Wednesday' Letters: Where have all the village characters gone?

Time was when certain folk of an oddball and quirky disposition were part and parcel of almost any place. Not any more – they are quite rare now, even in the most rural backwater.

What has caused the demise of all these one time local colourful characters? Could it be that the intrusive TV has played a part in eroding and destroying the homespun entertainment of village characters? We miss the really likeable rogues of old with their

harmless snoops at the law.

I grew up in Hatfield and our village had no lack of eccentrics, and they came from many walks of life. Poaching was an affair that often threw up these "likely lads" and I recall one – Nipper Smith –

in particular. He was a right "will-o-the-wisp" and it was considered a real achievement if you ever managed to see this silent, shifty and shady marauder at work.

Then there was an invalid who was frequently seen careering all over the road in his motorised wheelchair as he made his madcap way home from the pub, with usually a different woman nightly occupying his lap.

Unfortunately, I have to say that drunkenness was often encountered then, all taken as part of the eccentricity.

One chap fancied himself as a budding Gigli or Caruso and frequently broke out into some operatic aria as he vacated the local. Many of these folk were considered as local celebrities for one reason or another. Blacksmith, postman, school and Sunday School teacher, shopkeeper, roadsweeper, mechanic, policeman and others all had some peculiar mannerism, habit or captivating eccentricity which made them such a highly acceptable part of village life. Ah yes – we may well ask – where have all the characters gone?

From: Colin Ella, Westgate Road, Belton, Doncaster.

Planet Earth has not lost any weight

From D Holland, Sherwood Avenue, Doncaster.

YOUR correspondent D Birch (Yorkshire Post, February 19) wondered about the "loss of weight of the Earth" due to the extraction and consumption of trillions of tons of oil, gas, and coal since the 18th century and the possible effect that this might have on the orbit of the planet.

The answer is that the extraction of these minerals does not reduce the weight of the Earth at all. The matter has not been destroyed but converted into something else.

The carbon from the fuel combines with oxygen from the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide. Roughly 14 tons of carbon, burning in air, produces 30 tons of carbon dioxide, the oxygen being responsible for the other 16 tons. This gas still has weight and is still part of the planet. All the original atoms are still there.

Also, his theory about the orbit of the Earth is also flawed. If the Earth became lighter, then the effect would be to reduce the attraction between the two bodies and the Earth would move away from, and not closer to, the Sun as he thought.

Finally, we are right to be prioritising the development of sustainable non-carbon fuels. Even if the burning of fossil fuels were found to not create climate change, we must urgently prepare for the fact that these convenient sources of energy are rapidly running out.

From: John Davies, Bank Top Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

THE global warming debate continues to be the subject of contention, namely whether mankind has had any influence on changing weather patterns. Certainly the world climate has always been subject to change and there have been times when average temperatures have been significantly warmer or colder.

Prior to the 18th century, the principal fuel source was wood which, as a fuel, is more or less carbon neutral. Industrialisation during the 18th century required new fuel sources, leading to the use of coal and oil. Therefore, it might be concluded that human activity in the last couple of centuries has caused the release of substantial additional amounts of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has been shown to be a greenhouse gas causing heat to be trapped within the atmosphere.

The world population at the start of the 19th century was less than one billion. At the start of the 21st century, it is approaching seven billion. Therefore, it seems inconceivable that a sevenfold increase in the planet's population, causing a large amount of industrialisation to meet the demands of that population, has not had some impact on the planet's environment.

Finally, there seems to be a misconception that the rise in global temperatures, if proven, will be no more than a gentle rise in temperature leading to warmer, drier summers and milder winters. I

don't think it works in quite that way as changes in air and sea temperatures are shown to affect weather patterns.

If this does happen, there will be areas of the world that will become hotter and areas that will become cooler.

Other areas will become wetter and some areas will become drier. Any number of changes will be possible so let's hope it doesn't affect the Gulf Stream that is the source of Britain's benign climate.

One thing is certain. Sooner or later, we will all find out the truth about global warming, and whether it is real or just a scientific fantasy.

