Is Wellington ignored?
Dear editor
Adding to the anger felt at the planned three-month closure of the Chelston link Road to allow for the long planned repair of the road surface, I would like to draw attention to the state the road between Priory/Kelway Road has been left in. Resurfacing was planned to occur from April 7 - 11, however, the contractors were only on site April 9 and have left the road more akin to a rally surface than a road running through a residential estate.
This shows total contempt for those of us that have to use this road every day and it will become extremely dangerous when wet with many school-age children using this route. Are the council pursuing this with the contractors or is Wellington once again being ignored by an increasingly inept Somerset Council?
Add this to Bill Revans laughable comment that the amount of potholes on our roads is down to it being 'perfect pothole weather' shows the council are clueless when it comes to highway management.
Chris Newlove,
Wellington.
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‘Cats need protection too’
Dear editor,
This Sun Awareness Week (12-18 May) we would like to remind cat owners that it’s not only humans that need sun protection as the weather heats up, but cats too, especially those with pale or thin fur.
At Cats Protection we often take cats into our care who have been out in the sun for extended periods and have developed cancerous cells as a result. Cats with unpigmented ears or noses are susceptible to skin cancer through sun damage and we know that a third of all skin cancers that are presented in cats are due to sun exposure.
We recently treated all-white cat Gracie’s sun damaged ears which had become burned and painful, leading to the development of skin cancer. The treatment she needed was the complete removal of her ear flaps. Thankfully she has made an excellent recovery and has been successfully rehomed, however this could easily have been a different outcome if the cancer had developed further.
There are some simple tips that can help protect cats in the sun including:
- Keeping your cat indoors when the sun is at its hottest, typically between 10am and 3pm
- Speaking to a vet about a suitable sunscreen for your cat
- Ensuring there is outdoor shade, such as boxes or plant pots placed close together
- Providing outdoor water to avoid the risk of your cat becoming dehydrated.
The Cats Protection website has plenty more tips and guidance for keeping cats safe during warm weather - www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/cats-and-warm-weather
Yours faithfully,
Sarah Elliott,
Central Veterinary Officer,
Cats Protection.
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Post-Brexit civil war’
Dear editor,
So, no sooner has the right wing plot to oust Kemi Badenoch by Robert Jenrick been exposed and later denied by Tory hierarchy like Kevin Hollinrake, than up pops one of Jenrick's henchmen, former North Northants council leader, Jason Smithers, to twist the knife. And no sooner than Smithers had his say, up pops Kevin Hollinrake to again have his say, but this time by calling for "strong leadership" in yet another dig at Badenoch's leadership.
This isn't the strong leadership or good communications that Hollinrake pretends to advocate for at all. It's a continuation of post Brexit civil war in the Conservative Party that both Hollinrake and Badenoch have denied for so long. Hence, if the Conservative Party can't be trusted to tell the truth about the state of their own party, how can the Conservative Party be trusted to run a council, let alone the country?
Far from panic and fall outs, what our country needs is a party that puts country first and party second and, as opposed to the right wing cuts and Trumpian dogma offered by Reform UK, that's a policy only available with a Labour government keeping its promises, clearing up fourteen years of a Tory mess, putting money back in working class pockets, and making our country respected on the world stage once again.
Yours etc,
Geoffrey Brooking
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Praise for Wellington
Dear Sir,
Good Friday at 7.30am I was greeted by Helen in reception telling me that I had been chosen as “Member of the Month - May” at the Wellington Sports Centre.
Since my retirement from Wellington Post Office over 20 years ago, I regularly swim Monday to Friday in the slow lane. It’s not only the exercise which is SO beneficial (especially as I am now in my 80s) but the social interaction, making many new friends - so physically, mentally and emotionally a BIG plus!
The physio-therapist at our local hospital suggested “Bicycle” exercise would help my arthritic knee, so now I have joined the gym - WOW! - it’s new, it’s amazing!!
We are so blessed in Wellington - a fabulous “Sports Centre” with great staff - almost like “family”, plus ALL the many activities and entertainment in our town.
I LOVE WELLINGTON
Thank you,
Carole Dabbs,
Priory, Wellington.