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Bring back services that meet local needs
From: David Brear, St Davids Road, Otley. I NEEDED a pharmacy on Sunday – where was the duty chemist? In Otley, the pharmacies used to share the duty of providing a service to the community – no longer.
My elderly parents have to regularly travel to Leeds hospitals for medical appointments, which normally take most of the day, free treatment which nevertheless costs up to 40 a day in taxi fares. We have, of course, a hospital – but no services.
At the same time, we can kiss goodbye to our local sub-post offices, which provide a valuable local service, again especially to the old and infirm who are unable to travel.
Why should we in the UK, one of the wealthiest nations in Europe and the world, enjoy deteriorating services? What is the common factor that links our decaying public services? This: that they are increasingly run remotely.
Once we had local owners who no doubt felt a duty to support the community that supported them – no longer. Our three chemists are all part of larger chains and evidently know that they can rest easy
on Sundays.
This is in spite of the fact that pharmacy is one of the most profitable retail areas available. When local hospital boards were responsible to local communities, they made it their business to provide the services needed.
And when the Post Office was run to provide a service rather than a profit, we got what we needed, rather than what we would put up with.
Bring back local government, local services – and local duty.
Uplifting experience of town's new bridge
From: James HS Abbott, Banksfield Crescent, Yeadon, Leeds.
I FIND myself forced to write after visiting the new footbridge over the River Aire at Castleford. The bridge was an amazing sight, drawing large numbers of people just to promenade and enjoy the experience. Families, couples, children and local people just doing their shopping, were crossing and clearly appreciating the amenity.
This bridge could indeed be the seed corn of regeneration for the town of Castleford. I visited the bridge with my wife after seeing the Channel 4 programme. This piece of architecture fulfils everything good architecture should be about; function, form and inspiration.
But, and of course there has to be a but, what on earth is that seedy pile of containers and plastic crates doing opposite the bridge? This has been added with the seal of approval of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, an institution with the highest standards, with a history of uplifting the spirit and in many cases challenging the orthodoxy.
Do the people of Castleford not deserve better? This art may be the only introduction to contemporary art that some of them have seen. I speak not as any great art critic but as an individual who takes an interest in the arts. I do not expect to find all art understandable or accessible, but public art needs to be uplifting and even challenging, this is neither.
As part of the regeneration of Castleford, the contribution of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park could be significant. Please encourage them to make it so.
Making it easier for people to enjoy woodlands
From: Jo Lindsay, Forestry Commission, Sherwood District.
IN response to K Bradley's letter "Waste in the woodland" (Yorkshire Post, August 12), the Forestry Commission is a government body and therefore responds to national issues such as health and education.
One of our aims is to "make it easier for people to use and enjoy woodlands, particularly in ways that benefit their physical and mental health". Our work in South Yorkshire has been nationally recognised by health organisations.
There is a growing body of research that shows people can gain significant health benefits from being in the woods and are more likely to stick to an outdoor fitness regime than one at the gym.
Woodlands are great for a range of activities, including walking, cycling and adventurous play. But many people don't realise what is on their doorstep. The activities we offer via our rangers help us to reach a much wider audience and give people a great opportunity to relax, get fit and make friends.
These include green gym conservation tasks, buggyfit outdoor exercise sessions for new mothers and forest experience bushcraft activities. The singles walks are just part of our effort to reach new audiences and have proved very popular, not as a dating agency, but giving people the confidence to get out and explore the woodlands and make new friends.
Many Forestry Commission ranger posts are entirely financed by other organisations, who recognise the value of the benefits we can deliver to people of all ages and backgrounds. This includes primary care trusts, local authorities and neighbourhood renewal funds.Privileged to wear Queen's uniform
From: RE Payne, Kirkfield Road, Withernsea.
I READ with horror the article about one of our returning heroes being treated shamefully by a train company (Yorkshire Post, August 14).
What is the world coming to? I, like Rifleman Zachary Hoyland, served in a Middle Eastern hot spot. Mine was called Aden, where, for two years, I served my country in danger of being shot or blown up on a daily basis as a professional soldier.
We professionals join the Forces voluntarily as a well-paid job, we signed a contract to serve our country according to the rules laid down in Queen's Regulations. The rules required us to behave at all times in a manner which would not bring disrepute on our regiment or our service in general, especially when in uniform.
In my day, we got a small number of free train passes each year. If we did not have a pass, we paid full fare. We did not get a rail card which allowed us reduced rates on all our train travel. The card Rifleman Hoyland was issued resembles a student rail card or the new senior citizen pass, certainly with these latter if you cannot show the card, you pay full fare.
Wearing the Queen's uniform is a privilege and an obligation to behave with courtesy at all times. One of the recruitment advertisements for the Army a couple of years ago emphasised one of the skills soldiers acquired in training was the ability to keep a clear head and not to respond to provocation. I am not condoning the guard's unsympathetic remarks, but he had a job to do and the soldier should have had the grace and professionalism to assist him in carrying out his duties.
