We celebrate our heritage... not postcodes

Paul Bates (Yorkshire Post, September 10) is correct in stating that postal deliveries need only house name or number, street name and postcode.

There was no need in 1974 for the Post Office to insist on the inclusion of new administrative county names, or invented postal county names such as North Humberside.

Despite protests, the Post Office continued to insist on the inclusion of these names even as many administrative areas were abolished or re-named and their boundaries re-drawn.

This resulted in the confusing variety of county names which still exists on address and mailing lists.

At long last, the Post Office has admitted defeat – and no longer requires the use of county names. However, the legacy of their unnecessary policy continues.

We are constantly told that Saddleworth is “not in” Yorkshire but “in” Lancashire, or even Greater Manchester; that Sedbergh, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is “in” Cumbria; that Redcar and Saltburn are “in” Cleveland or Teesside; that Hannah Hauxwell’s upper Teesdale is “not in” Yorkshire but “in” County Durham.

Over time, the confusion on these mailing lists will fade into a footnote of history. But the question of identity heritage and continuing culture remains.

It is a vital part of who and what we are and of the county and country in which we desire to live.

How can we celebrate the rich heritage or continue the proud traditions or defend the precious freedoms – of a postcode?

Eradicate this killer

From: RW Perkin, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds.

SO Neil Jones has written us from Neath to say that ragwort does not live up to its name (Yorkshire Post, September 14).

In my opinion, one horse or pony which dies a slow painful death from ragwort is one too many, never mind the 6,000 quoted by Professor Knottenbolt.

The other day, I was out pulling ragwort from some neglected land adjacent to my daughter’s pony paddocks.

He quotes ragwort hysteria, there will always be enough ragwort on brownfield sites, old railways etc to keep the linebrow moths happy.

He says there is a marked decrease in the amount of ragwort, this might be true in the Valleys, but not in the West Riding where it increases every year. It would help if the local council would fulfil its obligation and clear the weed from its verges. Mr Jones thinks the Government should run trials on ragwort. I feel the Government has better things to do. Let’s eradicate the killer, and make Britain a better place for horses.

Greed over milk price

From: H Wilson, Gillians Lane, Barnoldswick.

I PURCHASED one litre of milk on September 11 at a BP facility on the M6. Is this the most expensive milk in the land at £1.69 per litre when no producer is receiving in excess of 30p a litre? This represents a mark up of over 500 per cent.

The milk in question was bottled by Arla Foods Ltd. The mark-up on the fuel purchased was 14p a litre over our local Morrisons.

If this is not an example of greed by large dominant companies in a market where the producer and the consumer are both in a weak position, then BP and Arla must respond.

Dates to remember

From: Graham Snowdon, Hallam Grange Croft, Sheffield.

THE removal of “sell-by” dates on food packaging (Yorkshire Post, September 16) won’t make a scrap of difference in our household, where we waste nothing.

My wife has cans stashed away at the back of her store cupboard that don’t even have this information on them, they are so old.

It’s almost become a family joke, and my wife has found an ally in our son-in-law, who as a GP hopefully knows what he’s talking about.

I suppose we ought to start working our way through some of those tins. A random search through one of our kitchen cupboards has thrown up an interesting menu for tonight’s meal.

We could have mushrooms à la Grecque (best before end of February 1997) as a starter, or perhaps I might prefer a March 2001 can of tuna. We could follow that by a September 2002 tin of venison soup. For our main course, we could have December 2005 pilchards accompanied by some haricots blancs which we brought back from France and which still carry a price label of 4.70 francs. I believe France started using the euro in January 2002. The question is, will any of the above have fared any worse than the bottle of 1997 Chateau Segonnes Margaux with which I intend to wash it all down? If I’m still around, I’ll let you know.

Potential partners

From: David H Rhodes, Keble Park North, Bishopthorpe, York.

IN this political age of smoke and mirrors and nothing being as it seems, I think David Cameron could try a new tack. Why can’t he take on board Ukip as his new coalition partner?

The Lib Dems have served as a whipping boy but have also put the brakes on sensible reform and removed any backbone from this government. I think the voting public might show some enthusiasm for this Ukip alliance and help put the UK back in the driving seat over its own destiny.

The Tories’ current lacklustre efforts portend a return of a Labour government at the next general election unless drastic action is taken now. As Sir Winston Churchill would have said: “Action this day.”