YP Letters: Supertram plan should be revived in Leeds

COUNCILLOR Judith Blake, the leader of Leeds City Council, comments on the fiasco of the now thankfully aborted trolleybus scheme, and mentions that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a rapid transport system (The Yorkshire Post, May 24).

What a disgraceful state of affairs that is, and shouldn’t all those involved over the past years be thoroughly ashamed of their part in this shambles.

However, she makes no real mention of resurrecting plans for a supertram network – even though such places as Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Edinburgh already have these in place and running successfully.

Supertram is surely the only way forward for Leeds to ensure that it has a 21st century transport system. As such, shouldn’t the council be pushing for this to be agreed in due course rather than, as with the trolleybus proposal, ending up with something that is simply second rate?

Are pebbles protected?

From: Jenny Barron, High Street, Barnburgh, Doncaster.

ON a recent visit to Bridlington, I watched a man struggling to carry a strong shopping bag off the beach on the North side. It contained many of the white, smooth pebbles which nature has strewn along the tide line.

Later, I saw a family doing the same with two bags and putting them into the boot of the their car.

When I was a small lass having our annual week’s holiday at Lyme Kiln Lane caravan park, in a converted tram, chopped off double decker bus or train, we would see millions of pebbles, even more than today.

I may be wrong, but I had the idea that they were protected and shouldn’t be removed from the beach. Am I mistaken? Perhaps a reader may know. If they are protected, then why are there not more signs to inform people at the entrances to the beach? I believe the subject is mentioned in the information sign at the end of the Roses Way.

Church should look forwards

From: Prebendary Pat Dearnley, Beanlands Parade, Ilkley.

SOON after coming to work in Leeds in 1971, I heard the then Archbishop of York, Dr Donald Coggan, speak on the subject of Pentecost. He lamented that this great festival of the Church had been neglected partly due to the use of the misnomer “Whitsun”.

The New Testament clearly states that the Church gathered for Pentecost. I moved to a parish in London in 1979 and inherited an elderly congregation of barely a dozen worshippers. In 1980 when the Church produced a new modern prayer book we replaced Whitsun with Pentecost. Within a short time the congregation had grown to around 80 each week.

One of the reasons why the Church declines in many places is because – as Archbishop Coggan used to say – it looks back to the worship of G.O.D., i.e. the “good old days”.

Get rid of the Duke of York

From: Mrs P Smith, Bingley.

I FEEL it is about time the Duke of York is stripped of his title, one that I feel he is unworthy of holding.

During the floods of York neither he nor his dreadful daughters showed any concern or interest and certainly never visited the areas of his dukedom.

He is a disgrace to the Royal family – let’s get rid of him!

No cost from Queen’s concert

From: Jayne Bennett, Baildon.

YOUR correspondent R Kimble of Hawksworth (The Yorkshire Post, May 21) states that in a time of austerity he finds the Queen’s 90th birthday concert at Windsor offensive and asks how much it cost the British taxpayer. It cost us nothing as it was sponsored by large companies such as Jaguar Land Rover and Waitrose. In addition, the extra money raised is going to the Queen’s favourite charities.

Simmer down, R Kimble, it didn’t cost you a penny.

Police had hard job at Orgreave

From: H Marjorie Gill, Clarence Drive, Menston.

RE articles calling for a new inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave (The Yorkshire Post, May 21). Arthur Scargill’s determination to bring down the Conservative Government of the time was no secret.

The use of flying pickets from all parts of the country to try to frighten the miners who didn’t wish to strike left the police with a rotten job.

Give the NHS more money

From: Nigel Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

HIGHLY-paid top civil servants have under-estimated the size of the NHS budget this year by £2.5bn. So what? Just give the NHS another £2.5bn. Yet the top civil servants responsible for under-estimating the NHS budget are proposing we shut 50 A&E departments to make up the shortfall.

Shops need defibrillators

From: David Treacher, Hull.

SHOPS want to think seriously about obtaining defibrillators in store for customers and staff who have a heart attack and need urgent assistance. The quicker assistance is given the better.

The cost of the defibrillator can be paid for by the store’s owners but an appeal could ask customers to contribute towards the cost. Between them, the cost is minimal, but it is priceless if someone is dying and time is urgent.