BBC, Gaywood friends reunited, The Queen, Hunstanton Town Council and recycling/British Heart Foundation – Lynn News letters September 16

The only time the Morning Star was featured was after Jeremy Corbyn was first elected leader of the Labour Party in 2015 and the Morning Star editor Ben Chacko appeared on the Andrew Marr Sunday show.

The BBC has been a right wing establishment/ruling class organisation since the Thatcher years and the Miners’ Strike in 1984-85 and has acted as the government mouthpiece over more recent years. There is no such word as wokist in the Oxford English dictionary, a word invented by Conservatives over the past few years. That is not to say it will not appear in the Oxford/English dictionary in years to come. Churchill was a warmonger but was defeated at the 1945 general election.

Paul Firmage

Downham

FRIENDS

Tracing old school chums

I’m trying to get united with old school friends. They are: Mr J F Clarke, Roseberry Avenue, Gaywood; Geoffrey Coady, Queen Mary Road, Gaywood; Raymond Snushell fish and chip shop on Millfleet, Lynn; Jackie Pitt, Priory Lane, Lynn; Violet Howard, Lynn; The Newson family, Nelson Street, Lynn.

I lived in Nelson Street in the 50s, and went to school with them all.

C Munslow

Dersingham

THE QUEEN

She was so true to her word

Surely, this is a very trying time for our country, our new king, and our new prime minister, as we mourn the death of our sovereign Queen.

Many of us have been taken by surprise by the sudden waves of grief as we’ve reflected on her incredible life of service to us.

She was a sovereign like no other, a diamond in our national life, a beacon of stability in our troubled world, and an unwavering example of what great leadership should be like, come rain or shine.

She was, quite simply, a wonderful human being. We were, and are, so proud of her, and she made us proud to be British.

Her great secret, as is widely known, was her genuine Christian faith from a young age. This is what inspired her to declare, on her 21st birthday, “that my whole life, whether long or short, shall be devoted to your service... and may God help me to make good my vow”. For 70 years, and to the very end, that vow was kept.

That faith was greatly tested many times, but her Saviour brought her through every trial, because she trusted in Him. That is so relevant at this time, as our nation faces a looming series of very dark trials.

An hour after the Queen’s death, the Lord Himself marked her passing with a double rainbow over Buckingham Palace and a rainbow over Windsor Castle.

She has run the race which was set before her. Now she can look forward to hearing the words of her Saviour:

“Come, my daughter! Enter in to the joy of thy Lord.”

The funeral of our Queen will be a sacred occasion. There will be many tears of love and thankfulness for her wonderful life. We can all say, in our own way: “Thank you, Ma’am.”

Sheridan Payne

South Lynn

Elizabeth was a devoted Christian

As I write we are still mourning the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II, our beloved Monarch, a devoted Christian.

Her Majesty impressed my family when she discussed faith with my dying father on the occasion of him being presented to her at a hospice in Belfast during one of her many visits to Northern Ireland, and her scriptural literacy was excellent.

The photograph of the presentation has pride of place in my front room cabinet.

What impressed me during the recent church thanksgiving services was the absence of politics from the pulpits as the Bishops expounded biblical doctrines, and the reverence displayed by the congregations.

The message emerging from this with King Charles now as Head of the Faith is that Theology, not Sociology, will bring people back to the pews on Sundays.

David Fleming

Downham

Military didn’t get the memo

It seems very apparent that, judging by the inordinate amount of deafening noise being generated by military aircraft this week, that nobody has thought to advise everyone involved that we’re in a period of quiet reflection and national mourning.

Flags flutter at half-mast but in the skies above us it’s “business as usual” for the military. I can’t tell if RAF Marham is part of this hugely disrespectful activity but clearly someone important somewhere has decided ‘quiet reflection’ isn’t on the agenda for we residents of West Norfolk.

No doubt someone can tell us whether Sandringham is getting the full brunt of these wargames too but I’ll bet they are.Does anyone from the military want to comment or perhaps ironically, they’ll prefer to keep quiet...

Steve Mackinder

Denver

RECYCLING

Have a heart... and a good clearout too

As we approach Recycle Week (September 19-25), the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is encouraging everyone to support its Declutter campaign by having a good clear out and donating good quality preloved items to the BHF.

We’re all pretty good at separating our household rubbish - and donating preloved goods to charity shops should be just as routine. It’s a really easy and convenient way to give a new life to something you no longer want or need.

You can drop your donations into any of the BHF’s 700 shops and stores, post your items to us using our free downloadable label, or for bigger items like furniture, you can book a free collection.

In a year, the BHF saves over 57,000 tonnes of goods from going to waste, including 103,000 sofas and 13,000 items of preloved clothes.

We can all do a little more to help make a difference. And by donating your preloved items to the BHF, you’re also helping make a difference to those living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Each month, heart and circulatory diseases cause 290 deaths in Lincolnshire and currently around 160,000 people in the county are living with them. From books to beds, footwear to fridges – your unwanted items help fund our life saving research.

For decluttering tips, book a collection or to find out more about the campaign, visit bhf.org.uk/declutter

David Roman

Sustainability Manager at the British Heart Foundation

HUNSTANTON

Town council has achieved nothing at all

In the last 12 years, what has Hunstanton Town Council achieved? Nothing.

The town centre has been taken over to build flats in the old gardens, now the bus station, library, the infant school and now the main car park for housing. This would not have happened with the councillors of all the business people of the town from 2000 to 2009.

The problem is the town council is mixed up with the Civic Society and the last three years they have been sorting out other things, instead of looking after the local townsfolk.

Clifford Sewell

Snettisham