I don’t know Wether Tim noticed... but I did

I read the May issue of TWDM, paying particular interest to ‘Kim Berlin’s’ ‘A Newcomer to the Rock’.

‘Kim’ is plainly satisfied with himself, and with a lovely supper of lobster, I’m not surprised. The pictures from his kitchen look delicious. But what I was most interested me was that he plainly nicked his crockery from Wetherspoons.

It was wise to go incognito, but Tim Martin will know where he lives, the name of the boat he built (although strangely ‘Kim’ seems to have built in in the nineteenth century)... and ‘Kim’ even helpfully supplies a picture of himself. Hmm.

Dave Wallis, Wiltshire

I must take issue with Claudia Sorin (West Dorset Labour Party) in May’s edition concerning nurses working many unpaid hours each week.

As a recently retired NHS nurse manager I always ensured that staff were paid or given time owing for any extra working hours as normal practice.

No nurse should be working unpaid hours, or be abused by their managers to work extra, and it is up to them to just say “No!”

Dominic Holbourne

Registered Nurse

With food prices rising and food banks struggling to meet demand, I wanted to share an app that could make a difference. BanktheFood connects you with your local food bank. Whenever the food bank runs low on essentials, the app sends you a list of their most needed items. But that’s not all – the app also sends you an urgent list of needed items when you arrive at the local supermarket, so you can easily pick up a few extra items to donate before you even reach the checkout. Over 34,000 people are already using BanktheFood, helping 350 food banks across the UK. If you’re looking for an easy way to make a difference, please consider giving BanktheFood a try. It’s a great way to help your community. Emma

Something Fishy Going On

First as a child, then with my kids I’d take a jam jar on a string To any stream among the meads

And cast the empty jam jar in.

Within two minutes, three at most, The first few minnows would appear And then a dozen, then a host, And in the jam jar they would peer.

You waited ‘til they’d gone inside Then jerk the string to raise the jar And bring it brimming to the side, Then at the tiny fish you’d stare.

Retired now, with time to waste, I thought I’d play that game again And Walton’s Minnow Tansy taste But find my quest is all in vain!

I stalk the haunts of coot and herne. I dabble, paddle, even swim! But now I find, to my concern, There is no stream with minnows in!

No kingfisher beneath the bridge; They’re just a mem’ry now, a dream; Not much by way of fly or midge. Pollution’s poisoned ev’ry stream!

Chris Slade, Maiden Newton