Forecasts have been borne out

I suppose one should not say I told you so, when things go wrong exactly as predicted, but here goes.

When the ghastly plans for Dawley New Town, later renamed Telford, were published, I predicted there would be a disaster for the area, as whole communities were bulldozed to make money for developers. I said within 40 years the replacements would themselves be torn down again. They are (Shropshire Star, November 25.)

Again, I said it was a dreadful shame to bulldoze and sell off the Snailbeach Railway, instead of making it Shropshire's top tourist attraction. Forty years on and they are going to try to resurrect it, (Shropshire Star, November 29.)

I predicted over-protection of badgers and birds of prey would decimate other wildlife and birds. J Wheelten (Starmail, November 29) confirms sparrowhawks are doing this.

More than 20 years ago I said babies should be kept in a cot next to the mother's bed for easy feeding and care. "Experts" said I was a fool. However in the Star (November 29) a two-year clinical trial by Durham University says exactly that.

Here are some more predictions: Man-made climate change will be proved to be a nonsense and all the vast sums spent on stopping it, a cynical manipulation of funds by politicians, big businesses, and "over qualified" scientists.

The merger of county and district councils will not be a saving, except for the chiefs who will get golden handshakes. The whole crazy edifice will eventually be split up again.

W F Kerswell Picklescott