Who thought of patients’ move?
I would like to welcome the doctors, nurses and patients of the Family Health Care Centre who will shortly have to go to The Central Surgery for their needs.
My advice is that when you all go remember to take a bus, a taxi, or to walk. The parking around Sussex Road in Gorleston is already at maximum, making accessibility minimal. Which over paid Brain of Britain came up with this plan? I bet it was somebody who will not use the new facilities.
PATRICK SMITH
Remain camp get desperate
Reading the comments from Brandon Lewis and Richard Howitt last week just illustrated how the Remain camp get more desperate with each passing day.
MEP Howitt stated we can stand up to China; ask Redcar and Port Talbot how that went. We do have open borders and 27 countries citizens are able to move to the UK, work and claim benefits, also, never has there been a mention of sending all EU workers here home.
Facts please not half-truths. Time to leave this very expensive club which only benefits the elite.
V CLARK
We do benefit from the EU
EU: Should we stay or should we leave? I think the truth of the matter is that nobody really knows what would happen if we left the EU. It’s all conjecture with both sides having vested interests.
It is a fallacy to believe we will have more secure borders; we have already negotiated the right to retain more secure borders and police them.
Contrary to popular belief, we do benefit from the EU: as the breadbasket of Britain, many East Anglian farmers benefit from EU subsidies. In addition, our coastal defences have been funded by EU. Can we really trust our government to fund this vital work?
Some say “Brexit would sock it to the EU establishment” but Britain is [and always has been] run by establishmentarian elites since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, so leaving probably won’t make the slightest difference to the control of wealth and power. Neither will the working class see any of the money paid to the EU; so at least by staying, those who already have too much; will be deprived from having even more.
By leaving, British elites will lose a layer of someone to blame and as the blame must be pushed onto someone; suspect economic mismanagement at the top will once more become the fault of the working class at the bottom.
We will likely see even more laws on the statute book to control an already over-policed and disempowered majority of the population.
ROGER HAYES
Bradwell
Support Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces week will begin with the raising of the Flag at the Town Hall Great Yarmouth, at 11am on Monday, June 20. The Mayor will raise the Flag, which will fly all week, and Regimental and other Standards will be on Parade.
Armed Forces Day will be celebrated on Saturday, June 25 with a national event in Cleethorpes and other local events around the country. The Great Yarmouth celebrations, arranged by the Junior Leaders Adventure Corps, will be held in the Market Place between 10am and 4pm on that day.
The event will include static vintage vehicle display, information points on veterans’ organisations, Junior Leaders drum and drill displays and a chance to meet regular and reserve forces personnel.
There will be a special presentation at 11am of Veterans Badges by our local MP Mr Brandon Lewis, to a number not yet in receipt of their badge.
This is a good opportunity for local people to come along and show their appreciation for the dedication and commitment of all our Armed Forces, past and present.
TERRY BYRNE
Bin too far for it to be collected
Reference the council leaflet put through my door on Friday, May 13. I was absolutely shocked and dismayed at the information contained in this leaflet.
I place my wheelie bin right next to my front gate exactly on the boundary of the public footpath and my garden so as not to cause a hazard to people walking by. But now I am informed it is too far for a refuse collector to walk to empty the bin, to wash rubbish before I dispose of it, and not to include any garden waste.
Can you tell me exactly what I am paying for in this service as the cost seems to be going up and up and the service less and less. I feel the next thing you will be asking is for householders to empty their own bins in the lorry. The leaflet suggests using the local waste disposal site which is fine if you are in a position to be able to get there and run the gauntlet of mass interrogation and inspection. And there are limited specified items you can actually dispose of there.
It appears someone is not wishing to make disposal of waste easy. In fact, with all these new rules, I feel the council is encouraging people to flytip even more which will cause even more financial cost to the borough council.
DIANE WAIN
West Road is a busy pavement
With reference to the resident on Caister Road. Firstly I do believe you have taken my note in last week’s Mercury far too personally.
First and foremost I am also a hard working gentleman who happens to drive along Caister Road every day at least twice a day - some days a lot more - and at any one time I can count the people walking, riding, and dog walking on the fingers of one hand.
