Thanks to the Co-op, this kindness is a reminder of the good people

WE all have seen acts of selfishness during the coronavirus lockdown. But my daughter informed me that at her local major supermarket she was unable to purchase some lactose-free milk for Esmae, my six-year-old granddaughter, who is lactose intolerant, because the shelves had been stripped of ordinary milk and then the greedy had taken all of the specialist diary products.

I happened to mention this at my local Co-op store when picking up The Yorkshire Post. Without me asking, Tracy, the store manager, pulled me to one side and said that she would put to one side some lactose-free milk when the next delivery came. This, and other acts of kindness by thousands of others, proves that there are more good people than self-centered ones.

From: Howard Ray, Bramley.

WE are all familiar with the terms self-isolation, social distancing, spacial awareness and lockdowns. We also know there are problems and difficulties arising during the present circumstances.

Coronavirus has placed a tremendous strain on the NHS – the response from the service and all the other key workers has been nothing less then heroic.

It may be the case that when we have overcome, as we shall, this dreadful disease, we can all spare a thought for the many elderly people who spend their lives in self-isolation with little or no visitors to chat to over a cup of tea. Perhaps this is something we might all address to try and find some light in the midst of the darkness we are all living through.

From: Coun Keith Aspden (Lib Dem), Leader, City of York Council.

WE are very lucky in York. We have strong institutions and active communities who are already willing and able to pull together and support each other in times of difficulty.

But the response to date has exceeded anything we’ve seen before. Thousands of volunteers have come forward to work with the council, and thousands more providing support in other ways. The city has risen to the challenge in every way and this is something we should all be extremely proud of.

I know many of us are facing difficulties in sourcing PPE for front line staff. Much of the attention has, rightly, been on ensuring front line NHS workers and patients are properly protected, but social care staff and other workers urgently need PPE too, protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our city.

Supplies are running very short and I have written to the Secretary of State to ask that PPE deliveries are forthcoming.

We are also working flat out to get both the Government’s Business Support Grants and our own £1m Small and Micro Business Grants Scheme funding out to eligible businesses. We know this is very important to the city and are working to make this happen as fast as possible.

We know, unfortunately, that the worst is yet to come in terms of the impact on our city. I am, however, confident that the work we’re doing, and the spirit and resilience shown, will get us through this. I’ve never been prouder of York, as a resident and as council leader. Thank you for everything you are all doing.

From: Pauline Neilson, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York.

I, FOR one, am completely dismayed at not being able to get a delivery slot from Tesco. I pay a monthly subscription to have a midweek delivery free of charge, but have not been able to get a delivery slot at all since the beginning of March.

I try to go onto the website daily, but to no avail. In future, I intend to cancel my subscription and continue using our local stores who have provided for us in these troubling times.

From: Nigel Taylor, Wetwang.

MY 87-year-old mother-in-law lives in Bristol and we’re in East Yorkshire. I’ve been trying to get slots with Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco for the last two weeks and nothing available. Last week I tried Iceland and they had convenient slots available. They also prioritise elderly customers.

From: M Thompson, Harrogate.

FOLLOWING on from Barry Foster’s letter (The Yorkshire Post, April 10) complimenting you on the quality of your paper, I would like to add my thanks, and in particular to the compilers of the weekday crosswords.

The quick crossword provides a good start to this pensioner’s day and the main crossword helps me to pass a good deal of the time during this period of enforced isolation Well done.

From: Barry Foster, High Stakesby, Whitby.

YET another excellent column from Jayne Dowle (The Yorkshire Post, March 13). She is correct we should have a clapping day for the Queen and all the other members of our Royal Family who have supported us as best they can in these difficult times.

I am proud to say they are a credit to this country. As for the recent comments about the use of Royal palaces, these were typical of those who only think of money. People are worth so much more.

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

I WRITE in response to Jayne Dowle’s invitation to identify anything positive that we have that the French don’t. Easy: the pub.

From: Peter Rickaby, Selby.

WHEN normality returns and the Chancellor of the Exchequer is looking for ways to save money, may I suggest he disbands all quangos, forgets HS2, culls layers of useless procurement managers in the NHS and makes no further payments to Brussels.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor