Our readers from across the borough give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Gedling and beyond.
Join the debate by sending your letter to letters@gedlingeye.co.uk . Please put ‘Letters’ in the subject line. You can also submit a letter by filling in the simple form below, and it may appear online.
Some letters refer to past correspondence which can be found by clicking HERE
Names and addresses will be withheld by request but must be included in the email. We reserve the right to edit letters. Letters published do not reflect the views of Gedling Eye
Fireworks are blighting our lives and should be banned
Sir,
The problem of fireworks has been going on for years and is getting worse.
Several years ago a number of MPs raised it in Parliament, but was dismissed by Jacob Rees-Mogg as harmless fun. I’ll wager if it was by his stately home on a daily basis, action would have been taken.
It is not harmless fun. It is dangerous, intimidating, frightening and annoying. Why is this allowed to blight our lives?
Why should pets have to be put through this each year? They are forced to cower and shiver just so us humans can have a five-minute thrill outdoors.
Fireworks are let off at all hours of day and night on the main road close to houses, despite by-laws which are not enforced.
Now we have a change of government, I would urge our MP to raise the question again as soon as possible.
G Graydon,
Arnold
Phone should be banned at work as well as schools
Sir,
The use of mobile smart phones in school is frowned upon and creating problems. A mandatory ban in all schools has been suggested.
But why not ban all mobile phones in all working environments – except in certain circumstances.
I’m surely not the only person to be ignored by some hapless individual too busy peering into their phone and ignoring everything that happens around them.
Only the other day I was in a local pub beckoning to a young lady who should have been behind the bar serving me but was instead stood on the other side on her phone. She responded by requesting I wait a few minutes because updating her Facebook status was more important than taking my money that help pay her wages.
Phones shouldn’t be part of a working day as they only provide a distraction.
Ron Lim,
Carlton
Replacing Robin an ‘outrage’
Sir,
Has the world gone mad? Replacing the Robin Hood logo with a squiggle that looks like a badly designed road – shame on you Nottingham Building Society.
Yet again, the woke warriors have been out on force looking for a new target and now the have found one – our city hero Robin Hood. Who will be cancelled next? Humpty Dumpty as he encourages a blatant disregard for health and safety rules?
I am outraged.
What this mob of spotty students do not quite understand is that our city is reliant on Mr Hood. I recently visited Dusseldorf in Germany and upon revealing where I was from I was received with warmth and joy by locals who wanted to hear more about ‘Robin Hood and ‘Brian Clough’. He attracts visitors from across the world and thus puts coffers into our local economy.
I think The Nottingham should be forced into making a name change if they are that keen to remove anything identifiable as Nottingham from their branding. My suggestion would be the Beige Building Society.
Barbara Clegg,
Gedling
Did old war friend return to Carlton?
Sir,
I left Gedling in 1966 , joined the Army and was posted to Cyprus. Whilst there, in the late 60s, I met Cpl Mavis Hayward, who was serving with the Royal Engineers, who hailed from Carlton.
Unfortunately in 1969 I was posted to Berlin and our paths never crossed again.
I often wonder how her career progressed and if she ever returned to Carlton which I believe she intended to do .
I wonder if any of your readers know if Mavis returned to Carlton ?
B N Maguire
vie Email
Corporal punishment would harden criminals – not reform them
Sir,
I note Ron Lim’s letter which stated that prison is no longer a deterrent, as prisoners aren’t afraid of them (‘Prisons are overcrowded because criminals aren’t afraid of them’ – Readers’ Letters 10/10/24). It is worse.
Prisons are the equivalent of university for miscreants. We could bring back corporal punishment, but this cruelty will harden criminals, not reform them.
There are two things that deter reoffending. The first is the high chance of getting caught, now very low currently, and the second is to show criminals the damage they do to people and places and compel them to repair that damage, by working in the community and facing those affected, if victims are able to do this.
Pete Rowberry
via email
Car owners should seriously think about ‘going electric’
Sir,
Readers contemplating buying a fully electric car might like to hear the experience of someone who has been driving one for close on two years.
There are huge advantages. Having no gears means that it is incredibly simple to drive and it is much easier in stop start traffic. There is a lot less noise and many fewer parts to go wrong.
The main advantage is, however, cost. I drove 10,000 miles last year and by charging at home in the early hours of the morning when electricity is cheap I saved over £2,500. That means that there is already a reasonably rapid payback for the extra capital cost and that cost is coming down fast.
Charging on a long journey is more costly but still cheaper than petrol and to date I have found it incredibly quick and easy to charge up at places like motorway service stations at times when I would have stopped anyway for a break or a coffee.
Not filling up with petrol also saved me a lot of time in queues as it is incredibly simple to just plug into the wall when getting home. The planet also gains from all that fossil fuel that isn’t used.
I strongly recommend anyone considering purchasing a car to go electric.
The gains aren’t just for the planet – there are good solid service and cost gains for the user which are often seriously misrepresented.
A Clarke,
Mapperley
