Letters to the Editor

Last week my son Trevor (who has Downs Syndrome) got to the bus station after the buses had stopped. An unexpected event which cannot be catered for in his training.

I was contacted by phone and asked what to do and I just said to tell him to walk home, but if he argued to ring back and I would go for him.

He arrived home in the company of Dale, who walked with him to keep him company. Dale then had to walk home to Cross Roads.

This is above their duties as drivers, and is very heartening to us parents of people with learning difficulties.

I am very grateful for the care Trevor received on that day.

E PEARSON

Broomhill Drive, Keighley.

SIR - I would like to ask your paper for help to ensure that people in Keighley know they have a chance to 'vote' on the first stage of a possible regional government, before March 3.

The government has asked us to gather views from businesses, residents and other organisations in your area. They want to know if there are strong feelings about having a directly elected government for the region, a kind of 'Yorkshire and Humber parliament'.

They are gauging whether there is sufficient interest to make it worthwhile holding a referendum on this subject.

We are holding a number of information seminars, focus groups and presentations on the subject - please call or e-mail us for more information.

We've also set up a website - www.yhreferendum.info - for people to find out more, feed in their views and have a chance to 'vote' in an on-line ballot.

Alternatively, people can write to us directly at 18 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ, to give us their opinion on whether they want a referendum in the region.

This is a hugely important debate and one which will affect us all - I hope people in Keighley can take five minutes to get involved.

Peter Box

Chairman

Yorkshire and Humber

Assembly.

SIR - I had lots of happy memories on seeing the photo and reading the caption of the Scouts 'bridge building' at Keighley Gala all those years ago.

An activity that I took part in at all the local galas in competition against all the area Scout troops including my own Ingrow Crotona, Cross Roads, Bingley Cons, to name a few.

Then the following week's printed a letter from Mr Sunderland, who had recognised himself as one of the Scouts in the picture, and his comments were interesting to me.

It was between 1926 and 1936 that I was Scouting and I remember Albert Sunderland (his dad) at that time as a Rover Scout, as was my brother Frank Scattergood, who later became Cub Master, sadly killed in action in 1944.

David Beanland was Scout master, Billy Waite his assistant, Cecil Wood was secretary. We had a smashing headquarters on Ingram Street.

Mr Sunderland mentioned that he had access to some photos. I wonder if any that he has could possibly include my brother along with his dad.

I remember Ingrow Cubs made an archway of Scout poles at my brother's wedding and it was, I believe, shown in the Keighley News in 1933. If there are any photos from those far off Happy Days I would dearly love to see them.

HENRY SCATTERGOOD

Black Moor Road,

Oxenhope

SIR - Following my request for information about the firm of R V Marriner in the Keighley News two weeks ago, I would like to thank all your readers who responded.

Many people who worked there or had information about the firm have contacted me and have helped me with information for my new book on the history of Marriners. I am very grateful to them all, and the book will be available later this year.

One fact, which will surprise many people, is that Marriner's yarns can still be bought, and it is still a leading brand of hand-knitting yarn, but only in Wales.

DR GEORGE INGLE

Backstone Lane, Ilkley

SIR - Congratulations to Keighley Amateurs for, in my opinion, the best pantomime I've seen this society produce.

The whole cast threw themselves wholeheartedly into the show and the costumes and scenes were delightful.

The principal boy Rachel McMahon gave an excellent performance as usual, her stage presence and husky voice are always a pleasure. Her role was complemented, beautifully, by Lynsey Whittham as the princess.

Steven Clark made an excellent Widow Twankey, who was aided and abetted by Peter Whittey as Wishee Washee. Special mention must be made of this man as, on Wednesday evening, he lost his voice!

The mishap was turned into a triumph for him, as he mimed his way through the show in tandem with Keith Marsden, who was reading from the script, in perfect co-ordination with Peter, from the orchestra pit! A late comer to the show wouldn't have been any the wiser! Whatever role Peter Whittey plays he does it with professionalism.

It is a pity that there were some empty seats on Wednesday evening, but I'm told that this is often the case in the middle of the week.

Many people do not realise the large amount of work which is carried out behind the scenes and in the weeks prior to the opening show.

Aladdin made a refreshing change from some of the rubbish on television which passes for entertainment.

BETTY CARDWELL

Steeton

SIR - No one can say my constant criticism of Mr Blair has been unfair, practically everyone in the country is saying the same thing.

If any readers are watching the current documentaries about World War Two, they should realise that war was supposed to last months, but instead lasted years, and believe me they were miserable years.

It took two atom bombs to end it. Had it not been for those bombs, the conflict could have gone on for another six years.

All wars are started and ended by one side or the other having more or less killing power than their opposition.

