Letters to the Editor

Keighley & District Travel (K&D) operates service 702 between the Bus Station and Braithwaite every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday evenings and hourly on Sundays.

This service links Black Hill Corner, upper West Lane, Guard House Ring, Coronation Way, Braithwaite Avenue and Braithwaite Road to all the town centre facilities including connecting buses to Airedale Hospital and all parts of the district. K&D also operates daily hourly service 710 to Laycock via lower West Lane, North Dean Road, North Dean Avenue and Braithwaite.

As K&D reintroduced the 702 service diversion via Coronation Way in February 2002 specifically at the request of, and with much praise from, Cllr Ellison-Wood, we are astonished at her further statement that "There has been no effort to reinstate the route in any shape or form".

This leaves only the portion of West Lane from Braithwaite Avenue bottom to North Dean Road end not served by K&D and we continue to keep that short stretch of highway under review, as we do all areas of Keighley.

Graham Mitchell

Communications Manager

Keighley & District Travel

SIR - A friend has forwarded to me a cutting from your issue of July 19.

It is an article about the old LNER line through Cullingworth. I used this line daily to go to Keighley Boys' Grammar School during the war years.

I feel it is a pity the line closed, so far as Cullingworth is concerned. Owing to the distance between other villages and their stations it has not had much effect, but there is a great deal more traffic in Cullingworth Main Street than there would have been. Perhaps the poultry packing factory brings work to the village.

It certainly brings a lot of heavy transport. I often visit the area and see the huge vehicles along with many cars and buses. The Main Street is the same width as when Mr Bebb's coal cart was one of the frequent users of it.

There are many changes in Cullingworth and Hallas Bridge where we grew up. From my booklet "Saturday Pennies" which describes life pre-war and on the trains, I have made many friends among the present inhabitants of the area.

If any of your readers like to talk of the old days, they should watch for an oldish fellow with a greying beard, a stout stick and a T-shirt bearing the words in red "The Wandering Bard". I would be happy to talk to them.

Thank you for the article. It reminds me of friends long gone.

MERVYN S WHALE

Tinshill Mount, Leeds

SIR - In response to the article in the KN entitled "Row breaks out over SRB successor", a number of incorrect statements need to be replaced by facts.

But perhaps it would be prudent to set the backdrop.

A town-wide forward strategy process has been ongoing throughout the last two years. This process has included some 200 people from local agencies, voluntary and community groups and the private sector.

The main objectives are to maintain and develop activity within the town and to continue to regenerate Keighley and district - in short, to progress the Keighley Vision.

Through the Forward Strategy meetings, which have been well attended, it was decided to develop a town-wide body that will work together with existing groups and organisations, continue to seek regeneration funding and support both the community and business sectors with one aim - to make Keighley an even better place to live, work and play.

The outcome of the last meeting was for such a body (at present called Keighley Ahead) to become a company limited by guarantee and apply for charitable status.

In this way Keighley will be eligible to apply to both major public and independent funders. The bid that was submitted to the PACT board for European Funding was for a small development team to continue the development of Keighley Ahead once the SRB funding finishes and therefore the resource of the SRB team will no longer be present to facilitate and drive the process forward.

The reference to salaries is incorrect.

The bid was submitted by the Regeneration and Business Partnerships Dept of Bradford Metropolitan District Council until such time as the developing body obtained its legal status and could legitimately become the management body.

The bid therefore, was NOT submitted by the SRB Partnership, but by a group of four members of the PACT board itself from regeneration, business support, training and education, carrying out the wishes of the PACT Board.

The article also stated that the funding proposal would take decision-making powers away from existing Keighley organisations. This is not the case.

The new structure will be made up entirely of the local community, voluntary, statutory and private organisations and its ethos is to facilitate collaboration and co-ordinate regeneration activity. The development team would have been accountable to that body.

As is usual and a trademark of Keighley, those involved and committed to the continued regeneration of the town will accept that the bid was not successful, dust themselves down and devote their time, energy and resourcefulness to forge ahead with the Forward Strategy process and seek alternative sources of funding for the benefit of Keighley.

Sally Collins, Keighley

SRB; Steve Szostak,

Keighley Business

Partnership; Robert

Brough, Keighley Training

group; Dick Taylor,

Russell Street Project;

PACT Board Members and

'Keighley Ahead' bid writers

SIR - Seeing the model of the Focke Wulf 190 on the front of the Keighley News reminded me of my first encounter with one of these planes.

It was early in 1943 and I was a radar mechanic in the REME attached to a Royal Artillery Searchlight Battery in Cornwall.

