Letters to the Editor

SIR, - Many people in Otley feel that as a town we don't make the most of our riverside, so Otley Town Partnership has commissioned Spawforth Associates to produce a vision and plan for the whole of the riverside from the sailing club lake in the west to Gallows Hill in the east.

This includes many areas of outstanding natural beauty, nature reserves, the lagoons, the bridge, Wharfemeadows Park, the former cattle market, Garnett's works and Ashfield Works.

To be a success this plan must take into account the views of residents, landowners and the various groups and individuals who use this area. We hope to produce a plan that is both visionary and realistic, the sort of plan which has led to the transformation of the riverside in Leeds.

It may be that people most value the unspoilt beauty of the riverside. On the other hand, some people may see great potential for development. Whatever your views, we need to know about them, so that the plan genuinely reflects the views of local people.

We have arranged a public meeting for people to express their views on the riverside's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats between 7pm and 9pm on Thursday, November 6, at Otley Civic Centre, to which all are invited.

People are also invited to write with their views on what they would like to see happen to the riverside to Philip Coyne, OTP, care of Otley Civic Centre, Cross Green, Otley LS21 2DH.

Philip Coyne

Chairman,

Otley Town Partnership

Environment Group.

Worthwhile

SIR, - You knew there was something in the air on a cool, cloudy Saturday afternoon. Policemen and women were making a guest appearance in town and Otley was getting off it's backside to protest about something worthwhile. A young WPC who had probably never seen the area before, took her position up on the pavement and primed her shiny leather gloves for action, which would only occur as a young teenager enthusiastically booted a police traffic cone over on the opposite side of the road.

An elderly lady on Billams Hill whispered into the ear of another officer 'Where have you been all our lives? (perhaps). Elsewhere other people who felt least likely to get mown down by a juggernaut carried on as usual including feeding the ducks and smoking waccy baccy (not necessarily in that order).

A man in an overcoat walked out of a shop with a lorry load style of strawberry ice cream without a care in the world. Further up the road Otley's young children were about to start the march on their town centre. They clutched their red and orange balloons and piped up a high pitched din which sounded like the annual Smash Hits Christmas Party with Ant and Dec.

This, though, was a day for politicians and councillors too. As the police escort car with its blue flashing lights began the procession, a man on a clapped out push bike appeared from nowhere to freewheel it down the hill as if to promote the virtues of safer travel.

The marchers moved forward quickly, looking sedated and rather bored, glancing right and left they saw frustrated drivers picking their noses and tuning into Radio 5 live as they were forced to notice that mothers and their children and the elderly were not having (or even 'avin') it any more.

The cheerleader with the tannoy ground to a halt at the bridge and barked out the instructions to his followers. He could have taken a big order for cheeseburgers at McDunnies. Instead they proceeded into town and towards the grand finale of a date with the bloke and his beard under a pigeon-infested Buttercross. The kids were wishing it could be Father Christmas.

An impeccably observed one minute's silence was held for the elderly lady who lost her life in an accident with an HGV passing along Boroughgate. That was a shocking tragedy for her family and Otley woke up and made actions speak louder than words.

Today was passionless, but determined, justified and right. The man with the tannoy began to crank up the volume again and bang on about dirty, stinking haulage firms, before introducing the day's special guest, MP Harold Best, who addressed those under the shelter, on the other side of the road. He was drowned out by the Kirkgate traffic. Fortunately everyone didn't need to hear his opinions; they'd already made their minds up a long time ago.

The protest had shown Otley's people did care and that the police still did exist. They should get together more often.

Dan Cooney

Casa Loco,

San Pedro Del Pinatar,

Spain.

Keep trees

SIR, - If the five fir trees at Otley All Saints Parish Church are chopped down for no reason it is sacrilege. The five beautiful trees enhance the church.

Also, in the churchyard, behind those five fir trees there is a garden of remembrance where some loved ones have their ashes scattered. If those trees are chopped what privacy have the families?

Those trees are a shield for the church against the east weather, rain and wind. It does protect. I say hands off those beautiful fir trees.

