Like thousand of others around Albury, and millions across the world, I have been moving from shop to shop looking for that “just right” gift for my loved ones.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It has been so good to see the bright decorations, the Christmas trees, that spot set aside for the young (and not so young) where they are able to tell “Santa” just what they would like to have in their stocking this year.
All of these do bring a smile to our faces, and seeing the beaming smiles coming our way as friends and strangers alike wish us a “Merry Christmas”.
Oops – suddenly I realise that there is something missing in each of the major shopping centres (Lavington Square, West End Plaza and Myer Centre); there is no indication in any way as to why we are celebrating this wonderful season.
There are no nativity scenes, no mention of the child Jesus the remembrance of whose birth should be the very centrepiece of Christmas celebrations.
There are no carols pealing out announcing the joy of the occasion.
Have we, as a nation, become so politically correct that many seem to consider that any mention of the birth of Christ is just going to be too offensive to other cultures?
Yes, we certainly are a multi-culture nation, and we should be proud of this fact.
I have no problem in those from other nations celebrating their holy festivals, nor do I refrain from wishing our Muslim friends “Happy Ramadan”, or our Jewish friends “Happy Hanukkah”.
But it would seem that there is obviously a huge problem in an open celebration of the birth of the Christian Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ (who incidentally, is available to all no matter nationality or belief).
Christmas is a time to celebrate and to sing with a joyous heart “Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King”.
So, come on shopping centre managers, it is not too late. A nativity scene and the sound of Christmas carols is not too much to ask for.
Philip Morton, Albury
Weather bureau reputable
What a surprise. Another letter from John Vance of Wangaratta (My weather gauge more accurage than BOM readings, The Border Mail, December 6) and this time he tells us that his weather gauges are more accurate than those of the Bureau of Meteorology.
The last letter I saw was in about July last year when he disputed that climate change was caused by man and asserted that banks are “slowly backing out of these schemes”. He was referring to renewable energy technologies. A year later it is clear that they are backing out of fossil fuel investments at a rate of knots.
But his latest claim is absurd. Just because his gauge at home records a different rainfall than the gauges at located at the airport, they must be wrong in his opinion.
That is not at all unusual but the answer is not that his gauges are better than the junk that BOM uses.
A more reasonable explanation is that the rainfall varies across a district and the variation may be significant. This is especially so when the rain comes from intense storms that may hit one area and completely miss another area that is only a kilometre away.
Get over it John. Climate change is real, human activities are a significant part of the cause and BOM is accurate and reliable.
