Published at 11:07, Thursday, 23 August 2012

SIR – Following a recent stay in hospital I would like to thank a lot of people and make a few comments and observations.

meaty: 104 per cent meat label

Firstly, the girls at Main Surgery, Sellafield for their initial and prompt response and comforting help in getting me ready for the ambulance. To the paramedics, thank for your quiet professionalism and support. At casualty I was met by the staff who calmly went about their task of reassuring me and assessing my condition. Very quickly I was transferred to Patterdale Ward for further assessment. Although the ward was very busy I did not at any stage feel as though I was not the focus of their complete attention. I was diagnosed as having had a heart attack and was transferred to Gable Wardfor further tests and monitoring.

The care on Gable was outstanding – with the constant attacks on our health service, either in terms of funding, staffing, morale etc, it would have been understandable to see areas of perhaps less than satisfactory care or standards. The staff take care of their patients with utter professionalism, dedication, compassion and humour that is both uplifting and humbling. I also need to mention the cleaning staff who go about their job efficiently with the minimum of fuss and maximum pride.

Reflecting on how many people were involved with my initial care, I counted, in the first 48 hours, about 35 to 40 people, most of their names I can’t remember but I will never forget their faces. This does not include all the people behind scenes who are all just as important.

Is it worth it? From mine and my family’s point of view - Absolutely.

Whenever the NHS managers and administrators have a “Back to the Floor” day it is widely publicised and quote the usual platitudes on how impressed and pleased they are with the staff. I don’t think they get a fair and accurate impression of how the staff carry out their jobs. They should have a “Back to the Floor” day like the one that I had, then perhaps we’d get managers and administrators that our NHS staff deserve. (I am not advocating that they should have a heart attack, obviously).On a personal note I have been overwhelmed by the support of my family, friends and health professionals. Having a heart attack, or any serious illness makes you withdraw and turn inwards to focus on yourself and shut others out, but when you realise just how many people there are supporting you it is very reassuring, comforting and you feel a little bit selfish. They say that you can tell the quality of a person by looking at their family, friends and the people around them. When I look around, I must be a hell of a guy!

For anyone who might keep things to themselves, like me, and feels they might have a twinge, muscle strain or just not quite right – go and get yourself checked out. Denial is not just a river in Egypt! As lovely and great as they are it is better not to have to meet those 35 to 40 people in their professional capacity. But if you do, don’t worry you are in safe hands.

I am just starting out on the road back to recovery and it will take time but I think what Mandy, my rehab nurse, was trying to say was, “we can rebuild you, you’ll be stronger, faster, fitter” and I don’t intend to let her or anyone else who has helped me, down.

Andrew MORTON

Cartgate Road, Hensingham

SIR – West Cumberland Hospital has had more than its share of adverse publicity over the years. I should like to say, “Let’s hear it for the nurses and staff of that hospital,” in particular the ones in Copeland Unit. Also to be congratulated are the carers from the Bethsaida Home Care Services.

I recently spent six weeks in that hospital and a subsequent six weeks dependant on the help of the carers. Both groups worked above and beyond the call of duty. They were all unfailingly kind, helpful, efficient and good humoured whilst doing many downright unpleasant jobs. No one would choose to do what they do for their pathetic pay structure. If, as we hear, the Government is indeed to help fund a new extension to the hospital, it is to be hoped that some of the money might go to the people who actually do all the work there. They reflect what is best about the NHS.

I hope they will all understand how very grateful I am for their care and invaluable assistance in enabling me to walk again. They know who they are!

Name and address supplied

SIR – I wish to make the following comments on Copeland Borough Council’s proposed changes to refuse collections, particularly in connection with the off route collections.

1. This will affect the rural areas much more than the urban areas. Rural areas are already disadvantaged when it comes to services provided by Copeland Council and waste collection is probably the only service they benefit from. Waste collection should be one of those services which is sacrosanct and should be exempt from any more cuts.

2. Many of the residents affected may have lived in the property for many years and may be elderly. It will be difficult, if not impossible for them to move the waste (wheelie bins or bags) to the collection point which may up to a mile away.

3. Many residents in rural areas already pay extra towards a parish precept to provide extra services to those provided by the district and county councils. Is the precept now going to have to include waste collections? This would be clearly unfair as residents of Whitehaven don’t have a precept which means everyone in Copeland pays towards benefits which are specifically for residents of Whitehaven.

4. Further savings to the budget should be taken from a part of the budget which is not as important as waste services, for example leisure services.

Peter FOX

Spittal Square, Arlecdon

SIR – On behalf of Operation Christmas Child’s annual shoebox appeal, we would like to express our deep regret at the closure of Remploy, Cleator Moor, and to pass on our very best wishes to Alan Gauld and his team.

They were generous enough to welcome us into their factory and share their premises with us for four years.

We were provided with our own office where we could store shoebox knitting and other items all year round, and when the appeal started each autumn, we were given a huge warehouse space to check the shoeboxes and seal them into cartons ready for dispatch to Eastern Europe. It was fully equipped with shelving, heating, excellent lighting – and free parking thrown in!

We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. We are saddened not to be meeting up with them again for this year’s appeal.

Operation Christmas Child’s shoebox appeal will still be up and running in West Cumbria – so start collecting empty shoeboxes and filling them with goodies!

We are in the process of looking for a new warehouse, and will let you know as soon as we can where the new warehouse will be. Local drop off points will be open as normal.

Please ring Margaret on 01946 815470 or Cathy on 01946 811191 if you have knitting or other items to donate for this year’s appeal.

Dot & Les BLAYLOCK

Margaret & Richard RICKERBY

Cathy & Alan WELLS

Local links for Operation Christmas Child

SIR – I was intrigued by the label (pictured above) from a cooked Cumberland sausage ring I bought in a local supermarket last week.

