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Speeding concerns

IN 2016, I approached Michelle Donelan, the police and various Town Councillors, about the speeding that occurs at The Causeway; three years later nothing has been done and the speeding continues unabated. Michelle Donelan passed it onto a councillor, who passed it onto another councillor; he passed it onto another councillor, who then passed it onto the police; they passed it onto an obscure department I never discovered. I then, indefatigably, approached another councillor who showed a fleeting concern then vanished from sight....so far, so bad.

So, undeterred, I suggested that at least an LED speed indicator could be erected, as at Hungerdown Lane and London Road...common sense would indicate this would at least make speedsters think twice about high speed joy riding....common sense absent, suggestion ignored.

This three-year saga is strewn with indifference, inaccuracies and procrastination.

Here’s the sting in the tail; 44 retirement apartments are being built at The Causeway, (Churchill Retirement Apartments). That means 44 elderly persons at least, maybe approaching 88, maybe some in wheelchairs; the speeding would be intolerable for them.

This letter is intended to warn of the risk to public safety of increased noise, emission pollution and possible injury.

Paul Moran, Chippenham

Not at roundabout

TO correct your report on page 10 (September 12): the tragic accident did not occur at Beckhampton but at the Bishops Cannings/Blacklands crossroads, a notorious black spot where there have been numerous accidents. The road was closed from Beckhampton (and presumably from the Devizes and Calne directions) to allow the emergency services to deal with the accident safely.

As our chairman, Mr Stacey, stated Avebury Parish Council are working with Wiltshire Council to bring about improvements to calm traffic speeds on all the roads in the parish - something highlighted by your front page story in the Marlborough edition about the child being dropped on the opposite side of the A4 by his school bus.

There have been accidents at the Beckhampton roundabout but thankfully none of them with fatal consequences, as far as I’m aware.

Maggie Lewis, Vice-chairman, Avebury Parish Council

Wonderful display

THOSE of you that might be interested in the changes made in Pewsey over the last century are in for a treat if you visit the latest well thought out display at Pewsey Heritage Centre.

It features photos, some aerial, of the area and storyboards of how the shops have evolved, houses added. Online shopping hadn’t even been thought of.

There is also a wonderful tribute to the late Roger Pope, a local resident and historian, much loved and respected, who gave so much to the local community and was a huge supporter of Pewsey’s renowned Carnival.

Photographs show that Roger once organised a football match between the Pewsey Hasbeens and the House of Commons Eleven. In our time of progoration, those were surely halcyon days? The exhibition finishes at the end of October.

J. Stephens, Pewsey

What a contrast

I WAS struck by a stark contrast in last week’s publication. On one page, coverage of a protest outside the office of Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan, calling on her to put the people who voted for her first over her political career. Then, two turns of a page later, a half page advert taken out by Michelle Donelan congratulating herself on her elevation to the position of junior minister.

The dissonance of the juxtaposition – one could not make it up. Fortunately it seems the people of Chippenham will have their say on her record soon enough.

Greg Williams, Hardens Mead, Chippenham

Waste of effort

NEXT June the government will require all nine-year-olds to sit a new test to prove their knowledge of times tables.

While being able to recall tables does help with more complicated maths problems, schools already teach and assess this ability throughout a child’s education.

This extra test, which will cost millions to administer, will not tell schools or parents anything they do not already know about a pupil’s mathematical ability, and many are concerned that it is a pointless waste of money.

The National Association of Head Teachers has published a report that reveals the problems faced by those schools that trialled the new test and shows that there is little support from school leaders for its wider implementation.

We recommend that the test is scrapped immediately.

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT

Brew up to help

I’M proud to be supporting Bowel Cancer UK’s Brew Together. Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK. That’s 42,000 people every year.

Held at home, in a community hall or at work, Brew Together is the perfect chance to catch up with friends, family and colleagues over a cup of tea and make a donation to the charity. By taking time out of your day to hold a Brew Together event your donations will ensure Bowel Cancer UK can continue to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.

To help inspire your Brew Together event I’ve donated my delicious crunchy oat and yoghurt layer pudding recipe. Try it out and sign up today at bowelcanceruk.org.uk/brewtogether

Davina McCall, TV Presenter

Bid for a doodle

DOZENS of doodles penned by a range of famous names will go under the hammer on eBay on Friday, September 20, as Tom Hardy, Aisling Bea and Stephen Graham join forces with artists and illustrators in drawing their support for Epilepsy Action, all to raise vital funds for the charity’s life-changing work.

The money raised will help support Epilepsy Action’s nationwide network of coffee and chat groups. Offering advice and a friendly listening ear, these groups are a local lifeline to people living with epilepsy. Donations also help to run the Epilepsy Action helpline.

Visit the online doodle gallery epilepsy.org.uk/doodle-day and get ready to bid when the auction goes live on Friday 20 September. Good luck!

Xanthe Hopkinson, Epilepsy Action