LOOKING FOR JACK

I’M looking for a Mr Jack Temple who lived at 11, Crawshaw Buildings, Carr Lane in about 1940.

He may have been married to Evelyn Bridge and both may have worked at Lambert Haworth Mill in Rawtenstall.

Please get in touch with the Free Press if you can help. Mr Wilson Turney Crook Ivegate OVER the last couple of weeks I’ve had lots of people asking me for my views on Boris Johnson and his article about the Burka.

I’ve not given any comment on it before as quite frankly the whole thing seems to be being blown out of all proportion.

If you actually read Boris’ article from the Telegraph it is a thoughtful and balanced piece defending the rights of Muslim women to choose how they live and how they dress.

Whereas supposedly ‘Liberal’ European countries like France and Denmark have introduced a formal ban on the Burka, Boris’ point is that although he personally dislikes the Burka, that we shouldn’t have a ban and that Muslim women should be free to make their own minds up.

Whether you agree or disagree, Boris and everyone else has a right to have their own opinion.

Unless I’ve missed a major announcement somewhere, we still live in a liberal country where we have freedom of speech.

We all have a right to our own opinion and I think it’s an unhealthy thing that so many people seem to go out of their way to find offence where none is intended.

Last Friday I was out holding one of my regular street surgeries in Bacup and not one person mentioned Boris - they were more concerned about Rossendale Council’s plans to put a transit site for gypsy/ travellers at Futures Park in Bacup.

l It’s all well and good for the council to try and pass off responsibility for decisions to central government but this local plan is wholly its responsibility.

We have now not had an up-to-date Development plan for Rossendale for more than seven years and have spent tens of thousands of council tax payers cash on trying coming up with a new plan.