Come to West Road and see what a busy pavement is all about and the average age of the residents that use it.
Secondly I never said you asked for the pavement to be replaced. But don’t you find it ironic that all of Burgh Road, all of Lawn Avenue, and now Caister Road have been replaced and before you say I’m a jealous and angry person I have asked for the pavements to be looked at and replaced a long time ago, because they are dangerous nothing to do with being jealous.
PS Shame they could not take up Caister Road pavement and replace our’s with it because it would be far better than the one we have
PPS And yes, we have the same problem with cars going way faster than the speed limit and West Road is half the size of Caister Road.
BOB SEWELL
Plea for photos for slideshow
After producing two slideshows on Hemsby with Kenny Chaney for the Mayor of Great Yarmouth’s charities, we have been asked to produce a further fundraising event for the maintenance of Hemsby Church tower on Friday, June 10.
The theme of the presentation will be Hemsby over the lifetime of Queen Elizabeth II, that is from April 1926 to the present day. However, over previous shows most of our collection of pictures has been seen at least once and I wonder if your readers have any photographs we could copy to illustrate our slideshow.
These need not be exclusive to Hemsby as we would like to illustrate how home life has changed since 1926. The following pictures would be most welcome: coal fires, the coalman carrying sacks, paraffin heaters, drawing water from a well, old fashioned kitchens and even the pattern of ice caused by condensation inside windows. These common scenes were rarely photographed
I have very few pictures of the former meteorological station which operated on the Ormesby Road from 1950 to around 2000 and I wonder if readers have photographs?
If any readers are able to help, perhaps you could let Kenny Chaney or Maureen Powles at Hemsby Church know. Alternatively, I can be contacted on 01493 843811 or email at andrewfakes79@btinternet.com
ANDREW FAKES
Don’t be conned by scaremongers
MP Brandon Lewis and MEP Richard Howitt both talked a lot of waffle in last week’s Mercury.
Mr Lewis stated local residents are concerned about the flow of migrants into this country but the EU says we have to have them. He states leaving the EU is a leap in the dark and would mean years of uncertainty; it would be the same if we stayed in the EU.
It was leaked in the press last week, an official report of the meeting of the college of commissions on April 20. And there in black and white Mr Juncker says the announcement on kettles and toasters should be made after the referendum and delayed until the autumn.
Internet routers, hand-dryers, mobile phones and patio jet washers are also being examined by commission experts to see what other new eco sign rules can be imposed. What sense is there in limiting the power of kettles etc to save energy.
If they lower the power then kettles, toasters etc are going to take longer to heat, and using a lot more energy not less - and Mr Lewis wants us to stay in the EU.
Mr Howitt stated if we were to leave the EU the European Union refugees would still try to come to Britain. It was stated in the press there are 1.5 million hidden migrants in this country, if we had control of our own borders this would not have happened.
Before the EU, we traded with the Commonwealth and the world. We could still do deals with the Commonwealth again without all the red tape we get from the EU.
I am fed up with unelected bureaucrats dictating to Great Britain, telling us what we can and cannot do in our own country and bringing in new laws behind closed doors - and this is what the “stay in” people want.
Once again David Cameron has not kept his promises. Only last November he was urging us to leave the EU; how quickly he changed his mind and he’s that desperate he spent £9.3m of taxpayers’ money on a stupid leaflet. Then he invites Obama to visit and he tells us we should stay in the EU, something the Americans would not accept.
Then we had the governor of the Bank of England poking his nose in. He should keep out of our political affairs.
No thank you. I want my country back and us to run it. My dad and grandad fought in two world wars and many lost their lives so that we kept our freedom, which seems all in vain as this Government is hell bent on giving our freedom away.
I hope come the referendum on June 23 that voters will, like me, vote to leave and not be conned by all the scaremongers who want to stay in the EU.
ESTHER ALDRED
Beach cleaning funding cut
I see Great Yarmouth Borough Council is once again doing everything to promote tourism to the area. Now they have cut the funding to clean the beach at Hemsby, so the holidaymakers are left with dirty beaches, although most of the rubbish is probably left by them.
