SIR - For the past few months, my journey to and from Skipton along the A65 has become increasingly depressing because of the increasing rubbish dumped all along the verges, which is never cleared.

I would be ashamed to admit to anyone that this road is one of the "Gateways to the Dales".

Imagine, then, my delight when driving from home to Settle one day last week when I saw a man with a bin bag collecting rubbish along the verges of the Settle bypass section of the A65.

However, my delight dimmed a little when I realised it was not a council worker, but one of my own neighbours.

On seeing him later in the day and thanking him, he told me that, like me, he was very depressed by the state of the verges. He said that he felt very privileged to live in such a beautiful area and could not bear to see it like that.

He also told me, that having collected several bin bags full of rubbish, the local tip in Settle would not let him put them in the skip there as they said it was not household rubbish and that he should take it to Skipton (and pay) to dump it there.

I was horrified. We pay more and more council tax and seem to get less and less service for it. Here was a man doing a job which should be done by the Highway Services and then being penalised for doing it.

Not to be deterred, he has been down the by-pass for two more long sessions of collecting since then. It is sad that people are quite happy to carry full heavy cans, packages, etc, with them but the minute they are empty they have to just throw them out of the window. What a decadent time we live in.

Through your columns, I feel this "good neighbour" needs praise indeed and many thanks for his good deed.

C Watson,

Eldroth Hall Cottage,

Eldroth.

SIR - It has come to my attention that there is a crisis in the financing of the charity providing the services of the local branch of the Citizen Advice Bureau.

I have used their advice regarding a dispute with a solicitor over worked charged. Through The Citizens Advice Bureau I received prompt attention and was directed to pursue an effective course of action.

About three weeks prior to this I had attempted to approach them but the service had been suspended due to difficulty getting staff to cover, a contributory factor being, I understand, the lack of money.

This is a thoroughly deserving and necessary service which needs effective support from its main local contributors to be able to continue to provide a first class service and avoid having to make cuts in coverage due to financial shortfall.

Though solicitors in Skipton provide an excellent service, often with free initial consultation or at a very reasonable rate, the scope of these services are not the same. The bureau can deal with enquiries for information, correct procedure etc on a quick, informal basis which is less likely to intimidate than the alternative.

I hope that this service can be spared the fate of the Bradford Citizens Advice Bureaus, where you have to sign a form that allows the major contributors to that charity to have access to your file for monitoring purposes. This effectively breaches your right to confidentiality.

If you wish the Skipton service to continue to exist in an effective unfettered form ask your local councillor about its level of contribution, or if you work for a larger firm if it supports or will support this charity.

Without some concerted effort an important independent player in the local citizen support network will be lost or compromised.

Roger Bell,

Skipton Road, Gargrave.

SIR - I was very concerned to read Adrian Lowe's criticism of the music service provided by North Yorkshire and his (inaccurate) observation that there is a dearth of local musicians.

Firstly, take a look at the local schools (Ermysted's, Skipton Girls' High School and Aireville) and you will find a very healthy music scene in them all.

Aireville has a splendid school band who tour local primary schools each year. It is enthusiastically run by John Horeman and he has created an enthusiastic and very capable band who reach high standards.

At the Girls' School there is a similar picture with provision for many pupils in its expert orchestra, wind band and chamber groups. I speak for myself next (being head of music at Ermysted's) when I assure the Skipton music-lovers that we also have a high profile with two Big Bands (of over 50 players in all) string groups and smaller wind ensembles. Each of our concerts feature over 70 instrumentalists - hardly a dearth.

Secondly, none of the schools could possibly do any of this without the County Music Service and it is simply not true that fewer people are learning instruments. Indeed the Music Service make provision for those on low incomes and encourage pupils from all backgrounds.

They have very many expert and hard-working teachers who provide high standards of tuition - Ofsted said so!

David Morgan rightly points out the tuition charges have been levied since 1995 but the alternative was no tuition at all. Since 1995 I have actually seen pupil numbers rise. Cause and effect are simply not adding up to the writer's conclusions here.

This falsehood regarding tuition fees was, I recall, peddled last year in relation to the Armistice Day ceremony and it has no more weight now than it had then.

Thirdly, the recent Skipton Music Festival saw many local musicians taking part, to a very high standard. Many of these pupils are taught by County Music Service staff and it is to their credit that their pupils did so well.

Rome was not built in a day. It has personally taken me seven years to build up a Big Band from its original 12 pupils to over 50 now. It has taken patience, imagination, and a great deal of hard work and at no point has the subject of tuition fees stood in the way.

For those who may still have some scepticism, I extend an invitation to come to any of the concerts at the Skipton secondary schools or at the music centre concerts. You will see that the reality is very different to Mr Lowes' pessimistic prognosis.

Simon Gregory,

Primrose Hill,

Skipton.

SIR - With regard to the articles and letters in the Craven Herald and Pioneer about the threat to the Carers Resource.

I am a disabled person who needs a full time carer, who in turn needs the support of our local Carers Resources, and I am appalled with the Craven, Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust for turning down the request for the sum of money needed to fund these special people (the Carers Resource).

