Costs derail day out for grandchildren

further to the letter from David Quarrie (Yorkshire Post, June 8) about Railfest in York, my husband and I had been told this was a great day out so I went online to check details as we wanted to take our three young grandchildren for a half-term treat.

Unfortunately this turned out to be impossible as the entrance fee for two adults and three children was £43 pre-bookable and £50 on the day. This, combined with train fares, would have brought the total cost to nearly £100, not counting food and drink for the day.

We felt that we could not commit ourselves to paying this for one day’s outing.

Fortunately the children forgot all about it and we enjoyed a good day at home reading, playing board games and doing a little gardening – which cost us absolutely nothing.

From: C Balmer, Victoria Gardens, Victoria Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull.

IT WAS pleasant to read the letters from David Quarrie (Yorkshire Post, June 4) and Mrs CE Brawn (June 6) highlighting their recent happy experiences of tourism, both at home and abroad.

The city and port of Kingston-upon-Hull, sometimes known as Hull or even ’Ull, welcomes visitors from all around the world.

We have excellent public transport, the locals are friendly and the history and culture must be experienced to be understood.

The public museums, fine art gallery and conveniences are a wonder and free to enter. Our friends in Scandinavia and the Low Countries are aware of this. Those from the Americas and Africa might be especially interested to visit the Old Town and the home of William Wilberforce, the waterfront, or the East Riding countryside.

Housing chiefs’ debt failure

From: R Wilkinson, Halton, Leeds.

I WAS disgusted when I read your article about the £9m debt being written off by housing chiefs (Yorkshire Post, May 30).

The housing chiefs have good, well-paid jobs and pensions and probably perks, but it seems to me that these people are unfit for purpose.

By their own admission they have written off debts of £13m in the last six years. But they have been chasing rent arrears for years. I worked on a council estate 25 years ago and the rent collector told me that many families owed large amounts of money and one woman owed nearly £1,000 which was a lot of money in those days. I looked into housing benefit on my laptop, and it seems that the housing benefit is paid to the tenant along with the other benefits.

This is crazy, some people can’t resist temptation and spend the money on themselves instead of paying the rent, knowing that nothing will happen to them. The council must keep back the housing benefit and pay the rent themselves. What do they do in these offices?

I also learned that if rent arrears went over eight weeks the council must pay the rent. Why has this happened?

In a hole and still digging

From: CD Metcalfe, Woodrow Drive, Low Moor, Bradford.

WITH reference to the letter from Stephen Wright (Yorkshire Post, June 7), I am amazed that the president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce has so little knowledge of the history of the Westfield site and has been so easily “taken in” by the false excuses and promises that have been given by both Westfield and Bradford Council.

The Westfield development was taken over during the retail boom years and was planned to be fully open well before the recession was even thought of.

I wonder how many members of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce were forced to relocate or go out of business due to the compulsory purchase of their businesses to make way for an eight year, and counting, hole? How will they feel now, reading comments that at last someone is trying to get some action but is being called unhelpful.

Had the Chamber done something, perhaps the people of Bradford would have some shops.

Never mind the veal

From: Trisha Scott, West Park Terrace, Scarborough.

I HAVE just read Jill Turton’s review of The Old Deanery restaurant (Yorkshire Post, June 9), and felt compelled to put pen to paper regarding some of her comments. I found it mind-blowing that, while worrying about the origin of the veal, she seemed to have no problem whatsoever consuming what is one of the most barbaric and inhumanely produced meats – foie gras.

Does she have no thought at all for the unfortunate ducks and geese being routinely subjected to the most horrendous treatment to provide her, and others like her, with what is, in effect diseased liver? These poor birds are force fed, via metal tubes down their throats, until their livers are grossly swollen.

What is it with these people, who condemn one form of animal rearing, while turning a blind eye to one which is far, far worse?