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Take tough action against licensees over binge drinkers
From: A Westhead, East Avenue, South Elmsall, Pontefract. THE Chief Constable of West Yorkshire made some good points on binge drinking and the disgusting behaviour taking place on our streets, particularly in the early hours of the morning at weekends (Yorkshire Post, November 30).
Sir Norman Bettison made some sound suggestions and proposals on how to attempt to deal with these problems which are progressively getting worse.
The one important thing he did not mention, was the licensee's responsibility in keeping an orderly house, and the running of his premises.
I was a licensee in the 1960s in a busy pub. With plenty of hard drinkers, we had the odd skirmish at weekends, but certainly not on a regular basis. If any serious disorder was reported by the police to the licensing authorities, I would receive a letter warning me of my responsibility of keeping an orderly house. I had plenty of co-operation from the police because they knew I was doing my best to achieve this aim.
We must remember that the people we see hopelessly drunk in the streets became drunk on the premises concerned before coming out on to the street. Why were they allowed to continue drinking when they were in an unfit state?
Tougher action should be taken against licensees who think this law is irrelevant. Money seems to be the main priority to the licensee of today, keeping the tills ringing and turning a blind eye to anything else. A pity for the poor taxpayer and the police.
From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.
IN his authoritative piece (Yorkshire Post, November 30), West Yorkshire Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison highlights a phenomenon that is both fairly recent and puzzling: young people go out on the town with the express purpose of reaching a state of oblivion.
When I went to university in 1955, rejoicing in the adventure of freedom from my excellent, watchful parents, I couldn't get enough beer.
Pubs in university towns were full of young men who liked to think they could drink a lot without falling over.
Unlike so many young people today, we didn't go out with the intention of making ourselves poorly; vomiting was an embarrassing sign of weakness.
Yes, we were pathetically immature but the binge drinking of today speaks of a deeper social malaise, with young women who should know better vying with their puerile male counterparts. Banning cheap alcohol promotions in clubs should be a moral imperative but it is unlikely to have much effect. The British work hard, play hard ethic means that, out of working hours, young people can't wait to hit the bottle and have the means to do so.
We like to accuse the French of being institutionally work-shy, with their penchant for the shorter working week and two-hour lunchtimes.
Yet they do not have our problem of drink-related public disorder. The words of a wise English poet can never have been more appropriate; the opening lines of a Wordsworth sonnet go: "The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers
Little do we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon."
Labour are hoisted by own petard
From: Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley.
THIS millennium had hardly attained its first birthday
when New Labour set up yet another "quango" entitled the Electoral Commission. The primary task of this body was to stop non-residents of the UK from donating to our political parties.
After all, the saucy Tories were raking in funds from overseas, with the opportunistic Liberals not far behind. Thus rule mumber one – every donor had to be located on the UK electoral register.
This would cut others' fund raising down to Labour Party levels. Many other rules and conditions were added, creating hurdles for those ignoring the ever expanding electoral law. This election policing body surged forward, many regional offices have been opened, and well over a thousand staff employed creating a rocketing budget.
However, the main task has been to patrol the opposition parties waiting to land some "big fish". After all, Labour was above reproach. They just make the laws for others to obey. How could it possibly apply to them?
Last week's revelations over illicit Labour donors means they have walked slap bang into the door. Hoisted by their own petard, truly poetic justice.
Are the days of the Electoral Commission numbered? Nothing shames New Labour.
From: Barbara Garden, Strickland Avenue, Shadwell.
THE Labour people made the new rules about donations to political parties and now some people in and out of Government say that they cannot understand them. What does this say about their intelligence? David Cameron is right to press the matter and I hope he will continue so to do.
From: TS Emerson, Gables Avenue, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield.
THE newspapers have been full of the problems of the Government as each day seems to bring another problem for Gordon Brown, who is looking the worse for wear having been landed with such a mess.
As a lifelong member of the TUC for some 36 years, I am disappointed that the party has sunk to such a depth of misery and involved with correcting errors rather than avoiding the causes by well designed and implemented processes.
The problems of the lost CDs with the personal data of some 25 million families is simply not good enough, heads should roll.
As the entire Government seems to be going to the dogs with a poor performance following a poor performance, surely it is time for both the opposition parties to beg the Queen to exercise her prerogative and call for the dissolution of Parliament in the interest of the well being of her citizens?
Failure in money game
From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield, Skipton.
SO Aled Jones (Yorkshire Post, November 29) thinks Prince William could well be to blame for the abject failure of our football team. Many people have not lost faith in the Royal Family and the alternative could be very unpalatable. Take George W Bush, for example.
The real culprit could well be the obscene amount of money they receive, whether they win or lose. Time was when our players had to earn a good salary by winning.
From: Pauline Gadsby Peet, Sutton Court, Beech Street, Bingley.
