FACEBOOK COMMENTS

WHAT you’ve been saying on our Facebook page:

CORONAVIRUS researchers at Imperial College London show that Rossendale could become the next Covid-19 hotspot (September 4):

Janet Golden: It’s all one big joke to some! They think they are immune and really don’t care about the safety of others. Makes me so angry!

Graham Mawdesley: No wonder with some people’s attitudes.

Jodie Fairfax: I’m so angry about some people being so blasé about it all. We’re talking about people’s lives here. If we have an outbreak, there will be deaths. It’s not gone away, I just wish people would stop behaving so selfishly. I’ve not been able to hug anyone except my husband I since March. I’ve not been able to see much of my family who live a 5 minute drive away because its not very walkable and I can’t drive atm. Do we want to be in a full lockdown with people in hospital and dying by Christmas? Cos that’s where we’re heading. Defiance and denial is the cause of all this.

Graham Mawdesley:

Lockdown needed

Kay Williamson: I got the virus in April and was on a ventilator for nearly four weeks, the staff on the ICU were amazing they saved my life I come very close to death it devastated my family and children but thankfully I am still here to tell the story. I am far from back to normal, I have a long way to go but please people take this virus very seriously - it’s a killer stay safe to you all.

Jan Ashworth: I am a critical care nurse at Blackburn. I have dealt with some terrible cases of covid over the past few months. Young people passing away before their time. People left with possible life changing problems (nobody knows the long term effects of this). Families devastated and grieving for a loved one. Families unable to see or visit their loved ones for weeks and even months in some cases. We have had to learn about treating covid as we go along...people with the illness and on ventilators don’t behave like other ventilated patients with other illnesses, that we are used to treating. This is real and devastating to whole families, if it hits your families loved one its hard to deal with. It is not a conspiracy. It is here and real.

Mary Joanna Stannard: I can’t understand why the numbers are so much higher up north...surely there are boroughs of London that have similar rates of people infected, is it due to the percentage of population being tested, how comparable are hospital admissions of COVID positive? I think central government need to be looking at getting the same percentage of all communities tested and proper statistics.

●● LANCASHIRE’S coronavirus rates as ten areas see infection spikes (September 5):

Sheila Hoyle: Well of course there are more cases because more people are being tested. It doesn’t automatically mean they are going to be really ill or hospitalized. What is the number of people in hospital from Rossendale? No one from here has died from COVID for the last 10 days at least. How many will get flu over the next couple of months?

Probably a lot more and not hospitalized either. Of course a certain amount are at risk but life must go on!

Si K-Smith: Sheila Hoyle well said. This is exactly the issue. More people are now being tested so of course there will be a spike. Fact is hospitals are not seeing the cases.

FELL runner Ken Taylor smashes the peaks endurance challenge record time (September 4):

Amy Jane: John Connolly what a legend!

Jarrod Taylor: He’s an absolute machine. Incredible.

Pamela Clegg: Well done Ken you are an inspirational guy x

Ryan John Godwin: That is fantastic well done.

It takes me all my time to climb up the stairs to go to bed

Mac Ld: Well done Ken amazing achievement. What an inspiration

Bar Paul: Amazing Ken - what an inspiration

Rich Lowroom: More of these kind of stories please Colin Mcnally: Scandalous at that age but hey marker set

Gavin Pilling: Fantastic effort mate 4 hours off the record! Smashed it

Jennifer Cudworth: That’s absolutely amazing! Massive congratulations to Ken.

Laura Bulmer: Amazing, what a fantastic representative for Rossendale! X

CONSULTANTS reappointed by RBC to examine early strategic case for investment for Rawtenstall to Manchester rail link (September 4):

Andy Kyme:

Consultation fee is?

Mark Mills: Does the Council understand that to bring rail to Rawtenstall not Rossendale, twin tracks would have to be laid.

Every single bridge and tunnel needs major modifications to allow for an electric tram in system to be run. If I understand correct the train would run after Bury to Heywood before joining the main line Jo Alban Matt Hicks: Fingers crossed

Danielle Higginbottom: Great idea x

Steve Smith: A rail link is definitely needed in Rossendale.

Cameron Abercrombie: I volunteer for ELR, it would be great to see modern day trains on it.

Sharon Simcock: Old plans that have been shown to us before. Never went anywhere. Whereas all Jake Berry has to do is put a bid in for the money. Lew Gallagher New: Absolutely needed!

Sara Swindells: 100% yes! Keith Knowles: Where would the hundreds of commuters park their cars for the day?

Nigel M. Byfield: No no no. I demand we keep our mid 19th century infrastructure.

We don’t want anything modern in this valley, it’ll bring people from outside and as we know, we all look on outsiders with suspicion and rightly so. Keep Rossendale Victorian. Clare Rix: Anyone that has to use the M66 for their commute knows how essential a new alternative is needed. It’s about time the valley becomes reconnected with Manchester, which in turn provides links to the surrounding area.

Gabe Gee: Shouldn’t even be a debate, it is what is needed and asap! I’m sure there would be a way to help subsidise the running costs of ELR as well.. like an small extra on the ticket prices. No brainer.

Paul Blythe: Total waste of money. There is a totally good acceptable fast bus service more direct to Manchester, X43. Cheaper and quicker than any slow train via Ramsbottom and Bury. Soon to be upgraded with the latest state of the art new vehicles. Traffic levels are far less than pre pandemic so M66 hold ups are now much less frequent.

Emma Farrow: So they will pay that company to do the same report as previously submitted. Anyone can see this valley needs the train link. ASAP

Mark Mills: How on earth can you run a modern railway combined with a heritage rail on the same track?

Paul Rigg: The ELR would need upgrading for faster running. This would probably involve some resignalling, double tracking in places, etc. Geraldine George: I would love to see this as an alternative to commuting into Manchester, sadly I don’t think I will.

Curry Korner: It’s great to see the rail link between east Lancashire to Manchester. Good news for Rossendale.