The litter bins will be overflowing and need to be emptied more often. Can’t wait until the council is sued by somebody when they get hurt.
First we had the closing of the public toilets, then no campervans allowed to park in the town, regardless of size, and now beach cleaning, although if you drop litter you will still be fined.
What’s the next step? Shut down all the amusement arcades?
Mr M COLEMAN
Shire Close,
Hemsby
Friendliness at the Big C shop
Once again, it’s worth noting anybody who has been unfortunate and has had to deal with cancer please come along to the Big C shop in Regent Street.
Enter, and you will be greeted by the smiling faces of Caroline and Dot who will show or escort you to upstairs where you will be introduced to the fantastic staff of Jane, Mel, David who through their hard work have created a big family atmosphere where all who attend have the same problems. We are all offered cake and sausage rolls. I have been attending The Big C for the last nine months, where without the fantastic staff I would not know where to go to get the help I get. I have made a lot of friends and now attend Monday to Friday daily with a great friend of mine Peter who has been made so welcome.
I would also like to mention one other fantastic member of staff; that’s our Georgie who works at the Louise Hamilton Centre at the James Paget Hospital.
So please come along to each drop in centre. They say miracles don’t work, but for me they do. The staff are very near to making it work. Not forgetting my wonderful nurse Penny from The Park Surgery.
Thank you all, from Ron, Lilian and Peter.
RONALD TILLBROOK
Bus stop seat needs replacing
I was just wondering if the bus stop seat on Gorleston High Street will ever be replaced. lt was removed about three months ago and was never replaced. A lot of elderly people use this bus shelter and it is a Godsend for them.
lt is sadly missed.
THERESA WHITMORE
Thanks for vote
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those Conservative voters in the North Yarmouth ward who put their trust in me and voted for me in the recent election on the May 5. I was not successful this time around but I shall keep trying - thank you for your very much appreciated support.
GRAHAM CARPENTER
I would like to thank the residents of Bradwell North who took the time and trouble to vote for me in the local elections on May 5.
The sun was shining and luckily it shone on UKIP, although up against two very good candidates who I had the great pleasure of talking to on polling day, meeting you the residents old friends and new was for me very rewarding.
We now have a strong UKIP team for Bradwell and we will always put Bradwell first. Once again many thanks for your vote.
CLLR ALAN GREY UKIP
Bradwell North
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that voted for me on May 5. It will be a great honour and privilege to represent all the people within the ward. I send my thanks to all the people that supported me through this election, especially Mr Fitzgerald and the ladies at the polling station on the day.
I would also like to send my congratulations to all the newly elected councillors across party, and wish them all the best of luck and I hope they will enjoy it as much as I will. I’m looking forward to working closely with all the councillors and all council employees.
CHRIS WALCH
I would like to thank all the residents of Gorleston ward who voted for me on May 5, your support was very much appreciated. I am very honoured to have become your local councillor and look forward to listening and helping all the residents within my new role throughout the community
EMMA FLAXMAN-TAYLOR
EU? Better the devil you know
One last jibe at the referendum debate. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. Young or old, a jump in the dark could affect your whole life.
Ask yourself, where is my pension money being funded? Who is subscribing to my future? Come maturity time whose got my money? Will I be able to get to it? Will we get enough economic trade to cover our requirements? Our bills are now being covered because we are there to see where it is. Come out and I think we will be walking on quicksand.
JACK DYE
Gonville Road,
Gorleston
No direct route into Gorleston!
I would like to add my comments to the report in the press about the lack of buses in Bradwell.
The new bypass is now in full flow, coming up to the end of the month Belton residents will be able to get to the JPH. Great news. It is very unfortunate they will not be able to get to the Falklands surgery or the dentists as the no 7 is ceasing to run.
Equally, Bradwell people will not get a direct route to Gorleston to shop or work, but do not despair, there will be a bus running from Belton to Yarmouth as an evening service, perhaps for the night life?
Would it be too much to ask if there could be a bus coming from Belton to Bradwell on at least an hourly service, to serve the south end of Bradwell which includes old people’s accommodation and two large housing estates and a smaller one opposite Green Lane?
