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●● LOTS of you are in support of Macclesfield’s new free school, which has been open since September. Maz Sparkes: Didn’t know they’d opened a school there! I use to love the youth club. By the sounds of it the school is doing great! Such a fab idea x Claire Lackford: That’s great to read. Well done to everyone involved in giving these children a chance. Carole Platten-Wild: Due to people’s nature you are never going to get everyone on side. Would they prefer to just throw these kids on one side n say put them in that box labelled bad’ns or look back at their lives and see how many times they have been given chances n a helping hand (short memories). Good luck to all the staff n pupils for a successful school! What we help now helps our future!!!! Michaela Carlin: I for one am really pleased that there is a school like this one. These kids might have problems but they are still entitled to an education and to many people are quick to label them; and having experienced this myself with people and friends calling my kids and not understanding that it isn’t all their fault, that they do have troubles. Far too many people and schools just concentrate on the kids that are either very clever or sporty and what they wear or the colour of their hair instead of letting them develop and find their own personalities. Keep up the good work that you are doing at the Fermain academy. Kristoffer Backer-Rowley: I’m glad that these young people, many of whom get passed through high schools unwilling to persevere with them, are being given a chance. Certainly, initial attendance seems extremely good. These young people are being given a chance to lead a fulfilling life. If the odd bit of littering, while obviously wrong, is the price to pay for a group of young people who can contribute to wider society then I think the people of Oxford Road should be able to live with that. ●● DOZENS of readers took to our facebook to berate Macclesfield MP David Rutley for voting against abolishing tax on sanitary products. Mark Joyce: Saw the list of MPs who voted in this, and was disgusted by the women MPs who voted for not having zero vat on these products, all Tories as well. Sorry but been called sexiest over the years, but this is a disgrace by eurocreakins and our MPs 4 allowing it in the 1st place. Julian Wilkin: He voted correctly. Many of life’s necessities are taxed and sanitary products are already reduced to 5percent VAT, whereas toilet paper, toothpaste, soap etc still incur the standard 20pc. There are many more important female issues to tackle first rather than wasting time arguing over a ‘sexist’ few pounds additional tax per year. Shanie Lea: A ‘sexist’ few pounds to women really struggling financially or homeless women can be the difference between being covered or not. There are many women that resort to stealing sanitary items. Toni Kelly: In all a fairness Shanie, how many women out there actually knew about the level of VAT applied to sanitary products? It never occurred to me, but it’s not going to affect my budget as I need to buy these products (I just choose to buy supermarket own). Claire-louise Davenport: Toni Kelly is someone that gets my point of view. To me it doesn’t change my sanitary buying habits, I pay the tax now and it doesn’t bother me to continue to pay it. However in regards to this affecting homeless women, I think that is a bigger issue than paying the 30 or so pence extra on a sanitary product. Laura Jennifer Smith: It’s not a luxury – full stop. Sarah Northrop: They should be provided by the state – like condoms, or morning after pills. But there is no benefit to the country in doing so – like reducing cost on STI treatments or pregnancies. ●● LOTS of you had something to say about the Big Christmas Lights Switch on. Daniel Pyatt: Why can’t the council get their hand in their pocket and pay for proper celebs to switch on the lights? Michele Slack: Pity there are no shops to do Christmas shopping! Claire Atkins: Why can’t it be after 5:30? Some of us don’t work Mon-Fri!! Amanda Snowball: That’s what I was thinking – 4.30!!!!!!! I don’t get back in from mcr till 6 Claire Goodier: They need to spend there money on other things. Tracy Bennett: Instead of any stupid Xmas lights get some decent shops, it’s like a ghost town nowadays. I’d support the local shops if we had any!!!