I HAVE just read your article regarding the proposed closure of the Notintone House day centre, in Sneinton (Post, March 1).
This is a very sad state of affairs for the elderly of Nottingham.
Carewatch in Nottingham is a friendship centre for over 55s in St Augustine's Church Hall, in Westville Gardens, Off Woodborough Road, St Ann's.
Originally based in the city centre for over 15 years, Carewatch moved to its present location three years ago because of high rents, but continues to offer a place for older people to have a hot drink, a meal and a chat in comfortable surroundings.
We offer this service five days a week at very reasonable prices and are open from 9.30am until 2.30pm.
We also have activities including card-making, easy exercise, bingo, raffles, zumba gold as well as support, advice and a "listening ear" in a safe, warm environment.
The centre is independent from any local authority and is financed with grants from donors.
The overall aim of Carewatch in Nottingham is to improve the social integration of all elderly people by reducing isolation and loneliness.
By coming to Carewatch these people will find like-minded people of a similar age to communicate with.
LYNDA CROSS
Centre Manager, Carewatch
Westville Gardens
St Ann's
LIVING rurally south of the city and arriving from park-and-ride into the city centre presents Nottingham in its worst view.
Nottingham has completely lost out to Leicester, which is vibrant, clean, tidy and busy. The Highfields Centre, and the shopping lanes are far superior to anything Nottingham has.
The much flaunted trams are of no use to someone in our area. I have never had occasion to use one, nor do I see them being of use in the future. Hi-tech rides for some to a disappointing city.
LESLEY HAIG
Kinoulton
THIS year March not only heralds the start of spring, but also the start of official county council election campaign, offering the electorate not only the emergence of flowers and new life throughout Notts, but also hopefully enthusiastic local candidates will blossom, bringing new life into the council.
From March 25 hopeful councillors will be submitting their nominations for a county council division, which is an area served by a county councillor or councillors, the closing date being Friday April 5.
If the challenge for change is your desire, but you feel unable to vote for a political party, then rise to the challenge and become a candidate yourself.
Seek ten nominees to support your application, forms can be obtained from your local council, and show that councillors are not the same.
Make your voice and vote work by standing for your local division in the May election. You could make a valuable contribution to how local councils are run and how your community is represented.
If being a candidate is not for you, do at least use your vote, don't lose it.
Be involved in hopefully taking the council in the direction you would like it to take, after all any decision made will affect people and communities both now and into the future.
PAUL KEY
Castleton Avenue
Arnold
WHY has the council spent nearly £22,000 on a cleaning machine to clear dog mess up? Surely the money would be better spent employing a dog warden to travel around early in the mornings and fine the offenders. The Nottingham Post quotes the councillors as agreeing the vehicle was needed to "improve response times and productivity across all areas" and that it "would have a more visible presence as a deterrent."
What does that mean in plain English? Is it going to follow dog walkers and clear their dogs mess up for them as quickly as possible? Also what area does this machine work in?
PAULINE CONWAY Scafell Way Clifton
I WISH to clarify an item in the March 4 edition of the Nottingham Post.
Nottingham Concert Band did not, as implied, make the decision to cancel its concert for the following day at St Barnabas' Cathedral.
That decision was made by the organisers of the event, the trustees of Emmanuel House, on being made aware, at short notice, of another large event taking place at the nearby Albert Hall at the same time, also in aid of Emmanuel House.
This leaves the band with a spring concert programme ready to go; all we need now is a charity with access to a suitable venue. Inquiries are welcome at music@ nottinghamconcertband.org.
JEFFREY FRY
Chairman, Nottingham Concert Band
Park Road, Barnstone
ALAN Broadhurst asks who this Justin Bieber is, being given so much publicity in the Post (Letters, March 2).
Quite right, Mr Broadhurst. I know no more about him than you do.
By the way, who is this Billy Davies character that you mention?
G L ROBINSON
Steedman Avenue
Mapperley
WITH reference to your article "Credit downgrading won't have large impact" (Post, February 26)
Chris Clarke, senior lecturer in global financial markets at the Nottingham Business School, made some interesting comments in the article.
He said: "The US had its credit rating downgraded by the same amount and the same has happened in Japan, which has the largest debt in the Western world."
Mr Clarke and other observers claims neither the US or Japan have suffered because of the reduced credit rating.
My belief, that is more to do with their vast manufacturing capabilities than the performance of their domestic economies.
If readers were asked to name 12 American companies and 12 Japanese companies it would be easy. If they were asked to name 12 English companies, excluding car firms that are foreign-owned, it is not such an easy task.
In essence, the Japanese economy had suffered stagnation for a decade.
Regarding the US, since Ben Bernake became chairman of the Federal Reserve the solution has been to print money to stave of crises or corporations from collapsing.
In fact, in December 2008, the car industry had a $34 billion loan. US banks have received hundreds of billions in bailouts.
Mr Clarke stated: "The only reason we have held onto our triple A rating for longer than most is because we are doing the right thing in this country trying to reduce the debt."
That may be part of it, but considering the American credit-rating agencies are financed via the US banks, was the UK given flexibility because of the USA's transactions being factored through the London Stock Exchange at the time of the banking crash?
Surely the question is – should those trades falter, would the UK's credit worthiness drop even lower?
I think over the next five years, the downgrade and weaker pound could cost the Treasury an extra £100 billion in repayments plus £12 billion interest, which equals an added five pence on the tax rate.
NIGEL J STARBUCK
Carnarvon Close
Bingham
