A great night with Ginger

SAD news but fond memories of the late great percussionist Ginger Baker.

In 1965 I was an art student at Southport Art School, and was lucky enough with the help of fellow students to raise funds and book Cream to play at the Moulin Rouge Ainsdale for our school dance. What a line-up – Baker. Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, with the slightly incongruous Temperance Seven as the support hand. What a night!

I hope this recollection jogs a few happy memories for all those bright young teenagers who danced that summer’s night away … rest in peace Ginger Baker. Stephen Chilcott

via email

STEWARD CONCERN

AT a sporting event the stewards are there for your safety and are highly trained.

Over the summer I visited several non-sporting events in Southport and found many stewards were from an agency just there to scan your ticket.

At the musical fireworks I asked for directions to the Changing Places toilet.

I succeeded at the fifth attempt, but it was only the general direction and not the best route since some parts of the park were fenced off.

All stewards should carry a map of their event.

This makes it easy to direct people rather than just giving verbal information.

All stewards should know what action to take for a medical emergency and what role to play in an emergency evacuation.

BJ Powell Southport

CALLING DODDY FANS

I AM a member of a group of the late Sir Ken Dodd fans.

We are in the process of writing our second book.

We are looking for fans’ stories, memories of the King of Comedy, to be included in the book.

I would be particularly interested to hear from ex-staff members of Southport Theatre who worked there when Ken did his twice yearly shows.

Any contribution has to be a genuine story or memory from the sender.

It can be just text, or with photos or illustrations.

Contact dandy.77@hotmail.co.

uk

IT’S ABOUT OUR STAFF

PROMISED investment must go further than hospitals and deliver in the long term.

The Government has announced it is going to deliver a multi-billion pound Health Infrastructure Plan to oversee a new hospital building programme,

Given that the NHS has been woefully underfunded for years and patient care has suffered as a result, new investment in hospital buildings and the modernisation of scanners is a positive step forward.

With fewer hospital beds per population compared to other European countries, and a backlog in maintenance and repairs totalling billions, this will clearly not be enough to deliver what is needed.

The problem is not limited to hospitals as investment in primary and social care is just as important.

As doctors we know that hospitals are only as good as the staff who run them and given the scale of the workforce crisis in the NHS, with 100,000 unfilled vacancies, the Government must understand the importance of addressing this if they are to successfully deliver their plan.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul,

BMA council chair