NORTH Yorkshire County Council has finally caved in to pressure from Tarmac and granted planning permission to allow a quarry to extend to within yards of one of England's most ancient monuments at Thornborough Henges.

Surely, the council should be promoting this site as a jewel in Yorkshire's crown, the equal to Stonehenge in national importance, if not public profile.

But we should not be surprised. On returning home to North Yorkshire across the Wharfe at Harewood Bridge, I am greeted by a sign saying "County of North Yorkshire – Home of Mutual Insurance".

Not home to York Minster and Ripon Cathedral, the abbeys of Fountains and Rievaulx, some of England's finest scenery in the Upper Dales and North York Moors, Captain Cook and Mother Shipton, Robin Hood's Bay and glorious Scarborough or countless other treasures.

Oh, no, our illustrious councillors have decided that, for a few quid, they are happy to declare this proud county simply the home to some random insurance company.

We should not be surprised that councillors supported Tarmac's business interest over Thornborough's heritage importance. They should be ashamed of themselves.

From: Clare Lindley, Thornborough, Bedale.

WELL, our beloved county council has granted Tarmac planning permission to extend Nosterfield quarry on to Ladybridge.

It would seem to them that the destruction of the setting of the Thornborough Henges is far preferable to the destructive encroachment of a quarry company, whose sole aim at the end of the day is to increase profit. After all, what can we learn from history? Compared with what Tarmac have to offer – nothing.

If we see litter in the street, we complain; if we come across a bit of graffiti on a wall, we complain. Litter can be picked up, graffiti cleaned away, the vandalism of our heritage is different.

When the bulldozers have ripped their way through any potential archaeology at Ladybridge, it is gone forever, a mess that cannot be cleaned up, a window into the past that cannot be re-opened. Which is the greater crime?


Dibnah, demolition and the Tinsley Towers

From: Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby.

ONE spectator missing in the crowd, at the demolition of the Tinsley Towers, at Sheffield, was the now deceased daddy of all demolition experts, the great Fred Dibnah.

If Fred was looking on, from the Royal Ascot in the sky, he must have been laughing his socks off at the first attempt to lower the
famous landmarks.

They will be much missed and were hurting no-one.


A dictionary has all the answers

From: Doreen Liddle, Ryther Road, Cawood, Selby.

IN response to the article from the Spelling Society's Jack Bovill (Yorkshire Post, August 26), what has happened to the dictionary, which was once an essential household item? Are they no longer purchased or are they just collecting dust?

A computer's spell-check draws attention to errors but still requires common sense for a follow-up.

If we are unsure of a spelling, go to a dictionary rather than hazard a guess.