Your letters on closure of Somers Court in Wisbech, street lights in Whittlesey and lady welders
This week’s Fenland Citizen letters…
So sad for those who have lost home and support
I am writing about the article concerning Somers Court on the front page of the Fenland Citizen (on May 28).
I know quite a few people who were living there and they were a happy community on the whole, had made friends and expected to be living there for the rest of their lives.
It had just the right balance between independence but staff on hand to help those who needed it.
Everyone was shocked to hear it was closing and some of the former residents have not been placed in suitable accommodation or even offered anywhere suitable yet.
When visiting there I was very impressed with the caring atmosphere but it seems that what will be built in the future will just be flats for senior citizens, no care on hand and people having to organise their own care if they need it.
I am sad for those who have lost their home and the support they had and sad that there is no comparable provision for those who need it.
We desperately need more social housing in Fenland and more assisted living communities like Somers Court.
Maggie Welford
Wisbech
Did you go to historic fair this year?
I wonder how many put on their ‘tinker boots’ and headed off for the Appleby Horse Fair?
Traditionally the second Wednesday after Derby Day, this year it ran from Thursday, June 5 until today (Wednesday, June 11), with Derby Day on the June 7.
Mark Burton
Chatteris
Many now do not feel safe at night
I think the new street lighting is a concern for many people but particularly the elderly, those with poor vision and to be honest, anyone walking in the dark along our footpaths, many of which lack maintenance.
I have spoken to some people more senior than I and local to me who say they will not go out in the dark any more as they don't feel safe.
I feel this is over-cautious in March for fear of violence as at 72 years I still find it safe.
I was not at all surprised by the response you received from the county council representative as this is typical of local authority responses.
They never answer the questions. They will spin things out as long as possible so the public lose the will, they hope.
Ken Elener
March
Legalise them and put dealers out of business
I would like to comment on the six articles in last week's Citizen about drug production and sale across Fenland.
One article was headlined: ‘Jail for Lithuanian crime gang who ran multi-million drug enterprise’.
Another was headlined: ‘Seven jailed after £1.7m drugs network is busted by police’.
Another was headlined: ‘Two men remanded in prison after police find cannabis den’.
Another was headlined: ‘Man arrested on suspicion of drug dealing’.
Another was headlined: ‘Man had cocaine worth £5K on Christmas day’.
Another was headlined: ‘Police look to tackle anti-social behaviour problem’.
Any success in removing drugs from the hands of organised crime and petty dealers just allows the competition to move in and clean up.
As any A-level economics student will tell you - the economy is based on supply and demand. This equally applies to the current consumption of illegal drugs.
Humans have taken mind-altering drugs for thousands of years. This will continue whether we have a capitalist, socialist, or communist society.
The Lithuanian organised crime gang had an £8million turnover based on the production of cannabis across Cambridgeshire, including factories in March and Wisbech.
I estimate that the annual illegal cannabis market in Fenland comes to around £10million per annum.
So what can be done? Well all drugs need to be legally regulated by the state similar to tobacco and alcohol.
The legal regulation of cannabis would mean that the £10million a year market in cannabis in Fenland would be made available from independent shops licensed by Fenland District Council.
A ten per cent tax on the legal sale of cannabis in independent shops across Fenland would result in £1million going to the Treasury which could then be spent on a public health education campaign.
There is also a market in Fenland for ecstasy and cocaine, which should be made available through specially licensed pharmacies.
Registered heroin addicts should, as happens in Switzerland, be given their daily dose of heroin though GP-led clinics.
The legal regulation of all drugs would allow quality control and labelling.
Legal regulation would save the police thousands of hours of police time which could be better spent.
The aim should be to put organised crime and petty drug dealers out of business by legalising all drugs.
John Smithee
Wisbech
Ladies have been welding here for many years
In the Citizen newsletter last Thursday, the editor admitted he was old-fashioned in expressing delighted surprise at a female welder winning a college competition, leading to this reply...
Ladies welding is not new. It was around 40 years ago when Cousins of Emneth organised annual welding competitions on the village playing field.
I had just finished my advanced welding course.
I thought I was not bad, and in the early 1980s, I thought I would enter the Emneth welding competition.
When I saw the standard of welding produced by the ladies from Stainless Metalcraft of Chatteris, I did not bother to enter.
Their handwork was almost machine-like.
In those days, Stainless Metalcraft were producing the very best (titanium, I think) pipework that was possible for the nuclear power industry, and a few of their welders were women.
The factories producing arms in WWII employed many lady welders, milling machinists and turners.
William Smith
Outwell
