Letters to the Editor

The image of burglars making off on foot, bike or horseback with their ill gotten gains along the proposed route struck me as bizarre. I'm no crime expert, but to me thieves from far off would make off in motor vehicles, stolen or otherwise. They would not waste time clambering around in the countryside where they could be spotted or intercepted. Indeed, in my view legitimate walkers, cyclists or riders would act as a deterrent to wrong doers by being on hand to witness any wrong doing.

As for the privacy issue, successful screening can be created in the form of hedges and fast growing tree species, good for wildlife also.

The Great Northern cycle route was a vision of the late Bob Cryer MP twenty years ago. I applaud the recent work of Jeff McQuillan and others to make it a reality.

KEITH WILSON

Dean Street, Haworth

SIR - I do not need to tell your readers that I am a double amputee. I manage to get around the house and the village of Steeton in an electric wheel-chair.

I manage to get further afield because, in the Keighley area, we have a service called "Dial-a-Ride" - which is self explanatory.

To enhance my limited life style I attend computer classes at Keighley College every Monday; on Tuesday mornings I go to a keep fit class in Alice Street; on alternative Wednesday afternoons my wife and I go to a 3rd Age "Singing for Pleasure" group in Oakworth.

All these activities, plus the odd shopping trip, we owe to Dial-a-Ride. I am sure that I am not the only one who has been grateful to this marvellous organisation, and yet come March 31, 2003, it stops functioning!

It runs out of money and Bradford Metro Council is unable, or unwilling, to support this activity for its more physically limited members of the community. Hundreds of thousands of pounds was spent upon attempting to get Bradford to become 'Cultural City of the North' but the elderly, the disabled, have a limited appeal to Bradford Metro Council and therefore a service like Dial-a-Ride will be allowed to perish.

Derrick H Green

Upper School Street,

Steeton.

SIR - Both family and friends of Mary Feather were distressed by the article in last week's Keighley News.

The interview was taken out of context and resulted in an inaccurate piece about a popular, well respected member of the community.

This is how we would like to remember our mum, grandma, great-grandma and friend. Mary Feather died aged 81 at home among family, still joking only hours before she was deactivated. Intelligent, determined, strong, funny and a realist, she enjoyed life to the full. She grew up in Riddlesden, daughter of stalwarts in the early Labour movement, and as a child competed in the county championships for high jumping. She won a scholarship to Keighley Art and Craft School - in what is now Keighley College - then married Norman Feather at the age of 18. They were married for fifty-two years.

She worked for several years at the Cavendish Hotel before taking over the Cricketers Arms, Coney Lane, in the 1950s. Mary was secretary of the Keighley Licensed Victuallers, and continued working in the licensed trade until her mid-60s. She had also been manageress at the former Moneysave supermarket in Alice Street, and Smith's Cleaners.

Mary lived in the Emily Street flats, where she was secretary of the community centre. Mary ran whist nights, read cards and tea leaves, cooked like a dream and wrote poetry. Her poetry was read on Calendar by Richard Whiteley. In tribute to Mary we are publishing her poetry on the web through Communigate.

She will be sorely missed by her family Christine, Mark, Alan and Sylvia, her six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and friends.

JEANINE BLAMIRES

Editor's note: The story was published in all good faith and we are happy to set the record straight.

SIR - In reply to Tracy Colhoun and Joyce Cuthill's letters, KN Feb 28.

If every councillor used the town council's letterheaded paper, the £5 precept voted in only one month ago would be £10 next year.

I live in and represent one of Keighley's most deprived areas. I know for sure that £5 means a lot to people. These people would rather see money in their pockets than councillors using posh paper to make a charity more prominent.

CLLR ROSE THOMPSON

Parkwood Rise, Keighley.

SIR - My favourite time of the week has come along once again, and I've had a chance to see which Town Councillors have spat their dummies out in public this week.

I notice that two of Councillor Roberts' neighbours have written in having a moan about Cllr Hudson. I must point out that Cllr Hudson does himself run two of the most successful voluntary organisations in Keighley.

To think that he has any malice towards other voluntary groups is beyond belief.

Incidentally, one of the scribes from last week's letters page regularly attends the Town Council's public meetings along with a fellow Councillor; somehow I don't think that this is an unbiased opinion, do you?

Also, as regards expenses, two of the Town Councillors have dared to question amounts being claimed by fellow colleagues, hardly a crime!

You won't be aware, but there appears to be an unofficial whip system in operation and those who dare to cross the line are spanked mercilessly by the 'on board' crew!

This has happened in the last week and bullying (in my opinion) letters have been sent out to us all.

I really hope that this clash of personalities ends soon. I will no doubt be sent to stand in a corner when one of my colleagues throws their teddy across the room as I've been naughty and told it as it is! Will anyone take any notice? I doubt it!

Cllr Mike Wilkinson

Keighley Town Council

SIR - Cllr Horrell is right. He along with Cllrs Thompson, Hudson and many others have never claimed a penny in expenses.

