Letters: The Church would be wise to champion the vital work of …
SIR – Letters concerning the failure of the Church of England to provide replacement vicars (December 21)[1] quite rightly bemoan the loss of someone to lead them in worship. Yet this is not the only loss.
Until recently nearly everyone in this village, churchgoers or not, knew “Nick the vic”. He would stop on the pavement to chat, pop into shops and pubs with a pot of daffodils at Easter, and generally maintain the Church’s presence in our daily lives.
Priests like him did not preach only to the converted, but were also highly visible symbols of continuity, stability and hope. They would keep an eye on the elderly, invite the cynics to the carol service, and seek to find new ways for the Church to be relevant in the 21st century.
The parish priest, like the village bobby, was part of the glue that at one time none of us could imagine vanishing. Now both have gone, but the need they served has not. Other religions and cults are only too ready to fill the spiritual void – with some by no means as benign, or as sympathetic to the ancient threads in our nation’s tapestry.
Victor LaunertMatlock Bath, Derbyshire
SIR – As a licensed lay minister in a rural benefice of five separate parishes in the midst of an interregnum, I wish to applaud the unsung volunteers who keep the churches functioning over long periods with all the responsibility that this entails: churchwardens, members of parochial church councils and the many other churchgoers who give of their time and talents behind the scenes.
In no other big business would such dedication by so many unpaid volunteers be found, nor taken for granted – as seems to be the case in the Church of England. While a short period of reflection is indeed needed before an appointment of a new incumbent, a long “period of mourning” (Letters, December 20) is an insult, and certainly not required.
We would not survive as churches without the dedication of retired clergy from outside of benefice, who are unstinting in their support. It is essential, therefore, that the policy of long vacancies is changed for the well being of all.
Sarah ShipmanStaveley, North Yorkshire
SIR – It seems that the prediction of the demise of the Church of England by 2060 is almost certainly true. I can confidently assert that this will not be the case for the Eastern Orthodox Church, which quietly gets on with its mission by changing absolutely nothing, rather than trying to be trendy and bending in whichever direction secular opinion is moving.
The lesson is obvious but, sadly, completely missed by our church hierarchy: the heart of the system is the priests.
Huw Baumgartner Bridell, Pembrokeshire
NHS GP services
SIR – For some time now I have read with increasing sadness the negativity directed towards the NHS, and general practice in particular (Letters, December 23)[2].
Individual experiences of poor care have and will always occur in all systems, but clearly gain a lot of sensational coverage in the press. I think the gist of your coverage is correct, however. I still work in several areas of the NHS and I can tell you what the issue is – it’s a horrible truth and one that spells the end of the NHS as it is.
Doctors no longer seem to consider medicine as a vocation. They reflect the rest of society in that they won’t graft, lifestyle is more important and they want more money. This has not always been the case.
There is an increasing expectation of healthcare from the population driven by an often unrealistic expectation of interventions. This is further exacerbated by a society-driven deterioration in mental health. Expectations in a “free at the point of use” (but not free as I have frequently been reminded by tricky customers) system will never be met.
The service I entered after medical school is not fit for today’s world.We need to make massive reforms. This is political suicide for any party, so should be a cross-party challenge. I would look across the Channel for an imperfect but better alternative.
James Hinds Mobberley, Cheshire
SIR – Although in past times of plenty a patient’s wish to see a GP could be accommodated, the NHS now has to use its resources more efficiently and ascertain whether a patient has a real need to see a GP. By this means, more patients are seen more promptly. The NHS should be praised for this efficiency improvement and does not deserve to have their triage-trained receptionists belittled (Leading Article, December 22[3]).
The bottom line is that patients should now find it acceptable (contrary to the same editorial) that when they seek medical advice from primary care they will be guided towards the most appropriate practitioner, which may not necessarily be a GP.
Brian WhittinghamDorchester
SIR – Modern NHS general practice cannot be called such. It does not fulfil the basic tenets of the title, namely interfamily dynamics, chronicity and continuity of care – continuity being the most vital component.
Dr Michael SpencerAdstock, Buckinghamshire
Invisible cyclists
SIR – These dark nights have made us more aware of the dangers facing cyclists on our crowded roads. Many wear dark clothes, making them unseeable, and do not wear helmets or have legal lights, thus making them a hazard to themselves and others.
Why are hi-vis vests not mandatory for all road users when not in cars? I would also include those out running.
