The newspaper is a constant tonic

DURING these restrictions and lockdown times the newspaper is a constant tonic to get by the day with news coverage locally and foreign.

It appears that people under a certain age no longer buy newspapers which will lead to a decline in sales and potential future readers.

As a regular reader of the Echo and engaging with my grandchildren we have shared skills and stories to keep both generations busy and educated.

My grandchildren look forward to the kids puzzles page and the easy sudoku, it gets us talking and interacting but most of all it gets them away from the TV and game consoles which are a conversation killer.

We all know that space in the tabloid is limited and not everyone’s ideas can be printed, but how nice would it be to have a children’s section or page once a week so that children can submit their art designs, craft ideas, stories and ideas.

A craft theme or wildlife theme ,an opportunity to submit photos of their creations made from recycled plastic bottles, cardboard and old newspapers using papier-mâché, an opportunity to create, interact and seeing the delight on their faces if their photos or ideas were published in the Echo.

Grandparents, parents and children would have something to engage in and if it prevents fog cloud or the brain becoming stagnant then it’s worth it.

So let’s bring out the the future ‘“Repair Shop” and potential Roald Dahl’s out there, to get the children interested in news papers and hopefully we inpire a new generation of tabloid readers and artists for the future.

James Thompson Thornhill, Cardiff