Personally I find this debate embarrassing. By the time this letter is published a vote will have been taken on whether I should be allowed to continue running the Town Council website (www.keighley.gov.uk)

I said I would continue until we found a permanent Town Clerk, but for reasons only known to themselves the on-board crew have decided otherwise and have made up a resolution to sack me.

My position is not dissimilar to that of Cllr Payne's in that I give lots of my time and resources to keeping things going. I would, of course, unlike Councillor Payne, never charge for the use of such resources.

We have office facilities with fax, Internet, three phone lines and a resource back-up that many town councils would envy. All this is at the disposal of every town councillor.

On the subject of expenses: I have been subjected to pressure for daring to ask to see the 'books'.

Cllr Tony Wright

Keighley Town Council

SIR - Given the importance of the Iraq situation, Keighley Labour Party held an all members meeting to discuss the matter on March 3, 2003. The proposition debated was:

"Is Keighley Labour Party for or against the stance of the Government on Iraq?" An impassioned debate was held at which a wide variety of views were expressed.

Those supporting the Government emphasised the importance of Iraq's full compliance with United Nations resolution 1441, which gave Saddam Hussein "a final opportunity" to meet with his obligations to stop Iraq's biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programme or face serious consequences.

The present crisis has come about because over a period of 12 years Iraq has defied the will of the UN by refusing to destroy its remaining weapons of mass destruction.

The experience of a member who had lived for a number of years under a dictatorship was used in support of the Government. Another member mentioned a relative who had been affected by mustard gas poisoning.

Those opposing the Government emphasised that a war with Iraq would set a dangerous precedent as there is no immediate threat from Saddam and a policy of containment has kept him in check.

The foreign policy of the United States was not based upon morality but blatant self interest, and smacked of Imperialism. A war in Iraq would further destabilise the Middle East with vastly uncertain consequences. It would lead to a greater threat from terrorism, not less. The international community should be giving priority to solve the Arab/Israeli conflict in a just way. Fears were also expressed about the effect of a war on local community relations.

On a majority vote members opposed the Government position and our MP, Ann Cryer, was asked to bring this to the notice of the Prime Minister.

JOHN COPE

Chair Keighley Labour Party

SIR - In war, women suffer abuse from their male services colleagues, are trafficked to war zones for prostitution, victimised through war rapes, have to feed and provide health care for children and the elderly in the midst of food and water shortages and water pollution, then have their eroded rights come last on the list of things to do in nation and community reconstruction.

People who are seriously concerned about women's equality will censor war, refrain from tokenising women's rights to justify war, and find out how they can help women who are peacefully obtaining rights for themselves and others worldwide.

BETTY BROWN

School House Farm,

Oakworth

SIR - The destruction of an ancient street and stoppage of a right of way should serve as a wake up call to residents of Keighley.

I refer, of course, to Water Lane, a riverside highway behind Church Green. This fragment of our urban heritage has been erased in the twinkling of a bulldozer, and with it the right of passage between Church Green and the remnants of the industrial area which I used to know as 'the golden mile'.

I looked in vain this morning for an explanation of this outrage - how could I have been so blind as to miss the planning notices? I am sure Bradford Met will tell us they were duly posted for the statutory twenty eight days. I am sure they were.

Alas - too late! My wander down the muddy lanes of past times is to be no more.

I shall take heart! I can still cut through Albert Yard on my way to Cobley and Cockshot's. I can still saunter through the churchyard to the market.

Well . . . perhaps not. The Keighley planning office denied any threat to Albert Yard, but the word 'on the street' is that it will be barricaded.

Meanwhile the churchyard is to be open at one end only. Isn't that a trap for the victims of violence to find themselves in? Is it even legal?

Why are these things happening? Well, the pursuit of profit figures largely in the first case - a street and a right of way dating back to 1835 couldn't be allowed to stop a commercial development - after all the street was only used by tramps, wasn't it?

Albert Yard and the churchyard will be victims of a newer but no less insidious threat. More pathways, parks and streets will be 'redesigned' to 'prevent crime'. Lund Park was a candidate for this, and now the churchyard, and soon Albert Yard.

You cannot design the crime and disorder out of our sick society. Town planning is not the answer to anarchy. Architects are not police, nor are they teachers. We must look elsewhere to solve these problems.

In the rush to redesign and make our streets crimeproof we are losing the streets themselves. Read the small print! Check the public notices! Don't let them take away any more of our town.

George Speller

Hill Top Road

Hainworth

SIR - In fairness to our MP Ann Cryer, I would like to emphasise that despite my recent criticism of Tony Blair, I have never implicated Ann Cryer, who from expereince, like her late husband Bob, is a devoted MP.

She is honest and sincere in her commitment to the welfare of the citizens in her constituency.

My belief that Blair is Tory-minded was confirmed in the commons vote on Iraq, which gave the Tories a massive victory because without the Tory vote Labour would have won.

The cost of a war with Iraq could amount to billions of pounds, which I would prefer to be invested into the Health Service.

Obviously our ex-army friend prefers this money to be used to slaughter innocent children in Iraq. Suffer little Children to come unto me.

KEN MATHER

Greenhead Road, Utley