Thursday's Letters: Schoolchildren should be taught, not tortured

Principle two of this declaration states that "the child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity".

Employing "gentlemen" to force children to double round a playground or hold a stress position for 15 or 20 minutes clearly contravenes this principle.

From: John Bryson, Derwent Avenue, North Ferriby, East Riding.

From: John G Davies, Alma Terrace, East Morton, Keighley.

DOUBLING round the school playground under John Richardson's colonel's command seems like the perfect way of producing the next generation of independent, self-motivated, lifelong learners that this country's industry needs.

The sergeant major's pace stick would be a wonderful tool for teaching information technology, don't you think?

A nice historical anecdote it may be, but more or less irrelevant in a society that is very different to pre-1939 Britain, one that is far

more complex.

From: Dorothy Cope, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

THERE is no doubt bringing back National Service, as suggested by your correspondent Aled Jones, would go a long way to reducing the teenage crime rate and many other troubles (Yorkshire Post, March 4).

Unfortunately, due to "skinflint" Brown cutting back the defence budget 10 to 12 years ago, regiments having to be abandoned or amalgamated, together with Iraq or Afghanistan, we can no longer share the experienced regular personnel with the necessary strength and humour necessary for this quite difficult job.

Sadly, we cannot use the wonderful chaps recovering from injury as instructors have to lead by example on route marches and assault courses.

Don't sell off city's past to highest bidder

From: GR Hawkins, Freehold Street, Spring Bank, Hull.

AFTER reading the article in your paper (Yorkshire Post, February 26) and the comments by Coun John Fareham regarding The Swan Inn and

National Cinema in Hull, I was appalled.

It shows how poorly served the people of Hull are. After years of vandalism by Hull City Council, anything we have left should be preserved, not only for future generations, but tourists visiting Hull. After all, not everyone wants to wander around Tesco or take

photographs of non-descript flats.

The councillor refers to the "badge of shame". I think Hull City Council should be wearing this, having ignored the site for years.

Here's something for Coun Fareham and company: instead of having jaunts

down to the capital and spending thousands on no-hope bids, why not

spend the money on projects like this? This would bring jobs, make Hull a little bit more interesting to tourists and make Beverley Road less run down.

Hull seems to be at the bottom of everything and the butt of endless jokes – is it any wonder with these people running things? Hull's

historic past should not be sold to the highest bidder who is only here to make a quick buck.

The city of Hull deserves a lot better than this. City of Culture? You couldn't make it up if you tried.

Proof of the puddings

From: Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough & Whitby, House of Commons, London.

THE suggestion that Yorkshire puddings should be given the same regional protection as Parma Ham or Champagne is ridiculous and has at least one serious flaw (Yorkshire Post, March 8).

While both these other products improve with age and travel well, the Yorkshire pudding is best served fresh from the oven. In my opinion, the perfect pudding has three elements; the slightly crispy crust which rises to contain the gravy, a more doughy middle and the very bottom where the smoking beef dripping (or, better still, goose fat) melds with the batter to form a succulent crispy base.

This level of perfection has, in my experience, never been reached by the frozen products now bidding for protection even if they are produced in our fair county.

Rather than protecting the frozen Yorkshire pudding, we should be encouraging chefs around the world to the reach the standards of perfection achieved in Yorkshire kitchens. Only in this way will Yorkshire puddings maintain their position at the pinnacle of culinary excellence.

A third way over Europe

From: John Abbott, Newland Avenue, Hull.

PERHAPS, if Brian Hardy (Yorkshire Post, February 16) really thinks a Conservative government would make no difference to Britain's relations with the EU, he should consider the options open to him when the polls open. They are:

n Option 1: Lick the EU's boots at every opportunity. This approach, favoured by Labour and the Lib Dems, accounts for New Labour weaselling out of giving us a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

n Option 2: Head for the exit with UKIP. Single-issue fanatics like them tend not to care about the disastrous consequences of walking out of a single market of 300 million people when a recession is hardly over.

n Option 3: Support the Conservatives. The EU is a good idea – if it can be made to work properly. Slashing red tape, cancelling gravy trains and making the EU concentrate on what it can do well, not what it shouldn't do at all, is the way forward. So yes, Mr Hardy,

there is a third way. And yes, you should vote for it.

