Hospital canteen price rise in not on

This has come so soon after the Trust's decision to charge £50 for car parking permits.

Why hit the nurses and staff, making them unhappy and causing havoc throughout the hospital. The nurses and staff should not have this around their necks when treating and caring for patients recovering from their illness and operations. Their minds should be totally focused on getting patients well and the waiting lists down - not thinking to themselves when they go for a break can I afford this or that in the staff canteen.

Maybe the powers that be on Airedale NHS Trust should take a look at more important things. On one men's ward, a toilet was out of order for a full week, leaving just one toilet and the visitors' toilet.

Or patients pushed down to the x-ray department on a bed one day after an operation and left in a queue for two hours. True, myself and a 77-year-old man were in that queue, playing hell. Remember, this was in a hospital placed in the top 10 in the country in the Good Hospital Guide.

Airedale is lucky to have some of the top surgeons and doctors in the country. They need a happy back-up team from nurses and staff to get patients well and out of hospital - keep the nurses and staff happy and morale high as they do a fantastic job.

Allan Mason,

Jenny Gill Crescent,

Skipton.

Third World post

SIR - It is with frustration that I have, in recent years, noted the deterioration of our national postal service.

It is not long ago that we had one of the finest postal services in the world, totally reliable, with well in excess of 95 percent of letters delivered the following day, to the correct address.

Unfortunately it now seems that the service is completely unreliable. Business letters posted first class often take well over a week to be delivered.

Letters posted from Skipton to London in particular often do not arrive at all. A considerable number of letters posted from Skipton to an address in Southfields, London, in recent weeks, have never arrived.

A parcel posted to me in May from London has been lost. It is only because I remembered that I had not received the item, that a replacement has been sent.

A jiffy bag posted to my daughter first class last Monday, in London, had still not arrived by Friday. An A4 envelope posted on Monday to Wimbledon has likewise not arrived, five days later. One wonders how many other items of correspondence are never received by the addressee.

My wife recently complained to the postal service, and was told they were having great difficulty keeping staff, and the staff no longer seemed to have pride in their work. This, apparently, is particularly the case in the large cities.

In my experience lack of morale amongst the workforce invariably reflects upon the quality of management.

I remember when this nation could take pride in most of its public services, but the postal service is now only Third World in quality. Surely the time has arrived when we should, as soon as possible, change the management and privatise the industry, opening it to the pressures and stimulation of market forces.

Denis Watkins,

The Angel Inn,

Hetton.

Contributor fatigue

SIR - Some time ago, a problem arose with the organisations which service the charity shops in collecting goods for resale.

The apparent lack of co-ordination among the various charities caused householders to be circulated consistently, week after week, sometimes twice in a week.

Happily the situation was remedied and the collectors have been doing their rounds at less frequent intervals for a time.

Situations are apt to change and this appears to have happened recently as we have had five bags supplied for collections over a two week period.

Obviously if this continues the charity supporters will be spending time and energy delivering and attempting to collect, with only minimal results.

In addition it may also induce "contributor fatigue" with all too frequent requests.

Perhaps those planning future campaigns may consider reviewing their plans and co-ordinate with others and so increase their collecting rates.

Frank Winn,

Long Meadow,

Skipton.

Improvement

SIR - I am afraid that I cannot back the residents of Bay Horse Yard in their opposition to what sounds like a much-needed facility to the town.

There is no reason why a conservation area should not have a new building - providing it is in sympathy with the buildings opposite which I am certain the planners would insist upon.

I am strongly opposed to the trend of building facilities away from the town centre, particularly in a place like Skipton, as the town centre should be the hub of the town's life.

Ever since the Craven Herald old print works was sold, the land has been an eyesore. One of the most scenic shots of Skipton, taken from Coach Street bridge showing the canal, the old houses and Holy Trinity Church in the background is now a mess.

Instead of photographs showing the charm of central Skipton, the photographer is left with a gruesome building site and surely a modern building which would be a benefit to the community would be much more acceptable to the town in general and the neighbours in particular than what exists at present.

S Dobson,

Keighley Road,

Skipton.

Vindicated

SIR - In 1985, dedicated headmaster, Ray Honeyford, was hounded out of Bradford's Drummond Middle School because he warned Bradford Education Committee that its educational policy was flawed.

