Letters to the Editor archives

Now that the local paper has moved offices out of Reigate to Redhill, there is no space for the archives. They have all had to go to somewhere in Brentwood/ford, I hear.

So for posterity, here are two of the letters published in October 2008, one by a colleague and the other from me. Well, if only more people had read them at the time, such as our MP Crispin Blunt who lives in London, not his constituency. We really could have helped prevent at least 4,445 girls from getting side effects in less than two years, some of whom have needed long-term hospital care.

Yes, both subheadings were shown to be correct - the HPV comments WERE misleading, and Better safe than sorry - but it is too late now for those girls.

Click here to enlarge

Click here to enlarge









For an up to date account of my findings please take a look at my new Pigeon Post page: Truth about Cervarix.

Different kettle of fish now

.

In the early 70s I used to work in the university holidays at the old East Surrey Hospital just by Redhill Common. I don't remember any outbreaks of winter vomiting viruses or wards closed - it was unheard of. Even on Christmas Day, the patients and their visitors would go and sit in the sun rooms if they could, and enjoy the daylight and change of air.

It's a rather different kettle of fish nowadays at the current East Surrey Hospital.

On Saturday 18th December there were 8 new inpatient cases of that Norovirus, as well as admission from A&E, and 16 ongoing symptomatic inpatients. Overall, since the beginning of December, there have been 99 patient cases and 16 staff members affected. The hospital has a number of wards closed, as well as some bays in others also affected.

They say that there are no long-term effects.... http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/news/press_releases/20081222-winter%20vomiting%20virus.asp

...but an October 08 scientific report states otherwise: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GVK/is_10_14/ai_n30954870%22%3EFindArticles - Deaths from norovirus among the elderly, England and Wales Emerging Infectious Diseases, by John P. Harris, W. John Edmunds, Richard Pebody, David W. Brown, Ben A. Lopman.

An estimated 80 deaths each year in this age group may be associated with norovirus infection.

That sounds like a pretty long term effect if you happen to be over 65. The data came from the Office of National Statistics and the Health Protection Agency. If you read the whole paper you will see they are expecting it to get worse.

Back in August the Hospital Trust admitted to me online that they don't carry out microbiological tests within ventilation systems or have any system of eradicating those germs. Neither they, nor the HPA followed up my messages about how this can be put right with UV GI technology, so let's just hope they haven't caused any deaths by their oversights and faulty systems. I could name names, but they know who they are.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/eradicating_bacteria_viruses_and#outgoing-3671

This picture shows some contact plate results from the air handling units of 2 NHS hospital operating theatres. The first one shows the growth of germs if you don't do anything about it; the second one shows no growth of germs if you do install UV GI. There is an added blessing that it saves on operating costs.

First Post

Christmas is nearly here. Already I've received a surprise by post. It's a local newspaper cutting from 30 August 1990 about the prizewinning pigeons that helped to win the war. They were pedigree Logans and Barkers, frequently winning trophies and certificates for long distance races in the 1920s. The loft had become so well known that it was called the Great Doods Loft - number 18 Doods Road I'm told.

Early in World War 2, Reigate was chosen as the HQ for Montgomery's South Eastern Command. For the vital messages to and from this control hub, a despatch riders' camp was established just by the hillside near Pilgrims Way, and only a minute or two along a specially constructed road leading down to Underbeeches, where Monty was staying. No one was allowed up there of course and it's all overgrown now, but still the evidence is there. The grand old Victorian houses and new villas in the area were commandeered to accommodate the army personnel.

The War Office also took over Mr Blasby's local pigeon loft. The birds would have cylinders on their legs just like lipstick. Each day one or two of them used to fly in and land on the loft carrying their messages, so there was a sentry on guard, day and night! If the owner's family went anywhere near it, the guard would up his gun. How sad that the owner wasn't allowed to feed or even visit his pigeons. The news item reports that it broke his heart.

Some of them returned wounded, and the birds that survived were in a really bad state by the end of the war. The end of the story? They were awarded pigeon VCs.