Firework hooligans are disturbing our peace

FOR quite some time Canton has been plagued by some anti-social wretches who think it appropriate to detonate fireworks at night time.

Today they stepped it up a gear and gave us a display at 5.30, followed by another salvo at 10pm. As we all know these aren’t the fireworks of yesteryear, but many times more powerful devices with massive decibel levels, with names like Shockwave and Thundercrash.

These yobs care not a jot for the misery and fear caused to people and animals subjected to these sickening noises. My daughter’s beautiful and gentle dog is reduced to a trembling wreck, frantically digs and tries to bury herself somehow in the floor when they set them off and I know the same applies to many other households in the area.

Anyone insensitive enough to let these vile contraptions off as they have been doing is obviously too malevolent to listen to reason.

Thus I would urge anyone who knows who they are (neighbours etc) to report them to the authorities.

Black marks also to the outlets who are advertising and selling these thoroughly unpleasant and loathsome things.

Andrew Thompson Llandaff, Cardiff

Flouting rules may encourage others

YOUR correspondent Karl-James Langford (“Let’s move on from all this negativity”, Echo Letters, May 28) suggests we should move on from the Dominic Cummings incident.

There may be political reasons for the widespread disapproval of Dominic Cummings’ actions. And there may be a case for expecting Mr

Cummings to resign. But personally, it would have gone a long way if there had been some acknowledgement – both from Mr Cummings and the Prime Minister – that his actions were foolhardy in light of the dangers of spreading the virus, and set an improper example when we are all being asked to endure unprecedented conditions. This is, after all, the man who was the architect of the government mantra “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives”.

Rather than “being negative” it is a genuine concern that Mr Cummings’ unrepentant flouting of his own “rules” may encourage a less than compliant attitude by many that could threaten the battle to control the virus.

With the announcement of a test and trace campaign, we are now being urged by the Health Minister to do our “civic duty”. If more is being asked of my family and friends, and all those I have concern for, I for one will be expecting our compliance to be matched with equal commitment by all of those who may consider their status or role precludes them from sharing our responsibilities.

Jacqui Turnbull Fairwater, Cardiff

Act now to save tourism industry

WHAT a disaster this year has been for the Welsh tourist industry. The weather has been as lovely this spring as I can remember but instead of packed beaches, caravan parks, campsites and hotels, we have had silence and emptiness. So many Welsh towns and villages that depend almost entirely on tourism have only a few more weeks left or winter will be upon us again and they will be ruined.

The Welsh Government will have to start taking some risks or the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Welsh people will be destroyed. David Gorton

Rumney, Cardiff

Let’s loosen ties with pariah state

IF there were any real justice in the world, China would be made to compensate all the countries for the damage caused to their economies by this Covid-19 virus.

Why? Because the Sars epidemic should have acted as a wake-up call to them. A friend, who spent some time there teaching English, told me that the “wet markets” were closed after that but because of the demands of the rich people – not the ordinary Chinese – for their gourmet treats (bat or rat rare or medium rare!) these markets were opened up again. Rich people. In the People’s Republic of China. It’s a sham and a sick joke.

The Covid-19 virus came from there and the regime was very slow in responding and isolating of the area where it started came too late.

This is a regime where human rights are almost non existent. When the Beijing Olympics were planned, people were evicted from their homes without right of appeal and their houses demolished to clear the site for the Olympic stadium.

This is the China that invaded Tibet, killing innocent people and destroying an ancient culture. The China of Mao and the Cultural Revolution, when children were urged to report on their parents for “crimes” such as selling on their own unwanted items – no Gumtree there. Of Tiananmen Square. Of the persecution of minority groups.

For years we have imported cheap, substandard goods from there, produced by what amounts to slave labour. This should now stop.

Further, people in the West, including the UK, should be discouraged from going there for any reason and flights reduced to a minimum,

My daughter’s beautiful and gentle dog is reduced to a trembling wreck... Andrew Thompson Llandaff

or halted completely. China should be marked down as a pariah state.

Roger Kendall Canton, Cardiff

Freedom song was the top request

THE letter from Norman Rendle (“Hospital sounds of the spinning ’60s”, Echo, May 26) brought back so many happy memories for me.

I was admitted to Sully Hospital, pictured, in 1958 with a shadow on both lungs.

The only people I had known who had TB had died so my prospects were not very good. Why happy memories then you may well ask? The head doctor at that time was a Dr Foreman and his treatment cured me and I was released from the hospital after three months and made a full recovery.

I was chosen to be the social organiser for the hospital after just a few weeks and part of my duties was to run a patients’ record show every morning after breakfast.

Many of the requests were sent in by friends and relatives of the patients but many were sent in by the patients themselves.

I well remember that their favourite request was a song sung by Steve Earl called I’m Free, obviously the devout wish of each patient who was “trapped” in Sully Hospital.

Happy days!