Wearing masks should be required in public

WALKING through the park on Sunday, there were hundreds of people about, some standing to watch children play rugby or football.

Two metre distancing did not exist, nor face masks, so anyone coughing, sneezing or even breathing over others, clearly from different households, could have spread the virus.

Listening to public health experts, it would help if everyone wore a mask whenever in public, indoors or out.

Whilst this is common practice in many countries, it is a new concept here, but a very simple way of showing we care about others and we really want to do something to help. Add this to proper social distancing and hand washing, and we could make a real difference.

The expression, ‘We are all in this together’ seems only to apply to some, whilst many go about seeing how they can get around the restrictions.

Perhaps Mark Drakeford should require masks everywhere in public, so that everyone is involved in doing their bit, and could be seen to be doing so.

Then businesses could reopen and we could all benefit healthwise. Linda Quinn

Llandaff, Cardiff

Thank God I’m an exile, RIP Wales

AS much as I miss Wales, it is at times like this that I thank God that I am an exile.

To think that our wonderful small country should have to put up with this completely incompetent and power hungry man as First Minister is beyond belief.

He has all the charisma and personality of a rural undertaker or failed accountant, and as a crony of Jeremy Corbyn has no time whatsoever for a free market economy.

He has turned Wales into a prison camp, with its inmates denied even the most basic freedom of movement, with his police at the borders.

All that is missing is the watchtowers and machine guns, but give the man time!

He has led Wales into another futile lockdown, a so-called firebreak, but with him in charge the journey will probably end up in the crematorium.

RIP Wales, it was nice to know you.

Ian Jenkins Hereford

Remember: hands and space

DURING the first lockdown, most people followed the clear instructions set out by the government, ie social distancing and the washing or sanitising of hands.

I saw that supermarkets were rigorously controlling numbers entering, cleaning the trolleys and personally offering hand sanitiser.

Indeed, I found it almost impossible to find sanitiser for sale in those shops which were open.

This lockdown was highly successful in bringing down the numbers of infections.

The downside is that then, many people, both young and old, relaxed and dropped their guard.

The awful images of intensive care units with Covid patients became for them a distant memory. Such things, in their minds, didn’t happen any more did they?

Recently, I have noticed that people have responded well to the rules concerning masks.

However, hand sanitising and social distancing have taken a back seat. Although sanitisers are available in shops, few people, in my opinion, seem to bother about using them.

So, I feel that this is an area which needs to be tightened up.

It is all very well to designate some items as non-essential in order to reduce the numbers of people shopping, but most people will have to go shopping anyway.

In addition, the shutting down of sections of supermarkets often reduces the space available for social distancing to take place.

I feel that the need to socially distance and to sanitise hands must now be more clearly emphasised by our Government who undoubtedly have our best interests at heart. Some members of staff in supermarkets need to be present to direct shoppers to these necessary measures, as is still happening in one or two stores I have visited.

GW Hopkins

Merthyr Tydfil

Cut off your nose to save your fish...

DURING Thatcher days, fishermen were forced to sell their fishing rights to foreign companies, namely those in France.

So, when reports see French fishing boats in UK waters that is because they own those rights.

A good example when an outsider buys a building and changes things against the local residence.

So fishing to the UK economy is 0.01%, are the Tories really going to sacrifice the rest of the economy for that, talk about cutting off your nose.

Andrew Nutt

Bargoed

Wales now reactive and not proactive

PIVAC’S successes at Scarlets were based on a simple philosophy, ie guarantee first phase ball, win turnovers to provide quick ball and attack the opposition from anywhere on the field.

In James Davies (Wales), Furlong (Ireland) and Barclay (Scotland), he had three of the best “jacklers” in the business and it was these individuals who created most of the opportunities for the Scarlets - in both defence and attack.

Equally, he developed a culture of playing that was unrestricted by zone or position.

The desire for success overcame any fear of failing.

Within the current Welsh side, however, we seem to have adopted a reactive rather than a proactive style of rugby.

We are sluggish in both thought and action.

In our last game we lost most of the forward collisions (capitulations) and we were predictable in attack and defence from almost every phase.

It was embarrassing.

The worst thing, is that we continued in the same vein throughout.

The half-time huddle only resulted in changes of personnel, but no change of approach.

Apart from Josh Adams, the whole team seemed to be slower to the ball than any of their French counterparts.

A total re-think is required. Admittedly, the WRU is at fault for not cementing a contract with Shaun Edwards but even more fundamentally, perhaps in our next match, the

This is common practice in many countries but it is a new concept here

Linda Quinn Llandaff

boys will be given a pair of scissors each, so that they can cut the string between their “wellies”.

Mike Caldon

Penarth

Did you lose a loved one in Korean War?

I am acting on behalf of the authorities at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, Busan, South Korea, where over 800 British servicemen are buried.

The authorities there wish to obtain photographs of those servicemen interred there and also of those who died but have no known grave (200+).

Copies of the photographs will be placed in the man’s records and will also be displayed on the walls of the Cemetery Hall of Remembrance, for all time.

The following names are just some of the young men from Wales who gave their lives in the Korean War: Pte Mervyn CWJ Penrose, L/ Cpl Henry A Ahern, Gnr William A

Edwards, Pte Albert H Moseley, Pte George Ellison, Capt Herbert Bayton-Evans, Fus Cornelius G Leonard, Spr Septimus Jenkins, Cpl Frederick H Meech, F/O Roger L James (RAF), Cpl Brynley J Oram, PO John F Wigley(RN), Lt Kenneth M Thomas (RN).

Any family or friend who lost a loved one in the Korean War 1950-53 and wish to take part in this project can send the photograph to me, Brian Hough, 116 Fields Farm Road, Hyde, Greater Manchester, SK143NP.

If more details are required you can phone me on 0161 368 5622 or, 07467 037 742.

You can also email bhough116@ gmail.com

Brian Hough

Hyde, Manchester

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