Looking at the big picture is needed

The BBC is under fire again and the noises from the government make me wonder how long it will exist as a publicly funded broadcaster.

What an own goal it would be if we destroyed one of the great British institutions, which (imperfect though it is) is held in high esteem around the world and is part of the fabric of British society.

Funding is obviously at the heart of it and a TV licensing fee does seem anachronistic in a world of 4G mobile phones. We’ve yet to come up with a better model however and it’s important that people understand why it’s excellent value for money.

Comparisons with Netflix’s subscription model are disingenuous. Netflix has no public service mandate and is only responsible to it’s American shareholders - you won’t find it reporting on pot holes or court cases in your local area.

Consider local TV coverage, radio and the excellent range of factual and entertainment programmes (the vast majority of which are entirely British creations) and it’s hard not to conclude that the BBC does a huge amount of public good.

Those who claim to never use its services and resent paying the license fee need to look at a bigger picture, just as those without children help fund schools, benefitting wider society.

Neil Mercer

Wayne Devlin has star quality

I went along to Mulino restaurant in Urmston to see Wayne Devlin sing and have a meal with my husband.

The food was great, the wine was lovely but Wayne Devlin was outstanding! We actually moved from our seats to get closer we loved it.

You read his column, which I do religiously each week, and you hear about all the places he sings yet you still don't know how good he actually is. Well I do now!

His voice is faultless and he is thoroughly entertaining.

He is the gentleman that we read he is but he so much more talented than I ever gave him credit for.

His voice was something spectacular to witness and he even gave Sinatra himself a run for his money with his breathing skills.

Effortlessly going from one line to another without taking a single breath and holding notes for an eternity at the end of songs.

I am speechless and struggling to put into words how absolutely brilliant he was.

I've heard him sing before at events but this show each month at Mulino is showing Wayne relaxed singing all the songs he obviously loves to sing.

You must go along and see him. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thank you Wayne for bringing these evenings to Urmston, I'd honestly pay whatever I was asked to attend and can't believe that it's free!

Thank you and we will see you again next month.

Nicci, Urmston

Outrage over dog mess

In going around the borough it is hard to ignore the amount of dog fouling on our pavements and verges.

This is more worrying than ever given that the last few months have seen a mystery virus, which causes gastrointestinal symptoms in dogs, spread across the country.

Dog owners, please do the right thing to keep Trafford’s human and canine residents safe and clean up after your pet - it is illegal to fail to do so and totally unacceptable morally.

Cllr Dr Karen Barclay

Councillor for Bowdon

Climate change

THE amount of rain this week beggars belief. How can anyone deny that climate change is real when we see such devastating weather in our own country? Our flood defences cannot cope.

Name supplied

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