Your letters...

Lacking real leadership

Sir, — Cometh the hour, cometh the leader. Until now we have been a fortunate nation; our history is peppered by the emergence, at times of existential crisis, of courageous men or women with a clear grasp of the situation and what needs to be done.

Supported by loyal teams of experienced and competent subordinates and advisers who in turn were underpinned by finely honed and well managed departments of state ready and able to do their leader’s bidding, they led the nation in pulling the fat from the fire.

Tragically, the arrival of covid-19 shows us that on this occasion our nation has had no such luck and therefore suffers mightily.

The actual arrival here of the virus, after many weeks of warning, quickly showed how the sacred NHS and its satraps in Public Health England had already given us one of the worst performing public health services outside the developing world.

Like all organisations with more than a million employees, the NHS has long been wholly self-serving. Were it remotely focused on our wellbeing we would not have had the recent report on the truly brutal maternity failures at Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals that caused the deaths of hundreds of babies and mothers and which were covered up by management for years.

Nor would we regularly read of huge payouts, after years of persecution, to dedicated doctors and nurses who had the temerity to blow the whistle on unsafe practices and management malpractice.

Likewise, the vast annual bill we pay for settling compensation claims for errors and malpractice.

For the Government then to single out for praise and reward the whole of the NHS, rather than just the 10 per cent or so of its staff who have actually been in the thick of the epidemic, while cynically ignoring the dedication and hard work of the mostly low-paid workers in supermarkets, distribution, power supply, transport, our local councils and the police, who actually keep the country going, is just exploitation, trying to tug on the public’s heartstrings.

Showing further cynicism, the Government, abetted by the media, announces every day a context-free number of covid-19 cases and “deaths within 28 days of a positive diagnosis”.

By doing this without providing the number of other deaths that day from causes such as cancer, heart disease, suicide (rising very fast), road accidents and good old Anno Domini, they are denying context in which the public would be much less terrified of the virus and probably a lot less amenable to their draconain flailing about.

Of direct relevance to the current pandemic is the fact that in 2016, the NHS and PHE, in concert with the then health secretary Jeremy Hunt, chose to hide the report on Exercise Cygnus that showed beyond peradventure that the country and the health service was even then woefully and systemically unprepared to handle a pandemic smaller than the one we now have.

Thus three-and-a-half years in which much greater readiness could have been achieved were totally wasted.

With that background, we should hardly be surprised that the NHS as a whole, but not individual members of its medical and nursing staff, began failing from the get go.

Had our nation had well-informed and deft political leadership, it is likely that the covid-19 situation could have been made less damaging.

Sadly, we are burdened with a Prime Minister with a short attention span, who seems innumerate and is certainly scientifically illiterate, and his chosen cabinet devoid of the skills needed to handle a challenge that requires the mastery of complex detail and informed decisiveness. Remember that we were promised “a world-beating test and trace system” on which at least £12 billion has already been wasted yet all over the country there were and are already in place experienced local authority public health teams which could have taken on the task.

When they were eventually allowed to get to work and given a mere smidgeon of funding they were quickly delivering tracing of better than 95 per cent of contacts versus the less than 65 per cent by the “world-beating” system.

The trick to good management and government is to promise little and deliver a lot rather than this lot who promise the earth and deliver cat litter.

Then we can look at the control and handling of hospital-acquired infections at which the NHS has always been notoriously weak — think MRSA.

It has now been shown that at least 25 per cent of covid-19 infections have been acquired in hospitals. As for care homes, the scandalous decanting of infected patients back into them must be deserving of public shaming of those responsible at all levels.

This Government has wasted many millions, at least, on creating and fitting out several Nightingale hospitals which have since lain idle whereas they might have been used as infectious diseases hospitals like the one in Portsmouth where my father was treated for polio in the Fifties.

Let us be realistic about what is being faced here. It is a virus that, like all others, mutates as it spreads.

Unlike the equally virulent Spanish flu of 1918-20 that mostly killed people in their prime quite gruesomely and within hours, this one is most dangerous to the elderly with comorbidities likely to kill them within a year or two as well as to the seriously obese.

In a situation where there are not enough intensive care beds to handle a sudden surge in demand there are only two options available — try to reduce demand (i.e. lockdowns) or increase the supply of facilities — not possible in short order.

