Letters to the Editor

Sir - I recently visited Bolling Hall which features prominently in the second siege of the town during the English Civil War.

I was expecting to find some displays and descriptions of life in the area during this period and the various sieges and also obtain any literature pertaining to this period which may be on sale. I am referring particularly to Dr Newman's most worthy booklet on the Siege of Bradford published some years ago.

On all counts I was singularly disappointed. Apart from a small case of Civil War relics I could find nothing. I am reliably informed however that numerous interesting items from this period are held in store by the museum.

I came away having wasted my time. Unless you have more than a passing interest in North Country furniture or stained glass there is very little on offer. Also the garden is badly in need of attention.

Far from being "one of Bradford's most precious jewels" as described in the tourist literature, in my view the Hall is a missed opportunity.

It has potential and history but is sadly in need of some enthusiasm and creative thinking from those in authority.

D Fell, Wharncliffe Drive, Eccleshill.

l A Bradford Council spokesman said: "The Council takes great pride in all its museums and galleries and works hard to provide a good service to local people and attract visitors to the district.

"Bolling Hall is best known for its furniture collections and its impressive stained-glass window coat of arms. It is not possible to show all the museum's collection at one time, so exhibits are regularly rotated to maintain interest and variety.

"The Council appointed a new Museum Officer in April who specialises in social history and is based at Bolling Hall. One of her first priorities is to look at new ways to use the hall and improve the service offered to visitors.

"We are also in the process of improving the hall's grounds at a cost of more than £20,000."

Hardly a success

SIR - Elections Minister and Shipley MP Chris Leslie has declared the all-postal voting experiment a success solely because turnout increased (T&A, June 11).

Setting aside problems of intimidation, inconvenience, confusion, administration and cost, this is an argument that deserves more detailed consideration.

Most of us share his desire to see more people voting. However, only seven per cent of the 14 per cent increase in postal voting areas can be attributed to the all-postal factor. This is because, even in areas using the traditional system, the vote was up by seven per cent.

People were using their votes to protest over Labour's handling of Iraq, just as ten years ago they turned out in record numbers at polling stations to express their anger about the poll tax.

Ironically, in 2004 there was a second big issue driving people to vote in the all-postal regions: anger over the imposition of an unpopular voting system!

If we really want to increase democratic participation there are many ways this might be achieved without discrediting the democratic process itself.

Quentin Deakin, The Bradford Campaign for Secret Ballots, Newark Road, Crossflatts.

Missing papers

SIR - My ballot papers arrived but with the wrongly-named addressee.

These were returned the following morning, with my full name and a request to amend the error and return the documents immediately.

Unfortunately this request was not complied with.

I am a senior citizen and have never missed a vote at either local or general elections since being eligible to do so and am extremely angry that due to incompetent administration this right has been denied me in both the recent local and EC elections.

We are all aware that every vote counts and I wonder how many others have been denied the privilege due to similar errors.

Thelma M Thomson, Orchard Grove, Bradford.

People's concerns

Sir - I didn't vote in the local or EC elections. If I had, I would not have voted for the BNP.

That said, I feel disheartened at the response of the other political parties to the election of four BNP councillors. It is all too easy to dismiss them as extremists, and those who voted for them as ignorant, deluded or worse.

The uncomfortable fact is many people have concerns about the way things have been going in this city for more than 20 years, and feel their worries have not been heeded by the mainstream parties.

When I was growing up in multiracial Bradford, nobody knew the term "multiculturalism", but I was proud Bradford was a tolerant and a welcoming city. It was made all the richer over successive generations by immigrants of many nationalities, cultures and creeds.

Now, few would deny Bradford is a fractured and unhappy community, and the finger has been pointed in recent reports at policies from City Hall.

Perhaps the election of these four councillors might cause some serious soul-searching by the mainstream parties. Bradfordians of all colours and creeds deserve rather more intellectual rigour from their public servants.

Kevin Morris, Prince's Street, Wibsey.

No begging bowl

SIR - I simply had to respond to letters from Ian Sinclair and Jerry Gumeniuk (T&A, June 4).

Bradford Park Avenue has no begging bowl, we simply want 'fair do's'. Further, Avenue has raced ahead of all other local 'non-league' clubs because of its status.

With respect to Horsfall, I have long urged greater support and have proposed share purchase schemes to help finance the measures suggested, but response has been disappointing.

If Ian would like to participate in our fund raising, he would be very welcome, but I will not run up huge debts to develop Horsfall nor anything else; City are presently counting the costs of such a strategy.

As far as Jerry Gumeniuk's comments are concerned, I feel that they are well headed 'Blinkered View'; 'the plight of Bradford City a historic cataclysm for Bradford' and 'today is about Bradford City and the social and economic prosperity of Bradford'.

Absolute nonsense! I wish them well, but City can only survive by leaving a host of unhappy creditors in their wake, while Avenue, with the local press and the football folk in the city really behind them, could be knocking on the door of the Nationwide League themselves the season after next.

Frank Thornton, Chairman, Bradford Park Avenue, Harlesford House, Tetsworth.

Up the Avenue!

Sir - How can you publish such rubbish from the City fans? It's about time they were made an example of by the FA and a chance given to the smaller clubs of Bradford.

As a Bradford Park Avenue fan I can't wait for City to be booted out of the Football League. Look after the prospering teams in Bradford, not give money to the has-beens!

Up the Avenue!

Barry Hutchinson, Lower George Street, Wibsey.

Alien buildings

SIR - It is wonderful that Bradford will have a new Broadway shopping scheme. But does the artist's impression of the exterior of this shopping scheme show much advancement in over 40 years from the last redevelopment of this area?

No doubt we will have to rely on the interiors to enthral us.

I am disappointed that the new buildings show no acknowledgement of our rich architectural heritage and that the new buildings will look just as alien set in the middle of that heritage as the last lot of buildings did.

I hope my fears are proved groundless.

Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire.

No floods yet...

sir - Remember the hysterical warnings from the anti-Europeans and tabloids about Britain being flooded by immigrants from eastern Europe on May 1?

Well, it's now been six weeks since we welcomed ten new countries into the European Union, and the floods of immigrants have spectacularly failed to arrive - just as they did in 1981, 1986 and 1995.

Yet another Eurosceptic scare story has been discredited.

Richard Corbett, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, Blenheim Terrace, Leeds.