SIR – I am 84 and disabled and visited The Hive this week for the first time to attend a House History group. I was impressed by the knowledge of the lady who took the group and the range and quantity of the archives. Sadly, I was not impressed with the access for people with restricted movement.
It was a long haul from the car park and how people manage it pushing a wheelchair I can’t imagine. Not much better for the disabled lift access point. Still a long upward slog. For a major public building in these days – frankly it’s a disaster. I don’t think I shall be visiting The Hive again.
ANGELA LANYON
Worcester

We should pay to conserve, not gawp
SIR – Well done to staff at Droitwich Library for cancelling a visit from a mobile zoo after discovering that the owner had previously been convicted for not providing a suitable habitat for the animals (“Zoo visit cancelled by library”, WN, July 8).
However, it is not just mobile zoos that fail to do this.
Animals in conventional zoos, and even in safari parks, are kept in enclosures on average 100 times smaller than their minimum home range in the wild and such establishments exist primarily for profit rather than conservation.
Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to wild animals and protection of their natural habitat is the most important way of saving them.
Instead of members of the public paying to gawp at animals in captivity, their money would be of much greater benefit to wildlife if donated to organisations like Care for the Wild and the Born Free Foundation, which work to protect animals and their habitats in the wild.
For more information, see the Captive Animals Protection Society website at captiveanimals.org
PETER TALBOT
Worcester

Try living off my income George
SIR – How fortunate George Cowley is, he tells us he gets £300 each week to live on. That’s more than my husband brings home working full time with two children. I don’t suppose George has to use food banks or charity shops like many people on low income do.
If he also gets his rent paid and council tax, plus help with his energy bills and free TV licence, this would bring him around £400 weekly, for someone living alone. This is so much money he should thank his lucky stars to be in such a healthy position to have no money worries, I can’t wait to get old and be looked after like this.
How about a sub George.
SUE GRIFFIN
Worcester

Is George Osborne from Planet Zog?
SIR – Regarding George Osborne’s 2020 living wage rising to £9 per hour 2015-2020, has he taken into account the cost of living going up by 2020, rent, electricity, gas, food, water rates, council tax, clothing, household items, travel expenses? We will be no better off in five years time than we are now.
And if the Tory’s are in power I can guarantee we will be worse off.
Is George Osborne really a human being or does he come from Willy Wonka Land or Planet Zog?
G CROMPTON
Worcester

We can afford to house a few refugees
SIR – It was reported in the Worcester News that Councillor Liz Eyre accused supporters of a bid to house Syrian refugees of “ignoring the expense involved” (9/7/15).
Last November, Worcestershire County Council announced the appointment of a Director of Commercial and Change on a salary of £117,571. On July 10, Tom Edwards reported that Worcestershire County Council’s bill for temporary agency workers has risen from £5.2 million to £7.6 million during the last three years.
And yet the County Council cannot find money to house a few refugees.
NEIL LAURENSON
Worcester Green Party

Please don’t park on the pavement
SIR – Cars that are parked irresponsibly on pavements can cause a potentially dangerous obstruction for pedestrians as it can force them onto the road and into the path of vehicles.
Newly released research by YouGov has shown that three quarters (74 per cent) of people are affected by vehicles parked on the pavement. Some groups – including people living with sight loss, older people or those with buggies – are at greater risk. Ninety one per cent of respondents living with sight loss who responded to a Guide Dogs survey said that parked cars on the pavement regularly obstruct them.
You can see how dangerous pavement parking can be in real-life video footage, filmed from a guide dog’s view, of a guide dog and their owner having to go out into the road to get around a car at youtube.com/watch?v=oMQt-cfEFsg
I am urging the public to ensure they don’t park on the pavement.
KATHY RICKARD
Pershore

Keep your columnist away from the sangria
SIR – Your columnist John Phillpott must have had too much sangria when he was in Catalonia/Catalunya. When I was last there, Rosas/Roses was about as far away from the Eastern end of the Mediterranean as you can get!
NEVILL SWANSON
Worcester