Letters To The Editor

SIR, - As the timpanist with Ilkley's prize-winning Concert Band I'd like to let readers know there are grave concerns about its future.

Bradford Music Service has made a challenge to community music in Ilkley. The ensemble which inaugurated Ilkley's new bandstand is under threat.

The privatised music service's new focus is to be music for schoolchildren in Bradford and in future effort will be concentrated into 'centres of excellence' in various areas of Bradford.

This has implications for the viability of the Concert Band rehearsing at Ilkley Music Centre, whose strength has traditionally been a mix of older and younger players playing to a high standard.

Many members of the Concert Band take up musical instruments with their children and some of them started 20 years ago.

Adults will have to pay much higher fees, and the cream of the younger players will be lost to the Concert Band, moved to groups in Bradford. In addition, the splendid Senior Strings group will not longer exist in Ilkley.

The change was presented to players this month as a done deal in a shock announcement. There was no prior consultation, nor reference to the implications for the community spirit of Ilkley's music making.

The move towards exclusively youth services will seriously damage a good community facility which has provided a lot of pleasure to players and audiences in Ilkley and beyond, and in doing so bridged the generations.

Janet Garland,

140 Curly Hill,

Middleton,

Ilkley.

The art of surprise

from our councillor

SIR, - I note from last week's Gazette that an Ilkley District Councillor, Bradford Met's environment and culture chief, is proposing and annual Ilkley cultural festival, being apparently unaware that the Ilkley and District Arts Federation has held an annual Autumn Arts Festival.

We have a position on our committee for a local councillor to attend our meetings but for the last three years the council has not had sufficient interest to appoint a representative.

In my capacity as chairman of the Ilkley and District Arts Federation, I have attended all the Festival events over the last five years and a councillor's presence has been as rare as seeing Tony Blair in Y-fronts.

This year's November Ilkley Arts Festival, includes the participation of many local groups. In addition there will be world premieres of four playlets and a new poem about Ilkey's heritage by American Pulitzer Prize nominee, Lola Haskins.

All the lectures are free and there will be a number of free tickets to musical performances and films.

Programmes will be available from early October and I will personally deliver copies to the council chamber.

The town already has two stupendous festivals, the Ilkley Literature Festival and the Wharfedale Music Festival.

This present initiative comes from some of our regional and local councillors but does anyone seriously think that Bradford Met or Ilkley Parish Council is going to find from rates or precept funding an initial £20,000 per annum over five years to get it off the ground?

So what will happen now? Councillors will have a further debate then go away and sit on their penniless hands. Talk is easy if you're not prepared to back any proposal financially.

The Arts Federation is already aiming to expand the range of its future Arts Festivals and to increase its funding.

Let us stand back for a moment and value now what we already have in Ilkley - one of the country's best amateur theatre companies, concerts with internationally known performers, amateur operatics, youth theatre, music hall performances, education classes covering many arts activities and numerous thriving arts related societies and organisations.

The more artistic events the better. The more festivals the better, whatever speciality they might have.

Keith Hartley,

Chairman, Ilkley and District Arts Federation,

Hanginstone Road,

Ilkley.

A stunning show

SIR, - May I say how much I enjoyed the Ilkley Upstagers' splendid production of 42nd Street.

The actors were superb and it was a treat to see Yeadon's pantomime favourite Ian 'Buttons' White as Bert.

Ian truly is like the Peter Pan of the stage, with his ever youthful presence he weaves his magic on any part he has.

Bravo to Annie (Claire Scott) who played Ian's partner. The chemistry between them was electric.

I am 73 and don't go out much, as I have a false hip. I don't usually have much to smile about but I haven't stopped since seeing this show.

It is a refreshing change to see that all young persons are not bent on drugs, drinking and being promiscuous like a lot of them today.

Miss Edith Lancelott Smith,

Lister House Nursing Home,

Heaton Road,

Bradford.

Who hacked the

wildlife hedge?

SIR, - Who or what hacked the wildlife hedge round the playing field on Bolling Road?

It was planted with much pomp and ceremony by the Bolling Road school not many years ago.

Since then it has developed into a veritable birds' larder, with many autumn berries to help them through the winter.

But this last week, just as this year's berries were ripening, the slashers have been at work. Gone is this winter's supply of food.

After encouraging wildlife to an area, it is not very fair to remove food at this crucial time of year.

How would we feel if a higher power than us wiped out all the fields of grain just as harvest was near - not very happy no doubt.

Has Ilkley become an uncaring town towards our environment? I for one believe so.

M Willson,

1 Grange Close,

Ben Rhydding,

Ilkley.

The wrong note

Sir, - may I thank Miss EM Holbrook for her kind invitation to become involved with the musical organisations of which she is Secretary /Organiser, but I must decline. I have been known to do a bit of singing in my time, Choirs, Solos and Ship's Own Drama Society (SODS) opera little known outside Royal Navy circles, but quite serious.

Miss Holbrook appears to have misconstrued my earlier comments about awards from the "precept". I make no criticism of those organisations with which she is associated, they may well , as she asserts bring great pleasure to many and raise funds for what she and others believe to be worthy causes.

My point is that members of those organisations are volunteers and should pay their own way.

Those who wish attend the performances should be prepared to pay whatever is appropriate. I was brought up to believe that if you cannot afford it, you either, "do without it" or find some means of earning and indeed saving the money to pay for it, if you want it badly enough.

On the verge of reaching my three score years and ten, I still live by that precept and would not have it any other way.

I therefore resent having money taken from my very limited income to pay for the pleasures of other people, many of whom are well able to pay for whatever it requires for them to enjoy their chosen leisure activities.

My criticism is wholly of the Parish Council and its high handed abuse of its position. If one takes the definition of stealing, which in its shortened form from the Larceny Act of 1916, states that "a person steals, who, without consent of the owner, takes and carries away anything capable of being stolen" and I am sure that money is surely capable of being stolen, then I must take the stance that the money taken from me to give to someone else, without my consent, was stolen from me. Unfortunately I cannot afford to sue or prosecute the Parish Council.

Victor M Bean

Name and address supplied

Thank you

Sir,- Thank you for the kind invitation to the Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebration at Harewood House.

It was a wonderful day with a very friendly atmosphere and varied parades which the Queen watched with great interest and enjoyment.

It is a day long to be remembered with Harewood House as such a magnificent setting. Please thank the other members of the committee for the opportunity of attending this celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

ANDREW WALBANK

Kibberley Street

Ilkley