Why Great Yorkshire Show was a triumph over adversity – Yorkshire Post Letters

WHAT a very sad and unfair letter from Fergus Nicolson (The Yorkshire Post, July 17). As a longstanding member of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society I felt strongly enough to write my first letter to the Editor in response to it.

Great Yorkshire Show ruined by unpleasant conditions and officialdom – Yorkshire Post Letters

The fact the Great Yorkshire Show took place at all is testament to the sheer determination and monumental efforts of the society.

None of the ‘extreme lengths the organisers went to in making it as unpleasant as possible’, to quote Mr Nicolson, were of the society’s choice. They were complying with restrictions forced upon them by outside bodies.

Thankfully Mr Nicolson’s comments were not mirrored by many I spoke to on the showground. Most, like myself, were pleased to be there and appreciative of all the efforts made not just to keep people safe but to meet all the restrictions imposed upon the organisers.

Yes the show was different this year but it was thoroughly enjoyable and I, for one, would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who made it happen.

From: Fergus Nicolson, Main Street, Gowdall.

ON Saturday you published my letter protesting at the marring of the Great Yorkshire Show by excessive bureaucracy (The Yorkshire Post, July 17).

I have been told there is much negative comment directed at me on Facebook. This is what passes for discourse these days. Shoot the messenger.

In my local butcher and pub it was life as it used to be. However every customer in the busy Co-op was wearing a mask. It seems that many people really don’t want life to return to normal. It is being called Cave Syndrome. Life seems scary to many who have hidden away for many months.

I really do sympathise with the Government in its efforts to coerce us into changing behaviour. I also sympathise with all those who dare to express an opinion in print and then have to endure the subsequent torrent of lazy abuse.

Taxing meat and dairy

From: Dr Carys Bennett, Senior Corporate Projects Liaison, PETA Foundation UK.

WHILE it’s welcome news that the National Food Strategy is aiming to make healthy, humane, vegan-friendly foods more accessible to all, the current strategy doesn’t go nearly far enough.

If we’re serious about improving public health and protecting the planet, it’s time to tax all products associated with negative health or environmental consequences.

We know meat and dairy contribute to preventable deaths from heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and cancer and that vegan eating can mitigate and, in some cases, even reverse the onset of these conditions.

So it’s long overdue for meat and dairy to be taxed, as tobacco, alcohol, and sugar already are, to lighten the burden on the already overstretched NHS.

The revenue could be used to help struggling meat and dairy farmers transition towards healthier, more sustainable crops at a time when the vegan food market is booming. But there’s no need to wait for the Government to catch up. We can all take responsibility for our own health, curb our carbon emissions, and spare the lives of animals by going vegan today.

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