Thank you for organising Newbury 10k
On behalf of Newbury, please express a big thank you to Newbury Athletic Club, especially Jeff Bird and Laura Buchanan, for organising a superb Newbury 10k on Bank Holiday Monday.
1,000 runners, 100 marshals, more than 1,000 spectators gathered in Market Place and cheering along the route all made for a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable day.
Thank you to the sponsors,
West Berkshire Council, the Waterside Centre and all those who contributed to making the Newbury 10k another resounding success.
Thank you to the residents who waited patiently during the road closures around the town and came out to cheer and applaud.
Newbury at its best.
Mark Landreth SmithNewbury
Put Cubs in charge of the Town Hall flag
Regarding the default position of flying of the Ukrainian flag over Newbury Market Place, as far as I have been able to ascertain, Newbury Council has failed to comply with designated flag days on six occasions so far this year (actually 10 days if we now include May 26 to 29).
Designated flag days are those on which the Union Flag must be flown on government buildings.
During early May, the council did manage a rather amusing, nearly one week of flying the correct flag – so well done you – but I very much doubt this was due to the period having included Coronation Day, because the virtue signalling and obvious contempt hadn’t even been interrupted by St George’s Day.
It seems the main reason for continuing to fly the Ukrainian flag is to help those in charge feel better about themselves, whilst simultaneously highlighting their apparent disrespect for the United Kingdom.
If the council must insist on flying the flag of another country in place of our own, either do it properly, compliant with the spirit of the regulations, or not at all.
If the council is struggling with management of its flags, might I suggest engaging some Cub Scouts.
Simply delegate to these children as they will undoubtedly have a more mature approach and do a much better job than those currently in charge.
Hamish McCracken
Adeys Close, Newbury
We can only get the Moderna vaccine here
The Covid virus is still and will always be with us.
My husband and I were invited by our doctor to have the vaccination because of my husband’s lowered immune system.
But when I asked what vaccine they were using it was to be the Moderna and my husband and I cannot take this vaccine because of allergies and on advice from the doctor when this virus first came about.
The only two vaccines that are being used are the Moderna and Pfizer.
When I also inquired at the local chemist about the Pfizer vaccine they were only given Moderna and if we wanted the Pfizer it would have to be done privately and at a cost of over £150 for each of us.
I have been on the NHS booking line and there is nowhere in Newbury that is offering th Pfizer vaccine on the NHS.
Yet the official website states that they are offering the Pfizer vaccine.
So I would like to ask your readers if they are having the same problems, as this Government advises you to have the vaccine but only one is being used on the NHS.
And you have to pay for the other one even though it quite clearly states they are using both.
Mrs V ChurchShaw
Why the advertisement for work in a graveyard?
While I was out for my daily walk I came across the funniest thing I have ever seen.
I was walking past a graveyard and saw a small advertising board for work.
Does he think someone’s going to pop up out of the ground and order a building?
I don’t think so, do you?
Of all the places to put it.
You have high hopes, sorry.
Keith HainesPoplar Place, Newbury
So sad to see cygnets struggling in the canal
I was saddened to hear about a swan and cygnet being savaged by an out-of-control dog at the Nature Discovery Centre and I did not know about Swan Support and the marvellous work they do.
I witnessed a rather sad event whilst walking along the K&A Canal towpath from Victoria Park to the Tesco store.
My husband and I stopped on the small bridge by the boat repair station to watch a pair of swans and five cygnets.
They were so close to the weir running under the bridge and although we were trying to shoo them away, two of the cygnets got sucked into the fast-flowing water and went tumbling down to the river below, shortly followed by another sibling.
We stood helpless as the three babies paddled against the rapids, cheeping loudly, trying to get back to the top of the weir and their parents, who seemed oblivious to what was going on.
If I had known about Swan Support at the time I would have contacted them straight away and they may have been able to help.
Needless to say, their number is now in my mobile should I witness any further swan tragedies.
I can only assume the babies soon became exhausted and were carried away in the current.
Although I love this time of year with lots of new life starting, nature can be cruel sometimes.
Linda PyeThatcham
Further to my previous email, I am very pleased to report that parents and babies have been reunited.
We spoke to a lady who was watching them today and she confirmed she and a friend had rescued them.
A happy ending after all.
Faraday Road plan will cost the taxpayer dear
The Lib Dems’ long-awaited Bond Riverside Programme Review was presented to the council executive on Thursday.
Considering the regeneration was, I believe originally a Lib Dem idea from 2003, one would have thought that they might have grabbed the bull by the horns and showed the previous administration how it was done.
But no, even though the report was riddled with errors, typos and incredibly vague, it was presented by the economic development and regeneration portfolio holder and duly passed.
It is just a pity that I have no doubt the councillors who provided the unanimous vote have no idea what they actually voted for.
The new proposals are to close down the old administration plans and make the same mistakes as before but get football back to the Faraday Road pitch which is already happening.
They want to find a developer to take over the Gateway Plaza site.
This has planning permission but has never satisfied important pre-conditions.
These conditions mean that the plans as they are will be going nowhere and I believe would have to be redrawn and applied for again.
That then leaves the old Depot Site which is under council control and could be developed.
However, it would probably trigger the need for an environmental impact assessment as it is part of larger plans.
There seems to be no budget for this.
There is one further proposal which is to undertake small-scale environmental improvements such as the greening of Faraday Road and improving linkages between the site and the town centre.
There is a good walkway which pedestrians or cyclists can use to get straight into the town centre.
As for the greening of Faraday Road, I guess they are going to put plants in the parking spaces and lose revenue.
It is a pity that they can’t admit they haven’t got the money, imagination, or foresight to bring about this regeneration, which is doomed to failure at the expense of the taxpayer.
John GoteleeNewbury
