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Shakespeare's history lesson for Brown
From: David Pinder, Park Avenue, Mirfield, West Yorkshire. GORDON Brown has none of the surly, brooding magnificence of Heathcliff – he is just sulky. However, there is another literary character he does resemble closely.
There has recently been a superb performance of Shakespeare's Richard III at Ludlow Castle. Modern historians now know that the real Richard bore little resemblance to the grotesque creature portrayed in the play. Shakespeare's Richard III spends much of his early life supporting his much more illustrious but flawed elder brother; while at the same time scurrying around in the shadows plotting against enemies, real and imagined; he destroys all those who might be competition; gathers around him a collection of young, impressionable followers
who, being nonentities in their own right, cling to his coat-tails and carry out his bidding.
Sadly, having once attained his life-long goal, he proves incapable of mastering the role and, seeing treachery all around him, alienates the powerful who originally accepted his rule.
The tale culminates in disaster at an August battle on Bosworth Field.
The only questions for Gordon Brown are who and where is Henry Tudor? And which of his so-called friends and allies will stand by him and which of them just stand by?
Turbine threat to views at Bolton Abbey
From: G Malcolm Walker, Draughton, Skipton.
LAST week, you reported on the work that English Heritage was doing to highlight the threat to the physical fabric of Yorkshire's historic buildings and gardens. It is equally important to recognise the threat posed to the setting of these buildings by insidious development. Bolton Abbey – a grade one listed building and for generations of Yorkshire men and women a glorious celebration of Arcadian landscape is, courtesy of Yorkshire Water and Bolton Abbey Estate, facing the threat of having a backdrop of two 420ft high industrial wind turbines.
I hope English Heritage is doing all in its power to ensure it does not happen.
Mixed views on M&S fashion offerings
From: Ann Heath, Farlington, York.
WITH reference to Linda Sheridan's letter (Yorkshire Post, July 14) I agree with every word. I shopped in York on Friday,
July 11 and noticed the lack of shoppers buying from Marks & Spencer. For some time the
rails have been full of the same old things only in different colours.
As suggested by Linda Sheridan in her comments – Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor are
not the average British size
and I personally do not
think that these models go out in M&S clothing.
Stuart Rose really needs to pull his socks up and ask the women in the street what she wants – and it is not what M&S are offering.
If it's good, we'll buy it; if it's not, it should go for rags.
From: M Hunt, Secker Lane, Woolley, Near Wakefield.
WHEN I saw the photo of the lovely model, Lily Cole, in her Marks & Spencer dress, I thought she looked stunning.
I am only sorry it wasn't in colour! Far from turning me off, as Linda Sheridan pronounced that I would be (Yorkshire Post, July 14), I was enchanted.
At last pretty dresses are making a comeback and girls can look feminine again. Perhaps we may see the end of the ubiquitous jeans – and, hopefully, the bare midriffs! Unlike the letter writer, I like the vibrant colours, frills, sequins and all. I only wish I could still wear them.
So don't despair, Sir Stuart Rose, you still have many loyal and satisfied customers who remain happy with "your M&S". The fall in your profits may well have more to do with the economic situation than with the manager of your fashion department. We wish you well.
From: Mrs Paulyne H Patrick, New Way, Tranmere Park, Guiseley.
I AGREE wholeheartedly with Linda Sheridan (Yorkshire Post, July 14) regarding the fashions at Marks & Spencer.
I think they should re-name their store "Teens and Twenties".
They have lost the plot. EU does have federal ambitions
From: William Bell, St Wilfrids Close, Ottringham, Hull.
OVER the years, we have been constantly told that the European Union has no federal intentions and that the final aim is not to create a State of Europe.
This, despite the fact that, over the years, the EU has acquired a president, parliament, flag, anthem and laws which take precedence over those of member states, a court and a police force. It is shortly to have a diplomatic service with embassies abroad and a
foreign minister – albeit with a different title. There is also a move, led by the French, to form an EU Army. All of these are the trappings of a fully fledged state.
The question to be asked is why would a grouping of supposedly independent nations require such an army? Could the EU elite possibly see it as a suppressive element if faced by a mutinous citizenry at some time in the future?
It is difficult to imagine the people of the UK being very happy at the thought of their loved ones may be sent to fight in conflicts which are of no concern to the UK. Indeed, such conflicts may well be detrimental to the national interests of this country. The formation of such a force appears not to have made allowances for the historical neutrality of such nations as Ireland and Sweden.
I consider that it is high time that the UK call a halt to our involvement with this corrupt and prospectively despotic organisation and take immediate steps to regain our lost sovereignty before it is too late. In any case, in no circumstances should the Government allow the control of our Armed Forces to be manipulated by other than our own Parliament.
From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.
TROTTING out his usual mix of bogus statistics and half-baked assertions, James Bovington (Yorkshire Post, July 10) tops it off with the classic Europhile myth that the EU is an inter-governmental organisation. It is nothing of the kind.
The EU is separate from, and above us. The EU works by usurping powers (sovereignty) from European nations and then exercising that power itself. The EU is our new government, not yet in total control but increasingly so. And the Lisbon Treaty increases EU domination.
