Letters to the Editor

The Keighley Retired Men's Forum (of which my father was speaker-finder for many years) sent an obituary, which was printed in last week's Keighley News, but there is one aspect of father's life which I feel may be of special interest.

Apart from wartime service in the RAF - first on barrage balloons and then as a flight mechanic - father was throughout his life a newsagent, and he would eventually be the oldest seller of the Keighley News, ie he would start selling it as a boy shortly after the First World War, and was still selling it into the 1970s.

I think the shop, which was started by his father Amos Dewhirst in 1899 and which father later ran in partnership with his brother lames, has featured more than once over the decades as the Keighley newsagents with the longest record for selling the Keighley News.

My grandfather Amos Dewhirst, a woolsorter and part-time picture-framer from Oxenhope, opened his newsagents, stationers and tobacconists at 232, Oakworth Road, Keighley, in 1899. In his early years he also sold a variety of articles like accordions, concertinas and mouth-organs, costume accessories and straw hat polish -- anything indeed which would turn an honest penny.

My father was born in 1907, his older brother James in 1897, and they ran the shop together after the Second World War, as A Dewhirst and Sons. They sold out in 1970, but father continued to work part-time for the new owner for several years.

The present proprietor is Mr Patel, who has had the business for some years, but it is still known as Dewhirsts'.

Incidentally, photography in the old black-and-white days was also a prominent line, and in my teens I must have dried, glazed and trimmed many thousands of customers' "snaps" -- I remember such episodes as the Festival of Britain in 1951, which everybody took photos of, and family groups standing self-consciously beside their first cars.

My grandfather, uncle and father were all photographers, and a number of my grandfather's and uncle's views have appeared in "Down Memory Lane" over the years.

IAN DEWHIRST

Raglan Avenue

Keighley

Sir - The decision about Keighley's Civic regalia was taken by the old Keighley Borough Council and not by Bradford Met.

Before the final takeover it was passed by full council that the regalia should stay in Keighley (Cliffe Castle) for the benefit of Keighley people.

Surely now that we have a new town Mayor it follows that this means the regalia should be used. I am sure that all the remaining ex-Keighley Borough Councillors and Aldermen who are still alive would agree with this.

Over the years Bradford have tried via the back door to get their hands on the regalia. Firstly if a councillor was based in Keighley they decided to use it, the next step was if the Lord Mayor was coming to Keighley they would use it.

The reason Bradford wanted our regalia was well known, it was far more attractive than the old City of Bradford's.

Perhaps we should ask for the return of the mace which we said they could borrow.

All these facts can be checked in the old minutes of the Keighley Borough Council (1973-74).

M S Dempster

(ex-Keighley Borough

Council)

Keighley

SIR - Your comments regarding Keighley's Civic Regalia is of course particularly relevant and significant in the context that Keighley Town Council, and its unpaid members, are able to demonstrate that democracy has not been bestowed upon Keighley by the beneficence of Bradford District Council but by the demands of the population.

I would also agree with you wholeheartedly that the gratuitous tribal bitching between Bradford and Keighley should stop.

I suggest however that the bitching is not from Keighley. At long last Keighley is moving forward, but to establish the economic potential that is obviously needed in this region it needs the recognition from Bradford that the dictatorship, which Bradford totally exercised, is over.

The King Canute mentality, which I believe is damagingly ingrained in City Hall, can no longer hold back the tide of change.

Public perception that change was needed is overwhelmingly evident yet Keighley Town Council is still having to struggle with Bradford for the trivial right to allow Keighley Gala to place temporary charity signs up in Keighley while the myriad of signs allowed by Bradford mushrooms to the point of absurdity.

The moral merits as to the use of the Keighley Chains of office by its Major and Deputy is still to be decided upon by Bradford's political hierarchy.

Therefore I am restrained at this moment from making further comment on this issue.

However it's about time that paid, political, members of the Keighley-based Bradford Coun-cil and its officers realised that the era that created the economic, education, and criminal chaos in Keighley must end.

We plead with all people; join the non-political Keighley Town Council in promoting Keighley's prosperity.

Cllr Brian Hudson

Sir - reading the article in today's KN re "Civic gongs" I was split between laughter and downright annoyance that my town should be made into such a laughing stock.

What on earth does Martin Leathley think he is doing acting like something out of the children's TV programme Trumpton!

As I see it , somewhat naively perhaps , the regalia belonged to an entity called Keighley Borough Council which of course, however regrettably, no longer exists .

I have no views either way about our Town council but whatever it is , it is not the greatly loved and missed Borough Council.

Please leave us with our memories and stop performing ridiculous antics worthy only of Camberwick Green.

Ray Garner,

Vernon Hall

SIR - I was disappointed to read in the Keighley News that Councillor Leathley, Keighley's Mayor, was unable to wear Keighley's mayoral chain of office at a recent civic event

I have been teaching in Keighley for 35 years. When I was a young teacher, in my innocence, I asked permission to borrow the Keighley mayoral regalia to show to my class of eight-year-olds as part of a history lesson.

I think It would be called Citizenship in the present curriculum. I was politely told that the regalia was so important and precious that It never went anywhere without a police escort.

I was invited to take the children to Cliffe Castle to see the regalia on view there. I accepted this invitation and over the years took many Keighley children to see and learn about Keighley's traditions and heritage.

Also in my younger days I learned that if I found something that didn't belong to me, I should take it to the police station, where there was a chance that it could be returned to the rightful owner.

If I found something and I did know who It belonged to then there was no problem in returning it to its rightful owner.

I understand that Bradford is striving to be the Capital of Culture. What sort of culture exists when the City of Bradford can deprive the town of Keighley from making proper use of its own regalia?

