BIG PICTURE
Lucy Holt, via email
YOUR WORDS SEEM HOLLOW
TO David Rutley. Thank you for your long email responding to my question (I sent you) about our hospital running out of basic equipment.
It still appears to be a national problem, despite the best efforts of your central office script-writers to say otherwise.
I also asked why you had voted against a pay rise for nurses.
You will see that you are in ‘good company’, with a pattern emerging as to which parties voted.
It makes the recent pronouncements of your leader sound somewhat hollow.
Jeff Teasdale
Address supplied
SOME good from all this bad.
I am sure that I am no different from many residents trying to cope with this current crisis. I have read about China,
Italy and Spain.
I have read how the virus crept insidiously into the UK. I checked daily the Cheshire East infections.
In fact, I now realise I was becoming thoroughly obsessive and depressed.
But there is a good side to this tragedy that I am now starting to appreciate.
Macclesfield has organised itself into amazing ‘helping’ groups such as Cre8 Grow and the Hope Centre (just two of many, delivering food packages, meals and even simply offering a sympathetic ear).
Macclesfield Town Council has provided many support grants.
There are numerous small groups, often communicating on Facebook, like Donna and Barbara from Spivey’s Web and Vicky Board and her band of 80(!) helpers using their skills to produce scrubs for the hospitals.
Here in Tytherington there is a new, invigorating feeling of neighbourliness.
The lady dancing in full Abba outfit on Portmarnock Close; our very own Tytherington town crier (Reg Lord) of Farmfield Drive; the residents of Hexham Way playing bingo from their drives; the online quiz; the Easter egg hunts; the bear hunt.
And there are the many acts of kindness: shopping and prescription collecting for the elderly and at risk, wonderful residents giving away toys, games, even bikes, skateboards and scooters to help keep the children occupied.
I’ve seen residents mowing neighbour’s lawns, putting their bins out and collecting litter.
I do feel that recently Tytherington Ward is a cleaner, tidier, nicer place.
Of course, we mustn’t EVER forget all our fantastic, selfless front line workers. We will get through this somehow and Macclesfield will be an even better place in which to live.