Letters to the Editor

SIR - The closure for even one day of the bridge across the river at Saltaire (T&A, June 8) is stupid. Once again Bradford Council shows its true colours of being short-sighted.

The bridge is used by commuters from Baildon and surrounding areas to get to Saltaire station. If the Council simply monitored the people crossing in a morning they would see dozens of commuters using it.

What can we expect, however, from a Council which digs up the centre of Bradford at Christmas and stops traders showing there wares outside their shops?

Well done, Bradford Council, once again you shoot yourself in the foot.

Alan Smith, Glenaire Drive, Baildon.

New people!

SIR - I love the artists' impressions of how Bradford will look. As well as new buildings we are getting new people, too! They are conventionally but smartly dressed, their faces are not hidden by hoods or covered in other ways, and there's not a baseball cap in sight.

There are no gangs of foul-mouthed abusive youths, and no litter bins because there is no litter. It all looks very civilised.

However, won't the pavements feel hard underfoot without their protective coating of chewing gum?

L A Hobsbaum, Willow Crescent, Bradford.

Words of the past

SIR - Reading the letters on Jihad, I appreciate that the vast majority of Muslims use the word in a way that others could share, if only they understood the correct usage.

However, the Christian word for Jihad is Crusade. While most Christians nowadays would use crusade in a peaceful way which would not concern Muslims, the wicked medieval crusades left bitter memories which even today cause some Muslims to feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

War, whether just or unjust, is such a horrible business that any juxtaposition of 'Holy' and 'War', whether in the form of 'Crusade' or 'Jihad', might lead to misunderstanding and apprehension among people of other religions (or no religion).

All religions contain their tiny minority of extremists and the concept of 'Holy War' is likely to mislead them too, with terrible results.

Some words belong to the past.

Ray Wilkes, Tower Road, Shipley.

Saddam's cruelty

SIR - I see Mubarik Iqbal (T&A, June 6) is still trying to justify Islam's inherent cruelty to non-Islamic peoples. I think history will find that although Bush and Blair went to war, they went knowing that Saddam Hussein had, in the past, used weapons against his own countrymen when he gassed the Kurds and the marsh dwellers in the south of Iraq.

It was no surprise that these weapons remained hidden but I bet that in the future those weapons will be found.

History will not criticise too harshly.

Phil Boase, Elizabeth Street, Wyke.

Arnhem victims

SIR - I am seeking relatives or anyone who can provide information about Spr Cyril Turner, Royal Engineers, born in about 1917, son of George and Elizabeth Turner and husband of Dora Turner, of Allerton, Bradford.

Spr Turner and 20 other men of the 9th (Airborne) Field Company, Royal Engineers, and two glider pilots were the first fatalities of the Battle for Arnhem Bridge.

On September 17, 1944, when being towed in a Horsa glider over Somerset towards Arnhem, the tail of the glider broke away from the fuselage.

There were no survivors when the two parts of the glider crashed in a field at Double Hills on the outskirts of Paulton village near Bristol. The 'comrades in arms' were buried in Weston-super-Mare cemetery.

Each year in September a service is held at the Double Hills Arnhem Memorial at the crash site, attended by several hundred local people, veterans and serving military personnel including detachments of 9th (Airborne) Company R E and the Army Air Corps who organise a fly-past of historic military aircraft.

Some relatives who have been traced still attend as honoured guests but our memorial committee would like to trace or renew contact with others, including those of Spr Turner.

Bob Williams, 30 Meadway, Temple Cloud, Bristol BS39 5BD.

The same for all

SIR - I have read with disbelief that shopkeepers in the centre of Bradford are to be prosecuted if they encroach more than one metre on to the pavement when displaying goods outside their shop frontage.

Can I suggest that whoever is responsible for this ruling takes a walk down Killinghall Road to Laisterdyke or up Little Horton Lane to St Luke's Hospital or along any road within a mile radius of Bradford Royal Infirmary where the problem is even worse.

If this is to be implemented then let us ensure that all shopkeepers in all areas are subject to the same rules.

Mrs R Robinson, Silwood Drive, Eccleshill.

Aid concerns

SIR - Here we go again. Gordon Brown smugly announces that Europe is to double aid to Africa but how much of any aid is used for the purpose for which it is intended?

While some financial aid is required, some experts suggest that it would be far better to do other things to make the poor countries more self-reliant, such as opening up our markets and reducing tariffs on their goods and services.

Just a couple of days ago I received a communication from Lady Roddick asking for support in ridding society of the scandal of aid money finding its way into the pockets of high-flying businessmen. She did not mention the pockets of African dictators such as Mugabe.

I sent the letter, via our MP Philip Davies, to Hilary Benn, who I believe is still in charge of overseas aid and development and asked him to make the donation the letter was requesting of me.

We dole out the money but who monitors how it is used?

P E Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley.

Thanks, everyone

SIR - Since my wife became ill, I have found myself overwhelmed by the love and kindness of people of all types, officials, doctors, nurses, neighbours, friends and family, people I have only now and then said "hello" to.

They have heaped upon me help in the form of advice, money, companionship, every conceivable form of practical assistance and above all plain, ordinary, unstinting love.

I will never be able to make people understand how much a kindly word, an offer of prayer and for the benefit of the cynical, real practical help has meant to me.

All I can say is thank you all, and God bless you, with the love I have received and still am receiving.

Jack Mawson, Grove House Crescent, Bradford.

Puzzling claim

SIR - I am puzzled as to why some of your correspondents, for example N Brown (T&A, June 9), seem to think that only rail passengers should be denied the facility of cross-city travel, in order that they be forced to stop in the centre and spend their money.

Large sums of money have been spent enabling motorists to bypass the city centre, making journeys for which we are told there is no demand and without being relieved of their hard-earned cash.

Michael Ramsden, Bath Road, Cleckheaton.