Western Daily Press

Just Make Mine a Small Red Whine

It would've been better if I'd ignored him, minded my own business and got on with my life... but you know what it's like. Bad spelling gets right up my nose and I've just got to get stuck in and kick someone's behind when it's warranted! "We're not going in there," said the pompous idiot to his whining son as I walked past, "because he's a wine merchant and he can't spell Bordeaux."

Take a Deep Breath, Sarah

Icouldn't help a wry smile last week, not to mention a nod-and-a- wink burst of sympathy, for my fellow broadcaster, Sarah Kennedy, as the gutter press unleashed another tirade against the Radio 2 star. Not for the first time, dear old Sarah, who's been babbling into a microphone for even longer than me, was accused of going "radio gaga" after what was described as a "baffling" performance! Blimey, I've done loads of those but, unlike the self-styled "Dawn Patroller" Kennedy, I've not been ac...

Getting Needled at Dreary Dinner

If you thought the art of conversation was dead, or at least in its death throes, grim confirmation, I'm afraid, from one of Bristol's latest trendy restaurants. Why, for goodness sake, would anyone go to the trouble of booking a table, arriving at the place all togged-up for Saturday lunch and then, and I kid you not, sit down and start knitting!

Back to the Bad Old Days with Redwood

The recent reincarnation of Tory spokesman John Redwood from a monetarist Thatcherite to a Cameronite "caring Conservative" is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the policies that he now espouses bear such a close resemblance to Thatcher and her ilk's ideology as to place him firmly back in the 1980s and 1990s.

Unitary Decision Alienates Voters

As one of your correspondents noted, Wiltshire's fragmented media coverage, served by different newspapers and TV services, make it very difficult for most residents to see how the county as a whole reacts to issues. Wiltshire County Council exploits that fact. Only the Western Daily Press covers Wiltshire with one edition. Two of Wiltshire's newspapers undertook unitary bid surveys.

Yes, the Smokers Must Be Stupid

Fred Worth asks the question "Do the powers-that-be think smokers are stupid?" in his letter in the Western Daily Press of August 21, 2007. The answer is, of course, and if they don't, then they should. What other group of people pays out vast sums of money for something that will cause them to seize up and which will eventually kill them?

Buying a House... (August 22)

N I would not worry too much, there is going to be a price crash not just here but on a global scale, it's just started already. The USA, Ireland, Spain, France, Eastern Europe, Turkey are stagnant, despite interested parties telling you of massive gains.

Channel Cruising

This Bank Holiday there are several activities on offer, including a cruise on the Bristol Channel, aboard the pleasure steamer Balmoral. There are sailings from various points in the channel, including Clevedon Pier this Sunday. Once aboard you can soak up the atmosphere of days gone by as you sail to the seaside at Ilfracombe, in Devon.

It's Full Steam Ahead

Out of the Blue, My Chance to Save a Life

The letter came out of the blue. It was the Saturday before the May Bank Holiday and there on the mat was an envelope with an Anthony Nolan Trust sticker on it. I opened it, and was shocked to discover that after 15 years of being on the donor register, the trust had found a possible match. They urgently wanted me to make contact - someone was dying, and there was a one-in-four chance that I could help.

How It All Began with Tragic Little Anthony's Death

The Anthony Nolan Trust was set up by Shirley Nolan after her son, Anthony, born in 1971, was diagnosed as suffering from Wiscott- Aldrich syndrome, a rare deficiency of the immune system. Mrs Nolan was told the only chance of saving his life would be a bone marrow transplant. No donor could be found and no register of volunteers existed, so in 1974 she set about starting one herself.

We Watch a Silent Screen

How I agree with B Smith of Westbury-on-Severn. My husband and I are retired and we love to watch wildlife films or travels around our beautiful country, but we really do not like the loud music in the background. I turn the sound down and just watch the picture on the screen. I do wish someone would put a stop to it; it really does spoil our viewing.

Responsible Leisure Shooters Penalised Because of Gangs

Great Britain, as far as I know, does not have a pistol shooting team for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics because of the ban on handguns in 1997. Neither do we have a clay- pigeon or skeet shooting team. Now, to get to Olympic level, you will need to start at a very early age. That is why children have shotgun licences. This is all very different from black-on-black gun crime - we have the strictest gun laws in the world and the bad guys have ended up with the guns.

Gun-Toting Kids a Threat

With the police now giving out shotgun licences to children as young as nine years old, this is a case of the nutcases running the police services. If you pop into the main police station in Exeter, Heavytree Police Station, you will be greeted by a large poster informing you to apply and renew shotgun licences online. I assume that this is because of the sheer number of firearms and licences to manage in Devon.

No Blame, No Shame Society

I Am sure I am just one of many who would agree with F J Turner, "Labour's on a high but voters can change that" (Your Say, August 18), as I am a tad over 80 and have a reasonable memory. Over the last 10 years there are, I believe, a majority of English who have grown accustomed to the present regime.

Who Wants Tv Music at All?

How we endorse the comments made by B Smith of Westbury-on-Trym, "Music is still ruining TV" (Your Say, August 18), about TV programme-makers' obsession with noisy background music. It's not the sort of music we would choose to listen to in our own homes, so why should it be inflicted upon us when watching television?