I have been shot at, bombed and mortared while sleeping in my bed. I have seen colleagues killed and maimed. I would never use these incidents to justify fare dodging, to have done so would disgrace the uniform and dishonour those colleagues and my unit, of which we were fiercely proud. In my day any attempt to do so would have found me on a charge for bringing the service into disrepute – and rightly so.
Measles memories
From: Beryl Pearson, Gibson Close, Hambleton, Selby.
I HEARD someone on TV the other day advising young mothers about measles. I wish someone would explain to me what the difference is between measles now, and when I was a child.
We were a family of four who all had measles together. My mother put us in a darkened, warm room and fed us pieces of bread in warm water for a week. As the spots faded, we went back to a normal life with no side-effects.
I was five at the time and my sister recently died at 97, another at 89 and my brother at 70 and I am in my 90th year so measles didn't kill us.
The only medication in our house was cod liver oil, Fennings Fever Cure, treacle and brimstone, Germolene and a bottle of medicine the doctor made up for us if we had a cough. I think doctors issue too many pills, nowadays.
Opposing directions
From: Tom Whitley, Nicholson Road, Healing, Grimsby.
LEEDS Bradford Airport is a disgrace and I wholeheartedly agree with Stephen M Day (Yorkshire Post, August 15) in his condemnation of the state of it.
My wife and I visited the airport on July 31, and the upstairs lounge was also a shambles. We, too, saw cluttered tables and the windows were filthy.
My wife also waited for service for a very long time. When asked by a counter assistant if she was being served, she replied a young man had taken her order. My wife was then told: "Oh, he's gone off."
It would be interesting to hear what the owners have to say in response to the continued complaints about their airport.
From: David Walls, Croft Rise, Menston, Leeds.
WHILE your correspondent (Yorkshire Post, August 15) may have had a stressful time at Leeds Bradford Airport on Yorkshire Day, I have just got back from a day-trip to Amsterdam for a meeting.
The airport was busy, on the last Saturday for families escaping for two weeks before the end of the school holidays, but was clean and efficiently operated. Both flights were on time to within five minutes. Enough said.
Happy days with Thomas
From: Mrs Maureen Hunt, Seckar Lane, Woolley, near Wakefield.
THANK you Ian McMillan for brightening up a dreadful, dark and rainy day (Yorkshire Post, August 12) with the article about your wonderful relationship with your delightful three-year-old grandson, Thomas.
I chuckled my way through my Cornflakes as I read of the fascinating world of dinosaurs, some with unpronounceable names, like Parasauorolophus, which Thomas had to teach you how to say.
It took me back to my sons' childhood when there was a Jurassic period. I'm only sorry we didn't have the imagination to divide the dinosaurs into meat eaters and plant eaters, with all the subsequent fun you have had with the predators chasing the prey.
Thomas is a very fortunate little boy to have a grandad who has the time, energy and inclination to be his companion.
And Mr McMillan is lucky indeed to play with him in this magical world where dinosaurs ruled the earth.
Course for concern
From: Alan Muloch, Glen View, Mexborough.
I WRITE with reference to your article "False Start for racecourse" (Yorkshire Post, August 8). As a regular attendee at all Yorkshire racecourses, I am increasingly concerned at the situation which seems to have been allowed to develop at Doncaster.
Contrary to the statement of Arena chairman Raymond Mould, who said that attendance was down due to the economic downturn, the real reason people are deserting Doncaster is the downward spiral of service, customer care and safety/security standards.
If Mr Mould wants to put matters right he should take one action, utilise the management and staff from York Racecourse (surely the best in the UK).
If Mr Mould fails to act, then Doncaster Council should review Arena Leisure's contract before more damage is done and appoint more knowledgeable and appropriate management.
Toothless quango
From: AR Morris, Lee Lane East, Horsforth, Leeds.
THE letter from CD Round (Yorkshire Post, August 14) rightly turns an eagle eye on the operations of the water companies.
Ofwat, the industry regulator, is responsible for setting the prices the companies can charge us. Yet its record appears to be dogged by inactivity.
From 1991 until 2005, the most serious power that Ofwat had was to issue an "enforcement order". Its annual budget is in the region of 10m, which is a lot of money for a toothless quango.
Left best
From: P Graham Smith, Rhodesia Avenue, Halifax.
THE piece on the survey by the AA Driving School showing that left-handers have a higher pass rate than right-handers supports my long-held theory that left-handed people are very intelligent. I cannot recall meeting one who is not so.
Perhaps this is because living in a right-handed world, they are constantly called upon to work harder at everyday tasks.
Bargain hunt
From: SE Cade, Grosvenor Park, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon.
PERHAPS the influx of politicians et al to the Olympics at our expense is to discover if there are going to be any second-hand bargains available at the end which they can buy to persuade us how hard they are trying to keep the costs down for 2012.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Light rain
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