Why did Gary not receive 
an honour?

bringing the Tour de France to Yorkshire was the impossible dream of one man. Against all the odds, he and his fantastic Welcome to Yorkshire team made it happen.

It brought £130m into the UK economy and united the country, the Tourmakers, and even more so, the good folk of Yorkshire to put on the best ever Grand Départ. There can barely be a tourism business in the county that didn’t benefit last July. The exposure will create even more wealth and tourism for Yorkshire in the coming years. Cycling received a massive boost, with consequent benefits to health, and with the Tour de Yorkshire still to come. The associated culture festival gave timely support to the arts. The race even continued somewhere called ‘down south’ and no doubt benefited them financially too.

So why can I not find Gary Verity in the New Year’s Honours list? Does he not deserve recognition more than some of those honoured for exceptional services to their personal bank balances or party funds? Presumably, it has nothing to do with our government being embarrassed by heartily backing the Edinburgh bid, even when Yorkshire had the contract signed and sealed.

It may be a poor consolation prize, but Gary, the WtY team and everyone else that contributed to the fantastic spectacle have been awarded the Potter prize for vision, tenacity, over-achievement and services to Yorkshire (The Yorkshire Post, December 31).

From: Anne Spice, The Laurels, Leeds.

I AM disappointed that this great man has not received an honour for all his sterling work in bringing ‘Le Tour’ to God’s own county. What can we do to rectify this situation?

From: Ian K Dodsworth, Ossett, West Yorkshire.

COULD Gary Verity have been offered an honour but declined to accept it? Perhaps we will never know!

From: Eric Scott, Algarth Rise, Pocklington.

THE establishment in London has frozen out Gary Verity from receiving a much-deserved honour for his work on the Tour de France, and tourism for Yorkshire. We should make him the main man to speak for all Yorkshire and take power from Whitehall, and not wait until they offer the crumbs from the table. London will divide and rule Sheffield, Leeds and the Humber. Five million people live here.

From: Judith McAra, Dunstarn Drive, Adel, Leeds.

WHY when Yorkshire put on a world-class event that made every Yorkshire person feel so very proud (in a two inches taller, chest swelling, tear in the eye way), where Yorkshire scenery and folk looked marvellous, was there no recognition of this for Mr Verity and his dedicated team at Welcome to Yorkshire who pulled out all the stops? Incredible!

Sour grapes from Mr Cameron?

Can Almighty intervene?

From: Anthony Craven, Leeds.

YOUR article (The Yorkshire Post, December 26) has dwelt in detail on the effects of the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004: around 230.000 people killed in 14 countries and 1.7 million made homeless, bereft of their belongings, ‘an act of God’; as indeed a Cardinal explained at the time that it was God’s punishment for the abuse of children.

Over the Christmas period we were reminded of current cases of misery and suffering; the hymn Silent Night played, we saw a skeletal young girl lying in agony, her eyes despairing, as a voice told of her plight, appealing for donations to ‘Save the Children’; while mankind strives to limit the spread of the Ebola virus.

But believers accept also accidents, wars, injustices, all human evil as willed by the creator.

Donations and prayers are made to limit the effects of all these terrible divine interventions. Yet, strangely, no appeal is made to the Almighty to stop any of them!

Much of litter from drivers

From: Lesley Burrow, Wilberfoss, York.

YOUR correspondent suggests a litter picking day (The Yorkshire Post, March 31). A terrific idea and I’m up for it.

I pick up at least one and 
usually two plastic carrier bags full of litter everyday in my 
four or five mile walks around the East Riding area where I live.

But it will take more than someone just picking up after these litterers to make them take any notice.

The throwers need to be reminded that it is an offence to throw litter from a vehicle or drop litter. Perhaps shops, fast food joints, garages – in fact anywhere where food and drinks are sold – could display a prominent notice reminding them of just that.

There are hefty fines for littering. It is seems to me it’s drivers throwing stuff, because I hardly ever meet anyone else on foot.

What they are throwing is alarming – along with the ubiquitous takeaway food wrapping, it’s beer and cider cans and vodka bottles.

So, there are a lot of people out there drinking whilst driving. Now that is a whole different ball game.

From: Hugh Rogers, Messingham Road, Ashby, Scunthorpe.

AM I the only one who objects - vehemently - to the current practice by the Post Office of demanding to know the contents of private parcels?

Time and again I have been subjected to interrogation by counter clerks who, it seems, have the power to refuse to accept a package unless I tell them what’s in it.

If challenged, they chant a mantra about an agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority and the Post Office which covers what can, or more specifically what cannot be transported by air. Fair enough, I suppose, but if I am sending (say) a jar of jam to my granny in Hull, such a package is most unlikely to be transported by aeroplane, so, in legal terms, the attitude of the Post Office is literally impertinent.