What amazes me at the moment is that the United Nations is supposed to protect the sovereign right of all nations to live their own way, providing it does not interfere with the rights of others.

Yet, here we have Blair and his halfwit American ally, who have enough nuclear power to blow Saddam out of the water, saying to another nation live our way or we will kill you and your people. If the UN allows it, they are out of business.

If Tony Blair does not keep his big mouth shut, he is going to dig a hole so deep we can't get out of it.

Meanwhile, the promise to pensioners who fought in World War Two - a war to end all wars - and to produce a country fit for heroes seems once more to have gone up in smoke.

He is at odds with the nation and the honourable thing to do is to resign while there is still time.

FRED HIRLAM

Gloucester Avenue, Silsden

SIR - On February 6 I watched Jeremy Paxman's interview with Tony Blair on television on the Iraq issue.

Tony Blair gave me the impression of a very worried man. He lacked confidence in his feeble attempts to answer critical questions from Jeremy Paxman and the critical audience.

It was noticeable that throughout the 50 minute programme Tony Blair did not receive a single round of applause. All applause went to Jeremy Paxman and the critical audience.

This proves that by getting into bed with the aggressive Bush, Tony Blair is now in a trap from which there is no escape. Along with other factors, Blair is the parent of a very young infant, yet he is planning to take an active part in the slaughter of innocent infants in Iraq who have not threatened anyone with aggression.

So where are Blair's Christian morals and principles?

I was an active supporter of the Labour party 20 years before Tony Blair was born and I can assure you that his leadership is in total disarray, with his broken election manifesto promises in tatters and 'Gone with the Wind'. If the Labour party do not get rid of him, he will get rid of them.

Finally, the Iraq issue could develop into World War III because China, Russia, Germany and France will never allow America to become the dictator of the world.

KEN MATHER

Greenhead Road, Utley.

SIR - In response to Mrs J Allen's letter about the part of Highfield that was left out of the SRB bids.

We live in Wardle Crescent, Highfield, with two young children. The house we are buying was a shell when we first got it, no toilet, no hot water, no doors etc.

Even now we have no heating or double glazed windows. We thought the scheme Safe Warm and Dry for Highfield children would include all children of Highfield.

Having read through various information about the SRB we noticed that work was only going as far as the bottom of Redcliffe Street, therefore leaving out a huge area of Highfield.

After a visit to the SRB office in North Street I was given a map of the Highfield area highlighting the stages of development. None of the streets highlighted were above the terraced houses on Redcliffe Street. When I asked the manager of the SRB office in Highfield why this was, he simply said he didn't choose the streets!

On the map there is a street in town, Chapel Lane, which was included in the bid and again no one could give me an answer as to why this area had been included in Highfield's SRB bid. I then double checked this with councillors and Brad Met about the boundary line, to find Highfield had been split in half for the bid and only the lower part was getting help. Highfield has never been known as higher or lower, nor has Chapel Lane ever been in Highfield.

I cannot believe that so many houses have been left out of such a large bid in their own area.

Yes, where things are given out there will always be people moaning, but I don't know why so much money was not divided up equally.

If the double glazed windows that have been fitted into lower Highfield had not been leaded this would have paid for a boiler for my family to have hot water. Cold, wet and unsafe houses should have been given priority here and clearly were not.

My partner works long hours for us to just survive. We have never been given any kind of help, yet we try and keep our house tidy and presentable.

Your home and area is what you make it and I'm sure if we all received free heating, roofs and windows etc we would all be happier. This winter my children were cold and what we pay on fuel in a week could pay my shopping for the next week.

We live in a society that prides itself on equal rights and freedom of speech, and every day I try and instill these important lessons into my children.

So why are my children different to other ones down the road, because if the people who did the ground work had done their work properly they would have found two houses on Wardle Crescent which, if it had gone on need, would have been top of the list! I would also like to say to these people who chose where the money was to be spent, my children are not Warm, Safe or Dry.

JOANNA THOMPSON

Wardle Crescent, Keighley

SIR - I write this letter to the people to whom it might concern - the council of this town of Keighley.

I'm really disgusted with them over the issue of the lack of thought and consideration for people who have to walk in bad weather conditions.

By this I mean the lack of provision of sand and grit on the paths.

On Tuesday morning I walked to town from Ingrow, as I normally do every day, to find the paths all along Queens Road right to the end frozen solid and not one piece of sand or grit. This did not end there, all along Church Green and all around the shopping centre was the same, all solid ice.

Where was the sand and grit? We pay our council tax and expect to get these things done for us. I hope this does not happen again or else someone is going to fall and hurt themself.

J DEVINE

Staveley Road,

Ingrow