YP Letters: '˜Second home' with a long family history in Yorkshire Dales

MY wife and I own a house in Muker, which is now classified as a second home, but to us is our family home.

We are in our 80s, having been born in Muker, went to school there and were married in the church in 1960. Our families were both farmers in the area.

I was brought up on Kisdon Farm above Muker and my wife, Marina, at Scarr House – opposite the waterfall. Partly because of lack of work and, in my case because of health problems, we both found jobs in the South of England. However, we have spent most of our holidays and, since our retirement 25 years ago, about 20 weeks a year in Muker.

Our children, and now our grandchildren, all love the village and spend as much time there as possible. It is quite likely that one of our children, now in their 50s, will retire there.

Regarding our house and why it is our family home, it was bought by my wife’s parents in 1967 when they retired, and we have owned it since Marina’s mother died in 1998. We have spent tens of thousands of pounds on the house over the years, all done by local family firms.

Our roots in Upper Swaledale go back many generations. Both our fathers and grandfathers played in Muker band. We are life members and attend most of their concerts. We go to Muker Church where Marina was confirmed and continue to provide the Christmas flowers, a custom started by her grandmother at least 65 years ago. We generally attend Muker Show and fully support the Swaledale Music Festival where our daughter has regularly played.

I now find it incredible and very upsetting that the National Park Authorities, supported by some members of the local council, have singled out second home-owners as the cause of the perceived problems without a jot of defensible evidence and propose trying to force me to sell our family home.

It should be noted that there is a mis-match between salaries and house prices in the country generally. What is an affordable house in the Upper Dale for a young family earning £25,000 to £30,000 a year? It is unlikely to be our house, which would be more likely sell to a retired person, who has had the benefit of previous house price inflation.

Dangers underfoot

From: Graham Wroe, Glencoe Road, Sheffield.

I AM very concerned that contractor Amey, in “making Sheffield smoother”, is actually creating a massive health and safety risk.

On Friday, January 19, when I was walking to work I slipped on black ice on the footway on the corner of Stafford Street and Talbot Place.

This fall left me in agony and resulted in me spending six hours in accident and emergency. I was lucky that no bones were broken, but I was severely bruised.

The area where I fell is a small patch of newly laid Tarmac that Amey installed following the creation of a dropped kerb. On close inspection of the Tarmac (and I got very close to it!) I found it was covered in an extremely solid layer of black ice.

Later I found out that a friend had fallen in exactly the same place. This indicates that this section of footway is more slippery and dangerous than the old pavements.

I have written to Amey as I am very concerned they may be using surfaces not best suited to our hilly, Northern city.

Crack down on tool theft

From: John Appleyard, Firthcliffe Parade, Liversedge.

SELF-EMPLOYED people have to purchase their own tools for the trades they have chosen, but sadly there is a rising increase in tool theft from their vans.

The replacement of these tools can cost thousands of pounds and, in some cases, insurance companies have six weeks to settle any claims, which is a burden to the victim of the crime.

Not everyone can empty their vans at night and not everyone has insurance cover.

This type of crime is classed as petty crime but the tradesmen and women have paid thousands of pounds for their tools with hard graft.

Victims of this crime are calling for more severe punishments and I have written to my MP, Tracy Brabin, to express my concerns.

Churchill’s Europe stance

From: John Van der Gucht, Cross Hills.

WHY the fixation with Winston Churchill? Yes, he was a great man, a statesman and, thankfully, the right man to lead us in our darkest hour (The Yorkshire Post, January 27).

However, as a peacetime leader and pre-war Cabinet Minister, he didn’t have a great track record. Ironically, he was broadly in favour of greater post- war European integration. But this is 2018! Brexiteers seem oblivious to the past benefits of the single market, and the detrimental effects of leaving it.

We were the fifth-biggest economy in the world, we are sixth now. What will our position be after Brexit has actually occurred? I do not dispute the vote, but do think it was a mistake.

By the way, what’s in a name? I was born in Malaya, but both parents were born and bred in Essex, and did their bit in the war (Dad a Japanese PoW, Mum a physio in the WAAF).

Branson’s public bailout

From: Pam Ward, Bridlington.

THE bailout of Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains and Stagecoach over the East Coast Main Line franchise is just too appalling to be true.

I, personally, am sick and tired of reading about how many “entrepreneurs” are taking money from the public, and getting away with it.