More Comment Regarding the Temporary Westercraigs Nursery School

I am a full time nurse at the Royal Infirmary and work shifts. This means I require to sleep frequently during the day. The nursery school opposite makes this very difficult most of the time. It is not like the secondary school was before as the noisy times were concentrated at particular times of the day, and even then the noise was much less. Something must be done to make it less noisy. 

Having the nursery opposite is really unfair both for me and the children within it. I think it is amazing that Glasgow City Council was allowed to let the old school building get into such a poor state that it was condemned and then the nursery school children had to be moved almost overnight into a temporary hut-like structure in an unsuitable location. However it can hardly be considered temporary since it has been there 6 years and counting!

The old Westercraigs Nursery School building which adjoined Golfhill Primary (also moved at short notice)

Other comment regarding the temporary Westercraigs Nursery School.

The temporary Westercraigs Nursery School is previously discussed here in a communication with Glasgow City Council.

 http://cdbc81.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/an-open-letter-to-glasgow-city-council.html

The Royal Mail. Shockingly bad service since Cubie Street Delivery Office Closed.

Earlier this year the delivery office for my area at Cubie Street in the east end of Glasgow closed. This was followed by the closure of the other delivery offices in the east end of Glasgow.

The Royal Mail delivery office for the east end of Glasgow is now in Cambuslang and more difficult to get to by public transport than most of Scotland or indeed England.

Royal Mail Glasgow East End sorting office closures = Royal Fail for Glasgow's East End

I responded to Royal Mail's response to my complaint regarding the closure of Cubie Street in December 2012, this response being detailed in this post...
Stop the closure of Cubie Street Sorting Office, December 2012

The sorting office closed early in 2013, it being quite clear that the Royal Mail were not interested in their customers at all, and their supposed consultation process was a sham! Their rationalisation was in preparation for the UK Government's sell-off later in 2013 which has now also occurred although very few wanted it, particularly in Scotland. The only way incidentally to insure it returns to being a public service is to vote YES in the impending 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.

Now I am able to say to confirm that living in the delivery area for this new service has resulted in a poorer, more remote and difficult to access service.

This week, despite being nearly always in the house, I have missed the delivery of two parcels. I have tried on a number of occasions, using a 08456 number which of-course is a way for the Royal Mail to make more money out of an ever deteriorating service, to contact this delivery office to arrange re-delivery as I am meant to be able to do this for free (fat chance!).

Each time the automated system has supplied me with a re-delivery date which is unsuitable for me, and you can no longer speak to a real person. I think they have all been sacked.

I have tried throughout this year to avoid having parcels delivered any more because of the local sorting office closure.

Cubie Street Sorting Office closure is Royal Fail.

Besides calling their premium rate number to re-arrange a failed Royal Mail delivery I can do the following...

1. Re-arrange for the delivery to be sent to a local Post Office. However this costs extra.
2. I can try to re-arrange this delivery online. However this means I must have a computer which is fine for me, but not others who do not have online access.
3. Leave the parcels where they are and let them be returned to their original address meaning I am out of pocket and have not received what I ordered.
4. I can let them deliver it to another person, which for most parcels is not a problem, but I don't want them to do this as standard. Being absolutely sure that the parcel you had arranged for was definitely going to be delivered to me, as opposed to being dumped on anyone close by was the unique selling point that the Royal Mail used to have, but not any more.
5. Get to Fullarton Drive to collect both parcels. I am unsure as to what size they are so don't know if I could carry them, and plus it would take me most of the day to get there and back since I have no personal transport, plus I would again be out of pocket this time in money and time due to the Royal Mail's ever deteriorating service.
6. I can never arrange to have another parcel delivered to me ever again, which is what I would like if we can't have our local delivery or sorting office back!

What a shame for all the online companies that I used to order from. Now if it won't fit through my letter box I try not to order online, so trying to avoid this irritating problem of the Royal Mail's making.

