Your letters

Vandalism, Youth Club, blood and, er, Favor Parker

Dear Ray,

Excellent copy of the Pump. What's going on people in the Village speaking thier minds. Makes my article look lame and polite. More power to you.

I appreciated Les's article about teenagers and would like to invite him to the Youth club which is reconvening again two weeks time. Yes their are issues with drugs alcohol and theft with kids who are good at heart but have very little guidance or (self) respect.

I feel I need to make a stronger worded appeal for youth club support I will endeavour to do that soon.

You may be aware I am in part time post as a community development worker for a year now. Wondering how one works with Apathy. My Successes have been the youth club and the Harvest Fayre. But all this Politics or is it simply honesty in the latest Pump feels like evidence of a community waking up. Thank you for what you are doing.

John C. Preston

Dear Ray,

I read with interest the letter in November's Pump responding to the "Purfleet" article, which you reproduced about Favor Parker's effect on the village.

Many of us who are "incomers" found the history of how the current position was reached both interesting and informative. However, whilst the letter detailed how to register a complaint, it stopped short of listing the parameters within which Favor Parker must operate.

I would be grateful, therefore, if anyone who is aware of any restrictions which may apply to the mill could publish them through the Pump so that we all know what we should be looking out for.

Name and Address Supplied

Dear Sir,

We have lived in Stoke Ferry since August, but this last week has been a nightmare. On 31st October we had eggs thrown at our windows and down the walls and our granddaughter's clay pumpkin was pinched. From then on we have had gnomes and toadstools taken and a black tin cat.

Everybody in the village has been most welcoming but, if this is what life is like in Stoke Ferry, we don't think we want to stay. We hoped that we had left this sort of thing behind. What is more upsetting is the fact that these things were not ours but our young granddaughter's who was staying with us. We would like them back please!

If need be we will have a watch put on the front garden.

Yours,

D Clements (Mrs)

Dear Ray,

In October 23rd's edition of the Lynn News, I was delighted to read about the presentation being made to Stephen Eyles of Little Lane, Stoke Ferry. Stephen has just given his 50th pint of blood.

As someone who has done the same in the past, I was interested to see that Stephen had suffered nosebleeds when younger but after making blood donations, these stopped. I was exactly the same and certainly endorse his remarks about being in good health because of the replacement of a pint of blood. After all, it is a bit like a mini-oil change in a car.

My favourite part, though, of blood - doning was the cup of tea and biscuit afterwards. They had a cordon bleu taste unequalled elsewhere. If anyone can explain the medical reason for this, please write to the Pump.

Name and Address supplied

Dear Ray,

What will the New Year bring?

On the first of January we wish everybody a Happy New Year, and we mean it. But I find at Christmas time, although there are celebrations, there are often sad occasions too; particularly for those who have lost a relative or a member of their family that they loved dearly. I sometimes ask myself why? Yes I do believe in God but, from my Christian upbringing from my late grandparents and my dear late Mum, I know that God does move in mysterious ways.

I often get asked, "Why does this or that tragedy happen?" I have found that during a tragedy everyone pulls together to try and comfort the relatives; neighbours offer help that they would not normally offer. The reason for that is that we do care about people even in our fast world where most people are trying to reach their destination before they start.

If everything in the world was good, say everyone was blessed with loads of money and good health, what a boring time we would all have. I'm afraid it is a cruel world and we must pray for peace in the New Year and for better times ahead. One does not need to go to church or chapel to pray.

I would like to wish the contributors and the collators, and anyone else who is involved with the Village Pump, a very merry Christmas and a better New Year.

About Les's suggestion for a calendar, yes it is a good idea! But not photos of the Village Pump team, as Les suggests; why not use photographs of the Villages served by the Pump?

I must apologise for not coming to he AGM which was held in the Community Centre. To be honest, I forget which Wednesday it was; with my health and the worries I have, it just went out of my mind.

I hope we will get more contributors in the New Year. Les always makes me laugh when he says I must go for a pint. But he has always treated me well and I'd love to give him a game of snooker in the New Year.

Your friend as always,

John

Dear Ray,

Some years ago, Lady Holland-Martin, former chairman of the NSPCC, relayed this brilliant little story in an after dinner speech. I though your readers might find it amusing.

A small girl noticed that her mother was getting rather large. Her mother, realosing this said, "Darling, Daddy has given me a little baby". The child was not convinced and went to her father for confirmation. "Yes, it is true", he said. "Well Daddy", said his daughter, "Mummy has eaten it!"

Yours truly,

Graham Forster

Dear Ray,

I should like to say how moved I was by Brenda Moe's article on the events of September 11th. I should also like to congratulate you on Brenda being able to receive the 'Pump' via the web site and thus being able to contribute to our magazine.

I had the great fortune to have a long talk with Brenda when she 'phoned me earlier this year. She had read my article on our daughter's mediaeval wedding via the Internet and found it interesting enough to ring me all the way from Oklahoma City. She is a charming and very articulate lady who I hope may supply the 'Pump' with more pieces in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Forster

Dear Sir,

In reply to John's letter regarding the Euro, I would like to say I am strongly against it.

As far as I can see, the United Kingdom will be signing it's death warrant as a sovereign nation if it gives up the pound, because the creation of a single currency is the stepping-stone to the creation of a federal Europe. If we allowed ourselves to be sucked, Parliament would of course continue to sit, but in everything that mattered it would be no more than a glorified council and the British electorate would not gewt a chance to vote.

In the run up to a referendum we shall hear a great deal about the famous "economic tests" but they will serve simply as a smoke screen.

We have already lost a lot of pour traditional way of life, so we must not let this happen.

Yours faithfully,

Jill M. Giles (Mrs)