WHEN I was a small boy during the war, I visited Blackburn railway station. At the top of the slope leading up to the platform was a sign stretched across the railings. In big letters you couldn’t miss it. It read: “Is Your Journey Really Necessary?”

At the same time, millions of dads like mine were fighting this really rotten chap called Hitler. And millions of mums like mine were making guns and bullets to help our dads do their job.

They were doing all this so that, never again, would we need to be asked the question, ‘Is your journey really necessary?’ They could not have guessed that some time in the future, after more than sixty years of peace, one of our Blackburn councillors would be asking us the same question. And what is worse, to save money.

Our mums and dads would, I am sure, have hoped that some of the journeys would have included those graciously offered as a gift, by our Government, to us older folk as a small token of their gratitude for our lifelong services to the community, in whatever capacity.

They would have been appalled, if they were still here, to read your letter, Councillor Alan Cottam. I read your letter and I, like them, was appalled.

BERNARD TAYLOR, St James Road, Blackburn