This is Somerset --
Safely crossing the railway lines
A J Angell says in his letter "Correspondents at cross purposes" (Daily Press August 1) that the correct procedure for crossing railway lines is "stop, look and listen""while I said it is "stop, look and move quickly once certain the line is clear".
So Mr Angell seems to think that I'm suggesting that if you hear a train, but don't see it, you walk out anyway.
Sorry, Mr Angell, but I had credited the reader with some common sense, and in any case what is the point of "listening" to those who may be hard of hearing?
I agree about the no headphones, mobile telephones and such like.
Greg Heathcliffe
Swindon, Wiltshire
Offa and Steadfast do battle over borders
It is recorded that the first King Offa of the Engle had a sword named "Steadfast" and that he wielded it against his people's Saxish neighbours in Saxland, on the southern borders of his English kingdom.
Offa was the son of Waermund, an aged, blind king of the Engle, whose lands were threatened by a Saxish king. Although he was only 13 years old, it is said, in order to save his people from humiliation Offa killed two Saxish warriors in single combat with "Steadfast". His victory was to fix the borders between the English and Saxish folk until the Saxish king Ecgberht, the grandfather of King Alfred the Great, defeated the English army at Ellandun and regained Surrey, Sussex and Essex for Saxondom. along with Kent.
The East Engle (East Angles) accepted his overlordship in the following year 825 AD.
That is how matters stood until the English lands were taken over by the Danish Vikings who made it Danelaw, leaving only Alfred's Saxish kingdom in native hands.
T R Spratt
Vore-sbreker, We be Saxons – We beoth Zeahse
How can this happen in a civilised society?
Victoria Climbie, Baby P and now four-year-old Daniel Pelko are just the three most high-profile cases, among many in recent years, of children who have suffered lingering, painful deaths at the hands of their own parents or guardians due to the abysmal failure of children's services, the police and doctors to protect them.
Time and time again the authorities had the opportunity to step in and rescue these children from their tormentors. But it seems that parents or guardians must be caught in the act of beating or abusing their children before anyone will take action.
In the wake of Daniel Pelka's death we are promised yet another enquiry and a serious case review. If previous enquiries are anything to go by, we will be treated to the same tired old mantras of "lessons have been learned", "changes will be made", "this must never happen again".
Daniel Pelka's mother and stepfather are potent arguments for the reinstatement of the death penalty.
And it's high time the individuals charged with the welfare of toddlers like Daniel Pelko, who turned a blind eye to his suffering, were identified and punished too.
When the extent of Nazi atrocities were revealed at the end of the Second World War, people asked how such things could happen in a civilised society. We might well be asking the same thing of ourselves.
Robert Readman
Bournemouth, Dorset
George can sleep soundly tonight
I see that both Mark Cheshire, Republic in Wiltshire, and Zachary Barker, Republic Bristol, have both countered the letters from Rob Campbell's column and J Stephen's letter in basic terms yet again.
It was interesting that while Mark Cheshire was "canvassing the streets of Chippenham," we couldn't find him and now he's been "canvassing the streets of Bristol". If the cause of republicanism is so popular why did he thank his two helpmates for Chippenham, one of whom he just happened to call Zach, is this the same Zachary as the Republic Bristol leader and how many canvassed the streets of Bristol? It wouldn't be three again would it?
If this is the best the republicans can do, I would suggest the young baby George can sleep soundly!
Stuart Eels
Chippenham, Wiltshire
No one has gassed badgers for a pastime
I wish to object in the strongest possible terms to the headline "Gassing badgers is a sadistic pastime" that appeared over a letter from Andrew Williams in the Daily Press on Saturday. No one has ever gassed badgers or any other wildlife for a pastime and the letter from Mr Williams did not say or imply that this was the case.
I trust that you will have the good grace to apologise for this departure from your usual accuracy.
John Tuck
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
Solar panels not even powering my toaster
At ten minutes past eight on July 23 my ten solar panels were not producing enough power to run a two-slice toaster. It was cloudy.
I am sure historians in 100 years will be trying to decide which was the biggest scam foisted on the British public by government, renewable energy or private pensions.
I read that our frivolous Government is giving £1.6billion of taxpayers' money to the motor industry to find an alternative to diesel and petrol.
In October of this year the World Federation for Gas holds its annual meeting in London. A man from Exeter is to be the British spokesman for the LPG conversion programme. The use of this gas in cars produces no carbon monoxide so it's on a par with electric cars.
Italy, because of concessions to owners of LPG fuelled cars, has six million of these cars on the road. Neither Italy, France, Spain or Germany can understand the British Government's attitude to vehicles powered by LPG with its high rates of road fund tax. But then, it's not taxed as highly as petrol or diesel so they wouldn't have so much money to give away in overseas aid.
B E Roberts
Tiverton, Devon
Swordfish pilot sets the record straight
As a former Swordfish pilot and ex-test pilot I must correct a statement made about the Swordfish in your issue of Friday August 2.
An aircraft is not likely to stall when flying into the wind. It is much more likely to stall when flying downwind. This is not due to any characteristic of the aircraft but to pilot error.
The pilot gets a false impression of his airspeed when flying downwind at low altitudes as he is looking at the ground and mistakes groundspeed for airspeed. He slows down and this might cause the aircraft to stall.
John Fay
Chard, South Somerset Reported by This is 6 hours ago.
