Your views on: Reusing rural rail lines; raccoon dog death; monuments and street names review
RURAL rail lines should be brought back into use in Carmarthenshire, councillors have said. They approved an amended motion calling for a Swansea Bay and Western Valleys Metro to consider including the Amman Valley and other communities. Here are some of your views:
TESSA WALTERS Canals the same. Many are overgrown and gone now but there was a huge network of canals. Be nice to see some narrowboats using these again.
PETER JAMES MORRIS The Gwendreth Valley BPGV line, with its rails still there, should be run as a steam heritage line together with economically linking all the heritage lines (Gwilli, LMM, etc) and industrial sites across the county, perhaps a ‘big ticket’ allowing access to all for a single price!
MARK THOMAS There are loads of lines that have been used for freight only that could be opened up again for passengers in fact. Seven Sisters for example. GARY WALDEN Brilliant idea, will boost our economy huge! We have the rails already there. Make use of them will create jobs. And keep the cost down and maintain the line. We have beautiful countryside everywhere so let’s promote Wales! Yes, I agree it’s the best idea hands down in my opinion. Hope they go for it! THOMAS CREHAN Just what Camarthen needs to show the history of the area.
PEOPLE have reacted furiously to the news that a raccoon dog loose in the Pumsaint countryside was killed after being captured. They claim it should have been re-homed, but the Welsh Government said it was in the best interests of the animal. Here’s what you thought about it . . .
GILLIAN SUMNER Sorry, but you have to think of the animal’s needs. It would have been permanently unhappy living caged up for the rest of its life. Much kinder to painlessly put it to sleep. Real love for animals means doing what is right for the animal, and not what sentiment tells us.
JASON DICKINSON Shame they aren’t so angry about the thousands of animals killed in the county every week.
JACKIE JONES They could have found a home in a wildlife park but no they have to destroy the poor thing.
GARY WALDEN Destroy everything! Poor thing, why? MO DAVIES Shame on them.
STREET names and monuments including a statue of slave-owning soldier Sir Thomas Picton are to be re-evaluated across Carmarthenshire. County councillors voted in favour of a motion which makes clear the authority’s abhorrence of racism, prejudice and discrimination – past and present. Here are some of your views:
HEIDI PHILLIPS Rename it the statue of hope or justness or something! Then put up numbered storyboards depicting the story of Picton, the story and facts behind the slavery, why the monument was erected and the last few boards can tell the story of the renaming and the hope/ vision for the future. ROBERT WILSON Whatever type of man Picton was has nothing to do with this monument. He was a brave leader during the Napoleonic War, he led his men into battle losing his life. He was so well regarded for his bravery that four towns in three continents are named after him.
CATHERINE HAMER HOWELLS Leave the monument alone, it’s history, we can’t change it but only learn from it, make changes to what is going on in the world now, slavery still goes on.
DAVID WRIGHT Let’s learn from it by moving it somewhere where the full context can be explained, rather than glorifying it without comment.