Bring back the bank managers

PHIL Orford argued persuasively (Yorkshire Post, June 1) for the return of local, bank managers, to assess and facilitate the borrowing needs of small businesses.

The general public would also greatly benefit from a return to more traditional methods of banking.

It is truly perplexing that, despite all almost bankrupting themselves, creating turmoil on the financial markets and requiring multi-billion-pound subsidies from the public purse, bankers still seem to believe, blinkered and bloated, bonus-driven modus operandi was not to blame. It was! It is!

They will undoubtedly argue that times change and the world changes with them – that telephone and online transactions have transformed the industry and the concept of a bank manager is anachronistic. It is not.

Technology and “advisers” cannot replace the personal knowledge, experience and discretion of a local bank manager.

Beef encounters

From: Nola Heslop, Beechburn Park, Crook, Co Durham.

WHEN we lived in Yorkshire, in the 1960s, there used to be cuts of beef on sale in the butchers in the Leeds market and in butchers shops elsewhere, such as Pontefract and Wakefield, called “hindlift” and “taildraft”.

Please can anyone tell me what cuts these are known as elsewhere in the country?

I suspect the “hindlift” might be otherwise known as silverside, but I’m not sure, and I’m at a loss as to “taildraft”.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Pride of place

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WE have just returned from a visit to Scandinavia. In all the cities we visited, there was no litter on the streets and a flag of the country on every civic building.

Are we so ashamed of our country that we can’t be bothered to keep the streets clean and show that we respect our flag?