March 14 letters: False economy on Leeds visitor information

I READ with interest and amusement the recent report of increased visitor footfall in Leeds city centre, given that Leeds City Council have chosen this precise moment to close the excellent tourist information centre housed within Leeds City Station and to transfer a part thereof to an obscure, off-centre basement in The Headrow.

I went to the new so called visitor centre last week, only to have my misgivings confirmed; to describe the vastly reduced facilities as minimalist would be to give minimalism a bad name.

There is a marked dearth of tourism information on display and at the time of my visit there was only one member of staff in attendance and no visitors.

Gone are the useful displays of public transport information (a policy decision, I’m told), along with material relating to the wider Yorkshire region. Neither is there any publicity for other parts of the country, which was extensively used at the former location and which, in my experience, is standard in all tourist information centres.

It would appear, moreover, that the visitor centre no longer provides an accommodation/booking service, with enquirers being directed to tables with iPads attached to them, which in my view represents a complete negation of any concept of customer service. The former TIC was heavily involved in bookings and enquiries relating to the Leeds Festival, amongst other events.

We are constantly reminded of the requirement for economies in the Leeds City Council budget, but to replace one of the best visitor centres in the UK with arguably the worst is ill-advised in my view and represents a massive false economy.

Pigs the best recyclers

From: Richard Coates, Castlegate, Kirkbymoorside.

READING Andrew Vine’s article (The Yorkshire Post, March 10) regarding food waste reminded me of a customer I used to call on when I was an agricultural representative in the Scarborough area.

He had a large van that he used to collect “waste” food daily from hospitals, supermarkets and schools in Scarborough. He had a large boiler that he re-cooked the food in and then fed it to his pigs adding a small amount of extra protein.

Then, alas and alack, legislation came along and after several years of feeding the pigs on perfectly good wholesome food, he was stopped and the food then had to go to landfill.

In this day and age of recycling, surely to be allowed to recycle food to convert into food for consumption by humans, must be reconsidered. Incidentally the pork, the ham and the bacon produced in this way tasted absolutely wonderful.

From: Paul Bellotti, Head of Housing, Transportation & Public Protection, East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

I REFER to your article “Living the Dream” (The Yorkshire Post, February 21) and in particular the content concerning pig treats where it was mentioned that fruit pulp was fed to pigs.

Unfortunately what is described is legally not permitted. These “tempting treats” are classified as catering waste under the Animal By-Products legislation, such waste being defined as including all waste food originating from premises such as: household kitchens, restaurants, cafes, canteens and takeaways, including vegetarian establishments.

The feeding of catering waste to livestock has been banned in the UK since 2001.

Celebrating 
or littering?

From: David March, Tadcaster.

WHILE its understandable that an organisation like Leovegas .com would like to celebrate a successful year in business, there are better ways of doing it than sending 999 pieces of plastic over the skies of Yorkshire.

If I find one of these balloons containing cash then the money will go towards buying more litterpicks for our regular beach cleans at Robin Hood’s Bay. The next beach clean is today (March 14), meeting at the slipway at 11.30am. Everyone is welcome.

Emmerdale’s long decline

From: Norman Armistead, Cayton, Scarborough.

I AGREE with David Mitchell (The Yorkshire Post, March 10), that Emmerdale has declined alarmingly. I lost interest when the name changed from Emmerdale Farm; it was then that the downward spiral began. I did give it a chance, but with no Sugden family, especially Annie, I lost interest.

It is a pity it took a man from Lincoln to say what I think many Yorkshire folk feel.

Mothering confusion

From: Canon Michael Storey, Healey Wood Road, Brighouse.

YOUR Life & Style supplement (The Yorkshire Post, March 11) referred to Mothering Sunday, in two different ways – Mothers’ Day and Mother’s Day. This confusion occurs every year.

The tradition was that people living away from home, came home on the Sunday in the middle of Lent to stay with their mothers and also to attend “Mother” Church, the church which the family attended.

So is the name for all mothers... or for “Mother” Church?