It is this dilemma that brought about the development of serious medical triage behind the trenches in the First World War.

Faced with the arrival of a flood of wounded men, the duty surgeon had to divide them into:

1. Those most likely to respond to treatment.

2. Those “worth a go” (more than 50 per cent likely to pull through).

3. Those on whom any effort would be clearly wasted.

The poor souls in the third group would be made as comfortable as possible and given morphine to alleviate their pain but would not be treated unless and until all those in categories 1 and 2 had been cleared away.

At a time when the public have been brought to believe that there is no limit to the efforts and expense that should be committed to prevent or delay the one certainty that faces us all, regardless of how poor a quality of life ensues, triage like this would be very difficult to put into effect.

However, given that the alternative now being pursued has already eviscerated the economy and continues to destroy the life chances of our children and grandchildren, many of whom are now showing serious mental health problems, I suggest that this triage needs to be taken on board, however brutal it would appear.

Having said that, I know that our Government lacks the cojones to consider anything that might be unpopular even though it might be the only way to provide a real future for generations to come. — Yours faithfully,

Philip Collings

Peppard Common

No man is an island

Sir, — The conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter is not the only pairing of giants in 2020.

The way we were being corralled into a Brexit deal at a time when covid-19 was skewing our ability to be clear-headed and rational will be seen in retrospect as lunacy.

Fear, frustration, distraction and guesswork are not the most stable foundations on which to build a new Britain.

As time will tell, the part we play in Europe and the part Europe plays in Britain is far more than trade alone.

It is just as much about unified yet unique cultures, interactive education, disparate qualities across the arts, music and literature and, not least, security.

For a man as cultured as Boris Johnson, with expertise in classical history, I am surprised at his stance when initially the country was divided right down the middle on the Brexit vote.

The hard-fought for unification of Europe is in part what is memorialised at the cenotaph each year but surely it is also a celebration of where we are and what we have achieved.

We should have put a hold on all Brexit discussion until we had a crystal clear view of the future unencumbered by this unwelcome giant virus hovering over us and certainly not edging towards royal navy gunships to police our waters.

If there was ever a time to meditate our lot, John Donne’s poem No Man Is An Island hits the mark.

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. — Yours faithfully,

Clive Duncan

Station Road, Shiplake

New French president...

Sir, — After more than two years of week-in-week- out yellow, then other colours, vest protests, President Macron probably thought that he could relax while imposing draconian lockdown rules for the French.

Guess again. Now the protests have escalated to include pro-Muslim and anti-lockdown as well.

Thousands of Frenchmen fill city streets protesting against, among other things, harsh taxation, covid restrictions and 15 to 20 per cent quota reductions to fishing in the Mediterranean.

Despite his desperate stand against terror in France, it sure looks like Jean-Marie Le Pen is going to be laughing all the way into office next year.

Unless, of course, Macron starts buying up all those wonderful Dominion voting machines. I wonder if he could get funding for that from the EU?

Now that the Georgia state legislature has officially confirmed their unbalanced programming, they should be up for sale on eBay pretty soon.

Take care of each other and stay safe and well. — Yours faithfully,

Edward Sierpowski

Henley

Young rowers penalised

I have lived in Henley since 1998 and am president of Henley Rowing Club.

Both my daughters go to school locally, one at Gillotts School and the other at Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School in Marlow. Rowing has been a lifeline for their physical and mental health during lockdown.

The Government has allowed organised sport for under-18s and this is very welcome.

Rowing clubs have processes in place to prevent covid-19 transmission and these have all worked very well as we have had no known cases that have been contracted while rowing outside or by being at a club.

However, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport, Sport England and British Rowing have ruled that juniors cannot travel across a county boundary to row.

Henley is on the boundary of three counties, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, which are all now in tier 4.

Henley Rowing Club is located over the bridge on the other bank in Berkshire, so this ruling allows any junior member from, say, Reading or Maidenhead to row.

However, no juniors from Henley can row at their own club, which is less than a mile away.

This goes against what the Government is trying to enforce, which is to limit travel and still also allow young people to benefit from continuing their sport. Rowing is the only outlet that the juniors have and is a very important part of their routine as they train daily and receive the physical and mental benefits that help them.

