YP Letters: Wrong line of thought over building HS2

SEVERAL recent letters and articles, including that by Tom Richmond (The Yorkshire Post, September 13) have called for the scrapping of HS2, suggesting that it is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money at a cost in excess of £50bn.

However, I have yet to read any letter or article suggesting that Crossrail 2 should also be scrapped. In fact, there has been very little questioning as to whether the Crossrail project in London represents value for money for the taxpayer.

On the subject of HS2, I fail to understand why it is necessary to construct the link to Birmingham first, where the saving in journey times will be relatively small compared with existing trains (The Yorkshire Post, September 14).

If the link to Yorkshire was completed first, it could roughly follow the course of the old Great Central line, and would result in significant reductions in the cost and the environmental impact.

Links to Birmingham and Manchester could then be added on at a later date. Some of us in Yorkshire are suspicious that if the link to Birmingham is completed first, then that is where it will end.

Get a life? I’ve loved this one

From: Mr V Platt, Harrogate.

PLEASE allow me to reply to Mr David Reed (The Yorkshire Post, September 10) for taking me to task for questioning and objecting to the misuse of the beautiful English language.

He then informs me to “get a life”. Well, I’ve had one, Mr Reed, although it has to end shortly; in the 1940s I flew in little aeroplanes, have flown under the Victoria Falls bridge, once had a fight with a quite large bad tempered male baboon (I won), in middle life I was a medium-sized business fish in a large pond and when I retired I put my hand into helping old ladies with their house cleaning and shopping.

Yes, I’ve had a life, some mistakes, some regrets, but also with some good bits, all in all not a bad stay on earth, but almost time to go “home”.

As the Earl of Chesterfield said “words are the dress of thoughts, which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, dirt, than your person should”. So David, respect the language and use it wisely.

From: Mrs E Bell, Driffield.

LIKE other correspondents, I, too, absolutely detest hearing females described as “guys” when they are obviously girls, or ladies.

Sadly its obvious, for numerous reasons, that our superb English language has become worse than “slipshod”, together with numerous other standards in our wonderful country.

Thankfully, no one has yet referred to me as a “guy” in my hearing. Should they ever, they will be put in their place in no uncertain terms!

Hung up over nuisance calls

From: Alec Denton, Guiseley.

OVER the past month, our home phone has been targeted at least twice a day by nuisance calls from the same source. When we reach the phone, we are always greeted by silence with after about 30 secs a recorded “good-bye”.

The caller always disconnects when the answerphone switches on and 1471 always says “number unobtainable”. We have the normal blockers and up to now they have worked well, but the situation is very frustrating.

The only cure I can think of is for new legislation requiring all business users to provide a 1471 friendly identification before they are allowed to use a UK network. To prevent rogue traders switching to private phones, multiple calls from private phones should be automatically blocked.

As I am sure most of our local MPs read The Yorkshire Post, this letter is a plea for help.

UK’s debt to Polish heroes

From: Keith Wigglesworth, Highburton, Huddersfield.

WITH the recent racial attacks on Polish migrants in the news, perhaps it would be timely, particularly with regard to the Battle of Britain anniversary, to recall that in the early years of World War Two, many foreigners, particularly Polish men, strapped themselves into aeroplanes to fight for our country, many dying in the attempt.

It is also of interest that, at this moment, a large crew of Dutchmen is excavating the remains of a Wellington bomber from a lake bed in Holland which, incidentally, was one of many manned by a Polish crew.

In-store PO fails to deliver

From: Mr C Christie, Swanland Road, Helmsley.

RE the Royal Mail and “modernisation” (Jayne Dowle, The Yorkshire Post, September 15). How do you “modernise” Helmsley Post Office?

Firstly, you move it from its long-established position into a nearby busy convenience store where clients, after mounting the steps, must compete for space with the store customers.

Secondly, you position the posting box on the far side of a busy main road so that the hard of hearing and poorly-sighted must run the gauntlet of the traffic or face a walk to the distant pedestrian crossing.

This is an accident waiting to happen but we have, after all, been “modernised”.

Beak practice

From: D Webb, Rothwell.

I WRITE in response to Mr R C Carter (The Yorkshire Post, September 13) regarding the missing sparrows.

At this time of year, birds tend to leave urban areas and move into open country where they can feed on berries, fruits and seeds.

They will move back into urban areas when this food has gone. Fresh water and bird food will be a great help to get them through the depths of winter.