The price of extra rubbish

I RANG Redcar and Cleveland Council to request a new roll of refuse sacks.

A very nice man on the other end of the telephone informed me that I could call into the council offices or local library and buy a roll for just £2.

Don’t our rates cover such things any more? Every chance these councils have to screw a few more pounds out of people seems to be totally acceptable.

I know it is only £2 and I would pay a lot more for similar items elsewhere but I really do think it is a bit of a cheek, don’t you?

Keeler birthday

From: Linda Wesley Geldard, Glen View, Hebden Bridge.

I NOTED that the once notorious Christine Keeler was 70 the other day. I suppose I am one of the few women who would wish to claim to have anything in common with her but I would nevertheless wish to point out that we both used to write jokes for comedian Roy Hudd’s topical and often political comedy programme which aired on BBC Radio on Thursdays and repeated on Saturdays. So may I wish a fellow author a very happy birthday and more of them.

Battery ban

From: Jennifer Bookbinder, Cottingley Gardens, Leeds.

WITH reference to your article concerning hen cages (Yorkshire Post, February 11), it is, of course, good news that it is now against the law to imprison hens in vile battery cages.

I have often wondered why they ever existed in the first place; inhumane and hell on earth for the unfortunate hens. I know free range eggs cost a little more, but does it really matter if it enables these sentient creatures to have a little more freedom?

Short time

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, East Yorkshire.

WHEN, as is planned, our national retirement age is increased to 68, should we not feel a huge degree of sympathy for those living in Glasgow, who currently have the lowest life expectancy in the UK? Many of these elderly citizens will not even have the much deserved blessing of a post-retirement “gap” year.