Safely crossing the railway lines
A J Angell says in his letter "Correspondents at cross purposes" (Daily Press August 1) that the correct procedure for crossing railway lines is "stop, look and listen""while I said it is "stop, look and move quickly once certain the line is clear".
So Mr Angell seems to think that I'm suggesting that if you hear a train, but don't see it, you walk out anyway.
Sorry, Mr Angell, but I had credited the reader with some common sense, and in any case what is the point of "listening" to those who may be hard of hearing?
I agree about the no headphones, mobile telephones and such like.
Greg Heathcliffe
Swindon, Wiltshire
Offa and Steadfast do battle over borders
It is recorded that the first King Offa of the Engle had a sword named "Steadfast" and that he wielded it against his people's Saxish neighbours in Saxland, on the southern borders of his English kingdom.
Offa was the son of Waermund, an aged, blind king of the Engle, whose lands were threatened by a Saxish king. Although he was only 13 years old, it is said, in order to save his people from humiliation Offa killed two Saxish warriors in single combat with "Steadfast". His victory was to fix the borders between the English and Saxish folk until the Saxish king Ecgberht, the grandfather of King Alfred the Great, defeated the English army at Ellandun and regained Surrey, Sussex and Essex for Saxondom. along with Kent.
The East Engle (East Angles) accepted his overlordship in the following year 825 AD.
That is how matters stood until the English lands were taken over by the Danish Vikings who made it Danelaw, leaving only Alfred's Saxish kingdom in native hands.
T R Spratt
Vore-sbreker, We be Saxons – We beoth Zeahse
How can this happen in a civilised society?
Victoria Climbie, Baby P and now four-year-old Daniel Pelko are just the three most high-profile cases, among many in recent years, of children who have suffered lingering, painful deaths at the hands of their own parents or guardians due to the abysmal failure of children's services, the police and doctors to protect them.
Time and time again the authorities had the opportunity to step in and rescue these children from their tormentors. But it seems that parents or guardians must be caught in the act of beating or abusing their children before anyone will take action.
In the wake of Daniel Pelka's death we are promised yet another enquiry and a serious case review. If previous enquiries are anything to go by, we will be treated to the same tired old mantras of "lessons have been learned", "changes will be made", "this must never happen again".
Daniel Pelka's mother and stepfather are potent arguments for the reinstatement of the death penalty.
And it's high time the individuals charged with the welfare of toddlers like Daniel Pelko, who turned a blind eye to his suffering, were identified and punished too.
When the extent of Nazi atrocities were revealed at the end of the Second World War, people asked how such things could happen in a civilised society. We might well be asking the same thing of ourselves.
Robert Readman
Bournemouth, Dorset
George can sleep soundly tonight
I see that both Mark Cheshire, Republic in Wiltshire, and Zachary Barker, Republic Bristol, have both countered the letters from Rob Campbell's column and J Stephen's letter in basic terms yet again.
It was interesting that while Mark Cheshire was "canvassing the streets of Chippenham," we couldn't find him and now he's been "canvassing the streets of Bristol". If the cause of republicanism is so popular why did he thank his two helpmates for Chippenham, one of whom he just happened to call Zach, is this the same Zachary as the Republic Bristol leader and how many canvassed the streets of Bristol? It wouldn't be three again would it?
If this is the best the republicans can do, I would suggest the young baby George can sleep soundly!
Stuart Eels
Chippenham, Wiltshire
No one has gassed badgers for a pastime
I wish to object in the strongest possible terms to the headline "Gassing badgers is a sadistic pastime" that appeared over a letter from Andrew Williams in the Daily Press on Saturday. No one has ever gassed badgers or any other wildlife for a pastime and the letter from Mr Williams did not say or imply that this was the case.
I trust that you will have the good grace to apologise for this departure from your usual accuracy.
John Tuck
Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
Solar panels not even powering my toaster
At ten minutes past eight on July 23 my ten solar panels were not producing enough power to run a two-slice toaster. It was cloudy.
I am sure historians in 100 years will be trying to decide which was the biggest scam foisted on the British public by government, renewable energy or private pensions.
I read that our frivolous Government is giving £1.6billion of taxpayers' money to the motor industry to find an alternative to diesel and petrol.
In October of this year the World Federation for Gas holds its annual meeting in London. A man from Exeter is to be the British spokesman for the LPG conversion programme. The use of this gas in cars produces no carbon monoxide so it's on a par with electric cars.
Italy, because of concessions to owners of LPG fuelled cars, has six million of these cars on the road. Neither Italy, France, Spain or Germany can understand the British Government's attitude to vehicles powered by LPG with its high rates of road fund tax. But then, it's not taxed as highly as petrol or diesel so they wouldn't have so much money to give away in overseas aid.
B E Roberts
Tiverton, Devon
Swordfish pilot sets the record straight
As a former Swordfish pilot and ex-test pilot I must correct a statement made about the Swordfish in your issue of Friday August 2.
An aircraft is not likely to stall when flying into the wind. It is much more likely to stall when flying downwind. This is not due to any characteristic of the aircraft but to pilot error.
The pilot gets a false impression of his airspeed when flying downwind at low altitudes as he is looking at the ground and mistakes groundspeed for airspeed. He slows down and this might cause the aircraft to stall.
John Fay
Chard, South Somerset Reported by This is 6 hours ago.