Nor was Lisbon "the brainchild of elected politicians and leaders" as Mr Bovington claims. Lisbon was modelled, by EU instruction, on the EU Constitution, itself the work of a Convention.
As member Gisela Stuart, Labour MP, said: "The Convention brought together a self-selected group... many of whom have their eyes on a career at a European level, which is dependent on more and more integration, and who see national parliaments and governments as an obstacle..." In fact, no one was elected for this Convention.
Moreover, Mr Bovington complains that "only 30 per cent of the Irish electorate voted against the treaty". Yet Labour itself only got in with the backing of 22 per cent of the UK electorate.
Although Mr Bovington sneers at "the anti-EU rebellion" of the Irish, he knows full well that if the UK had the referendum we, too, would vote against the Lisbon Treaty. As would a number of other European countries.
The EU was built on deception: its founders plotted to dismantle European nations from within by presenting the political takeover as merely economic co-operation. This great deception is still being pedalled by the likes of Mr Bovington, but he has been rumbled.
From: DH Rhodes, Keble Park North, Bishopthorpe, York.
I READ with interest of the new exhibition opening at the British Museum about the life and times of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.
He ruled an area from the Scottish borders to the Sahara and from the Atlantic to Iran. Does this area sound familiar, even down to a division between England and Scotland?
Although not having come to its full fruition, this new empire proposes to install another despotic emperor in the form of a president of the European Union. If the European army ever comes into being then, as of old, I hope those troops from the Mediterranean countries will carry out exercises along Hadrian's Wall especially during the winter months. That should help prepare them to fight alongside our boys.
If history repeats itself then we have just short of 300 years before the centre of the empire collapses and the original member states crumble into chaos, anarchy and warfare.
Unless, of course, we heed the Irish "No" vote.
Shooting investment
From: Mrs I Fielden, Kirkby Wharfe, Tadcaster.
I THINK Michael Booth was referring to the money ploughed into the local rural economy by the shooting parties on Ilkley Moor in terms of accommodation, catering, employment of beaters as well as the money that they pay for having the shooting, which is ploughed back in to the management of the landscape – to the benefit of all the user groups (Yorkshire Post, June 28).
Where Jim Davenport is exactly right is that they can enjoy the moor and tolerate each other "in a morally and socially acceptable manner" – which surely should include those who come to shoot on just a few days a year? I, for one, am certainly not "sadistic", "bloodthirsty" or "a bully boy" (very much female) but openly admit to understanding the need for shooting to take place (for food) as well and appreciating the additional investment to the uplands that it brings.
Concerned at waste
From: Rev Neil McNicholas, St Hilda's Parish, Whitby.
TWO concerns: Firstly, with local authorities threatening to levy fines against householders who discard too much rubbish in their bins, is anyone going to first stop manufacturers from encasing their products in excessive amounts of packaging?
Otherwise how are we expected to dispose of volumes of waste we don't even want in the first place (that and the junk mail that pours unwanted through our letterboxes)?
Secondly, given that manufacturers were banned from producing products such as DDT, asbestos, iodine, etc, which were proved to be hazardous to public health, why are tobacco companies allowed to continue producing cigarettes which have been proved to be carcinogenic?
Surely it couldn't be to do with the vast tax revenues that the Government receives from the sale of tobacco products?
Harebrained schemes
From: John Revely, Bridge Street, Helperby, York.
THE Wetlands Vision Partnership's plan to create more wetlands (Yorkshire Post, July 7), often at the expense of food production, is an insult to the generations of farmers, who have worked tirelessly to drain and improve land to make it more productive, and everyone else who is seeing their food bills rising dramatically, with a real threat of shortages.
To take 3,700 hectares of good land between Huntingdon and Peterborough as well as more good land in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire is nothing short of criminal.
It is not only the area of designated wetland that is affected, a large area around it will be subject to slower drainage and thereby a shorter growing season, with a reduction in yields and a fall in value.
Animals on wet grassland are subject to parasites, requiring extensive
medication, or even rejection of carcases.
We should go back to a Ministry of Agriculture,
whose remit should be to get us back to self-sufficiency in basic foods and these harebrained schemes should be abandoned forthwith.
Furniture question
From: Sheila Seymour, Northfield Court, Church Fenton, Tadcaster.
AS a pupil at Mill Mount Grammar School, York,(1956-1961), I did not realise the significance of the mice carved into the legs of our
school hall furniture, until much later, "Craftsman who left his mark on history" (Yorkshire Post, July 17).
We had a table, lectern and Miss Willoughby's chair on the stage, clearly visible to pupils during daily assemblies.
Our school buildings are now part of All Saints Comprehensive, although Mill Mount was amalgamated with Nunthorpe to form Millthorpe. I would dearly love to know what has happened to Robert "Mousie" Thompson's unique furniture.
Hardest hit
From: Malcolm Hanson, Bachelor Road, Harrogate.
SO theUnison and Unite members walked out in protestat a 2.45 per cent pay offer. Can I ask the leaders of these unions one simple question. Who do they think will have to pay for the increases, whether it be 2.45 per cent or 3.8 per cent?
I can give them the simple answer. It will be their ownmembership and other members of the public via increases in council tax.
The people hit hardest will be the lower paid workersand pensioners as usual.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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