Hygienic reunion plan
Dear editor, thank-you for your further stories in Flashback about Chorley & District Hygienic in Harpers Lane.
I hope it will bring forward yet further contacts, whether they be from fully, semi, cleaning or evening shift staff to the initiated.
I hope to arrange for a little reunion this year.
There will be many memories to exchange, treasured photographs to identify and exchange and information to share for a possible book.
The Flashback articles have brought out more folk who used to work at Hygienic and your enlargement of the 1956 Blackpool dinner/ ball helped to clarify faces, not least my father J Harold Potts, who was at the laundry from 1906 until his death in 1959.
If anyone would like to get in contact they can do so on 01257 263952. Not mornings please.
Bertrand Potts
Chorley

A need for pitches
Dear Editor, After reading page 14 of the latest edition of the Chorley Guardian (July 29), I feel that it must be pointed out that Travellers and Gypsies must be written with a capital 'T' for Travellers or captial 'G' for Gypsies.
Both ethnic groups are protected under the Race Relations Act. You wouldn't call an Italian person an italian!
Coun Peter Malpas refers to the GTAA (Gypsy / Traveller Accommodation Assessment) which was completed a good year plus ago.
However, 4NW has recently published the Regional Spatial Strategy, which shows that Chorley does have a need for accommodation for Gypsy and Traveller families and must provide pitches by 2016.
Current figures are, if memory serves me correctly 10 pitches permanent for Gypsies and Travellers, five pitches as transit (for Travellers / Gypsies travelling through the borough), plus five pitches for the Travelling show people.
Coun Malpas must realise that figures in housing strategies, shown for either bricks and mortar accommodation, is based on local need.
What is shown over your recent reports is that Chorley DOES have a Gypsy and Traveller population and that these families want to reside here.
By not providing the correct accommodation for this particular ethnic group, their home ends up being visible due to their culture and therefore providing negative feelings towards Gypsies and Travellers.
By providing suitable and sustainable sites for Gypsies and Travellers we can enable this culture to live side-by-side with our own bricks and mortar culture, but only if Chorley Council pull their socks up and help facilitate accommodation.
Current understanding is that one in every four Gypsy and Traveller families has no authorised place to live.
This generally means that these families are unable to access services via the NHS and education and can mean no access to running water, and flushing toilets.
This is 2009 in England, not middle England when King Henry VIII issued a new law that meant that Gypsies could be hung from a tree on site without trial.
We have moved on - haven't we?
Sharon Johnson
Address supplied

Why turn back on kids?
Dear editor, I took my grandchildren and their friends to Astley Park on Thursday afternoon to play on the new play equipment.
They loved it and it was so nice to see people using the park.
But, have you seen where the benches are that overlook the toddler and young children's play equipment?
I can't believe that anybody would consider it a good idea to face them towards the changing rooms and not face the play equipment!
Everybody was sat twisted round to watch their children. Unbelievable.
Kath Woodhead
Cotswold Avenue
Euxton

Dangers of iron grids
Dear editor, Have you ever noticed how many flat cast iron or steel grids/manhole covers there are in the roads?
Have you ever been aware that when wet (and even when not) these metal plates can become extremely slippery, in spite of having various nodules and patterns designed into them?
I was cycling last Sunday when suddenly the bike just slipped away from underneath me, depositing me on the road.
I suffered only grazes and bruising and a slightly dented pride, as an experienced rider for over 50 years.
I then read in the Guardian (July 29) that motorcyclist Daniel Pamman died after reportedly skidding on such a slippery manhole cover and colliding with an oncoming car.
It makes my event seem trivial and I was much saddened to see a young healthy life lost.
Nonetheless it made me think that surely it would not be beyond the wit of the authorities to have all metal grids and manhole covers in roads coated with a skid proof/non-slip paint, many types of which are already proven and on the market.
I am not aware of the actual statistics but if two events in one weekend can occur in one town then the overall total must be manifold.
Who knows how many serious accidents or indeed lives maybe saved for the sake of a coat of skid proof paint!
Gwynne P Furlong FRICS
Fishwick Lane
Higher Wheelton
Chorley

They deserve the best!
Dear editor, I would like to comment on the story about Corporal Anthony Duncan, who faces having his compensation reduced after he was shot in Iraq.
It's an essential part of the Military Covenant that those injured in the service of their country are dealt with in a consistent and coherent way.
Visible and invisible injuries must both be dealt with, and the MoD and other Government departments must deal not only with injuries but their consequences.
Whilst the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme needs to be reviewed urgently as part of a wider programme looking at the terms and conditions of the Armed Forces it is not comprehensible to try to claim back monies paid.
When our troops are asked to serve the nation they should not have to worry about lack of adequate equipment, many having to buy their own boots, whether they will get the right levels of pay and moreover whether they will be properly looked after if injured.
Alan Cullens
Parliamentary Candidate for Chorley

Proud to back 'our boys'
ON July 22 the Chorley Guardian published a story about former soldiers being set to take over from Parkwise in the town. It follows Chorley Council's decision not to renew its contract with Parkwise to regulate their off-street parking and hold talks with a firm connected to the Royal British Legion. We illustrated it with a generic picture of some serving soldiers. We've been contacted by a reader who believes the picture is misleading. The Guardian would like to make it clear that the soldiers pictured are not Chorley's next generation of parking wardens. We'd also like to put on record our admiration for their work, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.