YP Letters: Egg row shows why Church has lost respect

I’M neither a fan of the Church of England nor of the National Trust, and how dare the Archbishop of York (The Yorkshire Post, April 5) utter the statement about the Trust “spitting on the grave” of Cadbury’s founder?

The Church of England still seems to think that it commands respect from everyone. That is not the case anymore. Secularism is growing in this country due to changing lifestyles; people need to work to survive and they don’t want to be sitting in cold draughty churches being preached at by clergymen and women who are totally out of touch with reality.

John Cadbury was a businessman who was fair, honest and believed in looking after his workers, he earned their respect, he didn’t demand it. Easter still features within the National Trust campaign and I would have thought the Church of England has many more problems to worry about than this.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.

WOULDN’T it be wonderful if the Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities were to come together in love and affection to confirm that they all worship exactly the same Creative Spirit, and therefore that what they have in common is far, far more than the minor doctrinal differences which drive them apart?

It will never happen of course, not unless the communities sideline their leaders, so allowing the worshippers themselves to abandon the divisive symbols – cross, crescent, candlestick – and replace them with a new symbol for the Creative Spirit? The sun, perhaps?

Motorbike ‘racetrack’

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

YOUR correspondent John Redfearn (The Yorkshire Post, April 4) points out that the speed limit in Pickering is ignored by many drivers.

I can assure him that Pickering is not the only place where drivers ignore the limit.

Every fine weekend, 
we are treated to motorcyclists who seem to think that Scarborough Road in Driffield is a racetrack. The road that bypasses Driffield carries traffic heading to the coast, and Sundays mean the sound of high-revving motorcycles.

Of course the main reason is the removal by the Government of police patrols. Although the remaining officers do their best, they are restricted by a lack of resources.

Life study of greatness

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham.

YOUR fascinating and excellent picture “Recalling Winston” (The Yorkshire Post, April 1) reminded me of one of the many stories relating to that hugely charismatic statesman.

To celebrate his 80th birthday, Parliament commissioned artist Graham Sutherland to paint a portrait of the great man.

‘How are you going to paint me?’ Churchill asked the artist “as a cherub or bulldog?” Sutherland replied that he would paint what he saw.

Churchill was not happy with the result as it depicted him slumped in a chair wearing his trademark scowl – true to reality but hardly flattering.

After the official unveiling, Churchill hid the painting in his cellar and later secretly destroyed it.

Battling to end loneliness

From: Mike Adamson, Chief Executive, British Red Cross.

THE British Red Cross is appealing for volunteers to 
help deliver brand new services in Rotherham and York which will provide vital support to around 800 lonely and isolated local people.

The new services are being delivered through the Red Cross partnership with the Co-op and Rotherham and York are among the first of nearly 40 communities across the UK to benefit from this funding.

A study by the Co-op and the Red Cross published in December 2016 revealed epidemic levels of loneliness and social isolation in the UK, with over nine million people in the UK feeling always or often lonely. Rotherham and York were identified as areas where a particularly high number of people are in need of additional support.

Our new Community Connectors and Support at Home services are launching in May 2017 and will offer direct, personalised support for people experiencing loneliness or social isolation.

Up to 26 volunteers are needed to support the new services with a commitment of around two hours a week.

For more information or to sign up visit: redcross.org.uk/tackleloneliness.

Varieties of value

From: Peter J Teal, Union Road, Thorne, Doncaster.

I HAVE recently read your 
article regarding the Batley Variety Club and the late Jimmy Corrigan.

It stated that the singer and actor Dean Martin turned down, through his agent, £45,000, a very large sum of money today –never mind in the 1960s.

I was very surprised at this because, in my own personal opinion, he was not as entertaining as some top line performers.

Martin had a son who was a jet pilot whom he idolised, unfortunately his plane crashed into a mountainside and he was killed.

I think Martin would have given his services free and paid his own expenses to Batley if only he could have prevented this tragedy from happening.

It just goes to show that money is not the be all and end all.