What sort of message does it send to the people of Keighley?

To those old enough to remember when Keighley had its own original town Council. To the generation who grew up in the 30 years when we were relegated to only being a part of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. And finally what sort of message or example does it give children growing up in Keighley today, in whom we need to nurture a pride in their town, respect for their Town Council, and hope for their future?

I can only hope that this situation, which has caused so much distress, is not allowed to happen again, and that an apology is given to Councillor Leathley in particular, and to the people of Keighley in general, for the unnecessary offence caused.

BARBARA BAILEY

Scott Lane West

Riddlesden

SIR - Clearly a Foreign Power wishing to cripple our economy, and so weaken us that we lose the will to retaliate, would do well to take a few tips from the Duke of Wellington's troops.

They managed to disable our entire town in a matter of minutes on Friday.

How did they do this? With howitzers and bazookas? With SAS style raids on key installations? With fifth columnists infiltrating centres of power ready to expose the flabby underbelly of our security?

No, they just asked Bradford Met if they could have a parade. And Bradford Met said 'Why yes, certainly; Friday OK for you?'

Perhaps if due warning had been given - the police got six months - somebody might have had the sense to foresee the inevitable chaos.

Perhaps if due warning had been given - the bus company got three days - we could have avoided a major public transport fiasco.

Perhaps if due warning had been given - the Highways Department got 21-hours - the Oakworth Road works could have been postponed.

Perhaps if due warning had been given - we got none - we could have stayed away.

Why were no notices of closure posted as is the normal practice?

A spokesman from Bradford Chief Executive office claimed that there was 'no legal requirement to do so', and the event was 'secret'.

So secret indeed that the road closures officer was not even consulted.

Are we really going to let the people who engineered this shambles loose in Skipton Road with chainsaws?

The many citizens of Keighley greatly inconvenienced by this appalling and high-handed blunder by Bradford Met might like to join me in complaining to the ineptly titled Director of Transportation and Planning, Alan Mainwaring, City Hall, Bradford.

George Speller

Delph Barn

Hill Top Road

Hainworth

Keighley

SIR - After just attending the Duke's parade may I congratulate them on a faultless display.

The precision of the marching, the smartness of the troops, the sound of the band and the drummers' victory beat were a credit to all concerned.

Why, as the Dukes were exercising their right as freemen of Keighley, was the parade taken by the Lord Mayor of Bradford? Surely this honour should have been given to the Mayor of Keighley?

Why were members of Keighley Town Council not invited to attend? Why close the town centre for two hours to both buses and traffic? K&DT did a great job at short notice.

Why all the secrecy and security - litter bins sealed, a car dragged on to a recovery vehicle? Why no forward publicity? Even Keighley Town Council did not know until Thursday's meeting.

When a crime is committed in Keighley the police say they are short of manpower, but on occasions like this there suddenly seems to be a surplus. Were they forewarned of an attempt on the Lord Mayor's life or a bomb threat?

Well thanks again Dukes. It was great to see you honour our town. Come back again please.

Cllr G Earnshaw

Fell Lane.

SIR - The article by Mujeeb Rahman has to be welcomed in the process of exchanges through perspectives that should bring more understanding in order to unite the community in Keighley.

To this end I would like to comment on some points. That the figure of 300 forced-marriage-related incidents each year in the Bradford District is thought not to be a true reflection of reality, by some in the Muslim community, indicates a lack of awareness of the position of women in society.

Activists for women's rights have constantly battled against disbelief at the abuse women have suffered by society, and their experience would indicate that unreported incidents of enforced marriages would at least double that figure.

Explanations such as 'women who manipulate the situation' is a palliative view put forward to prevent perpetrators from having to face the reality of what they are doing, and is also a mechanism to shift the blame on to the victim.

The comment that Muslim women need to be saved from the perils of the western system appears somewhat illogical when they are fleeing from the perils of a system that allows them to be forced into an unwanted marriage.

I agree with him when he says he thinks Islam is not the problem, but an understanding of people is required.

I would also say, as he does, that efforts by Keighley MP, Anne Cryer to give voice to ones that are persecuted, oppressed and helpless, are truly Islamic and correct, but I would also add that they are western and correct.

He states several reasons why he likes living here, which are some of the reasons I would give for liking to live here, but when he says 'the pursuit of pleasure, coupled with a strong sense of liberty from responsibility, threatens the future of mankind', I have to wonder what he means.

Surely, pleasure, liberty and responsibility, are rights that are appreciated by both religions, and it is a minority in both religions that abuse them. It is up to both religions to work together to see that the future is not threatened.

His comment, 'I hope and pray that... (Asian) girls and women who have been forced into marriage do not take the western (Christian) alternative with their new-found freedom' has two points.

The first admits that injustice has been done to the Asian women, and the second does not do justice to the very many westerners (Christians) that live a life that is comparable in compassion and is as constructive as any devout Muslim life.

He says it is very hard for the westerner (Christian) mind to understand that, in Islam sexes are segregated and women typically cover-up, dress modestly and do not openly flaunt their beauty in public. The majority of western (Christian) women would take objection if this statement were a criticism that they were immodest and flaunted themselves.

To believe that sexual forces can only be contained through the modest behaviour of women is to delude oneself from the truth, to assume that women covering themselves is the way to counteract promiscuity and permissiveness is to deny men's role in these behaviours.

He says that Nations require sound ethical values in all aspects of human endeavour, but each one of us is part of a nation and so each one of us should bring value to our community.

Those values need to include being aware of our own inadequacies and not being prejudiced by claiming all the virtues for ourselves and all the faults belong to others.

BETTY BROWN

School House Farm

Oakworth