Missing joint harms roads

From: Derek Cheshire, Beech Grove, Camblesforth, Selby.

I WRITE to condemn the decision by North Yorkshire County Council to apply a snow levy to households when it is the council's fault that the roads in the county are in the state they are in.

Repairs to all roads in the UK years ago were sealed with Tarmacadam, binding new repairs to old road surfaces.

Rumours within the civil construction industry, which I have been involved in for more than 40 years, indicated that all local authorities and the highways industry stopped sealing joints some years back.

This was due to over-zealous health and safety officers who said that the smooth surface of the sealant could possibly result in a pedestrian slipping when crossing the road and then suing the authorities.

For laymen, if a joint is not sealed correctly, it will allow water egress between joints to occur. During frosty weather, the water freezes and then expands and forces the repair upwards above the existing road surface.

Further damage to the raised repair can then be caused by snowplough blades hitting it when scraping snow from the road surface.

I am coming up to my 64th birthday this year and I, like many other people living in Britain, am disillusioned by the people running this country and local authorities. They are all quick to blame other people for their wrong doings and are afraid to ask for help from the civil construction industry and put the Great back in to Great Britain.

If I were 20-30 years younger, I would have no hesitation in working and living abroad as I see no hope for this debt-ridden country.

Deceit at highest level to allow Greece to join euro

From: Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire.

THE article by Ruth Lea on Greece staring into the financial abyss (Yorkshire Post, February 12) uncovers appalling deceit at the highest level. The EU Commission and EU Central Bank allowed the Greek economy to enter the eurozone when it never met the minimum criteria.

What a blessing the UK has not converted to the euro, and remains independent.

Lets us recall that it was the Liberal Democrats who have repeatedly advocated joining that currency and plunging the UK into the EU mire.

Additionally, that misguided Minister, Lord Mandelson, gleefully leaps to the defence of the euro and continues to believe the UK should join in its remarkable success. What crass stupidity.

Our country is on the brink of financial disaster and Gordon Brown is playing politics to get re-elected at any cost.

If Labour form the next government, the UK will lose its triple AAA credit rating before the end of the year.

Then the UK becomes a carbon copy of Greece. We must have a

Conservative government with sound monetary policies to significantly reduce our national debt, that the international financiers respect.

Friends for life, but take care

From: Nino Hoblyn, North Street, Caistor, Lincolnshire.

NEVER has one been so amused and tickled to read such a headline (Yorkshire Post, February 10) but will it have such dire implications that it will eventually wipe the smiles of all our faces: "Afghan forces help Marines get prepared".

It made me think back to the days when I was a serving soldier in Northern Ireland with the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards and I came to the conclusion: "Why oh why did we not request the help of the IRA?"

Because I'm damned sure if we had put them on the payroll, donned them out in combat uniforms and armed them to the teeth and hey presto, you've got friends for life. Until you turn your back, that is.

Political turn-off

From: Karl Sheridan, Lark Rise, Holme on Spalding Moor.

READING the revelations that Gordon Brown was abusive to staff, the Conservatives' bribe to allow us to buy shares in banks that we already virtually own and the bleating on the sidelines from the Liberal Democrats makes me want to switch off.

When are politicians going to realise that the majority of the

population couldn't care less about the stupid point-scoring that all three parties involve themselves in?

I find Prime Minister's Question Time an utter turn-off with grown men and women on both sides of the House barracking and jeering at each other like children and actually achieving nothing constructive.

Costly monolith

From: Brian Hardy, All Hallowes Drive, Tickhill, Doncaster.

FOR Don Burslam to believe that the European Union promotes democratic values and roots out corruption and that its bureaucracy is on a smaller scale than the Scottish government, must surely be living on Planet Zog (Yorkshire Post, February 17). Mr Burslam clings to a sentimental dream about this very expensive, corrupt, anti-democratic monolith.

Bonus tactics

From: Godfrey Bloom MEP, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

WE now find that we have the highest rates of interest on our credit cards in 12 years. The taxpayer via the Treasury is lending the banks billions at negligible rates. Surely that sort of entrepreneurship is worth monster bonuses?