Fully restored is what we all want to see

The support of Griff Rhys Jones for the restoration of the Odeon Cinema building (Yorkshire Post, November 14) will, I am sure, have been welcomed by very many people in Bradford. Further, the idea of new group Bradford One to turn it into a music and cultural venue will have widespread support.

Mr Jones is the president of Civic Voice, and is also backed by Bradford Civic Society, who have been campaigning for the retention of the Odeon for some years. That the owner of the building, the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency, is willing to sell it for £1 is a welcome sign of the way ahead. However, it has to be said that its offer of £100k of maintenance cash is derisory.

When one considers how the building was left to rot, and never properly maintained, by Yorkshire Forward in particular, then surely the current owner has an obligation to substantially increase the proposed amount.

What we now all want to see is a fully restored Odeon building to wonderfully complement the adjacent Alhambra Theatre and the new City Park. To actually give the residents of Bradford what they want to see would be a novelty for our city in recent times!

Reasons for bad behaviour

From: Heather Causnett, Escrick Park Gardens, Escrick, York.

I FOUND Susan Abbott’s letter (Yorkshire Post, November 14) on the bad behaviour of our young people sad reading, but nevertheless, only too true.

There are, I believe, three reasons for this. First, far too many youngsters come from homes without care, discipline or guidance. Many modern mothers should never have had children in the first place, but our ever-lenient society lets them carry on unchecked.

Secondly, nobody is allowed to correct them – a verbal correction receives a rude and abusive reply and nobody is able to use physical force to punish them, even mildy, for fear of having a huge compensation action brought against them.

Thirdly, but just as telling, are the people who are nowadays looked up to and admired – so-called “celebs” whose only abilities have nothing to do with decent living, often have leanings toward drug and alcohol use and who can earn enormous sums of money for very little effort.

Apart from the very real and deserved admiration of our sportsmen and women, arising from the Olympics, both able 
and disabled, many youngsters know nothing about the marvellous heroes and heroines of the past. I wonder how many even spared a thought for the thousands of brave soldiers who gave their lives for their country?

Mrs Abbott should travel to Germany, for instance, where the children are polite, well-behaved, helpful and as different from some of our lot as chalk is to cheese. They are a pleasure to have around.

Fuel fix by suppliers

From: Tony Wilding, Westfield Rise, Hessle.

RECENT reports are that a whistleblower is likely to expose an energy provider for severe malpractice, suggesting that they have manipulated the wholesale price of gas.

In other words, they have claimed to have paid more for their supply than they actually 
did and then passed on this so-called increase onto the consumer.

I feel confident that if Ofgem 
or the Financial Services Authority find a company guilty of this underhand behaviour I can be less frugal in my habits and confidently turn my thermostat up a notch or two, and await eagerly my next bank statement to see I’ve had a rebate credited to my account having been overcharged for my gas supply.

Then I awoke from my pipedream and faced reality. If any gas supplier is found guilty of malpractice they will no doubt face a hefty fine.

The fine will be paid direct to the Treasury, and guess what? In the New Year energy prices will rise, for the offending company will need to recoup their losses they suffered as a result of the fine.

Nowt changes, does it?

Teachers with vested interest

From: Gerald Hodgson, Spennithorne, Leyburn.

Your article headed “Heads 
hit back at claims of over-marking” (Yorkshire Post, November 13) quotes the National Association of Head Teachers as saying that there is no evidence of teachers over-marking.

I suggest that there is no evidence because evidence 
is very hard to establish, but 
the fact is that teachers 
marking their own pupils’ 
work are put in an impossible position.

They clearly have a vested interest in the success of their pupils and they would be hardly human if this did not lead them to look favourably on their pupils’ efforts, especially in borderline situations.

In other walks of life, great efforts are made to avoid conflicts of interest.

In marking their own pupils’ work, teachers have an obvious conflict of interest which can 
only be resolved by a reversion 
to the situation which was in place for many years, namely an exam sat on a specific day and marked by examiners who have no idea whose papers they are marking.