Our pristine countryside in peril

BEING Yorkshire born and bred, it was with immense delight, pride and enjoyment that I watched the Tour de France Grand Départ, and first stages wind through this endlessly beautiful county. Now you have all seen our best-kept secret! Congratulations to each and every one who worked so hard to make it the success it was, such a joy.

How many of you would like to see this sublime countryside, along with the surrounding beauty of where we all live, kept pristine indefinitely? Repeal our new building regulations and keep any new housing on brown field sites only.

Britain is vastly overpopulated because of the “open border policy” which has got to end, we do not have a housing shortage, just far too many people here who really should not be.

And do people really want to see such beauty permanently scarred forever with fracking wells?

Put British workers first

From: Jeremy John Whittington, Easterly Road, Leeds.

I AM retired after 40 years of working long and hard hours in the catering industry and it is time the British government treated the working people, the backbone of Britain, with a lot more respect.

Of course, the workforce say enough is enough. This coalition Government received an 11 per cent pay rise plus expenses, which of course may be fiddled. In one year’s time, Britain has a general election. We are unable to vote for the Labour Party as they are unfit to govern the United Kingdom and they will only spend and spend. They have no policies, yet the Conservatives treat the British workforce with contempt. People have to be in receipt of annual wage increases. Cash pays bills, not goodwill. So do we wonder that Ukip got so many seats in Europe?

Who do we vote for in a year’s time? Yes, I shall vote Conservative but it is time to treat the millions who are our workforce with fair pay. It is sick to get 11 per cent in Parliament and then tell British workers they may get one per cent or a pay freeze.

The Government can waste millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on inquiries. They can also send millions in foreign aid all around the world. It is not right. Look after the British people first.

From: Samuel A Smith, Crowlees Road, Mirfield.

I DROVE past Dewsbury Fire Station the other day. It was ironic to see the fireman displaying a large banner “Strike Over Pension Theft”. I do not recall seeing banners when Gordon Brown and Ed Balls stole £5bn a year out of private pensions funds then frittered it away. They didn’t take from the public sector pensions at the same time.

Credit to the cast and crew

From: Judith Wood, West Park Street, Dewsbury.

PLEASE give credit where it is due. Having just been to see an excellent production of Beryl by Maxine Peake, directed by Rebecca Gatward, at West Yorkshire Playhouse I was dismayed to discover there were no programmes available to buy – they had run out – oh ye of little faith! So was it to be kept a secret who the actors were? The only bit of information ultimately obtained after a specific request was a typed sheet giving the names of the actors, director, creative staff and production staff and this was in fact a print-out of their call sheet.

Not only that, but in Nick Ahad’s review of Beryl in your paper (The Yorkshire Post, July 4), he referred to “four intensely likeable actors”, no names mentioned, and the photograph printed alongside the review didn’t have the names of the actors either. The actors in this production were Penny Layden as Beryl Burton, John Elkington as Charlie Burton, Chelsea Halfpenny as Denise Burton and Dominic Gately as Nim, all of whom played numerous other parts as well and should be congratulated on their superb performances, providing a most impressive piece of theatre.

Optimistic forecast

From: Barbara Harrison, Queensbury, Bradford.

your article (The Yorkshire Post, July 18) confirmed that the weather for that day would be even hotter.

So I got the water, salad, sun cream and sun hat ready and prepared to stay indoors if necessary with the blinds closed.

Having woken up to grey skies and a somewhat breezy morning with the threat of rain on the horizon, I found my waterproof jacket and ventured into Halifax where most other people were clad for a somewhat overcast day with waterproofs at the ready.

The Government did not give any advice about what to do if the weather forecast was wrong!

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IT’S the caravan season again and, along with all the road works on the motorways, travelling has become a nightmare. This was made more annoying for me when I discovered that caravans are not subject to any form of road taxation or lane limitation. This is an iniquity and should be remedied as soon as possible.