Residents at the south end of Bradwell have had to put up with weeks of disruption while the new road was being built and gained nothing much from it. Here’s hoping that someone in public transport will have second thoughts about this backward decision.
RITA JOHNSON
Thanks for the excellent care
I would like to say a big thank you to all the team, especially consultant ophthalmologist Mrs Hemmant, at the James Paget University Hospital for the excellent treatment I have received over the past few weeks. Thank you.
NIGEL WILLIAMSON
Parkland Drive,
Bradwell
Smith’s was a dangerous place
The recent article from Peggotty (May 13) reminded me of the time I worked at Smith’s Factory, Caister Road.
The manager was a Mr Blackwell and I his chief clerk was a middle-aged spinster named Miss Bliss who rode a Francis Barnet 150cc 2 stroke motor cycle. I subsequently purchased this machine off her and rode it on private ground using a mixture of benzene and paraffin.
I was a boy electrician rarely supervised by a tradesman. I was with various electricians who were all being called up. I would have been 16 then, and had joined the Home Guard, meeting at Frederick School, Gorleston. Stupid boy! I worked for the original Bowers & Barr and met both of those two men at one time. Ernie Barr was a co-owner of Gorleston Coliseum with Douglas Atree. Both were involved with the ownership of Gorleston Holiday Camp.
We were often contracted to carry out quite a lot of changes at Smith’s. I can remember the set-up in the manufacture of the crisps, a method that would have any present day health and safety inspector tearing his hair out.
There were large rows of cooking units, each with a female operator. Each unit consisted of a large metal bowl. The boiler was filled with cooking oil and heated to a very high temperature by gas. Oil was fed by a pipeline and electricity used to work the potato slicer. There was a metal chute running downwards towards the boiling oil.
The operator had a wooden handled implement which she used to push the potatoes into a revolving circular cutter, sending the thin slithers directly into the oil. I understood this action was the real secret of tasty Smith’s crisps. After a minute or so she would drain, remove the crisps from the oil, and put them into a large galvanised bin which was taken to the packing department. I believe there were about 50 of these units working at one time. Looking back, the process was extremely dangerous.
In the packing department, many females sat at their own unit with crisp bags, small blue salt twists, paste and scales. The women appeared to be automatic in their action as hey filled each packet and sealed them.
Many people will remember the big Smith’s Crisp delivery vans, which had a sign on the back saying “Please sound your horn as we wish to extend to you the courtesy of the road”.
Later on, Lenny Bunnewell, a well-known local councillor, perfected a similar crisp manufacturing method and they sold well in his little shop on High Road, Gorleston.
JOHN CALTHORPE
Cliffs looking an absolute mess
Whose idea was it to spray weedkiller around the base of tree trunks, lamp-posts and road signs? Gorleston Cliffs area looks an absolute mess. What has happened to the art of strimming?
STAN EVANS
Bately Avenue,
Gorleston
Life as we know it will disappear
Forget all that MPs, heads of companies or retired Armed Forces chiefs have uttered over these past weeks - the truth is that, by staying in the EU, life in Britain as we know it today will disappear.
If you add more wine to an already full glass it will overflow. Our schools and doctor’s surgeries are bursting at the seams and the once revered NHS cannot cope.
Who will suffer if we stay in? The indigenous Brit - we will have to stand aside and suffer the omnipotent will of Brussels.
Mr Cameron’s travesty of war if we leave the EU is rubbish, stated to scare the vulnerable. Did Britain, with the aid of the Empire and latterly the USA, not come out top in two world wars? Did not the greater part of Europe (now in the EU) rely on Britain to go to their aid.
The UK bankrupted itself in both wars defending a (now) totally ungrateful Europe. Can Germans, Berliners in particular, forget the British and US airlift of everything needed to sustain the life of their city besieged by the Russians.
On November 1979, John Major stated: “If the EU did not reform then Britain should leave.” So was his view then that we may have to leave the EU folly or unpatriotic? The EU did not reform so why does he change his viewpoint now?
Ex-MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove said the EU’s response to the influx of migrants has been “hesitant”, “unsure” and “perverse”. This failure was fuelling the risk of the resurgence of Far-Right movements, he said.