H M Hindle (Mrs)

Bradford Road,

Otley

Good support

SIR, - It was extremely encouraging to see the strength of support for the SOOR campaign to ban HGV's from Otley's roads, when several hundred people turned out for last Saturday's protest march.

On behalf of the members of the action group I would like to thank everyone who came along to support us and make their feelings known. Your support is essential to our campaign and is greatly appreciated. Our thanks also go the police for their excellent job in controlling traffic etc, to Otley Town Council and Harold Best for their support. To the media for their excellent coverage and all those whose hard work ensured the success of the event.

If you wish to help us further please write to your councillor or Leeds City Council and express your views. We must not allow Hansons and their carriers to continue to enhance profits at the expense of the people of Otley by using it as a short cut.

Keith Roberts

On behalf of SOOR.

Any colour?

SIR, - Now the political conference season is over one must ask, is politics now regarded as entertainment and are party leaders competing in a game show called 'Pop idol politicians'?

Are stage performances more important than their record of achievements? The way in which Blair was received and given standing ovations by mindless party sycophants suggests we have learned nothing from the rise of Hitler.

It would appear that leaders are evaluated not on their record but on how they perform on stage before an audience with a Nuremberg mentality. If we want entertainment, personally I would rather watch Kylie Minogue than Blair, Smith or Kennedy.

The praise given to Blair defies all intelligent understanding. Here is a man who in six years of office has taken us into five wars and is responsible for the deaths of countless thousands of innocent people.

He imposed means testing on the elderly and disabled for care services which is a back door method of privatising the National Health Service. He has presided over massive increases in taxation both at national and local levels.

He has means tested pensions, increased fees for students, overseen a massive increase in violent crime and a transport system that is a shambles. And yet there are still those who are unable to recognise the truth and danger of this man and his Frankenstein New Labour Party.

Those like F Dickinson who accuse Labour's opponents as 'windbags' but create enough empty hot air to fill Blair's Millennium Dome, insist on perpetuating propaganda and half-truths to keep Blair and New Labour in power.

F Dickinson constantly refers to the mass graves in Iraq but refuses to acknowledge that these are mainly the result of the Iraq/Iran war in which one million were killed with our collaboration and support. Not once does he mention the mass graves of the 3,000 innocent civilians in Afghanistan and more than 10,000 in Iran, not to mention the countless numbers -of combatants killed in these wars, which the Government refuses to numerate.

One message to be gleaned from the conferences is that as a democracy we are far from mature and going backwards.

Paraphrasing Henry Ford's quote 'You can have any colour car you want provided it's black', should now be written 'you can have any political party you want, provided its capitalist'.

Malcolm Naylor

21 Grange View,

Otley.

Sorry, folks

SIR, - Re: Across the Years photograph of the inauguration of Meals on Wheels service. Please allow me to correct the caption under the above named photograph.

The caf shown is the Leeds House Caf in Market Place. I was born in 1933 at 37 Courthouse Street (now part of Chevin Court). I later lived in North Street and still live in Otley.

The Corner Caf has not been in existence for 40 years. It was a corner shop which for many of my childhood years was owned by Elsie Robinson. I am unable to say when it ceased to be a shop but it was less than 40 years ago. Also in all my 70 years Wesley Street has not been cobbled.

Mrs Patricia Turner

Otley.

FOOTNOTE: We're in sackcloth and ashes. Thanks to Mrs Turner, David Brotherton, Alan MacDonald and other readers who pointed out our mistake . Sorry, folks.

- Editor

Hall thanks

SIR, - May I through your columns say a big thank-you to all the kind people who supported the sponsored walk round Paul's Pond, Bramhope, which was held in September to raise funds for the extensions to The Robert Craven Hall, Bramhope.

Thanks to people's generosity and a magnificent extra special effort from Paul Welling, the hall's manager, we raised over £1,000. Congratulations! The building work to which people contributed will be starting soon.

Rupert Hodges

Leeds Road, Bramhope.