Viewpoint: Plea for a reliable post delivery service

Email Viewpoint letters tojamesp@baylismedia.co.ukor write to Viewpoint, Newspaper House, 48 Bell Street, Maidenhead, SL6 1HX.

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Hoping to be proud again of the Royal Mail

May we sympathise with everyone who’s missing their ‘postie', as your correspondent in last week’s edition complained of.

‘The walk’ our postmen used to have, with a regular street delivery every day, is a thing of the past!

It seems that his ‘little red van’ is a necessity.

Awareness that we have door numbers and even live in various named streets /roads is a difficultly since COVID/ daily changes in work loads and varied rounds cause confusion for the staff.

请我们可以回到一个可靠的交付后ervice that we are all paying for.

Make it a source of pride for men and women to serve the customer, as they have done since 1784 when it was named Royal Mail.

Competition from TNT/Amazon will cause our very British red vans to disappear unless we are encouraged to use this service.

Please may we have a delivery service on which we can rely. Thank you.

GEORGE BOURNE

Hungerford Drive

Maidenhead

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Shameful destruction of hedges and fences

What dreadful news about the destruction on private land at Strande Park (Advertiser, August 4, front page and page 3).

How DARE Sines Park Holdings Ltd claim that hedges and fences are a fire hazard?

They have been safely protecting homes for centuries. This devastation is vandalism and intimidation of the worst kind.

Surely there must be laws to protect the rights of home owners and residents against such attacks?

Come on police and council!

Please step up immediately and show Sines Park Holdings that this destructive behaviour is not acceptable and will be punished.

GILLIAN CHIVAS

Shoppenhangers Road

Maidenhead

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Decision on Magpies move provokes concern

The troubling news around RBWM’s handling of Maidenhead United FC’s (MUFC) future has left many concerned. Here are some questions that remain unanswered:

1) An FOI’d email from RBWM revealed advice that the cabinet meeting was ‘not an opportunity to reopen or seek to renege on the existing agreement...with MUFC’ and yet that is actually what councillors did. How did they square that circle?

2) According to reports in this paper, MUFC were specifically told they could not attend the public meeting where this decision was taken to defend their proposals, despite opponents to the scheme being present to criticise them.

Why did the cabinet member for leisure not invite them out of courtesy at the very least?

This decision should be re-run so MUFC can put their case.

3) Councillors claimed that there would be a loss in ‘open space’ at Braywick, but the ‘open space’ is the running track, which MUFC said it would rebuild next to the stadium.

Meanwhile, Sport England would have sought an agreement between MUFC and Maidenhead Rugby Club as part of any planning process for the new stadium.

If there really was no deal to be done, then the application would likely have been recommended for refusal.

So, why did RBWM pick a side now and claim the loss of ‘open space’ was the primary reason when this was not the case?

4) It does not seem like any councillor was continuing discussions with MUFC over the potential to turn the proposed sports hall into a purpose-built gymnastics facility.

Why was this creative solution to RBWM’s lack of gymnastic facility not being progressed?

Seems the new councillors are facing up to the reality, which they all knew before the election, that they cannot prevent the housebuilding they led residents to believe they could stop, so are kicking out at a much-loved community football club to appear ‘tough’.

I will always remember going to Margate to watch MUFC be promoted to the National League.

I want to see them continue to progress and wish them all the best for new season.

ROSS McWILLIAMS

Former RBWM cabinet member for sport

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Get out, get involved and brighten your life

Last week I heard a lady say: “This club’s been a lifeline.”

Recently finding herself all alone she’d been longing for conversation with someone, indeed anyone.

Life presents challenges.

失去一个合作伙伴是很困难的。退休并不总是easy. Health issues can knock you sideways.

There are ways to brighten your life.

Through the Maidenhead Advertiser could I say, seek ’em out.

It’s easy to suggest ‘Oh join a club’.

It could be a big ask for some.

It’s that first step that’s daunting. Give it a go.

A single guy I met only in his 30s, free of recent illness, had lost motivation.

He joined a local bowls club. Just one step it took.

His motivation was rekindled.

Strangers become friends. He learned a new skill too.

I’ve found art classes springing up for scribblers, sketchers and messy paint daubers alike.

