Pool letter brings back my first swim memory

A LETTER about Central Baths brought back memories of them.

I came to Coventry in 1933 at the age of seven. I attended Whoberley Mixed School in Tile Hill Lane and swimming lessons were arranged. I duly arrived for my first lesson.

They were quite dingy then, not like the present baths. The changing rooms were all along the sides and when I had changed, the teacher shouted “everybody in”. Unfortunately nobody told me the pool at that point was 6ft deep. Full of enthusiasm I jumped in, the trouble was I was only 4ft tall.

With great difficulty, I managed to get to the side of the pool, but swallowed a lot of water and I never did learn to swim there. Now I am 90, I go to the leisure centre for sequence dancing, and look down on the present pool. In the daytime it was very underused. Today’s kids don’t know how lucky they are and now they want to demolish them. George Noel Allesley Park Coventry

Brexit vote is not ‘will of the people’

THE Supreme Court ruling on Article 50 demonstrates that the sovereignty of Parliament is not, and was never, under threat. What may be at stake now is our freedom to travel, live, work, and study anywhere within the 27 other countries of the European Union. I would like to appeal to our MPs, especially my own, Geoffrey Robinson, to do all that is possible to protect these rights. Every small freedom is a precious thing, underpinning our civilised way of life, and should not be readily given up. I would also like to ask Mr Robinson to remind the government that the result of the referendum is not the “will of the people”. It is the slightly weighted advisory note of the people. Michael Lanagan Coundon Coventry

Rally showcased city-made buses

AS A railway enthusiast I was pleased to see Bill Sutton’s locomotive photograph with his letter on trainspotting in the cold (Letters, January 28).

I am also a bus enthusiast and joined many others from all over the country to see on another very frosty day (Bank Holiday, January 2) veteran and vintage Coventrymade Daimlers, plus other makes from all over the country, at a rally held in the Butts. I am including the photograph referred to of the old bus in the old Coventry Transport Livery (above). Barry Greener Green Lane Coventry

NHS is old wall with no maintenance

WHAT a surprise that one of the Coventry MPs, Geoffrey Robinson, has spoken out about Jeremy Hunt, and about time too.

This is what MPs are supposed to do and that is defend or at least help the public against fellow Parliamentarians.

I am sure we all know the strains put upon our creaking NHS. Once known as the National Health Service, now known as the No Help for the Sick.

The NHS sadly has collapsed, as does an old wall with no maintenance. There has not been sufficient funding and more and more has been extracted from the service. One of the main problems, we have not reclaimed monies from visitors from overseas coming to this country for expensive operations.

I have known people go on holidays from this country and have had an accident whilst there, and so have had to pay to be seen by a medic before any treatment is administered.

Why does this system not apply to this country?

Look at one London hospital that was owed some £42 million by folks using the system who have not contributed.

We are known as the Mother Country but when does Mother say is enough is enough?

Look at the lady who in a hospital used funds running into millions when complications set in with her pregnancy. The lady in question a businesswoman in her right, never paid a penny, and then took a flight back to her own country. The hospital still awaiting payment.

This is why our NHS is in a state of collapse.

Would it not be a good idea Mr Hunt to make a change and make some sort of ruling that if you visit Britain you come with a clean medical certificate, valid, that is fit for purpose, and that you come to this country and are well enough to enjoy it, not come because you are ill and need to be dealt with.

Pilots coming into land at our large airports often have to radio ahead for an ambulance for a sick passenger from a long haul flight. Well if they are not well then it proves they should not have flown, as they were not well enough to take on the long haul journey.

I hope that the other MP will give their support on this very emotive subject before our NHS is classed as terminal. After all it is our National Health Service, not the rest of the world’s. Sandra Camwell Keresley Coventry

Lack of info about ace museum show

SATURDAY, January 28 saw the opening of the Hot Rods and Kool Kustoms show at the Coventry Transport Museum.

Very pleased to see this sort of event arranged, and flyers and other advertising used to advertised the event.

Shame that it was only the visitors that would notice that the museum opened at 10am but the event inside would not open until noon. Why not put this information in the advertising? Fred Foster Radford Coventry