Letters: Don Adams' funeral, Beam Park and boundaries

David Adams, Barking, writes:
About six years ago, you wrote an article about my father Don Adams, who retired after 56 years in his North Street, Romford, barber’s shop.

Sadly, Dad passed away on January 3, another victim of Covid-19. He was 85.

I would like to take this opportunity to let his former customers and friends know, that the funeral will be held at Chelmsford Crematorium at 1.30pm on Friday, February 5.

Due to current restrictions, we are only allowed 20 people in the chapel. There is access to live streaming of the service (obitus.com, username: Diwa8275, password: 898123)

No flowers but donations can be made to Broomfield Hospital Renal Unit.

There will be a memorial service for dad later in the year.

Beam Park will be Tower City rather than a liveable community

Daniel Beal, Independent Residents Group, writes:
Many residents have complained that most of the new developments in Havering are actually over-developments, too much density of properties, visually too high and insufficient funds for the necessary infrastructure eg roads, medical services etc.

Closer to home and, in what must seem to be an insult added to injury, the proposal to squeeze, again, more properties onto the Beam Park development in Rainham is very disappointing.
The reasons given, such as making properties of equal size (always making them higher!), are frankly disingenuous. It is clearly about making more monies for developers and more numbers for government and mayoral housing targets.

This will, however, come at a cost to the new residents. They will be removing family houses and replacing them with apartment blocks (what a surprise!).

The excuse is to “frame” the park (visually) in the middle of the whole development by matching the tall apartment blocks on the other side (ignoring the houses actually next to these new blocks). I won’t be surprised if they do this elsewhere, as they build everything out, and say “look there are new (sic) apartment blocks here, so we should replace the proposed houses next door”.

We were promised a “garden suburb” by the council when promoting the redevelopment of the New Road, Rainham area.
Every developer, including the council, has reneged on that promise by replacing many (promised or agreed) houses for apartment and tower blocks.

Even on this plot (they call it Phase 2A) ,another green space will be lost to development. It has already become too tall and too dense.

If you are unhappy with the proposals go the website PHASE 2A — Beam Park (beamparklondon.co.uk) and comment.
The development will soon be known as Tower City rather than a liveable community, all in order to satisfy government and mayoral housing targets at a cost to new and existing residents’ quality of life.

Don’t change the boundaries

Graham Davidson, Elm Park, writes:
I read the letter from the councillors of Cranham and Upminster wards about the boundary lines.

I do not think the boundaries should be moved. I think I’ve only got two councillors in Elm Park. Why do they want to cut the councillors, as they do a good job?

Cutting the councillors into more wards won’t work. Does it mean someone in Rainham etc would have to go to Corbets Tay or Upminster to see a councillor? It will be lots more work for the councillors.

If I have got this wrong, can someone explain it to me?
There should be a vote from Havering residents to see if they want this or not.

The councillors are there for the people, to help whenever they can. There are so many cutbacks in this borough, what’s going to happen next?

I hope many of you residents agree with me. Please write your comments to the Romford Recorder.

Always enjoyed history articles

Olive Buckley, Mawney Road, Romford, writes:
I will miss the informative, and sometimes amusing, articles written by Prof Martin recalling past events in our area.

I have always enjoyed reading them, and sometimes passing on the information to others. In fact I have saved copies of those that most interested me, so that I can read them again sometime in the future.

So thank you Prof Martin for all of them, and I hope you enjoy a happy ‘retirement’.

Moan about jabs got results

Peter Maddy, Hornchurch, writes:
Thank you for publishing my letter last week about the virus jabs.

As it happens, on the day my letter was published I received a phone call in the afternoon saying to go to Hornchurch Library for the jab.

Just proves having a moan gets results.

Best EU deal was being a member

Ian Sanderson, Liberal Democrat candidate for Romford in 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections, full address supplied, writes:
Roger Loveday (letter Recorder January 29) suggests that a harsher Brexit could have been better.

He’s really missing the point. The EU followed the terrible experiences suffered in World War II and the need to settle future differences by co-operation and negotiation.

The UK was fully represented in decision making in the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. National leaders like Margaret Thatcher put their case vigorously and accepted the outcomes. Laws and services grew up which benefited us, the British people, rather than those who govern us.

In 2016, this came to an end for the UK, as 40 years of indoctrination by hostile newspapers, with non-resident wealthy proprietors, combined with nostalgia to cause a narrow vote in favour of Brexit. Any raising of the detailed difficulties was airily dismissed.

In the five dark years since then UK politics has been brought to standstill. Trying to work out what Brexit means and how the damage it is causing can be minimised have occupied enormous amounts of government time.

Now, some of the burdens have begun to fall on individual citizens and traders.

The sad truth is the best deal possible with the EU was the one we had as a member. Any Brexit means a betrayal for Northern Ireland, for Gibraltar, for fishermen, for EU citizens living here and for British citizens elsewhere.

The deal we have now makes no mention of financial services, which employs many Romford people, or British musicians who wish to tour in mainland Europe.

It was a terrible mistake; a responsible government would have protected us from it.

Loss of only flood defence officer

Cllr David Durant, Rainham and Wennington Independent Residents Group, writes:
The council leader has approved a multi-million pound transformation of working environment with plans to reduce staff numbers in the town hall and other council buildings to about 10 per cent of the existing numbers.

It’s a dogmatic policy as part of the Great Reset called Build Back Better being promoted by government/BBC under guise of fighting a pandemic.

The idea is everyone who can must work from home, irrespective of whether they want or need to. As a result we face losing experienced staff due to a lack of money due to all the wasteful spending which has devastated council finances.

For example, due to wage cuts, our principal and only council flood defence officer, has left the council.

The experienced officer has been with the authority for over 30 years and has the years of experience and contacts to be effective in an emergency.

Cutting to the bone is one thing, losing another experienced officer is appalling as the recent flooding, is likely to get far worse due to the impending Grand Solar Minimum.

Instead of transforming working environments the council should be focused on retaining experienced staff, but the council leader and allies refuse to listen.

Nominate your dementia hero

Nick O’Donohue, Alzheimer’s Society’s area manager, East London, writes:
Lockdown has been tough for all of us. But imagine how much worse it would have been if you couldn’t understand why it was happening: why you no longer saw your loved ones; why your carers stopped visiting or why they wore masks.

Tragically, this was reality for tens of thousands of people living with dementia in the UK.

And it was also the reality for carers, who were left unable to visit their loved ones, or without precious respite.

Throughout the pandemic, individuals, groups and organisations have shown incredible support for people affected by dementia. We want to recognise these dementia heroes.

The awards will recognise the inspirational achievements of those who care for people with dementia, those finding innovative solutions in research, and the campaigners and media fighting for the rights of people with dementia.

Since the pandemic began, Alzheimer’s Society has helped huge numbers of people affected by dementia get the support they need, from speaking to one of our Dementia Advisers, to accessing information and advice on our website.

Our services have been used nearly three million times since lockdown began in March 2020.

Nominations close on Friday, March 5. It’s quick and easy to nominate your dementia hero. Just visit alzheimers.org.uk/dementiaheroawards

Captain Sir Tom - very special man

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, writes:
Captain Sir Tom Moore was a truly remarkable man and it is hard to put into words his incredible efforts in raising millions for the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thanks to Capt Sir Tom, the NHS has been able to fund several new projects during this crisis, helping to provide practical and emotional support for patients, their families, and doctors working on the frontline against this dreadful virus.

But perhaps most importantly, his tenacity, generosity and strength of spirit lit a beacon of hope – a beacon that will continue to shine in the years to come as the nation remembers this very special man.