Firstly the statement “104% pork” – that’s quality if ever there was.

Secondly the origin – it came from a factory in North Yorkshire. Are the Yorkshire folk trying to out-do the Cumbrians?

Douglas McDEVITTE

Kirkbeck Drive, Beckermet

SIR – Can anyone help with my search for the descendants of James Thomas and Mary Ann Renfrey?

They lived in Rowrah and Arlecdon, Whitehaven.

I would be very grateful for any help.

May LEWIN

Murdishaw, Runcorn

Email: may25@sky.com

SIR – Mr Parnaby again is not quite accurate as Churchill was not a Briton but half American on mummy’s side. Disdainfully referred to as a ‘half breed American’. Suggest you look up the word ‘Briton’.

Labour had a landslide victory in 1945 with a majority of 146 seats. Yes Churchill scraped in in 1951 but he was forced to resign in 1955 and never saw his full term out. They tried to get him to resign a few times but he refused as he had such a high opinion of himself. Reminds me of someone whose name escapes me for the moment. The crusty veteran Tory MP Cuthbert Headlam complained that Churchill had ‘Always been too much interested in himself to run a party’.

You brought the class issue up with your criticism of these ruling spivs upbringing. Read your own letter.

This statement that we were alone in 1940 is historical balderdash, and an insult to the thousands of Commonwealth and other nationalities servicemen who fought and died for this country. So maybe Mr Parnaby can explain these things to me.

The squadron that shot down the most German planes in the last world war was the Polish 303 squadron, who according to some war historians were the difference between Britain winning the Battle of Britain and losing it. The pilots expected to go back to Poland after the war but were cowardly betrayed by Churchill who would not even let them go on the Armistice parade as he was terrified of Stalin, who eventually claimed Poland.

The most decorated soldier in the British army was Blair Mayne – an Irishman.

Churchill’s military record:

Demoted as First Sea Lord in 1915 after the Gallipoli fiasco where 400,000 troops died – a fiasco he was to repeat again at Trondheim in Norway in 1939 against all advice.

Bungling buffoon: Admiral Jack Fisher regarded second to Nelson in British naval history said “Churchill was a bigger danger than the Germans by a long way”. Fisher resigned.

Presided over the biggest surrender in British history where 120,000 well fed well dug in commonwealth soldiers surrendered to 30,000 exhausted “little yellow gangsters” (Churchill’s contemptible opinion of the Japanese. Had to eat his words) due to his bungling at Singapore. No enquiry as it would have put Churchill in a bad light.

Dieppe Disaster: Mainly Canadian Troops.

It is a good job Roosevelt and Stalin treated Churchill as a little boy or we would still be at war. He was a military disaster. There is a photo of the Yalta conference with the caption the ‘Big Two’ Roosevelt and Stalin, and the ‘little one’ Churchill. They used to ridicule him.

As for Mr Parnaby’s trite remark about us speaking German if Hitler had won, I feel it is my duty to inform you, nay patiently explain, that you yourself have spoken German all your life as we of this country have spoke some German for hundreds of years as a lot of English words are of Germanic origin. Ach so! Mein herr. Whoops! King George I could only speak German. Did you know that when Queen Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Prince Albert Saxe-Coburg- Gotha were alone they only spoke German? Their youngest grandson thanked the dumb British taxpayers of this country for giving him his parasitic lifestyle by going to Germany to meet his hero Hitler, joined the Nazi party and fought for Germany in the last world war. Did you know that Prince Philips real name is Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg. Born in Parton I believe. In the last war two of his sisters married Nazis. Charles motto is ‘Ich Dein’. Und so weiter. Notice the three words of our native language I have thrown in. Good eh?Yes I was taught another language at the school, in my case it was rubbish.In a 1935 essay titled "Hitler and his Choice", which was republished in his 1937 book Great Contemporaries, Churchill expressed a hope that Hitler, if he so chose, and despite his rise to power through dictatorial action, hatred and cruelty, might yet "go down in history as the man who restored honour and peace of mind to the great Germanic nation and brought it back serene, helpful and strong to the forefront of the European family circle." Some baby Churchill. There are hundreds of nasty facts about Churchill which should have been revealed not hidden if you look, Mr Parnaby. Gesundheit ! I am getting real good at this German as Brando said in on the waterfront “I could have been an interpreter”.So we have Nazi Royals and your hero Churchill praising Hitler. What a blow to the system.

Mr C. FARR

Buttermere Avenue

Seacliffe, Whitehaven

SIR – I think we should stop carping and criticising the Government, the coalition, George Osborne and the bankers. After all they are doing their best. Now that’s frightening isn’t it?

David RITSON

Seascale

SIR – My husband and I adopted our little girl, Elle, over five years ago. The joy and happiness she has brought us is immeasurable and I wanted to do something to help raise awareness about adoption and how amazing it can be.

So I became an Adoption Champion for the charity, the British Association for Adoption & Fostering.

Adoption Champions are people like you and me who have an adoption connection. We help raise awareness about adoption in all sorts of ways from mentioning National Adoption Week on our social media sites to giving small talks to share our experiences with potential adopters.

Are you an adoptive parent or perhaps you are adopted yourself? Would you like to help spread the message about adoption to help find loving, safe and permanent homes for vulnerable children who need to be adopted? If so, please visit www.nationaladoptionweek.org.uk/adoptionchampions to find out more information on how you can help and to sign up. It’s really easy. There is even a video to watch where I explain all about being an Adoption Champion.

Help make a difference to a child’s life – become an Adoption Champion.

Clare GROGAN

British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF)

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