Letters - Friday, November 20, 2020

Don’t forget to buy local this Christmas. I keep getting told that this will be a digital Christmas, with most purchasing taking place online.

Of course, in this current pandemic it is much more convenient and easy to buy online.

But I appeal to everyone not to forget their local retailers this Christmas.

Admittedly, as the owner of a small, local business, I have a vested interest here.

But if we want to be able to buy from our local shops next year, we all need to support our local shops this year, now more than ever.

Buying local helps the locality in so many ways.

It provides jobs in the area, it maintains a good choice of shops and it enables the retailers to go on to spend their income in the locality too, in shops, on advertising, with tradesmen, providing raffle prizes, etc, generally supporting their local community.

And I’ve noticed that local shops will often have a more interesting range of goods and many can make home deliveries.

By supporting them we support local families and they go on to support our community.

We need to make sure we don’t lose this.

So, this year, perhaps we could all think a little more about where we spend our money.

If we value our local retailers, by supporting them we can all help to ensure they continue to be there for us. It’s in our gift.

Andy Swinscoe

via email

Virus

Self-appointed Covid judges

Has our country become more judgemental and polarised since Covid? (Although one could argue that maybe this divide started during the EU Referendum).

Just to be clear, I wear a mask. It’s a reminder of the dreary Covid world of rules and regulations and makes it harder for me to see as a wearer of glasses, but I wear one. True, I go into shops less and spend less time browsing (and therefore spending less money) but when I do go in I wear a mask. After all, it’s supposed to reduce the risk and I have no real reason not to.

But some people genuinely cannot wear them, a fact that is ignored by the judgemental amongst us.

Some people have asthma (with varying severity), autism, panic attacks, psychological distress caused by a personal trauma, and these and more may affect their ability to wear a mask.

True, we could differentiate between the able mask-wearers and those with a hidden disability or personal trauma.

We could interview them, “Why are you not wearing a mask?” “I suffered a personal trauma and someone covered my face up”.

“What were the circumstances of this personal trauma?” Awkward, isn’t it? (Although perhaps the Covid judges think this should be the case?)

I’m not saying that there aren’t selfish types or conspiracy theorists who aren’t wearing a mask for their own reasons, but when I have been into shops, the non-mask wearers are very much in the minority.

So, self-appointed Covid marshalls, why not give these people the benefit of the doubt instead of possibly discriminating or making life uneasy and less pleasant for those with hidden disabilities or personal trauma?

So, I guess what I am saying is, please wear a mask (if you can) but don’t judge others if they aren’t. I don’t know the reason. Neither do you. It’s easy to judge but it doesn’t make the world a kinder and nicer place.

C

via email

Virus

Crackdown on Covid defiers

There is only one thing worse than a bad law, it is a law that is not enforced.

It has been revealed that many of those disagreeable people who have deliberately disregarded the current Covid regulations and been given a hefty fine, in some cases £10,000, have refused or been unable to pay.

As a result they have escaped punishment and the law has been made to look an ass.

This, of course, signals to others intent on ignoring the law that they can do so without fearing the consequences.

I suggest a simple solution. Where it is proven that a fine cannot be paid then the culprit should be made to do unpaid work for the community, a community whose health has been put in jeopardy by their irresponsible and selfish behaviour.

Dr Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys