Letters to the Editor

If, however, Tony Blair, instead of putting billions of pounds into a war with Iraq, from which in any event we have no material advantage to gain, he would be better putting this amount of money into our Cancer Research and Heart Foundation projects.

His failure to do so confirms that he is using the Iraq issue to cover up his failure to deliver his election manifesto promises. While at the same time, he is encouraging terrorist activity in this country.

M MATHER

(An Old Labour Supporter)

Greenhead Road, Utley

SIR - Oakbank has just been named one of the 200 most improved schools in the country between 1999 and 2002.

The appointment of my successor as Head will be made in two weeks and so it seems an appropriate time to publicly thank all those who have been part of Oakbank's progress.

The students must come first: they are the ones who actively do the work and achieve the results. The 120 teachers have worked tremendously hard to encourage, coax, cajole and sometimes coerce the students to do their best.

Perhaps a special word should go to the ex-middle school staff who have adapted so quickly and successfully and become key players.

The school's leaders - Deputy Heads, Assistant Heads, Heads of Department and Heads of Year and others with specific responsibilities - have responded magnificently to the demands and pressures put on them.

But there is a support staff of over 150 also working at Oakbank, and they have also played a vital part in the team: support assistants, teaching assistants, learning resource and reading partners, learning mentors, peripatetic teachers, technicians and office staff in reception and finance and attendance teams, site and caretaking staff, Recreation staff, lunchtime supervisors, cleaners and catering staff. Without the commitment of all these people, and without each of them doing their own job well, teachers could not teach and students could not learn.

The Governing Body have been superb through the good times and the controversies. The good of the school has always been their sole concern.

They have stood strong when it could have been easier to wilt. Through sharp questioning and much unpaid time they have made sure that impetus was sustained.

John Roberts

Head teacher

SIR - May I, through your columns, suggest that Keighley residents may care to nominate Cllr Brian Hudson as the Nationwide Building Society, Keighley's local hero.

Brian, born and bred in Keighley, is Chairman of Keighley Community Transport, a local charity which is used by nearly 40,000 people.

As Chairman of Keighley Gala, he and his team proved that not only can charity begin at home, to the tune of many thousands of pounds over the years, but it can also be fun.

Chairman of the Aire-Worth Reform Group, he fought hard for seven years to bring democracy to Keighley, via a total separation from Bradford Council's stranglehold.

As a local Keighley Town Councillor Brian feels more Keighley people now need to be involved in the Keighley Town Council if it is to be the success all hope for.

Brian was for many years involved with the Holy Croft Youth Theatre, latterly as Chairman before resigning to promote the merits of a local authority for Keighley. I can't think of any other Keighley born person who deserves the accolade of being named Local Hero. Please show your appreciation of Keighley and Brian Hudson by picking up an application form from the Nationwide Building Society.

DAVID SAMUELS

Station Road, Oxenhope

SIR - I should like to thank Mr. Ian Dewhirst for a very interesting and informative Saturday afternoon a little while ago, and for publishing some of the photographs from my family's albums.

The picture published on Friday, January 24, of the Bridge Building team at Keighley Gala in 1938 evoked a telephone call from a lady, whose name I did not get, asking for names of the boys portayed.

Unfortunately, I know only that of Les Holmes (fourth from the right) and that my father Albert was Scoutmaster and District Scoutmaster.

If anyone has more information, I would be most interested to hear of it.

I have various other photos of Marlborough (just Marlborough or Marlborough Street?) and Crotona Scout groups around 1937 to 1939, and also of Wesley Place chapel at about the same time, and should be most grateful if anyone could help me piece together the stories behind these.

I can be contacted most evenings on Keighley 602656.

Keith Sunderland

Exley Avenue

Keighley

SIR - I am sure that most right thinking people will agree with nearly all of what Melvin Harrison said last week. Yet he doesn't come up with an alternative to war with Saddam.

What are the alternatives? We could wait for a new UN resolution which Saddam could put on the pile of 14 or so other UN resolutions he has ignored.

We could allow him to terrorise his neighbours.

We could turn our backs whilst he repeats the killing of more of his own people with poison gas and chemical weapons. Melvyn says Iraq poses no direct threat to Britain, what do we do if he subjects say Israel or Turkey, a member of NATO and prospective member of the EU, to a nuclear strike. For those who say well Israel is far away - remember Chernobyl and the fall out that we all shared.

What about that old standby diplomacy? There has been some discussion on comparing Saddam with Hitler. I think this bears some examination. Both are megalomaniacs who listen only to themselves or a small group around them.

Saddam has shown us many examples of saying one thing and doing another, remember "I have no more territorial demands". Tell that to the Czechs and the Austrians, not to mention the Poles. He has seen how the international community prevaricate and back down, remember Munich.

Then there is the semi red herring of oil, Nuclear Winter and biological contamination of the world notwithstanding. Of course oil plays a major part. It is highly regrettable, but has there ever been a conflict that wasn't about resources in some way or other?

