YP Letters: Tragic loss of a piece of our heritage

ON Good Friday, my wife and I made our first visit to Wentworth Castle and gardens in South Yorkshire. Living some distance from this Grade One-listed heritage site, it was somewhere we always intended to visit but our trip was made more urgent by the fact that the gardens were to shut on Easter Monday, as explained in Mike Waites’s article “A restoration tragedy” (The Yorkshire Post, April 11).

The car park was full and the gardens were abuzz with children taking part in a series of Easter events organised by the volunteers of the Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Heritage Trust.

We were greatly impressed by the grandeur of the mansion, now a college and not affected by the closure, the beautiful gardens, the impressively restored conservatory and idiosyncratic follies that stand in the 500 acres of rolling parkland.

Regarded as one of the finest landscapes in England, we felt saddened – and somewhat bemused – that this 18th century gem, created by Thomas Wentworth, would no longer be open to the public.

Unfortunately, despite the support of Barnsley council, the hard-working Trust has not been able to raise sufficient funds to sustain the business model.

The calling of the General Election has no doubt stalled negotiations on the future of the gardens but the urgency of the situation should not be forgotten and I hope local MPs will be lobbying any incoming government to lend support. Several million pounds have been invested in this magnificent heritage site and it would be a tragedy if it were allowed to go to rack and ruin.

I would suggest that if Wentworth were situated in or near London, there would have been a real hue and cry. If £37m of taxpayers’ money can be spent on a vanity project such as the proposed London Garden Bridge, then funds must be found to re-open Wentworth Castle and gardens to the public.

Culture of failure

From: John Lindsay, Windle Square, Kirk Sandall, Doncaster.

LEEDS bidding to become European Capital of Culture eh? Visitor arriving at the railway station.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where the Underground, the Metro station is please?”

“We haven’t got one.”

“Where is the tram stop, where are the trams?”

“We haven’t got any of those either”

“Trolleybus?” “Ah, now you’re talking. We nearly had one of those.”

“What about buses then?”

“Yes, we do have buses, but the city centre is so congested that you’d probably be better off walking to your destination. Welcome to Leeds!

Values can lift this curse

From: Theresa Quarmby, Highfield Road, Kirkbolton.

AS reported in this newspaper, I believe it is time to ask ourselves why children, some as young as four years, are suffering from mental health issues such as panic attacks and depression.

Young children should exhibit the spirit of joy and adventure, held in the loving security of their parents.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, wrote a noble article in The Yorkshire Post rightly saying that he is distressed at the suffering in the world.

I believe it has a lot to do with the lack of moral and ethical values so prevalent in society today e.g. adultery, abortion, greed, corruption and so on.

How wonderful if, like Beauty and the Beast, this curse was lifted and, as the Archbishop suggested, God’s kingdom could be bathed in new and wonderful sunlight. Families united and children living in security. But this might be underpinned with moral and ethical values.

Misplaced loyalties

From: G Cooper, Barlow, Dronfield.

I RECEIVED a cheque for £1 from British Gas. In the accompanying letter, they explain that it is to “refund my final account”. They also explain that all I have to do to rejoin them is to contact them.

I don’t feel this is likely, since, as the Labour Party has now surely realised, loyalty is a device designed to protect the inept. I left British Gas 18 months ago.

Would any of your readers like to explain to me the benefits that privatisation has brought us?

Golden age of music

From: Edward Grainger, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.

YOUR paper was so right (The Yorkshire Post, April 10) to describe Brian Matthew as a Radio 2 legend whose offerings each Saturday morning with the ever popular Sounds of the Sixties were a delight.

His is an outstanding contribution to the golden age of popular music that he presented for 27 years until his recent death aged 88. I shall miss his wonderful style of delivery and connection with his listeners.

He never called his two-hour shift the Brian Matthew Show as he once said said that it was the music that mattered.

Television at its nadir

From: J Robson, Kirkbymoorside.

THE other night I switched on All Round to Mrs Brown’s, a BBC programme I had never watched before. Stupefied, I watched until I could no longer bear it and turned off.

As someone who remembers the advent of television and has enjoyed most of its finest moments, I still feel dismayed at having now witnessed its nadir. This raucous excuse for entertainment is muck TV, it is fit only for pond-life to view.