Headline was tacky and cruel

LAST week’s “Ex–vicar denies raping schoolgirl” story covering most of the front page is not worthy of a headline and puts the Journal in the same tacky stable as the sensational national tabloids.

It is hard to see how that headline could have more important or local impact over other items in your paper which included the McDonald’s planning travesty, the local Olympic links to this area, the walk-in clinic issue or the news from Salisbury District Hospital.

If the intention is to sell more copies of the Journal using cheap headlines then there are people like me who may well vote with our feet and stop reading it.

Steve Hannath, Dinton

I WRITE both to congratulate and castigate you on last week’s Journal, which reached both the heights and depths of journalism.

There were several exceptionally interesting and stimulating articles: Adam Pilon’s on the Oath of Salisbury, Annie Riddle’s trenchant comments on planning procedures, Tina Holland’s timely piece on “Facing Failure”, and others on those two pages.

But I consider your front page to be gutter journalism of the most despicable kind. I know nothing whatsoever of the case or the accused, but we all know that to include the words “vicar” and “rape” with photograph on the front page will sell newspapers.

This elderly man is (so far) innocent, because in this country we still believe him to be so until proven otherwise.

Your cruel “scoop” may well have ruined what remains of life for him. You owe him a public apology, even compensation.

Wendy English, Salisbury

IN THE Journal of August 18, you reported prominently on the front page the ongoing trial, at Salisbury Crown Court, of Reverend Frederick Williams who faced charges of historic child abuse.

Revd Williams, better known by his second name Errol, was from 1991 until 2006 Rector of Chilbolton and Vicar of Wherwell, and from 1999 to 2006 Rural Dean of Andover. Together with his wife Sue he has suffered 18 months of absolute turmoil whilst awaiting trial.

On Thursday, Revd Williams was found not guilty, and in the words of Judge Andrew Barnett, “walked free from court without any stain on his character”.

I have known Errol and Sue for well over 50 years and I have seen at close hand what they have had to live through, and the damage that it has done to them and their family.

I trust that you will give equal prominence in your next issue to Errol’s acquittal, as many of your readers will be relieved to know that he has been totally exonerated.

Owen White, Ludgershall

Plans angst

HOORAH for Annie Riddle! (“A very expensive takeaway for city”, Salisbury Journal, Aug 18).

What is the point of involving locally-elected Councillors in planning decisions if they are then to be over-ruled by an un-elected bureaucrat - the Planning Inspector.

Planning appeals are the arena where local democracy and the massive financial power of big brands meet head-on. Councils have limited budgets and often cannot afford to fight planning appeals because they will end up paying huge legal costs if they lose.

Companies like Premier Inn and MacDonald’s have hundreds of millions of £££s at their disposal. They have bottomless legal budgets and can afford to bully local people, and their elected Councils, out of the way.

When it comes to planning appeals the balance of power is weighted too much in favour of big business. The Government needs to take power out of the hands of this unelected official and back into the hands of locally-elected Councillors.

Do this and public trust in our Councils - and Councillors - will return. Turnouts in local elections will rise and public confidence will be restored. Ignore the howls of protest from around the country and local Government will not be worth a fig.

Paul Sample, Salisbury

Plans greed

WILTSHIRE and Salisbury City Councillors made a stand against ‘big Business’ by following their instincts and common sense and also by listening to the consensus of public opinion and refused planning permission for a Motel and Drive through McDonald’s along Southampton Road. We should applaud them for this.

However, the developers, who, at an area board meeting I attended, described the site as a piece of scrub land ideal for development, successfully appealed against this refusal. The inspector ruled that the council had acted unreasonably (for using local knowledge and listening to residents ?) and awarded costs to the developers which WE, of course, will have to pay.

The developers have promised £50,000 to improve the surrounding pieces of land and for it to look better and support wildlife. Good for them! They say this is for us - REALLY - surely it is to improve the appearance for their clientele. I do wonder, though, what they intend to do about about the detritus that will surely follow and will be littered all over Southampton Road, in both directions, as irresponsible clientele of ‘Big Mac’ discarded from the windows of their vehicles.

A thumbs up for our councils, just sad we have to pay for a developers greed!

Brian Ford, Salisbury

Lights lament

I VISIT Salisbury frequently, and I am puzzled as to why, in this age when all local authorities are looking for ways to save money, the traffic lights are left on through the night when there is little or no traffic to control?

For example, the traffic lights that govern the entrance and exit to the Britford park and ride are left on after the last service of the day has departed at 7pm. I have often been stopped by these lights after midnight, and they are left on through the whole of Sunday. This also applies to the lights at the Rowbarrow junction, which might be better served by a Give Way sign outside peak hours.

Not only is this wasteful, it is also annoying, which contributes nothing to road safety. There are towns and cities where traffic lights are turned off after 11pm. This was true of Salisbury (Rhodesia) even in the 1960s! Why is it not done in Salisbury Wilts now?

Perhaps the whole question of traffic lights needs to be looked at. It was noticeable, during a recent lights failure at the complex Harnham roundabout, how the traffic kept moving, due to the common sense and courtesy of drivers.

