YP Letters: Bringing to book the lives of our elders

From: Roger Whitaker, Hardwick Road, Pontefract.
Ian mcMillan has highlighted the importance of peopl writing down stories told by their parents and ancestors.Ian mcMillan has highlighted the importance of peopl writing down stories told by their parents and ancestors.
Ian mcMillan has highlighted the importance of peopl writing down stories told by their parents and ancestors.

WHAT an interesting column by Ian Macmillan (The Yorkshire Post, March 5). I also regret not writing down stories told to me by my parents and parents-in-law.

However, by coincidence, and in the spirit of his article, I received a rather fancy notebook at Christmas from my granddaughter. It was entitled “Dear Grandad from me to you, journal of a lifetime” in which it said “this book is for your grandfather’s unique and amazing story”.

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It adds: “It is for him to capture some of life’s key memories, experiences and feelings.

“Ask him to complete it carefully and, if he wants to, add some photographs or images to personalise it more.

“When it is finished and returned to you, this will be a record of his story – a story that you will treasure for ever.”

On each page is a guide as to what information you should give them. On page one: “Tell me about the time and place you were born. Another page asks about influences in your life. And so on.

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On the back cover of the book is written “Everyone has a story to tell. Life is a fascinating journey and some aspects are often shared with others. However, most stories and moments are never recorded.”

My wife received a similar book addressed “Dear Grandma”.

So to all your readers, take Ian’s advice, get a notebook, fancy or otherwise, whether you are an uncle, aunt, grandparent or any other relative, each person’s story is unique, and I am sure you will get a lot of pleasure, remembering the happy events as well as the sadder events, and some of the things you had forgotten about.

When it is finished, give a copy to all your young relatives.

Our well-oiled machinery

From: Sonya Ainley-Verity, Market Weighton.

JAYNE Dowle’s article on Conservative party membership astonishes me (The Yorkshire Post, March 7). Since when have the government of the day had control over constituency associations?

Conservative membership depends on three things:

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1. Do the electorate have any respect for Conservative MPs as a whole?

2. Are there any inspirational Constituency Chairmen?

3. Are their executive members aware of the need for recruiting members, and the need for a chain of command within their ranks to achieve this?

In the 1960s I, and the well oiled machine which was the Howden Conservative Association, canvassed the electorate (not just in elections), knew where Conservative support lay and each local branch had strong grass root support. Constituency chairmen took their role seriously and though the hard work and organisational skills of the Conservative Agent (do they still exist?) An almost daily programme for the unpaid officials of the Association provided constant contact with local branches.

The constituency organisation was divided into five groups. Within those groups we had either flourishing branches or, at least a “contact” able to rally the troops at election times. 
All this went on irrespective of what government was in power.

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David Cameron should not be dabbling in local politics. He is there to run the country for all of us, and it is the job of Central Office to run the party machine. Or does Jayne Dowle know something we don’t?

Paying price over energy

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

RE your editorial “Some regard Npower’s difficulties as the energy industry’s equivalent of the banking crisis” (The Yorkshire Post, March 9).

We are reminded that Ofgem fined Npower £22m for poor complaints handling. As with banks’ mis-selling, the company is fined, but not those with the “super-inflated salaries” to which you refer.

Come what may, these mutually self-regulating nonpareils will leave the mess behind and find another gold-plated trough somewhere – not for them one of the increasing number of zero-hours contracts. Once again, the price is paid by their hapless employees and us.

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Thirty years on, many of us increasingly wonder if the former state-owned gas and electricity boards were as bad as we were conned into believing.

I’ve no time for Harold...

From: Alan Netherwood , Dorchester Avenue, Pontefract.

IN reply to Sir Bernard Ingham’s article on Harold Wilson (The Yorkhsire Post, March 9), has he forgotten that inflation was sky high under the Wilson government?

As a young married couple at the time, prices were increasing on a daily basis, a big struggle for us both.

So I have no time for Harold Wilson, and that’s from a Huddersfield-born person.

Hypocrisy of the SNP

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

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I AM astounded that the SNP voted against the extension of Sunday trading hours in England (The Yorkshire Post, March 10). They already have normal Sunday hours in Scotland. 
What a hypocritical lot they are. It is time the SNP MPs were told they could not vote on any issue that is the concern of England alone.

The most uncore city

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Shipley.

WITH regard to ‘core’ cities and the Northern Powerhouse (The Yorkshire Post, March 11), Bradford must be the biggest ‘uncore’ city in the North.