NWN-18062020

NEWBURY NEWS LETTERS

Thursday, June 18, 2020 14

Newbury Weekly News

Your views POST : Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, RG14 2AD EMAIL editor@newburynews.co.uk talk to us Email letters to editor@newburynews.co.uk with your full name, a terrestrial address and daytime phone number. DEADLINE: MONDAY NOON

THIS My Newbury photograph of a fox was taken by Bijan Mohandes in the field behind his Newbury house. The Mohandes family have named him Basil and he is one of a group of five or six who play in the field. Why not take some inspiration from this and send the Newbury Weekly News and Newburytoday some of your photographs? They can be of anything – your garden, country walks or what your family is doing together during the coronavirus crisis in and around West Berkshire. If you have a picture that you would like to submit for consideration, please send it to dan.cooper@ newburynews.co.uk Alternatively, send it to our twitter account @newburytoday using #MyNewbury, but please remember to let us know where the picture was taken and, crucially, by whom. It may then be published online on www.newburytoday.co.uk , or in the Newbury Weekly News , the Newbury and Thatcham Advertiser and our Facebook page. THOSE drawn to Westminster politics are an enigma to me. Anyone listening to Matt Hancock at the Downing Street briefings will know what I mean. But nearer to home ( Newbury Weekly News , June 4) Laura Farris reinforces my puzzlement. She writes approvingly of a return to the chamber where ‘bobbing’ (her word) is the democratic way one is called to speak. Apparently her bobbing is of a high order. But the lady’s parting shot is a non sequitur of some magnitude. Laura Farris says: “But overall I am glad we are returning to robust and fair representation for all constituencies.” I venture the National Lottery is a lot more robust and fair than bobbing. The Westminster ethos, and configuration, is a mockery – it mocks the voter. Its ready acceptance, by MP ‘players’, has serial consequences in governmental failure that demand address. Might voter-bobbing apply much needed influence in the matter? BARRIE SINGLETON Shaw I WOULD like to thank all heads, managers, teachers, non-teaching staff and governors at schools across West Berkshire for their huge additional efforts to make the partial reopening of schools so successful. The last few months has been a very strange time for children, so with primary schools starting to reopen two weeks ago, and secondary schools starting to reopen, this is a very impor- tant step to return to the ‘new normal’. From the parents who have contacted me, this has been brilliantly handled by our local schools under difficult circumstances, so thank you. ERIK PATTENDEN Shadow portfolio holder for children, education and culture Liberal Democrat ward councillor for Greenham Thanks to all who have reopened our schools National Lotytefrairer than‘bobbin’,gLaura

AS a church community, we decided to give thanks for all the good things that happened during the often very difficult and challenging months of lockdown. Members of our congregation therefore sent me pictures and observations for our online service, and it was indeed very moving to hear and to see how so many people experienced God’s gifts of joy, peace and care throughout the crisis through the love of neighbour, and through the beauty of creation. There was the challenge for parents to supervise, entertain and home-school their children while keeping down a job, made all the more manageable by a daily walk through the local park or bike ride through one of our glorious commons. There was the challenge of isolation, made all the more bearable by watching the flowers blossoming in the garden while listening to glorious birdsong. And there was the challenge of loneliness, made all the more tolerable by friendly neighbours and local volunteers helping with shopping, picking up medicines or phoning for a friendly chat. In so many ways, nature and humanity have revealed together the goodness of God’s creation, and have come to heal, sustain and nurture us through stressful, uncertain and dark times. Indeed, lockdown has shown us how much we depend on the kindness of neighbours and on the beauty of the natural world; it is therefore all the more heart-wrenching to see the amount of litter that has suddenly popped up in those sacred spaces that have lifted our spirits in difficult times. I therefore hope that our memories of lockdown will stay with us, and be cherished, so that they retain their power to inspired us to protect, preserve and continue what has sustained us through difficult times as we are now to emerge into a new normality. REV MARION WOOD St Mary’s Church, Shaw-cum-Donnington CHRISTIANieVwpoint Memories that can shape our future Points of contact - Newbury News Ltd Address: Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbur y, Berks, RG14 2AD MANAGING DIRECTOR: James Gurney (01635) 564502, email: james.ngeuyr@newbuyrnews.co.uk EDITOR: Andy Murrill (01635) 564525, email: editor@newynbeuwr s.co.uk NEWS EDITOR: Dan Cooper (01635) 564527, email newsdesk@newynbeuwr s.co.uk CHIEF REPOTRER: John Garvey (01635) 564528, email: john.vgeayr@newbuyrnews.co.u ADVERTISING OFFICE MANAGER: Lisa Francis (01635) 564572, email: lisa.francis@neywnbeuwrs.co.uk RECRUITMENT ADVETRISING: email: er cruitment@newbuyrnews.co.uk CLASSIFIED ADVETRISING: (01635) 564573, email: adtv@ernewbuyrnews.co.uk NEWSPAPER HOUSE RECEPTION: (01635) 524111, emaiel:creption@newbuynr ews.co.uk NEWSPAPER CIRCULTAION: Lesley Marriott (01635) 564513, email: cuirlation@newbuynr ews.co.uk PHOTOGRAPH:YPhil Cannings (01635) 564542, email: picetduer sk@newbuyrnews.co.uk Many of the photographs in the NewybWuerekly News have been taken by NWN photographers. These images, and many mor e, are available to odrer online at newbyutroday.co.uk/pictuergallery HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAI:NT NewbyurNews and Media Limited publications ar e regulated by IPSO – the IndependenetsPs rStandsarOgranisation. If you have a complaint about a N ewbury News and Media Limited publication, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication connecde. rIf it is neosot lrved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. bMeerms of the publiecwaer lcome to contact IPSO at any time if they ar e not seurhow to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint. COPYING THIS NEWSAPER: To enqueirabout mpeisrsion to copy cuttings for inter nal management and infomr ation purposes, please contact the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA media access)e, lWlington Gate, 7 & 9 Chur ch Roadu,nTbridge lWls, TN1 1NL,htoenlep (01892) 525273, email: copy@nla.co.uk Inquiries conicnegr theprublication (either in print or online) of content fr (01635) 564571, (01635) 564546 om this