Royal Mail Cubie Sorting Office = Royal Fail at Fullarton Drive Sorting Office

Comments on the temporary Westercraigs Nursery School in Meadowpark Street

I understand children must have freedom to play. I am an OAP and the noise in my living room can be deafening at times when I want to hear my TV. Also the volume of traffic is terrible, when my son comes to pick me up he now has to park the car away down the street I have trouble walking. This is all since Westercraigs Nursery School was temporarily situated near my home. When I moved in opposite were playing fields and it was so peaceful. What a change.

I think it is appalling that Glasgow City Council let the old school building get into such a poor state of repair that it was condemned and then the nursery school children had to be decanted at short notice into a temporary building in an unsuitable location.

The Old Westercraigs Nursery School building

I say temporary advisedly since this conjures up ideas of 6 months to a year, not 6 years and counting! They can find the money for things that are not needed such as George Square being refurbished, pop concerts, etc. but they can't look after their own nursery school children, or their own council tax payers.

The temporary Westercraigs Nursery School is previously discussed here.
 http://cdbc81.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/an-open-letter-to-glasgow-city-council.html

Rename Glasgow Prestwick Airport Robert Burns International

In 2012 the owner of Glasgow Prestwick Airport, decided to sell and it remained unsold until earlier this month when the Scottish Government entered into negotiations to buy the facility taking it back into public ownership. 

Many people in Scotland, particularly those resident in Ayrshire and in south west of Scotland hope that this will finally assure the future of this airport which even although not currently financially profitable remains a great asset for Scotland and the Scottish economy.

We hope with this change in ownership will take the opportunity to re-brand it Robert Burns International. There are several reasons that this change would of advantage.

1. Prestwick Airport lies in the county of Ayrshire, in Burns Country, where the World famous poet Robert Burns was born, whose birthday is celebrated by Scots around the world in January of each year. Renaming it Robert Burns International would tap into this fame and place the airport much more on the map, particularly with its prospective North American customers. 
2.  Liverpool Airport in the north west of England rebranded itself as John Lennon Airport and has since gone from strength to strength. 
3. Many people have over time objected to its most recent rebranding i.e. Glasgow Prestwick Airport – Pure Dead Brilliant as this most certainly does not capitalize on its major assets, and nor does it portray Scotland in good light.

To find out more join the Facebook group  https://www.facebook.com/RenamePrestwickAirport.

Notable facts about Prestick Airport

1. The airport is famous as being the only place in the UK where Elvis Presley set foot. This occurred in 1960 when a plane carrying him stopped off to refuel on its way home on route from West Germany.
2. In physical terms it is Scotland’s largest airport whilst lagging behind in terms of passenger numbers behind Edinburgh International, Glasgow International, and Aberdeen Airport. 
3. Glasgow Prestwick Airport's income is markedly different from most airports, which rely to a large extent on revenue from scheduled passenger services. Most of revenue comes from freight aircraft activity. 
4. Glasgow Prestwick serves as a test airport for most new planes with the Boeing Dreamliner recently being tested there.
   
5. 1.      Prestwick Airport has a much lower incidence of fog than any other airport in the UK due to its geographical location. For this reason it is often used as a diversionary airport when weather conditions close aviation hubs elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    A Brief History of Prestwick Airport
    
   
   
   The airport at Prestwick started life in 1934 as a training airfield with limited passenger being added 4 years later. After the onset of the Second World War the airport developed rapidly to cater for the large volume of US airfreight traffic.
   
   In 1964 the current terminal building was erected, this being opened by the Queen Mother in a special ceremony.
   
   In 1991 after the privatisation of the British Airports Authority by the UK Government, BAA decided to sell the airport and concentrate all transatlantic traffic to Glasgow Abbotsinch which is much closer to the central belt. After this passenger numbers fell sharply.
   
   Under the new ownership of Canadian entrepreneur Matthew Hudson in 1992 Prestwick became the first airport in Scotland to have its own railway station, an advantage it still has, and became the hub for many budget airlines including Ryanair. Passenger travel peaked in 2007 with the success of the policy.
   
   In 1998 it was sold to the Stagecoach Group who then sold it on to its current owners Infratil in 2001.