WHAT a patronising letter from Aled Jones about Prince William and football. I think it is wonderful that our princes enjoy this national game (and cricket). Heaven knows our teams need some uplifting from somewhere.
Now, if Aled Jones had suggested that the England players who lost to Croatia should not be paid for that shoddy performance, I would have agreed with him.
Fundamental issues
From: B Dixon, Curly Hill, Ilkley.
THE terrifying response to the apparent error of teacher Gillian Gibbons in accepting that young children who are proud of and fond of Mohammed and his name, and wished to call a teddy bear by it, has highlighted how almost irreconcilable are the cultures of East and West.
My admittedly limited knowledge of Islam is that Mohammed emerged as a leader because of the sectarian strife of the people around him. He wanted peace. Yet men today, allegedly preaching in his name, continue to foment violence and mob rule not only against the West but also against their own sects.
Not for them a mission to preach love, tolerance and peace, only the misuse of power.
Fundamentalism, like all dictatorships, attacks the educated first, hence the flight of teachers, doctors, lawyers from Iraq.
Disgraceful use of taxes
From: Janet Berry, Barfield Bar Lane, Hambleton.
ON television, the other night, I saw an elderly woman explaining how she coped with expensive heating bills.
She went to bed early, stayed in bed late and went to a warm place during the day, such as a library or shopping centre, which was well heated in order to keep warm. How disgusting that in comparison our council tax was used to buy top-of-the-range vehicles for North Yorkshire Police that were hardly used.
Glass distinction
From: William Dixon Smith, Welland Rise, Acomb
I HAVE always considered the Union Flag/Jack to be incomplete, and strongly support the suggestion of Ian Lucas MP that this proud unifying symbol of Britishness should be emblazoned with the Red Dragon of Wales (Yorkshire Post, December 3). Or better still, a wine glass with the label "This way up".
Realities of rearing and shooting pheasants
From: Ed Foster, Front Street, Aldborough, Boroughbridge.
IN response to Frederic Manby's bias and ignorance of pheasant rearing and shooting (Yorkshire Post, December 1), it would be better if he were to get his facts right.
Most shoots only shoot cocks and hens up to Christmas then leave the hens to survive to breed in the wild in spring.
We carry on feeding the birds until the bad weather is over and when new spring growth arrives, they begin to fend for themselves.
If too many cocks are left, they only fight each other as most people will have seen in spring instead of getting on with what they are supposed to be doing.
Full marks to Gary Longbottom for his photograph.
Here is a child in need who truly deserves our help
From: Moira Emmett,
South Duffield Road,
Cliffe Common,
Selby.
I WAS very upset to read about Kirsty Oldfield, whose parents had both died within the last year and who wanted to continue her education (Yorkshire Post, November 28).
The advice she was given to "become pregnant" in order
to receive maximum income was an absolute and utter disgrace.
Why on earth was she not given proper advice as to how to proceed with an application for assistance?
What sort of society is this when, two weeks ago, millions
of pounds were raised for Children in Need and yet
here we have a child desperate for assistance with no parents. Surely she is a child in need.
What about a National Lottery good cause – let's do something sensible for a change.
Are there no trusts or foundations left by rich benefactors or even current millionaires who could help her?
I just wish that I could have a win on the lottery to spoil
her and make her dreams come true.
There must be someone or some organisation out there who cares about decent young people.
From: Rachel Mattey, Opal Court, Burley Road, Leeds.
AFTER reading Kirsty Oldfield's tragic story of how both her parents died within months of each other, it really made me think about things in my life at the moment.
Reading Kirsty's story really put things into perspective. There are such strong individuals out there like Kirsty who are going through such terrible tragedies. My heart really goes out to her.
Conflicting views
From: R England, Clark Court, Pontefract.
OF all the journalists at the Yorkshire Post, Tom Richmond is the one whose column I have most difficulty with.
He claims a book written by Liberal MP Norman Baker on the death of Dr David Kelly, to be "a brilliantly researched piece of work". I don't know if he has actually read the book which is full of supposition and information from unverifiable sources. I prefer the opinion of the BBC reporter Tom Mangold, who has also researched the subject and who describes the book as complete codswallop.
Access point
From: Paul Emsley, Hellifield, North Yorkshire.
ALTHOUGH the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 has many laudable objectives, I don't believe that turning the United Kingdom's countryside into a pavement was one of them.
We, as a nation, need to allow a rational, reasonable interpretation of how we strive to facilitate access for all people to enjoy our country's natural beauty; but for that interpret-ation to be tempered by common sense, not governed by law.
Fine care
From: Geoffrey Kershaw, Lidgett Park Road, Leeds.
WE hear so much criticism about the treatment of NHS patients that I feel I must mention the treatment I received recently at the Nuffield Hospital in Leeds where I had a heart bypass operation.
I must say that the treatment I received was absolutely first class from the surgeons downwards and indeed everyone concerned. This includes all the diagnostic work carried out at Leeds General Infirmary before my operation.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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