Splashing out is too much for everyone

THE much vaunted economic crisis doesn’t appear to have affected Kate Middleton’s household.

Indeed, as your correspondent Sarah Freeman relates to us (Yorkshire Post, February 21), the Duchess of Cambridge lavished £175 on one dress alone, and £159 on another.

One wonders what the homeless people around London and the rest of the country will make of that – perhaps they will feel rather disenfranchised!

Many households in Britain are forced to make similar amounts last an entire month, just to eat and keep warm, and certainly cannot afford many luxuries. But then they have to face reality every day.

Is the Duchess aware of the daily survival test that poverty stricken families and many elderly and infirm people of this country have to suffer, if so does it concern her? Why doesn’t someone raise these issues with her, wouldn’t we all be interested in her response?

Angela Marshall, image consultant and founder of Appearance Management, says that the Duchess has a “great figure”. Personally I think she looks rather undernourished – perhaps she spends all her money on clothes and cannot afford to buy food?!

Also mentioned is the way the Duchess is copied. Really, how many ladies in a country where our Government insists that we are suffering an economic crisis can afford to splash out £175 for a single item of clothing? Doesn’t add up does it?

We in the frozen underfunded north are struggling just to survive; life for us is a daily endurance test. However, it appears that the powers that be and people in lofty positions either are not aware of this unacceptable state of affairs or they simply don’t care.

Let them eat cake, would probably be their answer.

Holding back Cameron

From: Peter Hyde, Kendale View, Driffield.

I AGREE wholeheartedly with Bernard Ingham when he says that the coalition with the Lib Dems is holding David Cameron and the Conservatives back (Yorkshire Post, February 22).

The party won most votes and is clearly the party the majority of the populace voted for, but because of the vagaries of our political system had to ally themselves with the wimpish Liberals to take power.

It is to be noted that they, the Lib Dems, cannot hope to take power themselves but have to get on the back of a more successful administration to take part in government. Sadly they cannot remain fully true to their own ideals and are only succeeding in frustrating some of the aims and objects of Cameron’s Cabinet.

From: Peter Asquith-Cowen, First Lane, Anlaby, Nr Beverley.

IN response to Mark Stuart’s article (Yorkshire Post, February 21) on David Cameron’s reforms and Big Society, this was bound to fail.

It was more of a PR exercise, that could have been invented by Alastair Campbell. Mark is quite correct to point our attention to public bewilderment about Cameron’s attempts at “modernisation”.

Most of us aren’t fooled by politicians, even though they still try to hoodwink and cajole us with tempting promises.

Water links not rail links

From: Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley.

DROUGHT declared in the South East (Yorkshire Post, February 21), yet Yorkshire Water reports high stocks due to a wet autumn and winter.

However, over 20 years ago, our water authority had the foresight to link up to Kelder Water in Northumberland by laying a significant pipeline underground.

I recall seeing massive blue pipes laid across fields stretching north for many a mile; trenches were dug for the pipeline so eventually all disappeared from view.

A Government led summit on the drought emergency in the Midland, Anglia and South East regions has been held. Their plight is as bad as 1976 and if you know your geography and weather patterns then this situation is not uncommon. A national scheme copying the work done in our county last century needs implementing.

Ever since the grandiose plans to build an extremely expensive fast rail link from the major northern cities to London, costing £80bn and taking until 2030 to complete, I have thought what poor value for money just to eclipse 30 minutes of the travelling time.

I formed the opinion that these massive funds could be diverted to link fresh water supplies from northern England to the dry eastern side of the country. I stress England and not Scotland, as Alex Salmond’s gang would sell their water to England once Scotland becomes independent.

Blowing cold over turbines

From: Brian Wells, Hebden Bridge.

i WAS surprised that a letter from Tim Mickleburgh (Yorkshire Post, February 18) contained the term “nimbys” to describe all people who are so “against” wind turbines. Does this correspondent not realise that those very obtrusive industrial devices are spoiling “our beautiful countryside” in which we do “realise how lucky we are to be living”?

Recent reports and articles confirm that wind turbines are inefficient, very expensive and do not result in the closure of power stations and harm the environment.

Anyone who misguidedly still believes that wind turbines will save the planet ought to admit their irrational emotional attachment to them. The acronym LOWT (Lover of Wind Turbines) would be a useful way to identify them.

Considering the anti-social nature of these structures, LOWTs sounds like an appropriate term to classify their adherents.