Beware of bamboo cages

I WAS interested to read of the imminent arrival of the pandas to this country (Yorkshire Post, August 5).

My father was the captain of the Blue Funnel cargo liner Antenor which brought the first of these animals to the UK around Christmas 1938. Apparently, they were inadvertently housed in a bamboo cage which the five of them promptly ate during the first night on board and, before re-capture, caused much consternation among passengers and crew.

I am pleased to read that the dietary requirements of the new arrivals will be satisfactorily catered for!

Blaming Blair

From: Harry Moore, Leeds Road, Ilkley.

DOUGLAS Hartley writes (Yorkshire Post, August 9) that the profits from work done by Siemens here will go to Germany, implying that the same doesn’t apply to profits earned by Bombardier. He’s right! Bombardier profits go to Canada.

All this has occurred because British industry hasn’t been supported properly, particularly during the Blair premiership. Tony Blair believed that this country could survive on service industries. What claptrap!

Station option

From: Mrs J Sykes, Old Lane, East Chevin, Otley.

Oh dear Mrs Kent (Yorkshire Post, August 6) – instead of McDonalds you should have had lunch at Wetherspoons at the bottom of Leeds Station. The loos are free there and the food and drink very good.