Letters from our readers | mnrjournal.co.uk

Midsomer Norton and Radstock Scouts are pleased to say that the Scout Christmas Post is back again in 2025, delivering your Christmas cards within the area and raising money for the Scouts.

Stamps for 50p are available to buy from Saturday, November 22, to Friday, December 12, at the following locations:

Midsomer Norton: Brookes News (Redfield Road), Headlines, Norton Sports and Camping and Rose Crafts on the High Street; and Charlton News (Charlton Road).

Radstock: Thomson’s (Fortescue Road).

Please post your cards in the post boxes at the same locations – please don’t use Royal Mail boxes! Full details of the areas covered by the Scout post are displayed on the boxes or in store.

We will then sort the cards and our eager beavers, cubs and scouts will deliver them in time for Christmas.

Thank you to all those who continue to support your local scouting groups, your support helps us to provide skills for life for our young people, helping them to build friendships and experience adventure.

We are always looking for volunteers to help deliver the scouting programme or provide behind the scenes support. If you can spare a few hours a month, please reach out to us on [email protected] or [email protected] and we can discuss a number of opportunities.

Chair of 1st Midsomer Norton Scouts

It has been quite a few months that the car parking charges were introduced in Midsomer Norton and Radstock. I think it would be most interesting if a representative of BANES council could answer the following questions.

1) What was the total cost of introducing the system, including the cost of the machines and installation?

2) What charges if any, are made by the company that runs the system on behalf of the council?

3) What is the estimated cost of maintaining the system in the future?

4) How much revenue has the system generated since it’s inception?

5) What is the estimated time in years that it will take for the revenue taken, to cover the running and installation costs?

6) If, in the future the parking system becomes profitable. How would the monies be divided and spent?

I have a feeling that many people would be as interested in the answers as I am.

I refer to Geoff Petty’s letter in the Journal dated November 12 and would comment as follows:

Mr Petty’s letter covers two points: 1) Climate Change, 2) Politics.

Dealing firstly with climate change, I would confirm that I agree that climate change is happening and that mankind is contributing to it.

However I am also a realist.

I would also confirm that the Ice Age and subsequent “thawing” happened without mankind’s contribution.

Mr Petty, like many people who make similar comments, seams to forget, or ignore reality.

No one believes, that at the present time, and for the foreseeable future, we can rely solely on “renewable energy” and will require fossil fuels when the sun does not shine and or wind does not blow. With regards to this country producing fossil fuels, perhaps Mr Petty can advise us which countries produce fossil fuels whilst emitting lower emissions than this country and he can also advise us whether or not these fuels can be transported to this country without producing emissions?

With regards to the profits made by these fossil fuel Companies and the Pension Funds, does he know how much they contribute to the Exchequer and which would have to be replaced from elsewhere. Regarding wind farms, does Mr Petty know,or is conveniently ignoring, that we the taxpayers in this country pay these Companies millions of pounds to switch off the turbines when the wind strength is too great? I will not go into the subsidies which they also receive.

Moving on to politics, without knowing Mr Petty’s political views or affiliations, there are several clues.These views allow Mr Petty to (deliberately?) misrepresent the parties mentioned in his letter, or perhaps, like his views on climate change he has not taken the trouble to read or listen to what they have written or said.

Mr Petty liked to provide an analogy, perhaps he might enjoy this analogy. If you were given the choice to die now due to being unable to buy food or unable to heat your home having been made poorer by this politically inept and economically illiterate government or wait until the effects of climate change as set out in his eloquent letter. Which would Mr Petty chose? With regards serious political discourse There is one thing I would like to thank this government for and that is making sure that In what remains of my lifetime we will not see another socialist government. Like all of their predecessors they have bankrupt this country – and it has only taken them 16 months. That last comment may be a little unfair since during the Election Campaign in 2024 Keir Starmer was asked what Labour had been doing for the previous 14 years, his reply was “Preparing for Government and we are ready to govern”.

With regards to the political parties not mentioned in either Mr Petty’s letter or this one, they can be thanked for giving us a laugh.

Can you please allow me space in your paper to thank everyone who came to our Paulton pensioners get together on October 24 at Paulton Scouts Hall.

We all enjoyed a few games of bingo and play your cards right.

Our next get together is on Friday, November 21, and we will be entertained by the Elderly Brothers.

Come and join us for good old fashion sing song. There will also be a raffle and cuppa. Everyone welcome and all funds go to local charities.

We’re encouraging the local community to take on Sue Ryder’s December Daily Dash.

The challenge is simple, either walk, jog or run 1k, 3k or 5k every day throughout December. It’s a chance to take time for yourself and boost your wellbeing. Plus, the money you raise will provide nursing care for people with a terminal illness, and provide free bereavement support for people this Christmas.

To sign up for free, visit: decemberdailydash.com. 

Founders of the December Daily Dash and Sue Ryder fundraisers