If this lockdown was set to last a week I would understand. However, it is likely that it will last for several weeks, if not months.

Due to the nature of our area, I would recommend that instead of creating barriers along county boundaries in Henley, a travel limit is set as a radius around the rowing club of, say, 10 miles.

I have written to Henley MP John Howell and Maidenhead MP Theresa May asking them to speak to the three responsible bodies to explain how juniors in Henley are adversely impacted by the location of the club and the town and how the ruling is not driving the intended impact of allowing juniors to take part in their sport. — Yours faithfully,

Miriam Luke

President, Henley Rowing Club, chairman, Henley Women’s Regatta, and steward of Henley Royal Regatta, Chiltern Close, Henley

Shops have to be careful

I felt compelled to reply to Ron Emerson’s letter about the Christmas decorations in Henley as I own one of the shops in Duke Street which he highlighted as having no Christmas tree (Standard, December 25).

He also questioned why we should shop local if shops cannot be bothered to even invest in one.

I believe that Henley actually looked very festive this year and many shops spent a lot of time and money decorating their windows to make the town look good.

The Christmas trees have to be paid for and, in case it had escaped Mr Emerson’s attention, many of us retailers were in lockdown most of last year, which had a severe impact on our cash flows.

As businesses, we have to draw the line somewhere and I made the conscious decision not to buy a tree this year as I felt it was an unnecessary expense, albeit a small one.

I also, surprisingly enough, did not feel very merry or festive — I wonder why?

I did, however, spend money on our window display, which received a lot of great comments.

I had also suggested to the town council that it might like to pay for the trees for those shops which had to close in November but unfortunately this idea was not taken up.

Thankfully, I am pleased to say that the lack of a tree outside my shop, and indeed others, did not deter local shoppers who gave me amazing support during last month and made it one of my best Decembers in terms of trade since opening.

I am also delighted to say that our Christmas charity wine raffle was a huge success and we will be making a donation to the Chiltern Centre once we re-open.

So thank you again to everybody who supported Henley in the run-up to Christmas — trees or no trees — and please continue to do this when we re-open again, whenever that might be. — Yours faithfully,

Laurence Morris

Owner Laurence Menswear, Duke Street, Henley

Don’t knock your town

Congratulations to Ron Emerson for being so upbeat about Henley and its hardworking team of independent shops, new and established, and to all the restaurants, pubs and cafés.

I am absolutely aghast at his backhanded swipe at and complete thoughtlessness for all those amazing people who have lost out financially in so many ways, who have dug deep to protect their staff and their families, as well as themselves and the public, to give everyone the opportunity to be welcomed into Henley at all times of the year, especially during the run-up to Christmas.

2020 was a year that has never been experienced before and yet I am aware that there are shops which dug still deeper to give to their charities.

To those who have shown the true spirit of giving from all faiths I say, “thank you”.

I was so looking forward to visiting Henley on Christmas Eve after I left work in order to experience the warm welcome everyone gives and to purchase a few extra little things as well as being able to wish everyone a ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’.

However, I live in a tier 4 area so could not make that trip as Henley was then in tier 2.

I wish everyone who works in Henley, from wherever they live, a happy and healthy New Year.

May I suggest to Mr Emerson that he talks to locals and asks why maybe this year they did not purchase a tree?

It may stop him looking for the “sharp contrast” in the Christmas decorations between Henley and Marlow.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish Mr Emerson a very happy New Year.

Can I also be bold and suggest that, as he lives in Remenham, he may prefer to shop in Marlow during the whole of 2021?

I, for one, loved being tempted to “shop local” and, yes, I enjoy Marlow but Henley is my local. — Yours faithfully,

Lesley Alfred

Member of staff at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading

Hotel idea is banal

Sir, — The proposals for a Premier Inn opposite Henley Station (Standard, December 25) are unbelievably banal.

The building would be too high and a blot on the skyline from south of the river.

Also the materials are completely alien to Henley and more akin to a motorway service station.

Network Rail and the developer Bloc Group should go back to the drawing board and start again. — Yours faithfull,

Andrew Hamilton MVO

Fawley

Fireworks memories

Sir, — As a supporter of Henley’s fireworks since 1950, although I’ve missed many through moving, I’ve never tired of the snap, crackle and pop. Except these days it’s all a bit overwhelming.