He added “millions” of migrants from the Middle East and Africa are set to head to the continent in the next five years – many of whom will then be able to take advantage of Brussels’ free movement rules.
Brits have only one chance to vote, it is our children’s children we should safeguard.
JOHN L COOPER
Burnt Lane,
Gorleston
Cameron said we would leave EU?
David Cameron said if we do not get a good deal within the EU we must vote to leave – and we got a totally worthless deal which gives us nothing at all, so leave we must and take control of our country again. And we will prosper.
Brandon Lewis said in regards to EU migrants coming to the country and putting a brake on it, is simply not true because we cannot stop them coming; and statements of them claiming welfare benefit is also untrue because they come here to work, which 99pc of them do.
If we leave, we have nothing whatsoever to fear and a lot more control of who we let in. If we stay Brussels will continue to tell us what we must do and the immigration problem will continue to get worse.
If Turkey joins the EU it will be a nightmare, so we must vote to leave on June 23.
P J MANTRIPP
Leman Road,
Gorleston
PM promised to back leaving EU
I have been following the referendum debate and listening to both sides and their arguments. I have to say I am in total agreement with Mike Spragg and Andy Grant, while I think Mr Dye has somehow got lost in the wilderness.
When all this started, Mr Cameron promised if his conditions were not met in Brussels he would hold a referendum and back leaving, because Britain could well manage without the help of the EY. Having been held to ransom by Angela Merkel over all that he went for, even backing out of the last item on the agenda, because Merkel had him dancing to her tune. He returned with nothing that could not be overturned by Brussels.
The next we heard was a date for the referendum and that he had changed side. Along with George Osborne they became the devious duo, throwing every reason under the sun at the voters as to why we should remain.
Now things really started to hot up. How wrong they were as they had totally underestimated those who businesses had been hampered by the laws of the unelected hierarchy of Brussels.
Now, becoming fearful as the sides are running neck and neck, they bring in the big guns in the form of Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England and Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF. The former should never have become involved in the campaign. He appears to know very little about the British public who will stand up for their rights.
As for Lagarde’s “Bad or very bad”, she is French and very much so and now head of the International Monetary Fund who is spouting the same nonsense as Mark Carney.
The public will not forget how many times the IMF has been wrong. On occasions even the Bank of England got it wrong. Norman Lamont can confirm that.
Dr MICHAEL PRETTY
Anson Road,
Great Yarmouth
Delightful choir make a Statement
During my career in the police force, a question I often had to ask was “Do you wish to make a statement?” The other evening I found the tide had turned and I was wanting to do just that about a choir I heard for the first time.
The evening was the Thanksgiving Service in the lovely old church of St Mary at West Somerton, hosted by the outgoing Mayor, Shirley Weymouth, who had invited The Statement Choir to sing for her. What a treat it turned out to be! A large choir of mixed ages and abilities suddenly burst into song and delighted the congregation with a truly joyful sound!
In recognising this new talent, the mayor has placed them firmly in the centre of the plethora of entertainment of which our borough should be so proud. I have a feeling we shall be hearing much more of them, I do hope so, they really deserve our support.
DUSTY MILLER
Links Road,
Gorleston
City-ites buying all our houses
Having just been told by a friend 150 houses are to be built in Lound, I can see the damage being done to the rural areas by migration from towns and cities to rural areas.
You can turn a nice profit when selling your house and buying a cheaper one in a rural area – an option not available to us.
Towns and cities are not building cheap houses for rural people or can someone tell me if I have missed something in all my 56 years living here. Prisons, schools, old peoples homes, pubs, shops and hospitals have shut and even a lot of businesses that provided local jobs, so where are all the jobs coming from for all those people moving here; are they to teach us how to build wind turbines? Or as I suspect they will be mostly retired people.
The Mercury asked a few years back why did so many rich people move into the area north of Yarmouth back in the 1960s and 1970s. Well, I had just built a barn for a well known man who owned a lot of property in the area back then and he told me death duties would damage the family business so I suspect a lot of property had to be sold for this. So yet another lovely area damaged by circumstance.
By the way, it was good to see Mr Copper and Mr Durrant giving their views again.
