Your letters: Loneliness, school trips and the state pension gap

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A barber wearing a protective visor works on a client wearing a face mask inside a Bridgnorth barbershop as coronavirus lockdown restrictions eased across England in July 2020. After months of closure, the summer respite allowed locals to finally replace questionable home DIY haircuts with a professional trim. Did you queue up for a professional haircut as soon as barbers reopened, or did you stick with a lockdown DIY trim? | ©PA

placeholder image — PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A barber wearing a protective visor works on a client wearing a face mask inside a Bridgnorth barbershop as coronavirus lockdown restrictions eased across England in July 2020. After months of closure, the summer respite allowed locals to finally replace questionable home DIY haircuts with a professional trim. Did you queue up for a professional haircut as soon as barbers reopened, or did you stick with a lockdown DIY trim? | ©PA

Readers reflect on the importance of making the first move in tackling loneliness, share happy memories of a school trip to Shawbury, question the state pension gap and offer a light-hearted take on the Chancellor

Make attempt to speak first

A letter from someone in Shrewsbury pointed how lonely they felt after taking the children to school as no-one spoke or even looked up from the screen of their phone.

As I walk towards the newsagents to get my morning newspaper I often greet people with: "Good morning". Some of the older ones; as I am; mumble a response. 30s to 60s look surprised but do reply. Late teens to 20s seldom look up, probably because they can't believe anyone could actually be talking to them.

Then there are the schoolchildren. I don't say anything to them because in this age of suspicion and finger pointing I dread the thought of being labelled a pervert or a nonce.

To the person in Shrewsbury; try speaking first. You never know.

Trevor Howard, Midlands

Happy memory of school trip

A recent nostalgia archive feature included a picture of pupils from St Peter’s School, Noble Street, Wem. In that picture, at the rear was our class teacher, Mr Huxley, and I am standing just in front of him. The boy wearing the pilot’s helmet is Andrew Wilson, who later went on to join the RAF. The fair-haired boy next to the Wing Commander is John Brewer, whose father was headmaster at Wem Secondary Modern School in Shrewsbury Gardens. I can’t be sure, but I think the surname of the boy in front of me could be Cotten, but I’m not certain.

It was a brilliant day out, and I believe the aircraft which we were being shown was a Provost.

Our headmaster at St Peter’s was Mr Ramford. All the students used to call him Pop, and after he retired he became Reverend Ramford.

Everyone at Shawbury was very considerate and informative, and we were all supplied with dinner. I believe I had egg and chips, with two eggs and loads of tomato sauce, with bread and butter.

I’m afraid I don’t know where any of my fellow students are now, but I think I was eight at that time, I am almost 74, and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. Happy days, though.

Martin Eddies, Shrewsbury

Never mind the quality...

Uncle Norbert and I wondered if the Chancellor, at the weekend, might view The Great Escape and rerunning the 1960s sitcom, Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width?

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

Tale of our two UK pensions

Can someone who knows about these things please explain why / how the government decided that the new state pension should be £12,547.60 per year while the old state remains at £9,614.80 per year, a difference of £56.40 per week? We all have the same cost of living.

M Nicholas, Midlands

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