Temperatures rising

You may remember me, the author of 'Enjoy the countryside but take your litter home with you' published in the Letters page a little while back. Well, it gets worse. What was I thinking!

Energy drink litter can at least be picked up by those of us who care and are deeply disturbed by the fast growing amount of rubbish that are finding new homes among the first signs of primroses and snowdrops.

Today I walked not from Idsworth to Rowlands Castle, but northwards to the pretty hamlet of Finchdean, delighting in the early woodland, celandine and bird song until I came to the Zanussi Fridge Freezer. Excuse me while I SCREAM...

Who are these selfish, unkind people?

I can't help but pity them, in a way, as they obviously get no joy in seeing the first wild daffodils swaying over the crystal clear stream that meanders just a few yards from their chosen dumping ground. It's a shameful way to treat the gift that nature gives us all each year and it's a greater shame that these offender's just don't get it.

This week mankind has reached planet Mars, I wonder how long it'll take to ruin another planet.

Gwen Brown Idsworth

Pros and cons

Referencing the letter in The News on February 20 from Tom Gardiner who notes over the lifetime of an electric car you will save money on fuel.

That is somewhat debatable as comparisons carried out by a national motoring journal shows the cost of charging an electric car against the cost of filling a tank with petrol or diesel is slightly higher using the electric vehicle. However what was not shown is a comparison of the miles travelled on either a full tank of liquid fuel as against a fully charged battery driven car.

When the mileages are taken into account using the article comparison of an BMW IX3 (80kWh) then the cost of the electric car is double the cost of a vehicle using petrol or diesel. BMW’s own figures show that in cold weather with the heater on, the vehicle will run a minimum of 165 miles and a maximum of 225 miles on a full charge. Even my Ford Focus estate that has done over 120,000 miles still manages 530 miles on a full tank.

Constant leaks

I liked the non-answer The News received when asked when the leaky carrier would resume service. ‘In due course’ was the bland response.

Of course, who would have ever guessed otherwise! Threemillion plus has been spent sealing a massive leak which wrecked electrical systems. Not forgetting other mega-expensive issues with both, plus many equally expensive problems with the current squadrons of destroyers and frigates.

In 2020, these two carriers cost £39m to maintain and repair. Eye-watering sums for ships that I suspect will never sail together, are difficult to man both at the same time and have suspicious reliability.

Currently the equally expensive jet fighters are conspicuous by their scarcity, rumoured that helicopters are the main occupants of the flight decks and The News reported that the National Audit office stated three support ships vital to accompany any carrier but only one

Eye-watering sums for ships that I suspect will never sail together, are difficult to man both at the same time JON COLE