very soon.

Emma COOPER

Peacocks, King Street, Whitehaven

SIR – I wish to thank Margaret Crosby for her very nice article on my Mother’s 105th birthday (The Whitehaven News, June 14). She was most appreciative when it was read to her.

The only important omission (mea culpa), was that, following Primary education at St. Begh’ School, she became a pupil at the old Whitehaven County Secondary School (later, in 1944, Whitehaven County Grammar School). It was there that she won a gold medal for running.

Florence Parnaby must be the sole surviving pupil of Whitehaven Secondary School, of that I have no doubt.

Brian PARNABY

Ullock

SIR – There are huge numbers of older people in the community who do tremendous work volunteering their time to help others.

WRVS, in partnership with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, has launched a search to find “Diamond Champions”, volunteers over the age of 60 who make a real difference to the lives of older people, and whose efforts deserve to be celebrated.

Sixty people will be shortlisted from the North East and Cumbria and, from that shortlist, a judging panel will select 10 people from each region in the UK to join 70 others at a royal residence to meet the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in the autumn.

We are asking people to nominate older people they think should be recognised for their work in the community by going to wrvs.org.uk.

Chris GRAHAM

WRVS Head of Services for North East and Cumbria

SIR – AS we have just marked Volunteer Week (June 1-7), the Epilepsy Society would like to pay tribute to the unsung heroes everywhere who give so much of their time to help others.

We would especially like to say a big thank you to the wonderful volunteers who are so crucial to the work of our charity. Some visit schools and talk to pupils about epilepsy and many others help children, teenagers and adults at special neurology and epilepsy clinics throughout the country, providing information and giving support to people with epilepsy, their families and carers.

In the UK many of the 500,000 people living with epilepsy still feel stigmatised and isolated. Our volunteers work tirelessly reaching out and providing helpful leaflets on all aspects of the condition – information which can enable people to better manage their epilepsy. All information about epilepsy can also be found at www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

If anyone thinks they may be able to spare a few hours to join our volunteer team, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to know more go to www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Informationservices/Localservices to see what Epilepsy Society is doing in your area.

Angie KING

Epilepsy Society

Chalfont St Peter, Bucks

EDITOR’S NOTE: The sign-off we printed on the letter “Our rescue dogs need your help” (The Whitehaven News, June 7) read Arthur Millie. In fact it was from Mrs Jean Millie of Longcroft, Egremont. Our apologies.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk