SIR - I was interested to read on the T&A web site that the Provincial House building is to be demolished on September 1 and that the resultant 12,000 tonnes of rubble will go to fill the hole left by the building.

I worked for the old Provincial Building Society in the 1970s when the offices were built. The staff were very pleased to move into what was then at the cutting edge of office accommodation.

At the time, Edgar Gadie was the chairman of the board of Provincial Building Society and it is told that one old lady said to him, as he passed her in the street, "I do like that new shelter you are building for them waiting for the Wibsey bus".

As I recall, the building was delayed for some time as the developers found, on demolishing the old shops on the site, that Bradford Beck runs underneath.

I now live in deepest Lincolnshire and it will be interesting from this distance to see what the effect of a 12,000-tonne bus shelter is when dropped on the Beck tunnelling.

Brandon Rushworth, Fold Hill, Friskney, Boston, Lincs.

SIR - Once again the subject of the Euro rears its ugly head. In a recent survey, over half the people interviewed throughout the UK did not know its value. Of those, 13 Euros to the pound was the worst guess, 3.35 to the pound was the best - all of them way out.

I am old enough to remember the last time we changed our currency. The pound stayed the pound. Nevertheless we, the ordinary people, were ripped-off to a degree no-one would have believed possible. The change-over went down as the biggest ever "con-trick" in history.

How will we all fare this time if we don't even know the value of the basic currency? How many people can work to base 67? Next there are the cents, one hundredth of 67. This is going to be the Gold Medalist of all "con-tricks". No wonder businessmen are rubbing their hands with glee and proclaiming: "Come on with the Euro!"

We must brace ourselves for a belting rise in the cost of living. It is as well we are all filthy-rich in this country and can well afford these minor 'hiccups'.

J Lewis Nicholl, Plumpton Gardens, Wrose.

SIR - I refer to the story regarding Whinburn School and I saw the picture on your web site. In the context of the story it mentioned demolition.

Now I do know the world has gone mad and the Council have no idea what they are doing. There is no way this fabulous building should be demolished and to have it empty for whatever reason is a travesty.

Philip Johnson, Oakbank Broadway, Keighley.

SIR - Yet another letter (August 6) draws attention to Bradford's blocked drains. This is becoming a minor political scandal. The Tories and Liberals have been running the Council for three years now. How many political parties does it take to buy a second drain-cleaner to join the one last seen some time ago in Queensbury?

Of course, we could all have got it wrong and it is actually part of the Bradford-by-the-Sea idea. Certainly the waves of water desperately seeking a drain sometimes reach the size of breakers. Will it still be like this in 2020? The paddling public deserve to know.

Jim Flood, Redburn Drive, Shipley

SIR - With reference to C M Taylor's August 6 letter about blocked drains in the Queens Road/Marlborough Road/Carlisle Road area, I would like to make the following comments.

If water was gushing out of the gullies, this would suggest that the main carrier drain was completely full, probably as a consequence of the exceptional flash flood experienced on July 30.

The Council's current policy is to clean each of its 85,000 gullies once a year. To date Atmos, the Council's contractor, has attended to 23,000 gullies since taking over the contract on April 1, 2002.

Chris Leach, Project Engineer, Highway Maintenance Contracts Unit, Bradford Council.

SIR - I received a letter this morning confirming I had definitely won a prize: a brand new Renault Clio or four days in Paris or £1,300 cash, lastly £2,200 in household appliances. I had to reply within 14 days sending £7 plus £3 for express.

But to top it all I was also asked to send them my credit card details and expiry date. Anybody a bit vulnerable would part with their details then find an empty bank balance. They need to be stopped.

Mrs Doreen Watson, Moorhouse Lane, Birkenshaw

l T&A Rights & Wrongs columnist Nick Oldham advises: "Anyone considering taking up one of these 'offers' should remember no-one gives anything away for nothing and if it sounds too good to be true it almost certainly is. You are being asked to give money to total strangers on the strength of a promise which may or may not materialise. If you can afford to lose the cash then by all means send it off - otherwise throw the 'offer' in your recycling bin.

"Obviously no-one should ever give bank and credit card details to total strangers. If in doubt, contact the West Yorkshire Trading Standards helpline on 01133 848 848."

SIR - I have spent the last two days walking around some of our local beauty spots. How distressing it was to see the litter deposited on Shipley Glen and along the canal footpaths.

It's not the Council's fault. It's all the ill-mannered youngsters and arrogant adults who leave litter all around.

Now that the courts are handing out community punishment perhaps those responsible for its administration ought to be putting some of the offenders to work clearing up all the litter.

It may be that it could begin to have some positive effect and raise the profile of Community Punishment.

Barry Foster, Gilstead Lane, Gilstead.

SIR - Would any British India Steam Navigation Company engineer or electrical officer interested in attending the annual reunion contact the association secretary Jim Slater on 07702 124840, by e-mail at james.slater@zen.co.uk or myself at 113 Heslington Road, York, YO10 5BS.

David J Mitchell, (British India Steam Navigation Company Retired Engineers Association), Heslington Road, York.

SIR - May I offer my sincere thanks to the person who handed in a carrier bag at Morrison's Girlington containing some expensive items which I left in a trolley. It has restored my faith in the people of Bradford.

Peter R Bowers, Camellia Mount, Lidget Green, Bradford 7.

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SIR - As a 17-year-old, I am glad people are starting to take young people seriously. This Youth Parliament is a start to move things forward.

If young people are given the chance to be creative and do things in life like this, crime will drop and the reputation of young people will also improve.

Stephen Cannar, Alexandra Terrace, Undercliffe, Bradford

SIR - After recent articles on local music of the past, I was wondering if any older readers might be able to help. In the late 1960s (between 1967-69) as a child of about six to eight, I attended some form of hippie gathering on the site of what is now Bradford Interchange.

Sections of the old goods-yard were painted psychedelic. Alas, I cannot remember anything about bands etc. Your readers are my last hope.

David Reynolds-Hanson, Soaper Lane, Shelf.