Litter louts should be named and shamed OVER recent weeks many members of the public and councillors have become

increasingly concerned about the amount of litter being left in our parks and public places. Newbury Town Council’s recent press release and Messrs Hawkins and Whiston letters ( Newbury Weekly News , June 4) attest to this. These offences are committed by a minority of selfish, irresponsible individuals of all ages. Another serious concern is the fly-tipping outside charity shops and around clothes recycling bins. All these places have signs saying do not leave items outside. Why would anyone drive to a shop or bin and dump their unwanted items? This is not giving to charity, it is asking them to dispose of their rubbish. The charities will have no option but to arrange the collection of this unusable stuff at a cost. Stop it now, book a slot at a recycling centre, do the right thing. To those who would suggest our young people are the cause of littering, clearly these offenders are not. Let us remind ourselves of the legislation littering and refuse is Crucially, section 87of EPA states that it is a criminal offence for a person to drop, throw down, leave alcohol is prohibited? Why don’t whichever council is responsible schedule for this area to be cleaned daily? I have relayed my thoughts and questions to Lynne Doherty. Northcroft is not the only public part of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990.

or deposit litter in a public place. An offender may receive a fixed penalty notice. The fines are from £150 to a maximum of £2,500 and cases can be tried in a magistrates court. Currently, responsible concerned members of the public and councillors are going out with bags and pickers to clear the litter. I see and have spoken with West Berkshire Council litter collectors at Northcroft. They are working hard clearing in the areas on their rounds. Perhaps rounds need extending if there are more staff available. Larger bins, especially for dog excrement, might also be considered. All offenders should be named and shamed. If it is possible and safe to do so, photograph car registrations or offenders. ELIZABETH O’KEEFFE Mayor of Newbury area that is being trashed by scum- bags at the moment. It is high time that the councils stopped wringing their hands, pulled their fingers out and did Items dumped by a clothes recycling bin in theeWst Street car park

Action has to be taken to clean up Northcroft ON Sunday, June 7, I took this picture of the litter and smashed glass around the cricket club pavilion at Northcroft. An accident waiting to happen given the number of dogs and children around. On Wednesday, June 10, I visited again, expecting the litter to be cleared, but no, it hadn’t been, in fact it was worse. I cleared up what I could and reported the remaining glass pieces to the council, who by Thursday had undertaken a partial clear. Today (Friday), the pavilion is yet again strewn with glass and rubbish, and, once again, I have cleared up and reported the glass to the council. It seems that smashing beer bottles against the pavilion walls is becoming a popular pastime, but it to me poses some questions. Do the police patrol this site regularly and move people on? If not why not? Why do we not have litter enforcement wardens? Why is there no signage indi- cating that using the area for drinking

something about it. NIGEL WHISTON Newbury

My Newbury – in pictures

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