Can't sing choir

On Wednesday June 2, March Can’t Sing Choir met in the Trinity Church Memorial Rose Garden, with Sally Rose conducting, and Paul Hayward providing the music.

We sang, socially distanced, in two groups of twelve, at a one-hour interval, with Cllr Ray Jack enjoying his invitation to attend. Our thanks to him for finding the time in his busy diary.

The choir has not sung together for ten months, due to Covid-19 lockdown, but all were enthusiastic at our outdoor restart, if a little rusty in the voices.

More open-air events are planned for the summer, while the Covid-19 relaxation rules play out – especially affecting amateur choirs restricted, indoors, to singing in groups no larger than six.

We hope for an improvement in that number very soon, to regain the health and mental benefits of safe and sensible singing together, in halls and auditoria of suitable size.

David Pye, March Can’t Sing Choir secretary


Kind people

Thank you to the people who stopped to help me when I fell headlong onto the pavement by the pedestrian crossing in March on Monday.

You were all very kind. Luckily, apart from a bruised chin (and ego) and stiff shoulders, I’m feeling ok.

But it might have been worse, so it was thoughtful of you to stop.

It’s nice to think there are kind people when you need one.

Miriam Pye


Thank you

My nan wants me to thank the two men who were working down Lynn Road on Tuesday near Ely House for saving her husband from falling to the ground after he started to become very faint.

After his blood test, they noticed my nan struggling to keep him up so they ran straight to her to help and kept him up.

Also a big thank you to the lady that came running out of her home and offering help and also got her car to bring him home safely.

They not only made sure he was safe, she also said if my nan needed anything don’t hesitate to ask.

How thoughtful that was. So pleased there are some caring people in this town.

My nan is so grateful thank you.

Amber Short, Wisbech


School appeal

Meadowgate Academy is a school for pupils aged between two to 19 years-old with special educational needs in Wisbech.

We have been conducting research into how our families use their leisure time.

We know that there are many fantastic local businesses that offer great leisure activities that are suitable for our pupils and their families.

But we discovered that there is no central place online that holds information about leisure activities specifically for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Families would appreciate having these opportunities gathered together, easy to find and easy to see.

Our response to this has been to create a dedicated Meadowgate Academy Facebook page about opportunities for leisure which our school community can access.

This is where we need your help!

Do you offer accessible leisure facilities and activities?

Would you like to promote your facilities and activities to our extensive school community?

We can signpost your marketing material to over 180 families in the locality.

You can send us promotional material, web links, images to advertise on the Facebook page by emailing them to meadowgateleisure@gmail.com and we will upload them ready for the summer.

We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions or queries, please contact Emma Bird at the school 01945 461836.

Emma Bird


Carers Week

This year’s Carers Week is being held from June 7-13.

Caring Together is asking you to take a moment to help ensure those people looking after a family member or friend are visible and valued.

Every year Carers Week gives a fantastic opportunity for people to become more aware of carers and the incredible role that they play.

This year’s theme of ‘make caring visible and valued’ resonates strongly with our work and what carers tell us is important to them - people understanding and valuing their role.

It can be hard being a carer and we can all play a part to make caring visible and valued.

Carers Week is a good time for people to become more aware of what we and others do year-round to help and support carers, and how we support other organisations to become carer friendly.

More than 50 organisations who are employers, as well as education, health or community organisations, hold Caring Together’s Carer Friendly Tick Award in recognition of their work to identify and support carers.

You can find out more about Carers Week at caringtogether.org/carersweek

Miriam Martin, Caring Together chief executive


English grammar

I enjoyed reading H. Parry’s letter 'brief comment on English grammar' (postbag, May 28).

Like Sukjit Singh’s letter (postbag May 14) that I replied to (postbag, May 21), he signed off displaying his qualifications.

Being English and reticent to brag, I didn’t.

However, I will add them here. Cert Ed. B.A. B.Ed. M.A (language and literature in education).

Now! Let me be really self-deprecating as all good Englishmen should be.

The usefulness of these qualifications is as follows.

Cert Ed.- Able to teach and earn a reasonable living; except in the 1980s when I left teaching for a few years and became a Man from the Pru collecting premiums at the door and selling policies and earned 25 per cent more than my former head of departments salary.

The other degrees just enabled me to move up a couple of points on the teaching pay scales.

Now - the mostest (a delboyism) best qualification I ever got was my driving licence.

That bit of paper meant I could do something immediate and practical – (apart from the Cert Ed qualification to teach the others just gathered mental dust.)

I would advise anyone reading this letter thread to ignore the display of academic qualifications, no matter how impressive they might sound.

And, if they have children and grandchildren, steer them away from university towards apprenticeships.

That educational route provides a practical worthwhile career path leading to good pay and the chance to run their own business.

Or, if the childen or grandchildren do really want a degree, tell them to do it part time and do it for an employer who will pay their fees.

Taking that route will mean getting a job, earning money, moving up the promotion ladder, getting relevant qualifications and being on the right side of the interview desk when a young graduate comes looking for a job.

Just look at the police force- they fast-track graduates to the senior levels and what poor decision-making there now is at the top because the bosses have no real experience.

That is also becoming true of nursing - a disgrace to make it graduate entry with graduate debt.

I am sure some of you reading this know exactly what I mean when you look at your graduate bosses and realise what muppets some are.

David Silver