KMT panto, TfL, planning, shop workers and homelessness

K Gaunt, Barking, full address supplied, writes:

Well Snow White has opened up at the Kenneth More Theatre until January 10. Oh yes it has!
Come along and join in with all the fun and frolics of the show, Snow White played by Elizabeth Bright and Robert Anthony as Prince Louis who finally gets his princess.

Also Michelle Bishop as the wicked Queen Melanie (Boo) and loads of laughs with Muddles (Karl Greenwood) and Herman (Darren Hart).

And this year, making a return to the KMT is Nigel Ellacott as Night Nellie Nightnurse –brilliantly played – and, of course, the Redbridge Drama boys and girls.

You’re assured of a great two hours of fun and frolics so come along and join in with the cast clapping stomping your feet singing. Brilliant scenery, costume, choreography and directing - two hours not to be missed.

A fantastic present for Christmas or birthday, so get your tickets.

Must find ways to help fund TfL

Dr Alison Moore , Londonwide Assembly member, writes:

The pandemic continues to cripple Transport for London’s main source of income, which comes from passenger fares.

Despite this, the government has so far refused to provide TfL with the sustainable and long-term funding deal it needs to keep services running smoothly and to secure the future of key infrastructure projects - which are crucial for job creation and supporting London’s economic recovery.

This has meant that City Hall and TfL have been forced to find other ways of making up the financial deficit they face in future years.

One of the fairest solutions would be for ministers to allow London to keep hold of the money it collects through Vehicle Excise Duty. This is worth around £500 million per year, and is currently spent to subsidise road maintenance in other parts of the country.

If the Department for Transport will not come to the table to discuss this, the mayor has signalled that he might need to explore the option of a new boundary charge in future years.
This would mean that motorists outside of the capital, would need to pay a £3.50 charge to drive into Greater London. The ball is now in the government’s court.

Which planning staff live in Ilford?

Morris Hickey, Long Green, Chigwell, writes:

I was quite fascinated by the letter that appeared on your website on December 12 referring to the planning committee meeting and the circumstances relating to a particular application.
Maybe the author of that letter can help me. I’ve been trying to identify which members of staff from the planning department and from legal services are Ilford residents.

Please respect shop workers

Paddy Lillis, general secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), writes:

The run-up to Christmas is always a really busy time for retail workers, shoppers can be stressed and things can boil over. This year is likely to be even more stressful as a result of recent lockdowns and worries around coronavirus.

I want to gently remind your readers to remember that shop workers are people as well. They will be working really hard to make your shopping experience as enjoyable as possible.

Talking to our members who work in retail, I know that verbal abuse cuts deep. Many will go home after a shift upset about an unpleasant incident that took place at work that day and worried that it will happen to them again.

During this appalling pandemic we have been shocked to find that incidents of violence, threats and abuse against shop workers have doubled. The main flashpoints are enforcing Covid rules, queueing and shortage of stock. None of these are the fault of shop workers, but too often they end up on the wrong side of customers’ frustrations.

That is why Usdaw, the shop workers’ trade union, is asking customers to ‘Keep your Cool’ at Christmas.

I would also like to ask your readers to support our members by signing the petition to protect shop workers.

Help us to help homeless

Help the homeless this Christmas (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Jon Sparkes, chief executive, Crisis and Crisis ambassadors Jo Brand, Al Doyle, Jonathan Pryce CBE, Ellie Goulding, Alistair Stewart OBE, write:

For so many of us, this past year has seen us spending more time at home than we ever have before.

During these difficult times we’ve learnt how much we depend on each other for connection, hope and support – and how having somewhere safe to call home can be lifesaving.

While this Christmas will be unlike no other, most can look forward to some contact with loved ones, the exchanging of gifts and a home cooked Christmas dinner. But one in four people who are homeless will spend Christmas alone.

This year there will be over 200,000 families and individuals across England facing the worst forms of homelessness.

No one should be forced to live, or spend Christmas, shivering on the streets, sofa surfing with strangers or in a hostel with nowhere to call home and no-one to be with.

That’s why, outside of our year-round services, Crisis supports thousands of people who would otherwise be homeless at one of the most challenging times of the year.

While the pandemic means we’re having to do things differently, our frontline teams across the country will be working harder than ever to make sure people receive nutritious meals and festive treats, Christmas games and wellbeing packs, friendship and support from our volunteer befrienders, as well as somewhere safe to stay.

This is just the beginning.

We also introduce people to our year-round training, education and support with housing, employment and wellbeing.

This long-term support helps people to rebuild their lives, giving them a future away from homelessness.
But we need your help.
To ensure we can be there for everyone who needs us, we’re asking members of the public to support our work this Christmas and year-round.

So, whether you host a virtual karaoke night, become one of our essential volunteers or give a gift of a Crisis Christmas, you’ll be helping to ensure that this Christmas people facing homelessness aren’t alone.

To find out more or to donate to Crisis this Christmas please visit: crisis.org.uk/support