Lawrie Hooley, Alderholt

It was war

I AM replying to Mr C Brown’s letter( August 18th) regarding his abhorrence of Mr Baldock’s letter from the previous week. This was regarding his response to the statement “what the event of floating peace candles achieves? “ Mr Brown, may I suggest the candles may have been better received by you remembering all people who died and were maimed during WW2. I think you are wrong in your accusation, that dropping the atom bombs were war crimes. It was war.

Without them the Japanese would never have surrendered. Those bombs, as bad as they were, saved countless allied lives. Maybe the Japanese government should be accused of war crimes against the USA ( Pearl Harbour) Disarmament , unfortunately would never work, as you could not trust all nations to adhere to it. Nice to dream, but we have to face reality. If the German or Japanese nations had had the atom bomb first, they would have used it, so would that have been a war crime? No just war, terrible war.

Frank Robson, Salisbury

NHS concern

IN EARLIER comments about the NHS I have pointed out that David Cameron’s government, and I suspect, Theresa May’, the Health Service has been deliberately, grossly underfunded. This allows the government to justify ever-increasing privatisation. If the Ringwood campaigners wish to save the NHS in general, and their hospital in particular I once again advise that they join the Keep Our NHS Public campaign (www.keepournhspublic.com).

A large number of people have been convinced by the arguments for austerity. It’s just like running a house …. we have to live within our means. Actually, the superficially-attractive idea that running a country is just like running a household, is utter nonsense. If you move away from government propaganda, you will find that there is plenty of erudite opinion that says austerity has been tried before, failed, and can only be regarded as totally discredited. Osborne forgot to mention the other side of the argument.

Veronica M Burton, Salisbury

Provide bins

NOW there’s an idea!

On the subject of litter blighting our streets – do away with all the pavement sandwich boards and replace with good old-fashioned dust bins carrying the names of the providing business – equals adverts for the local business and a place for folk to dump their rubbish; which is mainly retail wrappings purchased locally presumably. If complete with hinged lid (to deter frisbie contests) with cigarette stubbing spot maybe this will encourage more responsible action by locals and visitors alike, may even help reduce the pigeon population if less food scraps are scattered.

Many years ago in our retail tool shop we saw it as our job to sweep the pavement each morning (plus clear snow) if the independent retailers followed suit it may lead to major chains joining the clean streets brigade and bins will only add to the effort.

Bob Fry, West Tytherley

Unbelievable

IT IS unbelievable, given the current worries about an obesity epidemic, that planning permission has been granted for a drive through McDonald’s on the Southampton Road. There is no doubt it will have a negative effect on people’s health, therefore impacting on the NHS, detract visitors to the city centre, increase litter to verges and increase traffic congestion on the Southampton Road. Such a ‘wise’ decision!

Emma Hill, Salisbury

War ended

THE bombing of Hiroshima horrendous though it was brought the war to an end.

It saved the lives of many Japanese and those prisoners of war, among whom was my uncle, so atrociously and inhumanely treated by their captors.

I would prefer to float candles in the memory of those prisoners of the Japanese who died a their hands.

Patricia Cave-Smith, Salisbury

Teddy hunt

THANK YOU to all the 100 shops supporting Save the Children’s TEDDY BEAR HUNT.

There are still plenty of FREE entry forms at The Library and Salisbury Information Centre.

How many can you find before the Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the Close on Monday? All donations will help us train and equip more midwives.

Ursula Lycett, SAVE THE CHILDREN - SALISBURY BRANCH

Know them?

I AM at present researching for a forthcoming publication on the Haunch of Venison public house, Salisbury. I am looking to meet any person who might have known Mrs Dorothy Lemon (also known as Florence G Lemon), Mr Firmin Pomeroy Bradbeer or Mrs Marjorie Bradbeer.

If any reader has information on these people or any other information on the Haunch of Venison, I would be delighted to hear from them. Please contact me by email to rubyvitorino@gmail.com

Ruby Vitorino, Salisbury

My response

HAVING been given a virtual lecture in print by Mr David Griffiths of Alderbury, I feel a response is required to some of the points made.

Firstly as an ex soldier of nine years service and a member of the National Royal British Legion I object to writers using ex soldiers as examples of poverty on our streets.

Yes we have some I know, but help is available for them from SSAFA and Help for Heroes etc.

The ever increasing groups of down and outs I have seen recently around our library and market square areas, drinking beer and cider do not appear to be ex-Army.

How do we separate the sheep from goats?

The language being used by the man and woman I saw was, to say the least, colourful.

At 77 years old, I, like many others, need to use the library guard rails for support.

If I fall down I will have great difficulty in getting up.

I could be brought down by empty cans and bottles, food wrapping etc.

As regards having a poor upbringing, I was put under care in the 1940s, after my mother left home, leaving four very young children and a father to cope with us.

As a one-time trustee for Salisbury Alms Houses and district councillor, I do not feel in need of Mr Griffiiths’ advice and assistance. One of the jobs our councils have is ensuring the care and upkeep of our footpaths and roads.

That is not helped by people camping where ever they wish.

I am sure the city’s visitors like to see a clean and tidy tourist attraction.

Colin Duller, Harnham