'Reader criticises costly fire engine replacements to meet emission rules' - Your Letters and Christmas cheer for youngsters in a 1972 picture throwback

Why give away fire engines?

It has been reported in the Star that fire services may have to be cut to save money. However, if perfectly good fire engines had not been donated to oversea countries, simply because they did not comply with “environmental” standards on emissions, maybe new ones, costing millions, need not have been purchased.

Fire engines only do a limited mileage compared with lorries, so their pollution contributions would be minimal.

If other countries can manage with our fire engines for the next 20 years, why can’t British fire services do the same?

W F Kerswell, Picklescott

​Good experience of NHS service

After all the bad press regarding the NHS, I would like to tell you of my experience. 

I had an appointment with Specsavers in Newport for a routine eye test. The optician found there was a small retinal tear in one eye and immediately phoned the Urgent Eye Clinic at the Royal Shrewsbury HospitaI. They gave me an appointment for me at 8.30am the following day when the tear was confirmed, and I was given laser treatment to fix the problem at the same time. 

I don't know if this is a record, but it showed the NHS at its best. My warmest thanks to all concerned. Well done!

Jennifer Brookes, Shifnal

Bring back our beloved football

Football at the present time is a disgrace. All the teams cheat to win games, taking players down when running for goal, holding players in the penalty box, these should be red cards.

We need a big change so that English players have a chance to play in the football league. Wolves themselves have two teams of foreign players and some teams bring at least 15 players to a game, all foreign. The FA are to blame for allowing this to happen.

Let's get back to domestic football.

S G Dobson, Fordhouses

Thank-you Peter for everything

Like many, I was shocked to hear about Peter Rhodes.

Not the kind of news he would choose to make.

So many readers will have benefitted from his superb reporting skills, his sense of humour and the far-reaching knowledge and experience that he brought to his craft.

He is one of the greatest journalists and his perceptive style, always appropriate and sympathetic to the subject he was reporting, is second to none.

But what is there to say that hasn't already been said?

Thank-you Peter for being what you are, an amazing human being.

Mike Crump, Bridgnorth

Have an opinion? Want to be heard? We want to hear your voice!

Write to Readers' letters at [email protected]

Letters to the editor must include the writer’s name and address and will only be published anonymously in exceptional circumstances. The editor reserves the right to condense or amend letters.

Do you have any pictures from the past you would like to share with us? 

Do need help recognising an old street, old faces? If so, send them to [email protected] including your name, where you are from, and as much information as you can about the photo(s) and we will publish as many as we can online and in print.