'Shame in apartheid of money'

SIR – Leaving my home recently, shockingly, I saw a young couple sleeping in a doorway in town. This I’ve seen all too often in Worcester.

Worcester’s new Cathedral Square development will have a burger place in which a cheeseburger will cost £8 and a milkshake £7.

It’s shameful we are going down the road of apartheid of money. This vulgar aspirational society we are told we live in will feel very empty when sat in an executive home, eating a £8 burger, playing a smartphone, while nurses we rely on, if the burger makes us fat, have to use food banks and we pass by people living in doorways on our way to executive jobs. I suppose some Orwellian law will make it illegal to be poor or rather illegal to be seen to be poor in case it’s seen when going to the shops.

Dave Griffiths

Worcester

'It’s all about the money'

Sir – So Councillor Roger Knight is worried about St Peter’s being swamped by the super village, but he is part of one of the councils who voted for it. Now you can see why – they are after the council tax.

They are getting rid of good farming land and spoiling the lives of the residents affected, just for money.

Peter Cresswell

Worcester

'Support your local theatre'

Sir – This week, my friends and I were fortunate to be part of the Thursday evening audience at the Swan Theatre for a performance of Cider with Rosie.

The wonderful Jonathan Darby, playing the adult Laurie Lee, led an excellent cast as they travelled through halcyon times as he grew up in the village of Slad in Gloucestershire.

The play is a thought provoking mixture of prose and music and is very funny in places.

It is therefore such a shame that this excellent production is not being supported by more people.

The Worcester Repertory Company continues to delivery wonderful live theatre in Worcester but people still seem reluctant to support the local arts scene.

Jan Vale

Chairman of the Friends of the Swan Theatre

'MPs are there to serve us'

SIR – Councillor Rob Adams is a prime example of what’s wrong with politics in the UK.

MPs also feel that they are leaders of society. They are elected representatives responsible to the public and servants to the public.

This is why people are so fed up with these arrogant representatives.

Paul Chandler

Worcester

'Judge May on her actions'

SIR – Do Mrs May’s words “enough is enough”, mean  that the 20,000-odd jihadi sympathisers will be removed from these shores?  We are at war, and must do what ever it takes to keep the streets  and public safe.

Returning Isis fighters  must not be allowed to return to this country, and terror  suspects  must be rounded up and dealt with.

Mrs May will be judged on actions  not words.

B Ellis

Leominster

'Hiding away from it all'

SIR – Here’s poem for consideration, about depression and fear, Hibernation Isn’t Just For Bears

“I soooo wish that I could hibernate

Sleep all day and all through the night

I’d sleep through the thunder and the lightning

And hide from a life that’s globally frightening

I’d snore loudly when football was on TV

And avoid the really nasty Tory party

I’d not argue with the fascists on Facebook

Who’ve got a narrow, insular, hateful outlook.

I’d not hear them say “She’s pretty but fat”

“She’s got a real skill, well whoever knew that”

I think my bear cave would be comfy and cosy

With no neighbours, trying not to be nosey

I’d sleep and I’d sleep and roll over and snore

Without expecting a life containing much more

I’d reach over and give my back a good scratch

And never dream of finding a romantic match

I’d not worry if my bum looks good in this dress

Or if I can’t invite you here cos my cave’s in a mess

I’d have no mirror to reflect that my hair needs a cut

And no children to shout “Mum yes...... but

No shopping to get and no meals to plan

No decisions about that holiday caravan

No doctor to wait for when I have a pain

Clearly, being a hibernating bear, I’ve got so much to gain

I’d scare people away from my cave, don’t you know

But I do that already when I say I can’t go

On that trip out with you because I’ve got no money

I’ll just stay in my bear cave and eat lots of sweet honey

So maybe being a bear who hides away

Can’t be all that bad, at the end of the day

There’s not much to see and there’s not much to do

And nobody’s concerned when a hunter shoots you."

Claire Badsey

Worcester

'Youthful observation'

SIR – Our grandson Sam, then aged six, was having trouble connecting the trailer to his model pedal tractor, due to rust.  I put on  a spot of oil and it clicked on.  I then said, ‘There you are Sam, without oil, the world would come to a standstill’.

He then said, ‘Yes, it wouldn’t be able to turn on its axle’!

Emerson Fryer

Bodenham

'Hand on too many tillers?'

Sir – Fake news, it has to be! Police Commissioner applying to run the Fire and Ambulance Service?

He has been in office just 10 minutes and is completely missing the purpose of his role.

He is a very nice man, I am told. However it was on his watch that Worcestershire Children’s Services were reduced to Inadequate. I would call that misconduct in public office, but who would you report that to?

Not West Mercia for sure, they don’t record or investigate crime any more. That’s why crime figures have reduced.

Fire and ambulance beware...

Graham Hartley

Badsey

'Next time, it’ll be worse'

SIR – Reading Robin Walker’s wish list in your paper opposite an article on unprecedented need at the city’s foodbank, I suggest that the election result last week should have struck home to suitably chastened Tory MPs, that their cruel social policies need to be drastically altered to rid this city and the whole country of the shameful need for foodbanks.

The British people do not want one in three of our children to live in poverty, and their parents having to use foodbanks to feed them.

Although Mr Walker’s long-term objectives are admirable, unless the Tories are prepared to look after disadvantaged and vulnerable people first, his party will receive a worse kicking at the next election.

Tessa Jones

Worcester