Compel festivals to provide non-bottled water to save the planet – Yorkshire Post letters

I HAVE two sons and they both attended different music festivals. One was the Livefields Festival at Oakwell Hall in Kirklees and the other the Cocoon in the Park Festival at Temple Newsam in Leeds.

Time our politicians cleaned up their act on plastic bottles like Glastonbury – Jayne Dowle

I contacted the organisers of the Livefields event to check if my son could take water in with him. They informed me that this would not be possible and that they were providing water and drinks at the bar. They also confirmed that they would be supplying bottled water.

Wimbledon and Glastonbury set example to world on plastic bottles – The Yorkshire Post says

When I pointed out the problems with the enormous amount of plastic that would be generated, they said that it was a condition of the licence granted by Kirklees Council.

Both Kirklees and Leeds Councils could have stipulated that non-bottled water must be provided and I am very disappointed that this was not done. The organiser seemed to suggest that it was not possible for non-bottled water to be provided. However, if a festival as big as Glastonbury can do it, then all festivals should be able to. A water bowser could have been provided and attendees encouraged to bring reusable vessels and they could have had reusable bottles available for sale

From: Richard Saberton, Horbury Bridge, Wakefield.

WHY do the organisers of events, from music festivals to the Great Yorkshire Show, having charged a small fortune to get in, then rip you off with the price of food and drink?

While I understand that businesses have to make money and I have no objections to them making a reasonable profit, I do not want to finance their retirement in the Bahamas based on sky-high prices for often mediocre food and drink.

There is no way on earth that a bit of roast pork and stuffing slapped in a bread bun is worth £14! Not even if the pig was a family pet and the bread bun had been baked by Paul Hollywood!

Left feeling victim of con

From: Allen Jenkinson, Lipscomb Street, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield.

NO one reads road signs when they know where they are going. I’ve been using Leeds Bradford Airport for quite a number of years, though I had last used it some 12 months ago. This time I turned in, as usual, at the usual entry to the mid-stay car park, only to find the entrance fenced off. Being unable to reverse against incoming traffic, I had no choice but to go through the short stay car park and pay £3 to get out the other end. I’m not saying that the lack of effective signage, or mention of it when booking online, is an attempt to deliberately con anyone, but I certainly felt like I had been.

I’m curious to know how many others have fallen foul of this, it wouldn’t take long for those parking fees to add up.

Bar arranged marriages too

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

YOU rightly highlighted (The Yorkshire Post, July 12) the terrible consequences of forced marriage which, although being illegal for some years, still takes place.

Officials have been too wary of taking action for far too long due to cultural sensibilities, and accepting that this is, in the main, an issue with those from Pakistan-heritage backgrounds.

It is now time that officialdom also banned arranged marriages, which are too often closely aligned to forced marriage.

This ‘Third World’ practice should have no place in modern society, and brides from Pakistan and other similar countries should simply not be allowed to be brought into the UK.

Until arranged marriages are placed on a similar footing to forced marriage, then the problem will continue. It needs addressing as a matter of urgency.

Degree no guarantee

From: Paul Morley, Ribblesdale Estate, Long Preston, Skipton.

IF police had to be graduates nearly 40 years ago, myself and the majority of the amazing officers that I consider it an honour to have served with would not have even been granted an interview.

What complete and utter nonsense. Whoever believes that a degree automatically provides common sense, intelligence, empathy and guts should take a look at what universities are actually churning out these days.

Making case for greatest

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

JONATHAN Bentley (The Yorkshire Post, July 12) says Sir Andy Murray is “Britain’s greatest ever sportsman”. Well if a golfing Major equates to a Grand Slam in tennis, then Nick Faldo beats Murray by six to three. Then what about multi-Olympic gold medal winner Sir Mo Farah? And of course there are our cricketing greats such as Wally Hammond, Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton and Herbert Sutcliffe, alongside footballing legends like George Best and Bobby Charlton.

Really you are on safer grounds to refer to Sir Andy as being one of Britain’s greatest ever sportsmen.

Do Royals pay their way?

From: Miss MA Town, Huddersfield.

THERE is currently a lot of attention being paid to the cost of renovating the houses for the Duke of Sussex and the cost being borne by the nation. I think it is time greater publicity was given to the fact that, in 1811, George III decreed that the income from the Crown Estates should be given to the Government.