EU debate, pheasant road dangers and Swiss links – readers’ letters, plus a 1973 aerial view of Shifnal

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Captured from the air in 1973 by Beckbury photographer Ray Pringle-Scott, a Sergeant instructor at the School of Photography at RAF Cosford who served in the RAF for 22 years, this bird's-eye view looks across the rooftops, railway viaduct and surrounding fields of Shifnal. Standing prominently near the centre is St Andrew's Church, Shifnal's historic parish church, while visible on the far left are the old St Andrew's School and the nearby church hall, both of which have since been demolished. Can you spot your street or any familiar landmarks in this 1973 aerial view of Shifnal?   placeholder image
PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Captured from the air in 1973 by Beckbury photographer Ray Pringle-Scott, a Sergeant instructor at the School of Photography at RAF Cosford who served in the RAF for 22 years, this bird's-eye view looks across the rooftops, railway viaduct and surrounding fields of Shifnal. Standing prominently near the centre is St Andrew's Church, Shifnal's historic parish church, while visible on the far left are the old St Andrew's School and the nearby church hall, both of which have since been demolished. Can you spot your street or any familiar landmarks in this 1973 aerial view of Shifnal? | Picture: Ray Pringle-Scott

Readers share their views on the prospect of rejoining the EU, road safety risks posed by pheasants and Switzerland’s relationship with the European Union

EU wants our steaming bags

​Great steaming bags of cash! Every EU finance minister will be rubbing their grubby little Scrooge like hands with glee.

The British want to rejoin and oh how they will make us pay for it and then be able to balance the EU books! Of course it is this Loony Labour Government led by Cap'n Andy Pugwash that wants back in, not the British people, we would want a vote first.

Just listen to that French ex-Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnstormingier, rejoining the EU is not a "single market a la carte menu."

I can hear the EU cash tills ringing already. No wonder he is so smug, the EU Common Agricultural Policy has a budget of, wait for it, 386.6 billion euros for 2021-27 and the French get 17 per cent of it, about 9.5 billion euros. Well I know what he can do with his a la carte menu.

Labour are so fixated on the EU that their Minister Lisa Nandy, going for idiot and snake of the year, from within her Westminster bubble talked about war, service men and women and the advantages of the EU over the Remembrance Weekend. What a complete lack of respect and of any thought process.

The UK needs governing not playing politics.

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

How about our road safety?

Whilst the recent motoring news article raised the dangers of animal collisions on country roads with deers one must also mention the damage caused by the 'non-native common pheasant'. Project Splatter, a collaboration of research based at the universities of Cardiff and Exeter, indicated that six per cent of collisions with these large birds resulted in human injuries: and an estimated £10 million worth of damage to vehicles.

At what point do the injuries suffered by motorists become more important than preserving the unlicensed tradition of the gamebird industry that put millions of captive bred pheasants into the countryside without accepting responsibility for the consequences to road users?

Roger Norton, Monkmoor

Swiss lesson

I read with great interest Richard Camp’s letter about the EU and Switzerland.

It's a pity he doesn't do his homework before writing and just believes his papers. Switzerland have a free trade agreement with the EU, free movement of persons and the EU is their main trading partner.

Please sir, don't believe the papers they only tell you what they wish you to know, check facts in future.

Phillip Durrant, Wellington

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