Another Maidenhead sport venue offers space to art clubs and I’ve spotted other craft groups there too.

Creativity and company, what’s not to like?

On my radio show recently, I chatted to someone from the Royal British Legion Club.

What an eye opener and well worth checking out for surprising entertainment events and good company.

There are similar Legion clubs all around, open to everyone and I mean everyone.

Time to Google.

Being alone makes some days sadly grey.

I’d encourage lonesome Advertiser readers to step out and explore. It’s all out there, it really is.

GEOFF MOTLEY

Beverley Gardens

Maidenhead

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Live bugs and going hoarse for ostriches

For as long as I can remember, I remember being conscious of the climate crisis.

Chris Packham was up there speaking truths like some sort of surrogate David Attenborough.

I remember sharing a video on Facebook (way back when I used it) of Packham arguing against the eating of live creatures on I’m A Celebrity.

“We can’t pick and choose,” he said, “it’s not survival of the cutest.”

Another guest on the talk show interrupted: “What do wasps do? I don't know… hang around bins?”

You could see Packham tense up.

“Well hang on a minute, what do humans do?”

He was angling at the bald forests, mass extinctions, scorching heat and dying oceans we are responsible for, but I don’t think it landed.

Everyone looked at him as though he was merely another nasal-voiced nature geek with more carabiners than friends.

He’s still going at it though, with even more fire and fury than before.

I recently caught a video of him speaking outside Westminster where he was protesting Rishi Sunak’s hundred new oil and gas licences.

面试官送给他Sunak argument: energy security, lower carbon footprint than from imported sources, independence from ‘foreign dictators’, etc and finished his stream by asking: “you don’t buy that argument?”

Packham, with familiar frustration, replies: “Of course I don’t buy that argument, and I don’t buy it because I take my information from the scientists.”

I’m not sure how we can act surprised or affronted that protesters are getting more and more demonstrative.

They’ve probably just grown hoarse from shouting ‘stop’ so many times over the years. One thing’s for sure though, if I’d been trying to bite my tongue for as many years as Packham has, I’m pretty sure I'd have bitten it clean off by now.

ANNIE GRAY

Maidenhead

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A feast of sport and some net confusion

I hope one of your well-informed sports fans can help me.

Recently, there has been much talk on my radio about various sporting events around the globe.

There have been cricket matches for The Ashes, for both the England men’s team and the England women’s team. For a couple of weeks now, we have heard the tales of the England women’s football team at the Women’s Football World Cup.

Now, I have heard them talking about the Netball World Cup, but I don’t remember hearing anyone say whether it is a Women’s Netball World Cup or a Men’s Netball World Cup.

Can anyone advise, please?

Women’s World Cup

We’re spoilt for choice, these last few weeks;

The sporting treats came thick and fast.

Men’s and women’s Ashes pleased Christians, Muslims and Sikhs;

Through twists and turns, from first to last.

The Women’s World Cup came next in line,

As football teams took up the task.

The Netball World Cup may seem all fine:

But, ‘men’s or women’s?’, we forgot to ask.

JAY FLYNN

Moneyrow Green

Holyport

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Power does not seem to be with grown-ups

Another abject failure by your regular remain/remoan correspondent (Viewpoint, August 4) to address issues raised in my letter of July 28.

So be it, in this case silence speaks volumes.

Let me state that I certainly harbour no desire to see our current MP re-elected for many of the reasons already expounded in your columns.

However Mr Aidan refers to ‘the grown-ups taking the reigns of power’.

Just who are these grown-ups? – certainly not represented, in my humble opinion, by any of the three major parties.

FRED VEEVERS

Jobs Lane

Cookham Dean

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Seeking the loved ones of Maisie Cubitt

I am looking for relatives of Maisie Cubitt, 1917-2009.

I am hoping to contact either Teddy, Monika and/or Sheila, who I believe are children of Maisie Cubitt [Hilda May Donnelly]. I believe Maisie lived at some time at 5, St Adrian’s Close.

Maisie is related through my maternal family, and I would love to exchange information.

Maisie had a brother, Percy John Thomas, who was born 1914, and also a sister, Rose. Please get in touch via shirleywhaley55@yahoo.com

SHIRLEY WHALEY

Devon