I was stationed on a searchlight site on the outskirts of St Germans. I was responsible for the radar and radio equipment on that site and also two more sites seven or eight miles in opposite directions.

I travelled between the sites on an army pushbike with my tools and test equipment in a pack on my back. I had read on battery orders about being vigilant as Focke Wolf 190s had been making low flying nuisance raids in the vicinity.

This particular morning I was on my bike travelling to one of my sites when I heard a low flying plane heading in my direction. It sounded different to a Hurricane or Spitfire.

I couldn't see it because of a hedge on my left hand side. It suddenly shot across the road in front of me. I recognised it as a Focke Wulf and it started to bank and turn and then came flying up the road towards me. I have never got off a bike as fast in my life and tried to get down the nearest rabbit hole in the hedge.

He gave a short burst with his guns and then disappeared from sight in the direction of Plymouth.

I wondered afterwards whether he had seen me or if he was just testing his guns before attacking the barrage balloons over Plymouth.

H L HOLMES

Paget Street, Keighley

SIR - The live export trade has just started up again. Nearly 2,500 lambs were exported from Dover in the early hours on Monday, July 15.

They arrived in trucks owned by two well-known Welsh transporters.

They were unloaded at Dover and herded on to the 'Caroline' - the notorious live export ship that plied its sordid trade in calves and sheep from Brightlingsea in 1995 - to massive local protest.

The lambs were destined in the first instance for Holland, where a well-known sheep trader has a lairage.

From there they were probably on their way to Italy, France or Spain. There they are slaughtered in conditions which may well (based on our previous experience) be both cruel and illegal.

We had hoped British farmers would not succumb to the temptation of an extra £3 a head on this season's lambs, many only 2-3 months old.

People who are concerned are asked to contact Compassion in World Farming on 01730 237 379 or by visiting our website on www.banliveexports.com

GWYN HAMILTON

Burnroyd Ave, Cross Hills

SIR - We went to visit the Tarn about a week ago and it is true - there is a lot of litter but why are there no bins?

There was also a lot of dog mess too so how about some bins for that as well? You never know, people just might use them!

MARGARET PETHERS

Elmwood Terrace, Keighley

SIR - At 1ast after nearly 20 years of neglect, but not forgetting to collect the rents, Bradford have remembered we have a market in Keighley and are at last talking about making long overdue improvements.

Let's hope they will consult the traders about what they want as their record in Bradford does not inspire confidence - for example the new fruit and veg market shut and two attempts at refurbishing John St - is it finished yet?

Keighley market has always been cold in winter, hot in summer so air conditioning would help

What about a better floor?, Can we have modern stalls? The forecourt could be levelled and flowers planted in the outside beds.

The pigeons could be removed so we can sit without soiling our clothes and being dive bombed. The lack of litter bins results in food being dropped encouraging the dive bombing by pigeons.

But knowing Bradford a lick of paint, a few flowers in the beds, the floor pressure washed, and an increase in rent will be the only thing that will happen.

Given the money our new Keighley Council may wish to do the job, consulting the traders and local residents as to what is required, using local contractors where possible keeping the monies in the local economy, providing employment, and trying to get value for money.

Bradford contractors from past experience seem to have three gaffers, five leaning on shovels, one working. No wonder costs are high. Let's have a market to be proud of.

CLLR G EARNSHAW

Fell Lane - Westburn

SIR - Yes, Mr Mitchell would love it if all Oakworth car owners left them at home.

Perhaps Mr Mitchell could tell us how we manage our weekly shopping from the supermarket to the bus station (incidentally free unsubsidised parking at the supermarkets). No the real problem as Mr Mitchell suggests is roads. How can we get the best of them?

I have several ideas - 1 all bus stops in laybys; 2 Conductors return to buses; 3 this is not so simple but with great thought and clever planning reduce some of the right turns leaving or entering some of our main roads ie by introducing roundabouts (not white spots on roads) but proper ones. I am sure your readers can suggest several places where this idea could improve traffic flow.

Here is one to start you off. East Parade is permanently clogged up with motorists turning right in and out of Sainsbury's petrol station.

A roundabout at the bottom of Cavendish Street could eliminate this problem and remove two sets of traffic lights.

Finally Mr Mitchell we are well aware where the bus station is situated. When planning this, was it really necessary for a major bus route to make two right turns into major traffic, or would a roundabout at the junction of Lawkholme Crescent and Cavendish Street avert this and improve traffic flow along North Street.

Twenty-four hours or even seven days per week working on repairs and sewers would speed things up in Oakworth Road

G DYSON

Address supplied