Ann J CollinHorsham, West Sussex
Unfair road tax
SIR – I have just spent £570 renewing my car tax for the year. Electric cars often weigh considerably more than traditional ones but pay no road tax .
These heavier vehicles will cause more potholes and surely it is reasonable and fair to expect their owners to pay something.
Dr Robert McKintyDarlington, Co Durham
Starmer and the Army
SIR – There has been much gnashing of teeth at the sight of Keir Starmer in a uniform winter jacket at the front with British troops and tanks (report, December 22[4]).
Having worn uniform for the past 35 years as a regular officer and a reservist, I’m delighted that he is taking an interest in our military. I tend to agree with the Polish security chief that, if we do not ensure Ukraine prevails against the marauding tyrant Vladimir Putin, Nato could be at war with Russia in three years.
These few British tanks are currently our front line against Russian expansion, and British defence has been so denuded since the end of the Cold War that there are very few other tanks to support them.
Defence of this country is the primary responsibility of government, and we are taking an unrealistic and unacceptable risk at the moment. All eyes are on Gaza, which, however dreadful, will not create a Third World War as the war in Ukraine might. We must ensure we have the forces to match the threat, and we currently do not. If Rishi Sunak or Sir Keir do not sort this out, everything else vexing us at the moment will become horrifically irrelevant when we have to do battle with the Russian hordes.
Col Hamish de Bretton-GordonFormer Commander, 1st Royal Tank RegimentTisbury, Wiltshire
Cats in the garden
SIR – I await a round of cat-bashing letters after reading Judith Woods’s article (Comment, December 23[5]) on the slaughter of her garden birds by the neighbour’s pets.
We feed a collection of blackbirds, gold and green finches, starlings, a magpie family, a collared dove and a yellow wagtail. How these birds manage to stay alive baffles me, given that we have two cats at home, as do the near neighbours. The truth is that, when fed regularly and well, birds learn to eat and fly away safely. We rarely get a “present”.
Cherry TugbyWarminster, Wiltshire
It’s a cracker
SIR – My father’s favourite cracker joke (report, December 21[6]) – and one that he repeated every Christmas without fail – was the little piece of paper that said: “Help, I am being held prisoner inside a Chinese cracker factory.”
Sarah Hellings SmithNorth Berwick, East Lothian
The disturbing consequences of plastic waste
Colourful recycled lantern bottle lights on London's South Bank
Credit: Alamy
SIR – It is high time we stopped using plastic bottles for water and other soft drinks. Far from being recycled responsibly, most end up in our oceans, rivers and on our coastlines.
They are also entering the food chain, with small amounts of plastic being swallowed by mammals and fish. This is unacceptable.
I can remember the fun of returning glass bottles to a retailer and receiving payment, in the knowledge that the bottles would be cleaned and used again. We must return to those sensible days.
Roderick ArcherWeybridge, Surrey
SIR – If the Government wants to maximise the recycling of plastic products it needs to establish a simple mandatory system of coding. Traffic lights would work. Red: not recyclable. Amber: recyclable at a supermarket. Green: recyclable at home.
Most importantly, it must insist that all plastic items carry the appropriate symbol in a prominent position. Then there will be no excuse for people not recycling correctly.
David JohnsonYork
SIR – I’ve noticed that parcels from Amazon now contain spiralled lengths of kraft paper for product protection, replacing plastic bubble wrap. This is a fine environmental move.
The paper involved is of such excellent quality that it seems a shame immediately to consign it to the recycling bin, but it is in long narrow strips – really not of a size to help much with normal parcel wrapping. What other ideas are there for re-use prior to eventual recycling?
John BathClevedon, Somerset
A clean-air policy that considers commuters
SIR – Simon Paul (Letters, December 18[7]) raises a very good point about the different clean-air policies in Manchester and London.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is positive about public transport. I attended a union conference on this at the Mechanics Institute there – and Mr Burnham played a very constructive part.
Rather than imposing the Ultra Low Emissions Zone, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, should have focused on providing more buses and extending the Tube and rail networks – and at low prices.
This as it takes account of low-paid workers, such as retail staff, who may well have no alternative but to use their car to get to work.
John BarstowMember, Usdaw executive councilPulborough, West Sussex
Letters to the Editor
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References
- ^ December 21) (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ (Letters, December 23) (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Leading Article, December 22 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ report, December 22 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Comment, December 23 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ report, December 21 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Letters, December 18 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ here (secure.telegraph.co.uk)