OPEN WIDE PLEASE!

[Stanley]

OPEN WIDE PLEASE!

24 May 2002

It looks as though dental hygiene is going to become even more important for anyone who lives in Barlick. I see that we are to lose our last remaining regular dentist. Of course the authorities rush in to tell us that it will be alright, we will still have treatment available in the town and if we want to be a registered patient we can always travel to Accrington, or anywhere else for that matter.
I share the scepticism that this news generates among potential patients and thank my lucky stars that my mother was not totally aware of the benefits of brushing teeth regularly during the war years. (The Second World War of course.) You may be struggling to make the connection, I shall explain.
By the time I was 23, in 1959, I was living at Hey Farm and had what was probably the worst maintained set of gnashers in the town. To be blunt, my teeth were rotten. I’d already had one experience with Mr Atkinson at Croft House when I had a half-crown extraction, the coin, not a dental term. For twelve and a half pence in today’s money, he sat me in the chair and pulled a rotten molar without anaesthetic. Every time I go into the reception at Windle and Bowker’s I remember him throwing that tooth into the corner!
Bearing this in mind, I went to Mr Pinder on Park Avenue and let him have a look. His conclusion was simple, get them all out. He did this and fitted me with a set of false teeth and apart from a cracked bottom set about 25 years ago, those same teeth are still serving me well. So, thanks to my mother’s lack of knowledge I lost my teeth.
Nowadays this would be regarded as unthinkable, all your teeth gone by the age of 23? How times change. I was delighted because it meant that I’d never have to endure the pain of toothache or dental work again. This was common in my generation or earlier. In fact, one of the best presents you could give a bride in pre-war days was to pay for her to have all her teeth out as a wedding present! Look at any picture of people in those days and the main reason they look so old is because they have most of their teeth missing. It was seen as natural, part of growing older and apart from the cost, anything that relieved you of the pain was to be welcomed.
So, the fact that the dentist is to close doesn’t really affect me. Perhaps there were advantages after all in having all my teeth out, how many people can say that their teeth have given them no trouble and have only cost them eight pounds in the last 43 years? Perhaps it’s bad customers like me that have caused us to lose our regular dental surgery, if so, I apologise to you all.
On another level, the news disturbs me. I think you all have a fairly good idea about my attitude to Barlick, I love the town and time after time I go on about the fact that we must be watchful and make sure we fight to preserve our amenities. The problem of the dentist is only one in an insidious catalogue of attrition, Cravenside, Rainhall Road School, the decline of town centre shopping, all these are indications of the way progress is taking us. We are at the mercy of arbitrary decisions made by accountants who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Fifty years ago we had three dentists in Barlick to my knowledge, Fernbank Avenue, Station Road and Park Avenue, now we are going to have none. This is not progress and in many ways is just as serious as the proposed closure of Cravenside. Think of the extra travelling time involved and recognise that not everyone has access to personal transport, if you are old or disabled or have a raging toothache this is real hardship.
Unfortunately I don’t have an answer, all I can suggest is that if this matter concerns you, get on your hind legs and start shouting! One thing is certain, if we all keep quiet and refuse to rock the boat we will lose out. I was derided not long since for suggesting that we could become a dormitory town. Quite right, I may be wrong but if you look carefully at recent events there are signs of decay in our services and environment. My advice is that we should assume the worst and ask ourselves what sort of town we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. The ball is in our court.
On a completely different subject, I’m getting very worried about street furniture. We already had enough clutter on the pavements but of late we have seen ‘Olde Worlde’ signposts, ‘traffic calming’ by obstructing the streets and now a bad attack of bollards! How do you manage if you are visually impaired? Wouldn’t it have been better to do something about the old obstructions, many of which are decayed and held together with duct tape? Have you noticed that when the new crossing was installed outside the Post Office they left the stump of the old standard in place? It probably contains some essential electrical connections but looks surplus to requirements!
Looking back at this, I apologise for the fact that I’m whingeing again, I do try to be positive but every once in a while there are things that have to be said. I hope I haven’t depressed you too much!

24 May 2002