The letter 
of the law on deliveries

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

REGARDING Royal Mail’s brainwave of delivering parcels next door, some years ago I stood on my doorstep and put my hand out to take a letter off the postman. He said: “No, sorry, it’s my job to post it.” He pointed out, quite rightly, that anyone could stand on a doorstep and it was his job to deliver the mail to the address, ie, post it. When did this promise change?

At the moment the house next to me is vacant. How do I, or the Royal Mail, know what calibre of neighbour I will be getting? What will they know of me?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Royal Mail has offered me a door sticker so I can opt out of this patently stupid idea – and I hope I get one sent first class to speed up my opt out.

The negative implications are obvious and numerous. Royal Mail should conduct a proper survey to show true reaction, then scrap this seemingly inane idea – or, astoundingly, prove me wrong.

Learning from Victorians

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

I HAVE researched a good deal into social history for my talks on Victorian theatre and society.

Of course nobody would wish to return to the ethos of such a grim and miserable era but has the pendulum swung too far in the opposite direction? We now live in what I would call the spoon-fed, society with ample state aid available in health, education and when harder times crop up. This aid is not accepted with gratitude but as a right which the state owes to the individual whatever the state of the economy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The younger generation seem particularly well placed as never before with the bank of mum and dad as solid backstops when all else fails.

The present row over grades in exams indicates to me an unhealthy attitude based on rights and not responsibilities. Carry on blaming the politicians if you like, but how about some positive thinking to improve one’s own situation and even society generally? The Victorians were rather good at that e.g. Samuel Smiles, Florence Nightingale and Titus Salt.

Don’t single out smokers

From: Beryl Williams, Wharfedale Avenue, Harrogate.

PAUL Morley (Yorkshire Post, August 31) would have smokers turned away from NHS treatment. For sure, anyone who has the sense not to smoke can be forgiven for resenting having to foot the health bill for those who do.

However it is untenable, for by the same token one would also have to exclude those who choose to destroy themselves by addiction to alcohol, street drugs, sugar, carbs, red meat or violent relationships, and we would end up with precious few qualifying for help from our National (ill)-Health Service at all.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For apparently the over-riding generally accepted ethic is for everyone to have the right to choose to make themselves ill and see everyone else suffer the consequences. I wouldn’t like to hazard a solution, but victimising smokers amid such a disastrous scenario cannot realistically wave many magic wands.

Positive spin on turbines

From: Eric Daines, Burtree Avenue, Skelton, York.

YET another letter about the evils of wind turbines, this time from Beverley Paddey (Yorkshire Post, September 3).

I would suggest that all these complainants, including all those in the west of the county with placards in their gardens saying “no turbines here” should take a drive along the M62 in an easterly direction towards Hull and view the real monstrosities, the three power stations.

These power stations are all visible on a clear day from the outskirts of the City of York – York possibly being a slightly more important heritage site than Haworth!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All the complainants will be quite happy to receive their power from these power stations but of course they are not in their back yards. The people of Howden, Goole and Thorne and surrounding areas have had to put up with them for years and I am sure they would gladly swap them for wind turbines but of course, they have got wind turbines next to and in addition to, power stations.

Action needed on churchyard

From: Hon. Alderman Mrs Peggy White CBE, Lidgett Lane, Leeds.

I WAS delighted that your article (Yorkshire Post, September 1) highlighted the shocking situation at St John’s Church, Roundhay, and the surrounding graveyard; the portion below the church is full of overgrown bushes and collapsed gravestones and the graveyard above the church where my husband is buried now resembles a hayfield.

I am not the only Roundhay resident with relatives buried there – some only recently. It is now difficult to even find our relatives’ graves.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The time has now come for action to be taken regarding this attractive historic church and graveyard. This church must be the most dilapidated in the whole of Leeds with the added risks to people through falling masonry and stones.

I telephoned the Pentecostal City Mission bishop who lives in London; they appear to have no interest in the church and graveyard although they are the owners, having purchased this property for £1.