Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Who gets view now?

I WONDER whose bright idea it was to call the housing development in Chippenham which stretches from Langley Road to the A350 Birds Marsh View.

There is already a small close of houses off the Hill Corner Road called Birds Marsh View, but of course they won’t have a view of Bird’s Marsh when all the new houses are completed.

Will this mean a change of name to the close with all the upheaval that will cause with Royal Mail, road maps etc.

But then this is nothing for Wiltshire Council, who propose to build a multi-storey car park off Sadlers Mead, that no-one wants, just to spoil the views of the park and river.

They also allowed the closure of Eastern Lane, a useful diversion off the main Bath Road, while houses are being built. However, as permanent barriers have since been put in place, the road will not in future be able to be used as a thoroughfare for vehicles.

The incompetence of County Hall knows no bounds. Just think of the traffic lights saga in place of the New Road mini-roundabout.

You wouldn’t let these people near your worst enemy. They really must have a very low opinion of Chippenham and its population.

David Gardner, King Alfred Street, Chippenham

Roll on reunions

REGULAR readers to the ‘Letters to the Editor’ Columns of this newspaper, will recall the insertion of a letter of mine, explaining the camaraderie of those who had served in the Royal Navy. I explained that this could be re lived at the various Reunions held around the country and that these were listed on the www.rnshipmates.co.uk site under Reunions”

Well thank you to all of the local newspapers; you have certainly scored and made a lot of ex Servicemen think back again.

They have emailed me on royalnavyreunions@gmail.com and the Secretaries of various Associations have contacted me; consequence? A lot more reunions have been held and a lot more old shipmates reunited and re-lived their past experiences!

With Christmas and the New Year celebrations behind us, reunions are again on the agenda, therefore could I ask Reunion Organisers and Secretaries to let me have details of your reunion for listing.

This is a free service and can be done by themselves on www.rnshipmates.co.uk site under “Reunions” or by emailing the details to me on royalnavyreunions@gmail.com

Does a ‘Letter to the Editor’ work? ‘The printed word stays’...... “Dear Mike, six months ago we were packing to move house.

“I used pages from the local newspaper to pack the glassware. I have just unpacked the last of the glasses and I have just read your letter on one of the ‘straightened out’ pages ..............!!”

Mike Crowe, RN Shipmates, www.rnshipmates.co.uk

7 Heath Road, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 8PG

Thank you to NHS

THE first thing I did after arriving home from the RUH Bath was to buy a Wiltshire Gazette and Herald to read about local events and news.

When I got to the letters pages most were uplifting and a joy to read until of course I got to John Baxter’s letter. It seems that the Remain Campaigners wish to mount a guerilla war against the government for ever to the exclusion of eveything else. Enough time, effort and billions has been wasted by these people in trying to subvert the will of the people, it’s now time to move on!

Just like Mr Baxter, I would like to make a prediction mine is that unless vast sums of money above and beyond that already promised our NHS will collapse under the intolerable strain it’s now just about coping with. The efforts of those who raised millions to form the various groups who so opposed Brexit should now be directed into helping our NHS continue.

Thank you to all the wonderful staff who worked so hard looking after myself and thousands of others these last couple of weeks.

Stuart Eels, John Aubrey Close, Yatton Keynell

Install sprinklers!

AT THE risk of immodesty I am widely recognised as being the man who pioneered in the UK the idea of sprinklers to protect lives and property in residential premises.

For 12 years I fought a lonely battle being branded an eccentric crank until the breakthrough came and the social housing at Studley Green, Trowbridge was sprinkler protected during a refurbishment programme.

I believe there have been three fires on that estate very effectively dealt with by the sprinklers and no lives have been lost although I am reliably informed that but for the sprinklers there might have been fatalities.

The National Fire Chiefs Council is now fully supportive of sprinkler protection in domestic property. In Wales, since April 2016 the law requires sprinklers in new build or refurbished residences .

The recent fires in residential flats in our area caught my attention. There is understandable fear felt by the residents of social housing in Devizes and Trowbridge that the recent fires that resulted in a tragic death and several injuries were the result of arson. They are demanding increased security.

I understand this but would strongly suggest that the residents also call for the installation of sprinklers. Security patrols cannot be a totally effective guard against the arsonist.

Sprinklers ensure that the criminal act of fire setting will be nipped in the bud before becoming a threat to life.

In order to counter the argument that retrofitting sprinklers is disruptive to the residents and very expensive, a high rise block of flats in Sheffield was recently fitted with sprinklers with the tenants still in their apartments. Disruption to them was minimal.

Also, the cost was found to be surprisingly low. The whole project was independently monitored to prevent the sprinkler industry deliberately underpricing the work.

There is a tried and tested method of frustrating arsonists and sprinklers will give the reassurance that the social housing tenants deserve.

John Craig, Chief Fire Officer (Retired), Gaisford Chase, Worton

Happy to help

WE were both delighted to be able to help and support two wonderful community projects on the lead up to Christmas.

