Information on wedding

I have just been back to your beautiful island, which I have loved and known in the past, during my naval service.

A few weeks ago, I visited Holy Trinity church, in Sliema, the church in which my mother and father were married on July 13, 1937.

The story goes that, due to another possible ‘Abyssinian crisis’, my father, then on the staff of CinC Mediterranean, was not allowed to leave Malta to go to Britain in order to get married.

My mother-to-be, at the time transiting the Suez Canal in a P&O liner from Australia, was dropped off at the entrance to Grand Harbour and rowed ashore in a dgħajsa.

There she borrowed a wedding dress from Mabel Strickland. She was given away by Admiral Ford, who I think ran the Naval Dockyard in Senglea.

I wonder if there is anyone who has any more details or whether there was any entry in the Times of Malta, on dates around July 14, 1937, of my parents’ marriage, especially as I feel sure that Strickland herself would have been present.

Feel free to send me any information on tim.honnor@mac.com.

Tim Honnor – Inverness, Scotland

On the wrong side of history, once again

From what the prime minister is reported to have said about euthanasia, it is expected that a public discussion about the introduction of voluntary euthanasia will start soon. Such a debate had been pledged by the Labour Party in its 2022 election manifesto.

Abela has made it clear that such a public discussion should finally lead to a decision. The initial reaction by the Nationalist opposition was that the PN was totally against the introduction of any form of euthanasia.

This was made clear by PN whip Robert Cutajar, who replied on behalf of the whole parliamentary group, who were individually asked for their own personal opinion on euthanasia. Cutajar wrote back: “The PN works for the health of all persons from conception to death with a strong emphasis on quality of life. Therefore, the party’s position is against euthanasia.”

The PN’s reply can only be interpreted that Nationalist MPs are being gagged from expressing their personal opinion on a subject which should not be politicised.

I am morally convinced there are a number of Nationalist MPs who are in favour of the introduction of voluntary euthanasia, especially those who may have personally experienced the final days, weeks, months and, possibly, years their loved ones went through until their unavoidable death finally terminated their endless suffering.

Is this the “quality of life” the PN wants to protect?

This is why I strongly believe the PN will again find itself on the wrong side of history as it had with the introduction of divorce.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar