A celebration of our war heroes, not colonialism
THE criticism of Transport for London for erasing a handwritten sign commemorating the battle of Rorke’s Drift after complaints that this celebrated colonialism (Mail) reminded me of my trip to this battle site.
Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded after just 150 British troops defended a hospital station and defeated 4,000 Zulus.
I also visited Isandlwana, the earlier battle in which a British battalion was wiped out.
These battles took place because of a dispute over borders between the Transvaal and Zululand. Though the British government wanted peace talks, the High Commissioner was keen to go to war with the Zulus to endorse imperial interest in South Africa.
He made sure communication with London was so slow that soldiers had crossed over the border into Zululand before the government knew anything about it. The Zulu king was surprised at this because he had the greatest respect for Queen Victoria.
The Tube worker who wrote the sign was not glorifying a war of 139 years ago, but remembering those men who were under orders and gave their lives doing what they thought was the right thing — including the Zulu warriors, who were defending their own soil.
This was only one of a number of battles and wars that could have been avoided in the Victorian era.
ALAN COOPER, Hailsham, E. Sussex. I AM dismayed that singer Lily Allen has spoken out against the Tube sign about Rorke’s Drift.
Will she next be condemning all the soldiers, airmen and sailors who have taken part and given their lives in every other battle?
Her privileged way of life and right to free speech are down to the battles fought in the past. Mrs JANET BLAKEMAN,
address supplied. YOU can’t erase history just because you don’t agree with it. Like many ill-informed people, Lily Allen jumps on a bandwagon to complain about any episode in history that doesn’t fit in with her politically correct world.
If you don’t want history to be repeated, then work towards making this world a safer and better place instead of complaining about what you can’t change.
Name and address supplied.
Axe Holyrood: Yes or No?
I WOULD suggest it is time another referendum was put to the Scottish people.
More than 20 years on from the Scottish devolution referendum of 1997, the NHS, education and roads are catastrophic under the SNP Government. Curriculum for Excellence appears to be aimed at dumbing down our children. The roads have so many potholes a Third World country would be ashamed of them.
The SNP’s present attempt to make policing a political issue smacks of Big Brother at work.
Nicola Sturgeon pledged in her 2016 election campaign that there was ‘no proposal’ to axe Ward 15 at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital. Now we have been advised that it is closing.
Why not now ask the Scottish people if they would like to retain the Scottish parliament or revert back to the UK Government?
The savings incurred by this would probably be enough to help out massively with the NHS, education and roads problems.
JOHN BOwiE, Glasgow.
Flirting with danger
IF YOU assemble a large group of men and give them food and alcohol, their behaviour will descend to that of dirty schoolboys.
So why be surprised at the shenanigans at the Presidents Club dinner at London’s Dorchester Hotel (Mail)?
I attended a similar event in Norwich where professional men flirted with the waitresses, stole each other’s wine and were badly behaved and disruptive. It was not the behaviour you would expect from someone who might be representing you in a professional capacity.
The waitresses, who were only paid the minimum wage and provided their own uniform, behaved in a professional manner.
I find the whole business of the Presidents Club to be pathetic and ludicrous. However, I abhor the waste of the charitable donations, which are being returned. Sick children and other worthy causes should not be penalised because of desperate efforts to be politically correct. ANNiE CUTHBERTSON,
Elm, Cambs. WHAT happened at the Presidents Club dinner was disgusting, but let the money these reprobates gave be used to help children so some good can come from it.
With respect to the young women employed to be hostesses, once they were shown the uniform they would be required to wear, they should have left. As for the men, I’m sure they have since had some interesting conversations with their wives and the shareholders of their companies. J. BARRY, Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
Road to ruin
THE backlog of road repairs needed in Scotland is estimated at £1.7billion and the country has 2.9million road vehicles registered. If my arithmetic is correct, the backlog works out at £586 per vehicle. If we were required to pay this amount as a one-off, it would mean, for most, a saving on the repair costs to vehicle suspensions caused by the state of the roads, and also reduce the stress of driving in the present ‘developing world’ road conditions.
Being a mechanic, it was rare for me to need to do suspension repairs – now it is frequent.
By neglecting road maintenance, our Government is not only causing avoidable expense and stress to road users, but undermining its own policies on carbon emissions reduction and urban air quality.
MARTiN KEATiNG, Falkirk, Stirlingshire.
Only one Bond
I DO not agree with actor Idris Elba that the next James Bond ‘should be a woman, even a black woman — and why not?’ (Mail).
Ed Skrein was acclaimed for withdrawing from playing a fictional comic book character of Asian origin because it was ‘culturally inappropriate’.
James Bond is a fictional character, who is a half-Swiss, half-Scots white man.
Why is it not considered ‘culturally inappropriate’ to suggest Bond should be portrayed as anything other than this?
By all means come up with a film franchise about a female agent, but leave Bond’s gender and ethnicity alone.
CRAiG HAGGART, Milton of Campsie, Dunbartonshire. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25