M DIMMACK
Butt Lane,
Burgh Castle
Business rates cash question
It is sometimes difficult to comprehend local politics, as well intentioned speeches for the greater good never seem to match the reality of what is. Hemsby is an example of such circumstances.
In a collective form of our villages, Hemsby, Winterton, Newport and Scratby there are thousands of holiday chalets and caravans. I understand the rates for private holiday chalet owners are £510. Whilst there are some properties that are business rated for less, the mind starts to boggle as the considerable amount of revenue that is collected.
There is no exchange of services for this revenue as collection of refuse has to be paid for privately. So the question is where does all the money go? Is there another community that contributes so much and receives so little?
We have a derelict overgrown former holiday centre as a welcoming site to our tourists, coastal erosion on a rapid scale, an ever diminishing beach and rows about who is responsible for clearing litter from the beach because of funding. Well, whoever is out there, how about letting us keep some of our own money.
I have raised this point verbally but there has always been a shrug of the shoulders attitude.
With regard to the sea defences, I am a frequent walker along the Winterton and Horsey dunes and am always impressed with the post war seawall that was built. It is a contoured construction of considerable girth which has fulfilled all of its purpose of holding the line.
The wall continues on its way until it reaches the point of the North Norfolk boundary which is just short of Winterton, and there it stops. It then becomes our territory. Say no more.
RONNIE HANNANT
Hemsby
Two buses for me to get to work
I work near the Pleasure Beach and due to the planned bus changes, I will now have to get two buses instead of one from Gorleston to get to work.
I work Monday to Friday and use a Ten Trip ticket. This ticket currently lasts me two weeks, due to having a Disabled Bus Pass for epilepsy, which I can use to travel home in the afternoon.
At the moment, I use the No 2 service to get to work from Brasenose Avenue to Fenner Road, therefore using one of my Ten Trips. With the new proposed changes, I will have to get the new No 9 service to Market Gates and then the No 2 service to the Barrack Estate, thus using two of my Ten Trips.
It was suggested by First Bus it would better for me to buy a weekly or monthly ticket to travel but this would effectively make my Disabled Pass null and void. I also work with a gentleman, who has an OAP’s bus pass, and is now in the same situation as me.
AARON CREIGHTON
Referendum a poison chalice
The coming referendum is somewhat of a poison chalice. If the Remain group only have a small majority then we will continue to have demands for another referendum. Similarly if the Leave campaign have a small majority then it is doubtful whether the Government would allow the UK to leave the EU.
This could trigger massive civil disobedience and possibly lead to civil war. There is so much hype and misinformation, half truths and damn lies that it makes the process of having a referendum somewhat farcical.
The Prime Minister is himself mostly to blame for this. His words are like leaves and where they most abound much “fruit of sense beneath is rarely found,” Apologies to Alexander Pope.
By getting the establishment figures and foreign heads of states to lecture to the British people is counter productive. What have they got to lose and what have we got to gain? How can we trust some politicians when their integrity is somewhat suspect? Can you believe the promises the PM has made? Can you believe the promises given to the PM?
One could believe if you are very wealthy and maybe have financial interests within the EU then you are probably likely to want to stay in. If you do not have that financial flexibility then you are likely to opt to leave. It is very difficult to work out what the benefits of belonging to an undemocratic institution are.
There appear to be rules which we try to adhere to but many other states ignore. You cannot have a situation like this if the EU is to flourish. It would appear the EU is in peril.
Several EU states are nearly bankrupt again, there is the migrant/refugee crisis which has not been solved, Schengen is shambolic and there appears to be a sudden rise in far right Neo Nazis in many states.
We appear to have a dilemma. Who do we believe and who can we trust? Most of our politicians are somewhat suspect with very little integrity. Our Prime Minister fudges and does not deliver on promises.
There are no guarantees the EU will keep any of the so-called promises made to him. If the Remain group win with a small majority it will be a shallow victory.
Britain in the past has always looked outward into the world and not centred its expectations into Europe. We have had 40 years of inward looking into Europe. Our history has been outward looking to the rest of the world. God help us whichever way we go but with trepidation.
.Name and Address withheld
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