HS2 and other white elephants

Am I no longer the voice crying in the wilderness over the precious HS2? You have published two excellent letters in your pages recently on this subject and another person who knows a bit about transport, John Prescott, has stated that the money should be spent on a general upgrade of the existing system. This country has a record of glorious failures promoted on the whims of politicians. Concorde, the Humber Bridge and also HS1 – which is carrying half the traffic it was claimed it would! The only impact HS2 would make would be to ruin house prices from Chalfont St Giles to Church Fenton. Most of the builders would be immigrants and just in case you do not know, we do not build trains in this country any more. Can you just bear with me while I mention that supreme flop, the Sheffield “super” tram? This virtually ruined the city while it was being built, now it has just about recovered it is starting all over again because the rails are worn out. Leeds had a lucky escape there. From: Diana Priestley, Fixby Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Thank you Susan Abbott (Yorkshire Post, June 1) for reminding me why I never use the bus – there is no conductor. At the bus station you are kept waiting in a draughty aisle until the driver lets you on. There is no one to help if you are doddery, carrying a heavy case or dragging a pushchair. There is no one except the unfortunate driver to assist if drunks cause trouble at night, or to advise you which stop to use in an unfamiliar area. A good conductor who knew his route was a valuable person. All is not lost, however! On Supertram in Sheffield, using Park and Ride, a very jolly lady, full of Yorkshire humour, was the conductor. It was just like old times, and passengers disembarked laughing and at ease. Well done Sheffield, that’s what I call a service. Labour’s lack of principle From: Malcolm Naylor, Otley, Leeds. At the outset I declare I am not a wealthy pensioner, but I vehemently oppose Ed Balls’ plans to withdraw universal fuel allowances from high income pensioners. The porosity and shallowness of Labour policy is clear and Ed Balls personifies its lack of principle. It is for political advantage and has nothing to do with balancing the economy. At best it will save £100m, which is doubtful when the cost of bureaucracy and administration is included. This won’t even make a pin prick in the national debt. If Labour wished to save £100m it could save twice that amount by abolishing the monarchy, whose costs exceed £200m. And for the sake of democracy that is exactly what a genuine Labour party should do. But no, this is no longer a Labour party but a neo-Conservative Party masquerading fraudulently as Labour. Ridings recognised From: Geoff Bayley, Chairman, Saddleworth White Rose Society, Saddleworth, Yorkshire. As chairman of Saddleworth White Rose Society (SWRS), I warmly welcome the statement by Local Government Secretary of State Eric Pickles “that the Government will assert that England’s historic and traditional counties still exist, and will seek to encourage the marking of their boundaries and continued use of their county names”. SWRS members have consistently campaigned for the recognition of Saddleworth’s historic identity as part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and to correct the misconception that the local government changes of 1974 somehow moved Saddleworth into Lancashire. During the past two years, the society has succeeded in marking some of the places where the boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire coincides with the Saddleworth boundary. The Ridings of Yorkshire have existed for over a thousand years, while the former county councils which were created to administer local government for the Ridings, were not imposed until 1889, and were abolished in 1974, a period of only 85 years. It was the administrative county councils which were abolished, not the Ridings themselves. Always a bigger bully From: Kathleen Calvert, Paythorne, Lancashire. Regarding the Business report about retailers and tax by Ros Snowdon (Yorkshire Post, June 4), how ironic that large high street retailers feeling the economic strain are now being undercut by someone even larger than they. It is said that what goes around comes around, and this news must surely bring a skip to the hearts of all the small traders and businesses for which these same retailers have shown no concern for the level of their playing field. Playground bullies generally pick on those smaller and more vulnerable. They surround themselves with their mates when carrying out dirty deeds, and leave them to deal with any shows of strength, or attack from other bullies. Quiz delights From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham, East Yorkshire. Partial retirement now allows me to entertain the elderly residents of a local home, yet I sometimes feel a shade guilty as they often give me more joy than I can grant them myself. In recent weeks the answers to three quiz questions greatly amused me. Question: Name a county in the south of England beginning with the letter ‘A’. Answer: ‘Ampshire. Question: What was Hitler’s Christian name? Answer: Herr. Question: Who killed Macbeth? A lovely lady, Nan, aged 100 years and one month, answered: “Mrs Macbeth!”