Les Lawrence writes to The Editor

Dear Editor,

In the April edition of the Village Pump you told us that Ivor Hook was laying down his pen, now in the May edition you tell us that Ron Watts is doing likewise. It was in the January edition that you also advised that April Lister would be making her February contribution her last. Over the past month or so, or is it longer, I haven’t seen anything relating to Stoke Ferry Football Club and it doesn’t seem only a year or so ago that I use to enjoy following the fortunes of Gooderstone Cricket Club.

Does all of this bring forth an air of despondency? Well I think it depends on how you look at things. We live, as we always have done so, in an ever changing world. I think that what matters is how you re-act to events. I have never been too interested in the past, or indeed even the present. I am far more interested in the future, in spite of the fact that my advancing years may well tell me I haven’t got one! But many people, considerably younger than me, most certainly have.

One of the things that I often do when in conversation with young people is to ask them if they read their local Newsletters? And it’s not their reply, but the look that they give me, and if I can correctly ‘read this look’ this seems to be telling me that if I can’t ask a more interesting question than that, then I shouldn’t bother them.

Whatever subject we are talking about, I take the view that if we ignore our young people we are jeopardising our future and the quicker we acknowledge this and take them on board the better.

Les Lawrence Methwold