Firstly we joined the Street Pastors and St John Ambulance for the safe zone project, which has been running now for a number of years and something we have supported from the start.

This project helps support the night time safety in Chippenham and offers medical attention to those who have been enjoying themselves over the festive period and prevents the A&E departments being used for drink-related issues and lets them focus on more significant medical issues.

For the first time we attended and helped out at the Community Christmas Lunch on the last Saturday prior to Christmas, held at the Christian Fellowship Church at Wood Lane Chippenham.

This was a wonderful event and well supported by the community and appreciated by those attending and we were delighted to be able to help with serving the meal and the washing up afterwards and chatting with the local residents.

These two events once again highlight the wonderful variety of projects that there are and the commitment and dedication of the volunteers who help and support these events on a regular bases. We would both like to thank everyone who give up their time to help improve our local communities.

Cllr Peter J Hutton and Cllr Teresa M Hutton, Chippenham

Just not relevant

DONALD Trump is the head of state in America but his relatives and descendants are not relevant to his job.

Elizabeth Windsor is head of state here and by the same token her relatives and descendants are equally as irrelevant, none more so than the Sussexes.

Their whole family has no relevance to the day to day activities of the population whose lives today revolve around the filling of the shopping trolley in the supermarket and playing with their smart phones.

Gareth Evans, Hardens Close, Chippenham

What authority?

REFERENCE your news item January 2 regarding the Kingsbury Green Academy, Calne.

According to this, the Academy has been recognised by “The Parliamentary Review” as the most improved school in Wiltshire.

What authority has The Parliamentary Review ?

Research shows it is not an organ of national government. It appears to be a private publication, and of a vanity kind. As far as I can make out, organisations are encouraged to write in with their self claims of importance and excellence and provided they pay a fee of around £3000. It looks as if there is no independent validation of any claims made. The Academy trumpet may be loud, but are its brass notes

True? Would Nicky Brennan the school’s chair of governors please respond.

Colin Hulley, Silverlands Park, Buxton

Can you help me?

EVER since the 1970s I would not have thought of writing to “letters” in newspapers.

My late aunt has a lot to answer for for getting me into family history.

When she passed in 2004, I had not been able to trace her grandfather’s brother Charles John (John) HIBBARD b1840, Middlesex, England. John appears in the 1841 London & 1851 Hilperton England Census, then oblivion.

I was given photos of John and his younger brother William (my G-Grandfather) when they attended George V Coronation 1 June 1911.

There are two Charles John HIBBARD at the time one in Somerset, where he remained and one who migrated to the USA.

Thanking you for any help in this.

Leslie Andrew Hibbard, Christchurch, New Zealand 8061

Stay safe online

MANY youngsters will have unwrapped a new personal device this Christmas.

For some children, it may have been their first, which is a big step for them as they enter the online world.

It can be a great place for youngsters to learn, but as a parent, grandparent, or carer it can be difficult to know when is the right time to give children in your care more access to the online world and this is understandable.

However, if you have bought your child some new technology, I would encourage you to talk to them about online safety at the first available opportunity, and lead by example. Starting simple conversations about their online activity, and having them regularly, is often the best way to help them keep safe while surfing the web. This simple acronym can help:

• T – Talk about staying safe online.

• E – Explore their online world together.

• A – Agree rules on what is okay and what isn’t.

• M – Manage your family’s settings and controls.

To learn more about keeping children safe online, I’d recommend a visit to the Net Aware site, contacting the O2 and NSPCC’s online safety advice line on 0808 800 5002, or visiting an O2 guru in store.

Emma Motherwell, NSPCC’s Local Campaigns Manager for the South West of England

Get the knowledge

MANY of your readers will know at least one of the 250,000 children and adults in the UK with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome,– though they may not see the devastating toll this serious neurological condition can take.

A lack of research means that we don’t yet know the cause, or have an effective treatment – but a large, planned genetic study could change that.

With scientists and patients working together, the M.E./CFS Biomedical Partnership is applying for funding to test DNA samples from 20,000 people with M.E.

Readers can show their support for this potentially game-changing biomedical research, and sign-up for updates, at mebiomed.org.uk/get-involved

Sent on behalf of Sonya Chowdhury by Clare Ogden, Head of Communications and Engagement, Action for M.E.

Step out for cancer

PEOPLE are being challenged to kick start the New Year by taking steps to support Cancer Research UK.

The charity is encouraging everybody to sign up now to Walk All Over Cancer and get sponsored to walk 10,000 steps every day for a month.

In the South West, almost a quarter (22 per cent) of people are getting less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week.

Not only will taking on the challenge help raise money, it has health benefits as well. Moderate exercise can help build stamina, burn calories and keep a healthy body weight, which reduces the risk of 13 different types of cancer.

Walking has many positive effects on both the body and mind. It can help generate a sense of well-being and help people think more creatively.

To sign up and receive a fundraising pack, with tips and ideas to help with the challenge, visit cruk.org/walkallover.

Cancer Research UK