Four years to go

I refer to Fr Charles Cini’s magnificent, exuberant manifestation of his thoughts (‘Power of seductive force’, April 21), which entails the reader to read between the lines. He is spot-on regarding the present pervasive situation in our daily life’s doings.

I, too, feel there is something wrong that is leading us to doom. We all need a new breath of fresh air among the many public institutions that seem to be slowly, slowly grinding to a halt.

The honest, learned and well-meaning heads of our institutions are, in my humble opinion, not able to feel free to act, suggest and promote their own ideas. They are surrounded by government lackeys whose one and only aim is to promote the government’s policies and to limit all criticism of same.

Pity we shall have to abide by these stagnant rules of the game for a further four years.

Anthony Saliba – St Paul’s Bay

Snail mail, literally

The postmark on the envelope.

A Christmas card addressed to me and stamped at Michigan Metroplex post office, the US at 2pm on November 28, 2022 was delivered to me at Victoria on April 28, 2023 at 8am – a full 150 days later.

Another letter that I personally posted at the Victoria post office on November 25, 2022 at 5.30pm addressed to a priory at Sliema has still not reached its destination. An enquiry (#426606) to The director, Customer Care, Maltapost plc, proved inconclusive – the letter was not traced.

What’s happening?

Joseph Bezzina – Victoria

Hotel into bank

Further to the most interesting features by Giovanni Bonello (April 17) and Laurence Grech (April 19) about old hotels in Valletta, I may add reference to July 5, 1956, when a new main branch was opened by Barclays Bank in the busy business centre of Merchants Street, Valletta. This was on a site that had once served as the small Royal Hotel there. This site was owned by a certain M. Cini and the indications are that this gentleman had played really hard to give up the site. For long he had prided himself and advertised as offering “home comfort” in what was actually a family hotel in this prime business location… precursor of today’s “boutiques”?

This former “hotel in Valletta” is today HSBC’s main branch in the city.

John Consiglio – Birkirkara

Lidl losing customers

After waiting eons for Lidl Sliema to gift us with a supermarket, it was disappointing to see that some genius had designed a ramp for entry but steep steps for exit. Scott supermarket, which Lidl replaced, managed to offer far more user-friendly access. This in a town with an aged demographic.

Instead of redressing this mistake, security now advise that one will no longer be permitted to exit via ramped entry (regardless of shopping load with or without shopping carts) by showing receipt, as was happening. And are Lidl not aware of obligations towards people with disabilities?

Apart from the amusement of hearing “mhux suppost” in a Maltese context, this is shaping up as goodbye Lidl, thank God for the better competition.

Anna Micallef – Sliema