I do agree with your correspondents about the effect of fireworks on animals (Standard, December 11). And what of our youngsters with babies in mind?

I can remember what a tuppenny banger did in our local streets. Boxes of fireworks were fun around November 5.

A few years ago, I donated a sum which ran into three figures to those in charge of the Henley fireworks display.

I managed to watch the classic, sky-high display which brought back Marlow Meadow memories of 1950.

Sadly, the cancellation of Henley Royal Regatta last year meant our fireworks went missing and I’m told that those in charge of the display have retired from the scene.

Could not the organisers of the recent display at the Henley Showground, which seems to have caused so much nuisance to members of the local public, think about holding one on regatta Saturday?

Then yours truly could attend this magical evening — Yours faithfully,

Peter M Adams

Petersfield, Hants

Plenty still left to ban

Sir, — I am writing in reply to Peter Symons’s question “What else can we ban?” (Standard, December 18).

The abolition of slavery, ending child labour, inequality for women. Whatever next?

From the ghost of Christmas past. — Yours faithfully,

Rachael Shaw

Ravenscroft Road, Henley

Sad at loss of Charlie

Sir, — I was so sad to see that Charlie Ilsley had lost his battle with cancer despite the tremendous fight exerted by all his family.

I was relieved to read that he did not suffer at the end. My condolences to the Ilsley family. — Yours faithfully,

Patricia Dixon

Lovell Close, Henley

Now let’s sing every year

How many people, I wonder, heeded Fr Jeremy Tayler’s request to celebrate Christmas Eve by singing O Come, All Ye Faithful at 7pm from our doorsteps (Standard, December 25)?

I’m not sure how far our voices carried (although we did have a far-off canine accompaniment for the last verse!)

The most important thing, however, was to honour Jesus’ birth, give God the glory and to make a difference in the heavenly realms.

It has got our vote to become a regular festive treat. — Yours faithfully,

R C and G M Radley

Henley

Thanks you for support

Sir, — As the fundraiser for the Christmas treats project in Sonning Common, it is my pleasure and responsibility to thank all our supporters and some important donors, who were unfortunately overlooked in the melée of the run-up to Christmas.

Here is the complete list:

Margaret Moola and Elaine Williams, of Nottakwire, Leigh Rawlings, of the Eye and Dunsden Poors Land Charity, Sonning Common Parish Council, the Chiltern Edge Community Association, Robin Swift, of Henley Lions Club, two local residents who gave us their winter fuel allowance, all the people who handed cash and food donations into the parish clerk or gave on the Just Giving page that Christine Atkinson set up for us.

All this financial support was vital to ensure that 90 boxes of Christmas treats were delivered in the week before Christmas by Sandy Orifino and Diana Pearman.

I could not have succeeded without the help of a small army of volunteers — Julia Whitelaw and her husband Keith, who went out every day sourcing suitable boxes, the volunteers that sorted, decorated and packed the boxes with such loving care, and John Pearman and his “gang” who did all the deliveries.

It was hard work and sometimes stressful but the feedback made it all worthwhile.

Now we look forward to Christmas Day lunch in the village hall next year. — Yours faithfully,

Chrissie Godfrey

Birch Close, Sonning Comon

Grateful for kindness

Editor — I would like to say thank you as a recipient of a wonderful “Christmas hamper surprise” organised by the Gainsborough Residents’ Association in Henley and delivered via the 60-Plus Social Club with the help of Wilkins Removals and Higgs Group.

The hampers were funded by South Oxfordshire Distroict Council, Soha and Waitrose.

This indeed was an uplifting gesture made by all the above.

Many kindnesses were shown last year, especially to the elderly.

The 60-Plus Social Club was closed so delivered a couple of meals a week to us for quite a while.

I am fortunate enough to have good neighbours, especially Vicky and Craig, who have helped me with numerous things, while another collected my prescription when l wasn't well.

It is a comfort to know that, other than my family, there are these wonderful people in the Henley community, to whom I am very grateful. — Yours faithfully,

Walter Good, aged 94

Goodall Close, Henley