YP Letters: Wise words from past on Sheffield memorial trees

SO the decision to fell the Western Road memorial trees has been announced in Sheffield after a long expensive process of looking at options to save them. I believe, along with many others, the decision was made some time back.

The quote of £500k to save them cannot be itemised due to confidentiality to protect AMEY’s original tender, so we have no evidence to support the estimate. Outside sources and experts claim the trees can be saved for much less.

The head of highways has publicly stated he is not interested in retaining trees but in maintaining the roads and he appears to be in control of these figures. A question was asked if consideration had been given, to how these mature trees help with pollution on a busy road, but these facts were rebuffed.

These trees are irreplaceable. One has to truly understand the concept of a memorial tree to appreciate this. This extract, calling for the planting of memorial trees, is from a letter to Sheffield Telegraph written in 1918 by VH Lucas, a resident of Firth Park.

He explains it beautifully: “To make it a success there needs to only to be real unity of purpose supported and driven by a whole-hearted propelling force of energy to achieve it. Bronze, marble or stone memorials will be good in their place but they cannot give the comfort and consolation to parents that a tree could do.

“They give the bursting leaf, the unfolding of the beautiful leaf, the growing twig, the expanding and gradual development into a comely outline of a noble and beautiful tree. Such as due care can produce, while as year by year goes by there is presented to you, the truest, most ideal and what I venture to assert, is the nearest symbol, likeness or reminder of the loved ones lost. Ones babyhood, boyhood, youth and manhood.

“This appeal for tree memorials is suggested in hope of a response which is so honourably deserves. Is Sheffield capable of responding.”

In 1917 Sheffielders responded and the trees were planted. In 2017 I ask a similar question, is Sheffield capable of responding and challenging a council intent on destroying our heritage?

Inequality by the sea

From: Peter Croft, Sandpiperhouse, Whitby.

A RECENT Government report made for uncomfortable reading on the Yorkshire coast, rating Scarborough Borough near the bottom when it came to social mobility.

The cold wind from the North Sea has hidden the cold spot for a number of years. Lack of investment has taken its toll with the slow decline of infrastructure and services.

But I would highlight further the inequality that exists within the borough itself.

Over last few years, there have been a constant stream of good news stories issued by Scarborough Borough Council. Here are some examples:

£10m council subsidy of Alpamere waterpark in Scarborough;

£3m on refurbishment of open air theatre in Scarborough;

£1m on indoor market in Scarborough;

£4m to redevelop the Futurist Theatre site in Scarborough;

£16m million on South Cliff slope stabilisation scheme in Scarborough.

In addition to the above, a new sports village with Olympic standard swimming pool, athletics track, tennis and squash courts – all in Scarborough.

Hopefully, by now, you will notice my point. Everything is being developed in Scarborough the town, not Scarborough the borough. You have to ask what the Borough Council has done to tackle this inequality in its own back yard. Writing as a resident of Whitby, I have to say not a lot.

Parents’ role in learning

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IT is hardly a surprise to find that we in Yorkshire have many children who are not attaining standards in reading, writing and maths (The Yorkshire Post, December 15).

You have only to look around to see that, from an early age, parents are not interested in communicating with their children. Instead they are staring at their mobile phones, reading messages or playing silly games.

You cannot blame the schools which, I’m sure, do their best, but it is really up to the parents.

Question of priorities

From: A Hague, Bellbrooke Grove, Leeds.

CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond is giving the NHS £2.8bn over the next two years but cutting banking taxes by £4.4bn. The Health Service needs £8bn, yet preference has gone to the bankers’ tax on bank debt.

Prescriptions and routine operations face cuts and, as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell says, it’s shameful we make handouts to banks when care services cry out for more.

Jerusalem’s ceasefires

From: W Forrest, New Hay Road, Huddersfield.

YOUR correspondent J Soper (The Yorkshire Post, December 14) suggests Jerusalem become an international city for peace under UN supervision.

On two occasions in the last 20 years, the UN brokered ceasefires in the region, which included supervision by their own troops.

Israel honoured those terms, Hezbollah and Hamas ignored them. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are 100 per cent committed to the eventual eradication of the state of 
Israel and its inhabitants, and would use such an agreement 
as a stepping stone to its 
ultimate goal, while the UN would be incapable of keeping such a peace.