Causes of Foot's failure

From: Frank McManus, Longfield Road, Todmorden.

BILL Carmichael writes that the admirable Michael Foot "led Labour to disaster in 1983" (Yorkshire Post, March 5). Certainly, there were swathes of voters who found Thatcher's slighter plausibilities easier on the mind. Yet that widely-held verdict overlooks the two real causes of that debacle, the first being the Falklands factor.

Foot was well ahead in the 1982 opinion polls notwithstanding his outdated style. Secondly, the deep Labour-Alliance rupture gave the Tories well over 100 south-eastern seats on minority votes less than the combined radical totals. The inept and largely fruitless secession from Labour by Shirley Williams and her three male "comrades" and the irresponsible fight of the Alliance for second place when first was crucial, enabled the Thatcherites to tear at the fabric of British society, with the long-term consequence of enslavement to EU directives

and an uncaring usurious "global market."

Area needs joined up thinking over hospitals

From: Rick Sumner, Chair, East Yorkshire Eye, Cliff Road, Hornsea.

I AM writing to express serious concern about the future of hospital treatment across the East Riding.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen essential services moved from the relatively modern hospital at Bridlington to Scarborough. This is not only a considerable distance but the road is very exposed in places and in the summer season is often blocked by the sheer weight of traffic.

At the same time, the small but much loved Hornsea Hospital,

Driffield's Alfred Bean Hospital and Beverley Westwood are all

earmarked for closure. It is becoming increasingly clear that the proposed new hospital at Beverley will be little more than a surgery and a base for district nurses. The new hospital, which is meant to serve Beverley, Hornsea, Driffield and the villages, will have only 30 beds. There will be no A&E Department and no pharmacy.

It also seems there will be no doctors based in the hospital and it is to be built on one of the busiest junctions in the Beverley area – a junction which will be even busier when the new Beverley ring road

opens.

As if this were not enough, the site is on an area of land which is not just rated as flood prone but one which does flood frequently.

I appreciate that Bridlington (for no apparent reason) is part of a different health authority to the rest of East Yorkshire but surely it would serve Hornsea and Driffield as well as Bridlington if it were to be upgraded.

At present, the nearest A&E for Hornsea residents is in Hull.

Why cannot we have some joined up thinking from the many bureaucrats who are very well paid to provide us, their paymasters, with an

efficient and accessible health service?

Seize the day for Britain

From: DJ Britton, Denford Avenue, Lytham, Lancashire.

DAVID Wrights'S letter (Yorkshire Post, March 4) encapsulates our present situation with Europe to which I add my modest contribution.

The continued deafening silence from the three major parties regarding a referendum on EU membership is abhorrent to the British people and will damage the chances of all parties in the election.

We must be allowed to trade freely with all countries, and be ruled by the chosen Parliament of our country.

No insidious European quango must be allowed to pass legislation on Britain without our okay or veto to the same.

To all party leaders: seize the day for Britain.

Unreal world

From: D Baldwin, Embsay.

ISN'T it strange that whenever councils have to cut their budget, then the long-suffering council tax payer is ignored?

"We'll have to cut this, that or the other service," comment our so-called public servants. but they never consider becoming equals with the many private sector workers and pensioners who have had their final salary pension schemes terminated.

When job cuts are mentioned, they're out protesting immediately. Why? Are they immune from the realities of the real world?

No angels

From: Ken Hartford, Beverley.

SIR Thomas Ingilby is so right (Yorkshire Post, March 2). Individuals everywhere including in Japan, Germany, Italy and even America are individuals in my eyes. There's good and bad in everybody.

Differing circumstances call for different responses. Ever met any angels? I've met a few people in 84 years!

Brown economy

From: David Bentley, Pickering.

SO Gordon Brown has had his say at the Chilcot Inquiry (Yorkshire Post, March 6) and, by all accounts, was "economical with the truth". I wish he'd been just as economical with our taxes for the last 12 years.

Moral decline

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire.

THE politicians at Westminster have shown themselves to be morally bankrupt. What this country really needs is a religious revival, and nothing less.