King Charles III, Queen, RAF, health, pigeon mess in Lynn News letters, September 23

He has asked for someone from the military to comment and I do hope they do, but meanwhile as an ordinary resident, living on the flightpath from RAF Marham to the coast, I’ll oblige. Mr Mackinder, has it not come to your notice that there is a very unpleasant war going on in Europe at the moment, the likes of which has not been seen since WW2.

NATO could be dragged in to this war at any time and those airmen are probably on a state of high alert and ready to risk their lives in order to protect us all.

Unfortunately this means training, training and more training and if this causes the skies above us to be a bit noisy now and then, so be it.

You seem to think this is being disrespectful to our much loved late Queen but she herself would have probably demanded that Her armed forces were best equipped to keep themselves and her subjects safe.

Ed Brownbill

Pott Row

Marham jets required to scramble

I wondered when dear old Steve (Mackinder) would have another crack at the RAF – he’s been very vocal lately about politics but the RAF has escaped his ire.

I thought we might enjoy that pie and a pint together, but sadly it would seem that this is not to be as he has gone into “whinge at RAF Marham mode” once more. I can assure him that the air base is paying its own respects to our late monarch Queen Elizabeth II. After all she was its honorary Air Commodore, taking a great interest on what was going on there and paying a number of visits over the years.

Just in case the old whinger is not up to speed, I would like to remind him that the monarch is commander in chief of the UK’s armed forces and no doubt King Charles III is quite happy that our military personnel continue to do their job of defending his realm during this sad occasion of his mother’s death and funeral. There is the possibility of no flying on Monday, 19th September from Marham airfield as a mark of respect, but on those airfields where RAF Typhoons are on Quick Reaction Alert 24/7/365, should an incident occur where they are required to scramble, then scramble they will. It has already been announced that Typhoons will fly high above the funeral route as part of the overall security plan, many military personnel, not just the RAF are taking part in the security aspects of her funeral.

I look forward to his reply containing the usual verbal abuse as has happened in the past, he is very bitter for some reason when the subject of the Royal Air Force appears in the letters pages, but hey Stevie, it’s water off a duck’s back mate.

Alan Mudge

Pentney

QUEEN

What a wonderful role model she was

What a wonderful role model was our beloved Queen who sadly passed away September 8, My heart goes out to her family. I was deeply touched when I heard the very sad news like many. She was a real symbol of dedication to everyone for 70 years.

It was lovely to see all the flowers over the last week but I do think that it would have been a lovely gesture if some could have donated to Her Majesty’s charities which she was a great believer in, which would not have gone wasted. I just wonder where they all end up; so they give other people pleasure ie. residential homes for the elderly to give them pleasure which is most needed.

Mary Urry

Lynn

More discipline needed on duty

What a moving experience it was to view the late Her Majesty’s funeral proceedings and service, a sad occasion, but a celebration of her life of service, yet a show of a renaissance of national togetherness which has eroded over the decades. The choreography, pageantry and overall presentation was one that only the UK could produce, but the following day I saw on TV a person on duty let the side down, caught by the cameras.

A private security guard was filmed by the BBC during a report drinking out of a can whilst on duty in front of a monument to the Queen. It was thoughtless, unprofessional, disrespectful and a disgrace to the Corps, anathema to myself and other service veterans especially. If a serving soldier had done that a mandatory court martial would have ensued with a severe punishment.

Our military personnel were a credit to the Crown with the physical exertions of being on parade, and a special mention must go to the pallbearers who carried the Queen’s coffin with consummate professionalism in the course of duty, not seeking recognition. Thankfully it wasn’t until the day after the funeral that the guard dropped his discipline disgustingly, but it still doesn’t ameliorate matters. Let’s look at the positives on the occasion of Her Majesty moving on to a better Palace.

David Fleming

Downham

CHARLES

Give our new monarch a chance

The overwhelming and seemingly inexhaustible flow of glowing praise extolling the Queen’s constancy, support and attention to duty has left many bereft and somewhat ‘lost’.

The future must seem bleak to those who felt her like will never be seen again and although it’s perfectly natural to mourn I fear we’re forgetting that the new King Charles the Third has equally high aspirations towards his future as King. We are in danger of presenting him with an insurmountable hill to climb if we continue in this course of suggesting we’ve lost an irreplaceable head of state. King Charles’ reign may well take a different course but I expect great things from him and he’ll leave no less a mark on this country than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has.

Steve Mackinder

Denver

HEALTH

Tougher stand on pigeon mess

I’ve just read with interest online the ‘healthy options are key to travel vision for King’s Lynn’ article by Judy Bates.

I would be encouraged more to walk from the College side of Lynn into town through The Walks if the council invested in a mechanism to reduce the pigeons and gulls and clean up the mess they make and take a tougher stand on dog mess.

Dog mess aside, it is near impossible to walk through The Walks in spring, summer and autumn without having to hop about like a cat on a hot tin roof to avoid the nasty green thick sludgy birds mess that covers the pavements. And if it rains a little, but not heavy and for hours at a time, it turns it into a slurry like substance.

It’s a heath risk, people walk their dogs in there, let their children run and crawl around, who aren’t going to realise the risks. People on pushbikes whizz through, splattering the birds mess up and about as they pass you.

In our house we don’t walk through the park without at least one clean hanky just for the purpose of birds’ mess hits. I’ve had to wash clothes numerous times due to being hit or splattered by birds’ mess. And I’m not talking little discreet white poops you might expect a robin to make.

Due to my anxiety and mental health conditions I have not been into The Walks on foot since about February this year due to the amount of birds’ mess about. It’s the same every year. I understand pigeons are like rabbits and can nest all year round, so it’s a constant problem. I’ve seen machines in the past going through with rotary brushes but no water so all they do is flick the poop about and spread it around like butter.

And with the explosion of lockdown dogs, there are regularly piles of dogs’ mess in the park.

Before they worry about building shiny new transport hubs, perhaps the council could look at the problems in The Walks.

K Edmondson-Brown

via email