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Issue No. 90 Spring 2024
Paul Laxton
On Holiday
HARD COPY OR E-COPY? - YOU CHOOSE
Towards the end of last year the Membership Secretary on behalf of the Committee conducted an exercise to determine the demand for digital copies of the Newsletter as opposed to the traditional hard copies. If you didn’t hear from Harry, there is a very simple explanation - we do not have an Email address for you, and writing to members who do not have an Email address would have been both expensive and time consuming. At a time of rising costs it made sense to consult the membership, and in particular those members who already use digital technology. Just over 40% of members who have given us their Email address responded, and an overwhelming majority of those indicated that they would be content to receive future Newsletters electronically. They can look forward to receiving their first E-copies in the Autumn.
The Committee has assumed that those who did not respond, are content with the status quo, until you tell us otherwise. We would encourage members on the Email register who did not respond first time around to let Harry Brett know their preference. Equally, those of you who either do not have an Email address, or prefer not to disclose their Email address, will continue to receive a hard copy landing on your doormat twice a year. I want to stress that no member will be compelled to go digital. As long as there are members who want to receive a hard copy of the Newsletter, they will be accommodated.
Another choice we have to make this year is regarding our Member of Parliament. Collectively that will determine whether or not we change our government. Once the campaign begins the politicians will have to tell us their plans over a range of issues, like the ‘Triple Lock’, the cost of energy and the longstanding mess that is social care, which are all key concerns for our age group. Many of us will be concerned with what they have to offer younger generations, in particular what they propose to do in order that people can get on the housing ladder, or what they might do to alleviate the burden of student debt. The Defence budget will also be an issue with threats to peace from the likes of Russia, China and Iran. All this against a backdrop of cost of living pressures that will not make it easy to persuade the electorate that the Government should spend more of their hard earned cash. 2019 seems a very long time ago.
I’m sure you will all find this an enjoyable edition. As well as Bob Duncan’s regular features, there are two contributions from Peter Atkinson, the second part (of three) of his article on notorious escapers, and a fascinating piece on radial prisons. Graham Mumby-Croft’s ‘Computer Corner, is an invaluable guide to how to avoid being scammed. My cover photo was taken in Lanzarote in March, and I can promise you it hasn’t been enhanced! There is nothing like a winter break in the sun to make your skin glow with health.
Finally, for those of you who where unable to identify the mystery men in the last two editions, they were Harry Allan and Les Stewart, the men who acted as Chief Executioners at the last two hangings carried out simultaneously at Manchester and Liverpool prisons respectively on 13 August 1964.
PAUL LAXTON, EDITOR
Spring 2023
PENSIONERS UNDER SIEGE?
Many of you will have seen the outrageous suggestion from a 'think tank' called the Adam Smith Institute that state pensions should be denied to those pensioners whose wealth measured in terms of pensions and property exceeds a million pounds. I was immediately struck by the .........
