YP Letters: Get on your bike to get Harrogate moving

IT’S a beautiful day again here in Harrogate – the sun shines and the Stray grass becomes white through a lack of rain.

And where are the people? Not on the Stray, not walking, no on a lovely sunny day they are alone in their cars – causing traffic jams, congestion and toxic fumes for the next generation of the town to inhale.

Please can I ask why we don’t cycle more in Harrogate? By the way I am not a professional cyclist nor do I own a cycling shop, I am simply concerned about the environment and the health of the Harrogate people.

Are these your reasons?

It’s too hilly – well Edinburgh has hundreds of cyclists and loads of hills.

It takes too long – try cycling around Harrogate, it is so much quicker than driving.

It’s too dangerous – have you tried it or are you basing this on hearsay? In the last six months (all winter too) I have cycled down the Wetherby Road – the car drivers see me and help me. I have had no accidents, so why is it too dangerous?

It’s unhealthy with all the fumes – well if we all tried to get on our bikes wouldn’t that help reduce this?

Cycling helps me stay fit, it’s quicker, I get fresh air in the side streets, it’s reducing my petrol bills, and I feel good.

Car driving is slow, stuffy, unhealthy and creates pollution.

Please can I ask the residents and workers of Harrogate to consider a bike journey this summer around Harrogate to help reduce congestion particularly for those who have to drive, to reduce pollution especially for our younger people, and to save money.

Rather than expecting the council to change things, let’s do it ourself.

Ticket to a parking fine

From: Richard Jarvis, Malton.

BEWARE the “ill winds of Ilkley”.

While on holiday last week, my wife and I had our first visit to Ilkley by car,

Having parked in the central pay and display car park, we both commented on the great value at £1.80 for three hours as we placed the ticket on the dashboard.

We were blessed with glorious weather with a welcome breeze as we explored the town.

Returning to the car before the ticket expired, we were astonished to see a yellow plastic bag stuck to the windscreen containing a penalty notice!

The charge was of £50 (max) for not clearly displaying a valid ticket.

As we got back into the car, we noticed the ticket had blown along the dashboard and, to our surprise, flipped upside down.

Yes, on hindsight, we should have checked this when leaving the vehicle, but we were busy getting sorted before closing and locking up.

My advice would be to carry sellotape, blu-tac or some other means of anchoring said ticket in place, as they are not supplied with a peel-off sticky section.

I have made my appeal to Bradford Council by email with copy of ticket etc, understanding reply by post can be up to 10 days.

Hope this may be a help to others.

Bum notes strike chord

From: CM Langan, Sheffield.

ON a short bus journey recently, a pack of schoolboys got on, making a beeline for the back seats.

Within seconds, a noise of an indelicate nature rang out loud and clear, followed by another of the same ilk, and then another!

People shifted awkwardly in their seats, some tutting in disgust. An old lady with a shopping trolley turned around and shot them a filthy look.

My own response wasn’t dissimilar.

“Dirty scruffs!” I thought. “Can’t they find better ways to amuse themselves?” However, the lads laughed shamelessly, seeing their performances as a badge of honour.

By the time I got off, there’d been further contributions and I was really despairing of today’s youth.

However, I then thought back to the lads at school with me, back in the 1970s, and their own renditions of Concerto de Flatulence especially in hymn practice. I then recalled the kids sitting nearby laughing helplessly from behind their hymn books... and, oh dear, I was one of them!

Reality check! We were all young and daft once.

So, no more playing judge and jury from me!

Enjoy the summer holidays, kids!

Cave rescuers real heroes

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

ENGLAND did well to get to the semi-finals of the World Cup. But none of the footballers are heroes by any stretch of the imagination.

That epithet is for the likes of those who carry our feats such as the rescue of the boys in the Thai caves (The Yorkshire Post, July 14).

Paying price of protest

From: Cecil Crinnion, Sycamore Close, Slingsby, York.

HOW typical of this Labour Party to encourage mass protests during President Trump’s visit and then complain to the Government about the cost of policing them.