Letters To The Editor

SIR, - As Otley this week finally faced up to the extinction of another long-standing establishment by the shameful obliteration of All Saints Junior School, we yet again have to stand back and reflect on a further piece of our tradition that, for no good reason, has been lost forever.

The ultimate powers that be, dark-suited officials sitting contented in their comfortable offices far away, will surely now rake in their ill-gotten gains with glee and report their unqualified success (quantified in pound signs) to their even more remote financiers.

Meanwhile, Otley folk must lick the wounds of another battle fought in vain and accept a hit on the value of their town centre.

No doubt one day there will be a campaign by spirited individuals to find a use for the shell that once housed a vibrant school community.

Perhaps, like for the old courthouse, there will be a dedicated and imaginative team who will try to raise cash to bring life back to a public building which, by rights, should never have been emptied.

Or are we supposed to wait for ideas and money just to fall out of the sky from another of those hopeful strategies or initiatives that comes along from time to time under the wing of a high-flying politician?

Or worse, despite the pleadings of those who justified closure of All Saints by arguing this important site would remain in the public domain, will we be hoodwinked a second time and find the site is to be sold off altogether?

Whatever eventually happens, the reality is that policies quickly perish and become forgotten, the spoils of success are soon squandered elsewhere, and All Saints Junior School and everything it represented since the century before last will become merely a sad footnote to the story of Otley.

IAN Andrew

11 Ramsey Terrace

Otley

Heritage destroyed

SIR, - With a sad heart, I attended the wonderful musical concert in All Saints Church, presented by the staff and pupils of All Saints Junior School and attended by hundreds of parents, friends and old scholars of the school.

This was the end of an era. A considerable percentage of the population of Otley must have been educated in the beautiful North Parade building in its various primary and secondary roles.

There must be many other sad hearts in Otley at the demise of the school.

I taught in the Junior School at Cross Green from 1954 and moved with the school to the North Parade site in 1969, where, in 1972 it became Otley All Saints C of E Middle School. I retired from there in 1981.

It was always, and has continued to be, an extremely happy and successful school, dedicated to bringing out the best in its pupils, in all aspects of school life. It was a privilege to have worked there.

I can only hope that those who were instrumental in the closure of the 124 year old school, do not rue the day when they destroyed part of the heritage of Otley.

Betty Watson

Burras Lane

Otley

Given new hope

SIR - I would like to add one or two comments to an article on page 9, Wharfedale Observer July 4, "Its such a sad finale for all of us. I have coached more netball, rounders and football than cricket!" And in the sixth paragraph "I feel deep in my heart that I have done a little good for a lot of people" (not a lot of good). Like many colleagues in other junior/primary schools, I teach a minimum of eleven subjects including English, Maths, History, Geography, Music, P.E, ICT, Design Technology, Science, Art and RE, French is an added bonus and should be a necessity in my opinion. In spite of the above, thankyou to the Wharfedale for all your much appreciated support. Before my letter was even printed I had been offered a full time teaching position at a well established primary school - The Whartons Primary. Through your newspaper I send my grateful thanks to so many supportive parents and to Jim Vincent, The Whartons Headteacher and his Governors for their confidence and belief in me. I now look forward to working at a well established primary school with an excellent record, a super school to quote a present colleague, with a fantastic set of very caring, committed staff members, just like the one I am sadly leaving behind.

Michele Smallshaw

97 The Whartons

Otley

A lack of cover

SIR, -I recently visited Otley with friends on a Saturday evening. We parked our car in the Bridge Street car park just round from Otley Police Station. We had a very pleasant evening and at about 11.00pm set off back to the car to return home. My wife who was not drinking but driving was first back to the car.

She was horrified to find that two windows on the car had been completely smashed and the several items that were in the rear of the car had been stolen.

Not to worry we are covered by insurance but we must report this to the local police to make them aware and hope that it stops other people from having the same experience after all the Police Station is only round the corner.

I was surprised if not amazed to find that Otley only has police cover from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Sunday and that the nearest police cover is at Weetwood Police Station in Leeds.

We were told that it would be eight hours before they could get anyone out to us. are the people of Otley aware of this?

Now don't get me wrong, I am sure the police operate to the best of their ability within the resources they have, but if I lived in Otley, I would want to be aware of this and have the opportunity to do something about it before all the criminals get to know about it. I would want to write to my local MP Who is the MP anywa?.

Paul J Wiseman

The New House

Lyon Road

Eastburn

Nr Keighley

A royal dilemma

SIR, - I am sorry to say that the letter from Mr Naylor, Wharfedale July 4, seems like a very good argument for keeping the monarchy. As soon as one introduces an elective by the people you elect a president whatever name you call it, speaker of the Nation or President or any thing else. In addition there is little doubt that anyone wishing to be elected will be or become a politician.

And would Mr Naylor buy a second hand car from the crop of the last ten years, I doubt if I would. When I continue to agree with Mr Naylor is his assessment of the establishment starting at the top. The fact of being born in the right bed of the right parents at the right time is no reason why privilege, and luxury should be an automatic consequence, no matter how mediocre one is, or without morals. The £5 million hand out to Charles is a disgrace when care homes are being closed.

However it will be permitted to pay to go and have a look at what our money has been spent on. It seems a bit like Windsor Castle, it is for the benefit of the monarchy when all is well, but it is ours when there is a fire, and no insurance.

With reference to the letter from Mr Harper, same issue, the biggest attraction for tourists in France used to be Versailles, probably now it is Disneyland and the castles of Ludwig 11 of Bavaria are popular, plus the palaces in Vienna, Budapest etc and their monarchs have long since disappeared.

With regard to the 58p cost per person it cost to keep our Monarch, issued and calculated by the Establishment, I have no doubt there are as many holes in the calculation as there are in the proverbial colander.

There are 60 million of us, or thereabouts in this country, therefore we spend £30 million to enable one family to live in luxury and privilege while those who have worked and saved all their life for some security as they get old are told to vacate their care home because there is not enough money to pay for them. And all this under a Labour Government voted in at the 1997 election to change the way we do things. Mr Blair and his friends should be ashamed.

Mr Davison

Willow Court

Pool in Wharfedale

SIR, - The Otley Ladies Hospital Group would like to thank everyone most sincerely who contributed and attended the Annual Garden Party which was held on Saturday. Our grateful thanks also to everyone who sent Donations. The amount raised was over £1,400 which will be used for additional comforts for patients at the Otley Hospital.

June Galling

Chairman Otley Ladies

Hospital Group

Mellieha

East Busk Lane

Otley