Stories are often reported in the papers about bad care homes. I would like to report a good care home.

My mother-in-law went into Birchlands Care Home in Haxby 18 months ago, following a small stroke which left her unable to care for herself.

From the first step inside the door, unannounced, my wife and myself were made welcome.

My mother-in-law did not like it at first but after a while came to be quite happy and content.

The staff on her floor were marvellous, making her feel like one of the family. She was taken on outings when possible, even taken to a pub for fish and chips and a swift half.

She joined in with some of the activities on offer like helping baking, decorating the Christmas tree, painting one of the carer’s nails etc.

The staff in Birchlands are so caring that two of them drove all the way down to London and back to attend her funeral.

Praise must also go to the backroom staff, cleaners, cooks, admin, handyman etc, without whom no place would be so nice and inviting.

Ten out of ten for Birchlands.

M J Buckman,

Swarthdale,

Haxby,

York

High time ‘barbaric’ fighting is stopped

THIS country never ceases to amaze me. On the one hand we have students at Manchester University being banned from clapping at concerts, lectures etc in case it causes anxiety among fellow students.

Then, on the other hand, we have the brutality of boxing and the savagery of cage fighting.

There was a recent photograph of two boxers, Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin, in which the face of one boxer had been badly battered.

The savagery of the cage-fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, meanwhile, was so brutal it fired up the spectators to join in and fight amongst themselves.

Isn’t it, in the 21st century, high-time these barbaric spectacles were stopped?

Philip Roe,

Roman Avenue South,

Stamford Bridge