Grenfell anniversary and a door for Lords
On the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy ( 14 June), I read that a new front door for the House of Lords has cost £9.6m; the budget in 2013 for the Grenfell Tower refurbishment was £9.7m. Notwithstanding inflation in the interim, that sums up for me the state of governance in 21st-century Britain.Bill WolmuthWest Ealing, London
Gulls 'are not naturally urban dwellers' writes Richard Ellis (Letters, 15 June), but neither are we. We've adapted to urban life, as have some gulls and other wild species. He complains of the mess created by gulls, but most of the mess in urban areas is generated by people.Roger DownieGlasgow
In reply to 'I'm good' (Letters, 18 June), I tend to say: 'I shall be the judge of that.' And when told to have a good day, I respond with a phrase coined by a German friend: 'I'm sorry, I have other plans.'Deirdre Burrell Mortimer, Berkshire
Asked 'How are you?' on US TV, people always reply: 'I'm good'. I long for someone to reply 'I'm evil'.Henrietta CubittCambridge
A picture of a cute dog on your front cover (Print edition, 20 June) may be great for sales, but is infuriating for regular purchasers whose usual suppliers have sold out. I only managed to obtain a copy at my fourth attempt!Stephanie HarrisonBedford
Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
42 minutes ago
- Times
Marie Kondo was wrong — decluttering sparks no joy
I have really tried very hard to master the art of decluttering. The process of downsizing my possessions has been going on in a serious fashion for two years. I have been to the tip at least 50 times. Thousands of pounds worth of stuff has gone to charity including three sofas and (largest item) a super king bed. I have read many guides, including Marie Kondo and the less twee manual Nobody Wants Your Sh*t, to the point where I now need to declutter the books on decluttering. I have held up countless items, often looking worse for being seen in actual sunlight, and asked: 'Does this spark joy?' Almost none did. Instead, they sparked regrets (I'm no Piaf) and, at times, guilt.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Rockcliffe gas plant refused over 'health implications'
A proposed gasification plant has been rejected because councillors felt the evidence of the long-term health implications was for a plant that would use rubbish to produce gas at North West Recycling's (NWR) waste processing compound near Carlisle were discussed a special meeting of Cumberland Council's planning the meeting, concerns were raised that the evidence provided was not clear, with five members voting to reject the application and two voting to refusal marked the end of an 18-month struggle by residents who opposed the revised proposal over health and safety fears. There were jubilant scenes and a spontaneous round of applause from the public gallery at the refusal, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Regeneration had applied for permission to build the plant at the NWR site in had been recommended full planning permission be granted, subject to councillors were sympathetic to the plight of nearest neighbour, farmer John Story, who raised the impact on his family's health by living so close to the site. Speaking after the decision, Mr Story said he was genuinely "elated".He said he was proud of the more than 1,200 people who objected to the Story added: "My youngest is asthmatic, and the don't know what it's going to be like on the long-term, whether it'll be five years or 10 years or 15 years."Concerns were raised after a fire broke out at the waste site in 2021, and raged for a approached, no-one from North-west Regeneration was available for comment. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
A420 shut as firefighters tackle blaze near police station
A key A-road has been closed in both directions following a blaze breaking out in a derelict firefighters from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service are battling the flames, near to Gablecross Police Station, in South A420 Shrivenham Road was closed by Wiltshire Police at about 16:00 BST to allow firefighters to "work safely", the force confirmed. A fire spokesperson added that the "incident is being brought under control" and they hoped to scale back attendance within the next half hour. They added that "the building's has collapsed inward, which may impact when a fire investigation can be carried out".
