A gentleman never insults his opponent

I REALLY do not wish to trade academic credentials with your correspondent William Snowden (Yorkshire Post, June 12) as he may well be offended and really, basing one’s argument on 
the book titles on one’s 
bookshelf is hardly the way to respond.

Like many who do not like, and cannot take, criticism, William Snowden resorts to vitriolic personal attack and a complete lack of a logical argument in response to his critic.

We can all quote our history, philosophy and political book titles but that does nothing to answer the points raised in my earlier letter about the demise of the coal industry.

When I advised William Snowden to read around the subject, I was, of course, referring to the facts, figures and reports that were pertinent to that particular historical episode and not to the vast span of history itself.

What Gordon Brown had to do with the subject in question I still ponder!

Come off your high horse William Snowden and accept that not everone agrees with your narrow views and remember that a gentleman never insults his opponent!

Actors reveal their roots

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

JACK Tordoff is right (‘My Yorkshire’, Yorkshire Post, June 15); actor Sean Bean usually speaks with a Yorkshire accent in the roles he plays.

His home city, Sheffield, is in Yorkshire – just. Yet the Sheffield accent is probably the most quirky of the myriad tone hues to be heard within the Broad Acres.

This is not due to the “dee” (“thee”) and “dah” (“tha”), ridiculed by Barnsley folk who have a pathological hatred of the Steel City; Bean avoids such extremes on screen and radio. The real give-away is Sheffielders’ way of pronouncing words such “right” and “bite” exactly like cockneys while retaining the northern “oop” (“up”) and “coop” (“cup”).

Take note of other Sheffield actors, such as Thomas Craig, who give away their roots as soon as they open their mouths.

Feathered mourners

From: Neil S Roy, Wolfreton Lane, Hull, East Yorkshire.

SOMETHING very lovely happened to me from a sad event. On arriving home after being out for about 15 minutes, a crow had been killed just outside my home and was lying in the middle of the road.

Rather than have it squashed 
by passing cars, I felt that it should be picked up and went into the garage at the back to get a spade. There were a few crows outside by the trees above where the dead crow lay, making some noise.

Picking up the crow and beginning to walk down the driveway to the back, about 
four or five crows began to follow me and talking as if it was a funeral cortege until getting to 
the back of the house and 
putting the bird into the field at the back amongst the trees and bushes.

It was a wonder to witness how they seemed to care about their dead companion.

We humans think we do everything but animals and birds have a caring factor as well, as I found out.

MP right on our failure to learn

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

I HAVE been reading the Yorkshire Post since my school days in the late 1950s and have read numerous good articles.

However, the piece by 
Rory Stewart (Yorkshire Post, 
June 17) is one of the very
best.

His explanations of our failures to understand other countries, especially those like Iraq, is superb, and I agree with every word.

We do not learn from our many mistakes and we look like committing a huge set of errors in Syria, unless we undertake massive policy changes.

Natural capital of the UK

From: Robert Craig, Priory Road, Weston-Super-Mare.

I RECENTLY heard a BBC radio programme chaired by Bridget Kendall, broadcast from London. In response to a point raised by a member of the panel, she asked the audience to describe their primary identity.

Those who stood up to reply identified themselves as Londoners.

When asked, they said that they didn’t really think of themselves as English.

London might be the capital of the UK, but it is not the natural capital of England. That should be Leeds.

Signs of a 
sick society

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

AS the Yellow Duckmarine began to sink in Liverpool people got out their mobile phones – not to phone the emergency services to get assistance and then try to help as one would expect but to video the plight of the passengers which could have easily ended with fatalities.

Am I just being old-fashioned or are we really becoming a heartless, sick society?

Pothole woes blight roads

From: Mr S Flint, Guiseley.

ANOTHER week and another week in which Leeds Council has failed to start repairing potholes on main roads like the A65 (Yorkshire Post, June 22).

I can only assume that the councillors and officers concerned do not live locally, or they might be more willing to roll up their sleeves.