Who in the past have tremendously helped myself and my carer in many ways which I couldn't have managed myself?

It amazes me when hundreds of thousands of pounds are literally wasted on funding projects not half as useful and beneficial as The Carers Resource.

Just when, after many years of being disabled, I need the help of a body like Carers Resource, I find their unselfish help to me and my carer will now be taken away from us.

Who else will care?

Put yourself in the disabled carer's position and realise that this funding is totally necessary to alleviate the problems disabled people face for which at the moment we rely on: The Carers Resource.!

Brian Makinson,

Sharphaw Avenue, Skipton.

SIR - I would like to say through your papers how appalled I am that Craven Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust have felt able to turn down an application for funding for The Carers Resource.

This valuable service is used and appreciated by many, not only for its wealth of knowledge, its friendly and helpful staff but for the great amount of support you get on a practical level.

I have cried many tears over their coffee, they have supported me in difficult times and been a wealth of knowledge when I needed it.

They offer a valuable service, perhaps the PCT does not realise this.

Perhaps they have a vision of providing their own services in this area, but I doubt it. Probably more of a cost cutting exercise.

Carers are often the forgotten people struggling alone on limited resources, whilst all the while saving the government millions by caring for people who often, without their support, would be forced to seek state care.

I would urge the primary care trust to rethink its decision and ask the people of the area to offer support by writing to the PCT or your local MP about this rejection. You never know when you might be forced to become a carer.

Please help to save the valuable service so those that use it can continue to and those that don't will have its future secure should they need it.

Miss JW Lambert,

North Parade, Skipton.

SIR - As a youngster of 18 I was conscripted into the RAF. Two of my classmates were killed. We did not even have a vote in those days.

I therefore welcome those young people who took a stand against the unlawful war in Iraq.

Indeed, we should encourage them to take an interest in national and world affairs.

Young people have to face the future, their future. Are we to suggest that they remain silent about war, poverty, the environment, pollution, GM crops, etc?

The war has cost the lives of young British people, thousands of innocent men, women and children have died or are suffering in Iraq. Can we ever forget the terrible scenes on TV? We must remember them all.

The war is costing Britain £75 million a day.

How could we use some of that money in Craven?

Brian Ormondroyd,

Brindley Court, Skipton.

SIR - I have noticed fish in Waller Hill Beck (so called) but I have always known it as Wilderness Beck, and I have lived in Skipton all my life, so far.

The fish are in that part of the beck near the paper shop at the bottom of Shortbank Road. I wonder if the crayfish still breed under the old packhorse bridge in the same area. We used to catch them there when I was a schoolboy.

This beck used to be terribly polluted, so the environment must have improved tremendously. I would like the fish to spread further upstream. I think they will do when we have some heavy rain. I think John Craven's Countryfile would be interested in all this.

Robert Moorby,

The Grove, Skipton.

SIR - When I read the letter from the Yorkshire Dales Green Lane Alliance chairman last week I was struck by three things.

Firstly, how can the alliance claim to represent a "wide cross-section of opinion" when it only represents those who are of one opinion? Or are there some members whose opinion is not "don't like, not fair, must ban," but who are ignored?

Secondly, to claim that a modern many ton four wheel drive tractor with very aggressive tyres causes less damage than other wheeled users is, at best, debatable.

Thirdly, to want to restrict legal users on the basis that the route was not intended for such use is foolish and does not withstand even casual scrutiny. None of the ancient rights of way in this country were designed for today's leisure-rich users and should therefore be closed to all but the "agricultural vehicles used by local farmers" by that argument.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds can be spent repairing footpaths damaged by use (convoys of walkers perhaps?) but if a road is damaged it must be closed.

Well at least that means an end to road works on the A65, if it gets damaged it can be downgraded to a bridleway.

As someone who walks miles in the Dales, I can honestly say that I have never seen any "convoys", but then I do not walk on roads as a rule and also do not consider four or five friends out for a day in the country to be a convoy.

Lastly, what about people who can only enjoy these areas from a bike or a car because of health or ability reasons? Perhaps they should buy an enormous tractor and go where they like.

A Hiscox,

Garrs Lane, Grassington.

SIR - As chairman of Craven District Council, I would just like to say how proud I was of the way the people showed their respects to the late Captain Phillip Guy, whose funeral service was held in Skipton Parish Church.

Although I was in the church with my wife representing the Craven community during the service, I was aware of the many acts outside that went to show the high esteem in which we hold our servicemen, and particularly, as in this case, when they give their lives in service of their country.

Many retailers and stallholders paid their respects by displaying the Union Flag, while representatives from the local fire and ambulance services stood to attention at the foot of Sheep Hill to pay their respects when the funeral cortege passed.

But what was most impressive was the way so many people turned out especially or stopped what they were doing in the High Street and listened to the service. Many heads were bowed when the coffin came out of the Church and processed down the High Street.

My grateful thanks to everyone who took time to pay their respects to a brave marine who died in service of his country. Our thoughts continue to be with Captain Guy's family, and particularly with his wife and young children.

Councillor Ken Hart,

Chairman,

Craven District Council,

Granville Street, Skipton.