Yes, the West and in particular the US have created this and many other monsters, yet Saddam's continuing rule is a threat to regional stability at the very least, and the fact that the US has neglected this threat for years does not disprove its existence.

I accept that Melvyn and those who share his beliefs are sincere, but it seems to me that at the bottom of it they advocate doing nothing and as Edmund Burke said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

Trevor Lindley

Far Slack Farm

Back Lane, Stanbury

SIR - I live in the high rise flats at Parkwood Rise and I agree with the lady who put the piece in last week's KN.

The flats are a disgrace. Doors don't work, people put their hands over the camera at the entrance so they blank it off, intercoms to get in contact with security if anything develops don't work for most people, including myself, stairwells get used as toilets, rubbish is thrown on steps, graffiti all over, urinating in lifts, spitting etc.

Hope these new contractors who are supposed to take over do a better job as at the moment they are like flats from hell.

Name and address

supplied

SIR - This week whilst using the 702 Braithwaite Circular bus service, I became aware of a problem of double fare charging.

It was raining heavily and as the bus pulled in at the top of Redcliffe Street a grandmother and two grandchildren crossed the road to catch the bus on its way up from town.

I clearly heard the bus driver say, this is no longer a circular route, and that the lady would have to pay twice. I was shocked but the only other option would have been to wait in the rain for the bus, which was late, to finish its route.

When I got home I checked my leaflet, there was no mention of a terminus on the route, also the services that this bus service replaced had the one fare facility (702/703).

I rang Keighley District Travel and spoke to the duty manager who listened to what I had to say. He promised to investigate and ring back, he did, surprisingly.

His findings were that there is a cut off point for fares but that the ticket machine is not programmed correctly to issue one fare and so passengers are having to pay twice, yet another raw deal for the residents of Braithwaite/Highfield, and that circular no longer means one route.

When will they realise that just one more bus an hour and the services could be returned to their former routes: and now with all the speed restrictions being put in place in the Highfield area, this must have a knock on effect, again on the already unreliable 702 service which the people have to rely on.

The excuse for the lateness of this service has been the Oakworth Road roadworks, but they are gone now so what's the next excuse going to be?

MRS J ALLEN

Highfield Road, Keighley

Giles Fearnley, chairman of Keighley & District Travel, said: "We are confused by Mrs Allan's comments.

"No passenger has to pay more as a result of the changes we made to the route over 14 months ago, and there is certainly no question of people who board on the circular section (ie between West Lane and Braithwaite Road) having to pay twice.

"Our customers may unfortunately experience delays as a result of the ever worsening traffic congestion in Keighley town centre. We do work hard to substitute additional buses whenever we can, but we apologise to those passengers who have been inconvenienced."

SIR - After attending last night's Neighbourhood Forum meeting in Oakworth I listened as Councillor Hopkins gave his opinion on the objectors to the proposed children's home.

With his obviously heartfelt feelings for the welfare of children in care homes, it was with shock and sadness I heard that he felt let down by the people of Oakworth in demonising the children in care homes and used the tragic case of Victoria Climbi as an example of the situation children in need of care face.

To use the Climbi case as an example was, in my opinion, misleading and insensitive at the very least. The recent inquiry into her death pointed the finger squarely at the failings of Social Services and not at local residents opposing a planning application.

I feel that Cllr Hopkins, by suggesting that all in opposition to this home are 'child haters' and willing to see children suffer, has put himself in the same group as the blinkered and narrow minded few who wrongly link all children with the minority of trouble makers.

Other items discussed were the provision of safe play areas for children away from housing for the elderly. I suggested that now, due to technical problems on the site of the proposed children's home and it looking unlikely that this land will be developed and of little commercial value to the Council, it would be appropriate to develop this site as a playground for the younger children of the village.

I asked Cllr Hopkins if, as a resident, father and councillor for Oakworth, he would be willing to support such a proposal. As I feel no straight answer was given, I now call on Cllr Hopkins and all other local councillors and residents to show their open support for such a play area on 'the Chipping Yard'.

The people of Oakworth are not demonising children but coming together as a community to express what they feel is best for their families and the village as a whole.

R Jones

Kelburn Grove, Oakworth

SIR - May I remind your readers of the work of the War Research Society, the battlefield pilgrimage tour organisation for which I am the local contact.

Since it was originally formed by a group of retired and serving Police Officers, the Society has grown rapidly.

We can assist in tracing war graves and carry out additional research if required. Tours are tailored to meet the wishes of those travelling, and nowhere is too out of the way to visit. Financial help can be given in some cases to assist a visit with us, and photographs can be taken for those unable to travel.

The War Research Society is entirely dedicated to remembrance of the courage and sacrifice of those who fought and, being a charitable organisation, is able to actively support Forces charities.

ANDREW NADEN

The Lodge, Wensley,

Leyburn, DL8 4HN.