Rochdale Observer

WHAT you’ve been saying on our Facebook page:

-

●●CONVICTED sex offender caught using website designed for teens. Zulquarnai­n Rafique was jailed for 12 months (see page 10):

Claire Taylor: 12 month’s ????? Wow disgusting

●●SERIOUSLY ill patients waiting for ambulances, queues outside hospitals, and now strikes paramedics tell us why they are walking out (December 1):

Joy Butterwort­h: 12 years of Conservati­ves. Andy Moorhouse: The doctors surgery’s are to blame, no available appointmen­ts and then you’re told to ring 101. Mark Glendinnin­g: And the usual PR statement from incompeten­t bosses will always be ‘LESSONS HAVE BEEN LEARNT’

●●HOUSING associatio­n names interim boss as Awaab’s Law support grows (December 1):

Nikki Lavin: Know from experience that if you report mould you’re immediatel­y told it’s your fault. Poor quality housing stock all over Dale. Jack Slater: Why haven’t all the board and managers been sacked or resigned?

●●MANCHESTER Christmas Markets named one of the most affordable in the UK according to new data (December 5):

John Collins: “Affordable” being a meaningles­s newspeak word that means nothing. Darren Pimlott: Not the prices I paid last week and certainly not when it’s mostly food stalls and nothing else.

A bag of sweets cost me more than my lunch at ASDA.

●●MILITARY on stand-by to drive ambulances and fight fires over strike fears. Hundreds of troops are being trained, the Cabinet Office said (December 4)

David James Reeves: While a bobby spent a few nights with the Green goddesses in the 1970s a think it was a fire brigade strike. Peter Reed: The temporary HQ was TA HQ. Baron Street.

Police cars acted as escorts to the scene to ensure speedy response to scene. Unfortunat­ely, this put the Police in a difficult situation but as a discipline­d crown service unlike the ambulance and fire services who were and are local authority ones the officer had to adhere to orders as were the soldiers. There are still plenty of people who do not understand the difference. They believe that ambulance fire and police are the same. They are not.

The police are a crown discipline­d service with a sworn oath to serve the Crown. David James Reeves: Yes I remember having coffee with the army lads. Peter Reed: Been done before and unlike in the 1970/80s there is a proliferat­ion of available ambulances in the transport section with qualified emergency technician­s.

And heading back home on the train?

Car park owners should get up to date

They’ll know drive-in cinema’s great

They must have the means

To stick up some screens

And entertain drivers who wait!

A film show will be the best way

When sat through a tedious delay Dish out some free food To lighten the mood Free popcorn while stuck in your bay!

This car park was simply the worst

Where drivers have sat there and cursed With 4 hours to wait A film would be great Perhaps show ‘The Great Escape’ first! Ian Aitchison Stonehill Road Rochdale

 ?? ?? ●●This week’s Big Picture is Rochdale canal in Littleboro­ugh, by Peter Sykes. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleob­server@menmedia.co.uk or upload them to flickr.com/groups/rochdalepi­cs
●●This week’s Big Picture is Rochdale canal in Littleboro­ugh, by Peter Sykes. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleob­server@menmedia.co.uk or upload them to flickr.com/groups/rochdalepi­cs

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom