Using police to back PM wasted vital resources

They have swapped payment systems and there has naturally being a few teething issues. School have emailed all parents/guardians to advise that no child will go hungry. If they are queuing when the bell goes they need to make a member of staff aware, who will ensure they get a meal before they go back to class. AS a taxpayer, I was concerned by the use of the police as a backdrop for the Prime Minister’s oration in Wakefield.

With stretched resources, it seems we can still afford to use the police as stage props. In fairness to the officers, I suppose they had very little choice in undertaking this chore.

I have written to Mark Burns Williamson, the police commissioner, in relation to the matter. It may be that a cardboard cutout could have achieved the same affect at a fraction of the cost.

If this stunt is a template for the future, can I suggest that police training would benefit from input from the producers of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and The Thin Blue Line.

It was a turgid performance and choreographed hand jiving allied to a mesmerising shimmy may enliven it considerably.

Drive to hear more quirky history

THE Huddersfield group of the Institutre of Advanced Motorists had an interesting and entertaining talk from Denise Adlard on ‘Your Mattress and Bedbugs’.

It started with a little history, and we found out the word ‘mattress’ came from the word ‘matrah’, meaning something thrown down.

We also heard the average cost of a mattress is £450, while the most expensive was £110,000.

Many will have herd the rhyme ‘Night, Night sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite’. We found out thatl the bugs referred to are actually the handles used to tighten the ropes supporting you in bed – hence the rhyme aims to ensure you tighten your ropes without catching your hand in the mechanism called a bedbug.

Also this month saw David Stocks, Gwyneth Morgan and Gavin Scott pass their Advanced Driving Test and they thanked Roy Meakin and Denara Holmes for their guidance.

The date of the next meeting is Monday, October 7, at The Royal British Legion Club, Scar Lane, Golcar; 7.30pm for 8pm. Shelley Over-60s Ukulele Band will be playing and everyone interested is warmly welcome.

Anyone interested in advanced driving, should contact Lionel Holmes on 01484 655068.

Give teachers better work/life balance

GIVEN a limited total school budget, is a major pay boost for teachers (National, September 2) likely to reduce the number of teaching staff in schools?

Would an equally attractive change be to adjust the curriculum/administration workload on teachers, and so providing teachers with a better work-life balance?

Pupils might benefit too.