THIS weeks letters to the editor.
‘Think about others this Christmas’
CHRISTMAS is a time when families and friends look forward to getting together, but for the one in five adults with hearing loss, crowded dinner tables full of people laughing and shouting over each other can be a nightmare to follow.
Not to mention softly lit rooms and the blaring notes of Rocking Around the Christmas tree. This is no Christmas cracker joke.
You may have family or friends that struggle with hearing loss? Or perhaps you are the one who often feels left out of conversations?
RNID’s Christmas Dinner Game was created to ensure that everyone at your dinner table can have fun together whilst being deaf aware to make sure that everybody feels included and no-one misses that joke you’ve been practising!
Visit rnid.org.uk/game and we’ll send you a game pack in the post which will include everything you need to have a festive, fun-filled dinner, at the same time as also learning a bit of BSL on the side!
You’ll also find tips for being Deaf Aware on our website. This Christmas let’s make sure no one is left out.
Teri Devine
Director of Inclusion and Employment at RNID
‘More flowers’
I WOULD love to see more flowers and less new style buildings and more events in the town centre.
And more festivals to bring our community back to the centre of Redditch.
We were once the centre of creativity and the fabric of needlework
Best wishes
Kalvin Jai Hodgson
‘Nice and festive’
IT WAS good to see Christmas lights being put back up around Church Green.
And I, for one, am happy that we’ve now got a proper Christmas tree.
It doesn’t feel the same having an ornamental one.
Thank God it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Sarah Jones
Brockhill
‘Entertaining presentation’
IN HIS entertaining and informative presentation, Graham Smith, the society treasurer, took us from the origins of the town at the time of Bordesley Abbey through to the end of the Victorian period.
The title of the presentation was ‘From Common to Posh’ and Graham set out to identify how the area had changed over the 19th Century and illustrated this by the change in population and their occupations, and the change in housing quality.
During the 19th Century the population of the town was steadily increasing, however, the level of population around Church Green was reducing and Graham gave various examples which I will try to summarise.
In the short space of 10 years between 1841 and 1851 the population around Chapel Green had reduced from 463 to 376.
This was particularly marked in Chapel Green East which had reduced from 279 to 140. The employment had also changed.
In 1841 there were 74 people working in the needle industry, by 1851 there were 31. Again, this was most marked in Chapel Green East reducing from 58 to eight!
Thus, the area was becoming more gentrified, with larger houses and wealthier occupants.
Over the period 1841 to 1901 the population of Church Green had reduced from 463 to 205, and the number of people working in the needle industry from 74 to four.
Graham acknowledged the help of Forge Mill Needle Museum for the population data.
Graham illustrated the change to a more affluent community with images and descriptions of the new buildings which appeared over this period.
Graham gave a very interesting and informative talk showing the changes which has given us our iconic Church Green.
He told many stories of the time, many illustrations and accompanied this with factual details.
The presentation was much appreciated by our audience.
Anthony Green,
Redditch Local History Society Secretary
‘Town becoming dumping ground’
IT WAS worrying to read in the Standard last week about the plans to build a battery storage system in leafy Feckenham.
It seems Redditch is becoming the town to dump giant developments onto, with the solar farm in Inkberrow and now this in Feckenham.
I understand we have to put these systems somewhere but you would think they would be in areas which are already built up or on former brownfield sites.
Not taking fields away from people and filling them with metal.
I would have thought in this day and age we would have come up with a better idea of how to help the environment.
Not building energy storage plants and great big solar farms.
Tim Barnes
‘Go plant based’
CHRISTMAS is promoted as the time of ‘peace and goodwill to all’ but we often neglect to extend this sentiment to all animals.
It is estimated that around 10,000,000 turkeys are killed in Britain for Christmas dinners every year. Animal Aid investigations have revealed horrific suffering on British turkey farms, including those considered ‘free-range’ or ‘high welfare’.
Our investigators witnessed shocking cruelty – turkeys with untreated wounds, sick birds left to suffer, and turkeys forced to live amongst birds who were dead or dying – their lifeless bodies strewn across barn floors.
The good news is you can enjoy a plant-based festive feast instead.
Vegan options are now widely available in supermarkets and shops, including from most independent retailers.
So, you can still enjoy all your favourite Christmas foods, without the animal cruelty. Even better – many plant-based dishes are cheaper than ‘meaty’ versions.
Animal Aid is here to help – you can get a free copy of our Have a Very Vegan Christmas booklet, which contains all the information you need to have a cruelty-free celebration, including recipes, shopping tips, gift ideas, and more!
Visit animalaid.org.uk/VeganChristmas fpr tje booklet.
This festive season, spare a thought for all the animals and have a compassionate Christmas.
Tod Bradbury
Campaign Manager
Animal Aid
Editors comment
THIS weekend will see the festive season really come alive in Redditch with the Christmas lights switch-on by Peter Andre, Santa’s Grotto and more.
There will be plenty of entertainment for all the family and hopefully the crowds will come into town to enjoy the festivities, along with food and drink from local vendors.
This will also be a good time to check out the local businesses – it has been a tough couple of years for our town’s traders who will be grateful of your support.
We welcome your letters…..
What pressing issues do you feel need addressing in Redditch and Alcester? Send us your views to [email protected]
