YP Letters: Stop this farce and save city's trees

MUCH has been written about the destruction of Sheffield’s trees, but I worry about the impact the tree killings are having on the mental health of the children of the city. Children love trees for their conkers, flowers, rustling leaves, shade, colours, etc and because they have always been part of their lives in their streets.

They see that their parents, neighbours, friends and other adults feel the same and have watched them fighting to save them for years.

But despite all the protests and efforts, ‘big scary machines and men’ come and kill the trees. The children not only have to come to terms with the loss of what they love but also the inability of their parents and other adults to prevent it, and their suffering too.

I live in Lancashire but I know Sheffield through visiting friends who live there. I have tried to support the campaign to stop the felling of healthy trees with letters.

I have briefly joined the locals in their protest and I admire their strength, courage and stamina in this long fight. The recent escalation of fellings just before Christmas seems particularly spiteful; how many children will remember this year for the tree that is gone rather than the joy of the season?

To all who have the ability to stop this farce – think of what you are doing to your city’s children (your future) and protect them as well as the trees.

Especially as just today a child was put in danger by reckless arboreal work. What will it take to call a halt?

Safety fears ignored

From: John Noton, Kent Road, Harrogate.

GRAHAM Donaldson raises the question of so-called smart motorways and their safety record on the M1 in Yorkshire (The Yorkshire Post, December 6).

The absence of a hard shoulder meant that a broken down vehicle was stranded on the carriageway, and, of course, the technology doesn’t help you if there’s another vehicle bearing down on you from behind.

This whole strategy was highly flawed from the start. When the Government began to roll out these unsafe motorway changes, it was warned by the Commons select committee on transport to proceed with caution and await the results before taking them further.

The advice was ignored, as it was felt the country’s road system was so desperate for improvement that speeding up the motorway network justified the odd death.

This deplorable policy will, I’m sorry to say, claim more lives before it is inevitably admitted to be a grave mistake. I daresay our Yorkshire MPs are rarely endangered as they will no doubt be travelling down to Westminster in the safety of a first-class carriage on the East Coast main line.

Hypocrisy of extreme left

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

AFTER a dubious start, I have warmed over time to your occasional columnist GP Taylor, whose candour in declaring his vulnerability is uncommon (‘Poppy sparks onslaught of the keyboard warriors’, The Yorkshire Post, December 6).

His entirely reasonable observation that some of the most vicious trolling directed at him is perpetrated by those of an extreme left-wing persuasion will no doubt attract criticism which he would be wise to ignore.

One expects illiberal behaviour from the extreme right, the most infamous recent example being the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, but there is a section of the extreme left motivated by the politics of envy and hate whilst claiming the moral high ground. This is sheer hypocrisy.

Sensible spending

From: JG Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

YOUR contributor Jo Pike is among those to call for greater focus upon children suffering food poverty and insecurity. We need to make the state provision more effective in meeting children’s nutritional and other requirements.

There is scope to do this through the use of a benefits debit card which, in collaboration with retailers, would restrict the items which can be bought.

Such a measure could also help to limit the unintended consequences of our accepting responsibility for other people’s children. Many of us would not want to offer indiscriminate encouragement for people to have larger families, nor would we wish a woman to disregard men’s aptitude as providers when choosing a father for her children.

In praise of pub manager

From: Susan and James Taylor, Arcade Alehouse, Barnsley.

THANK you for taking the time to review The Arcade Alehouse, Barnsley, we are very proud of our pub and all that we’ve achieved in such a short time.

I must correct you on one point, we do not employ a barmaid. We have three bar staff, two male and one female. Our female member of staff is the manager and the person responsible for keeping the beer in good condition.

She is also studying to be an accredited beer sommelier and will talk knowledgeably and at length about beer with customers who engage her in conversation.

Show some compassion

From: David Treacher, Nelson Road, Hull.

IT’S terrible how there are so many people sleeping on the streets in the area. No matter what town you visit, all you see is people in shop doorways , with nowhere to go, and begging for food.

We should all have compassion for people worse off in life and try to feed them and, at the least, speak to them as we pass. It’s the least we can do.