He warned that white and Asian children needed to be integrated within the school system, otherwise the future of racial harmony would be jeopardised.

At the time I was appalled by Bradford Council's attitude towards Ray Honeyford and everybody, like me, who raised the Honeyford issue at the time was branded as racist.

History has proved that Bradford Council was, and is, incapable of running a booze up in a brewery let alone a sound reasonable policy. Electors prove my point.

Over 70 per cent in this region didn't bother to vote at the last full local elections.

Honeyford was paid £161,000 to go away, his words ridiculed by officials and politicians. Report after report costing many thousands of pounds were produced to prove Honeyford wrong. His words, were ignored, because nobody at City Hall would listen to the truth.

David Samuels,

Station Road,

Oxenhope.

Dales food is best

SIR - In the Dales, top quality food is produced from our local breeds of sheep.

The meat is tastier, is free range and is fed on the trustworthy plants of the fells. So why do our pubs and restaurants fail to make this a special feature for visitors and locals alike?

Why are the shops not boasting of local, special meat from these special breeds?

On the whole we, as customers, don't bother to ask for anything other than what is offered and local businesses don't tap into this asset.

Local people need to ask that Yorkshire Dales food is in the shops and on the menu. In the rest of Europe people celebrate their local products - so why don't we?

Hilary Fenten,

Selside,

Settle.

Steamroller

SIR - During the current foot and mouth crisis why do the majority of people seem to be burying their heads in the sand, and allowing the Government to steamroller through the countryside destroying healthy animals and hundreds of businesses?

The current Government's 'slaughter policy' is not working. Every day thousands of healthy animals are still being killed, and new cases are still occurring.

The total number of farms listed are infected premises and do not include farms taken out by contiguous culling, dangerous contact and welfare grounds, therefore giving a false impression.

The Government wants the country to believe that it has got the disease under control, but this is far from the truth, with outbreaks occurring in areas that have been free from the disease for weeks.

There is no mention, or hardly any, of foot and mouth in the national newspapers.

Having listened to Ruth Watkins, who is a clinical virologist, and other experts in foot and mouth disease, vaccination is the only answer. We import more meat than we export, eat tonnes of vaccinated meat and drink gallons of vaccinated milk.

This country used to vaccinate against foot and mouth until we chose to have a disease free status, and could charge more for our exported meat.

We will be unable to export our meat for years. We need to think of the present. If we start vaccinating now then the countryside can be opened up, and maybe tourism can at least catch the last few weeks of the summer season.

Holland used the vaccination policy and is now exporting again.

The EU are criticising the Government for refusing to vaccinate and have re-written the rulebook on how to handle the disease. They recommend that animals in fields surrounding an outbreak be vaccinated so as to stop further spreading.

Why won't the Government listen?

We need to show there are people concerned about the future of our countryside, and campaign against this needless slaughter of healthy animals and destruction of our businesses.

As part of a national group, Save The Heart of Britain, we have campaigned for the use of vaccination from day one, and need more support from the general public and farmers.

For information or help contact The Foot and Mouth Action Group - Dave Robinson, 07866 571922; Jenny Purcell 01282 813159; Jane Barribal 01361 850282 or e-mail farmtalking@aol.com

Mrs A Boyer,

Chatburn,

Clitheroe.

Obscene songs

SIR - After watching a play entitled "A Slice of Saturday Night" at Settle High School on Friday evening I would like to say that I thought the play was excellent.

A great deal of thought, practice and hard work was put into it. The dancers were top class, the singers and actors were brilliant, the band and the children who dressed in 1960s costume were outstanding.

But why, oh why, was it cheapened with such obscene songs that you would only see on adult movies. At least one child had to sing and dance to such cheap and tacky songs and actions with embarrassment. Why spoil such talent at Settle High?

The play Grease, or some other 60s play would have been much better for such wonderful singers and actors. Does anyone else agree?

Mrs Parkinson,

Bentham.

Editor's note: A review of this play appears on page 17.

Danger to animals

sir - I am writing to highlight a growing problem with litter, which is causing great concern to the RSPCA in the Craven and Upper Wharfedale Branch.

Our inspectors are dealing with an increasing number of calls to rescue animals which have been injured, and sometimes die, because of carelessly discarded litter. Many Inspectors are being called to the same area time and time again to rescue swans and ducks which have plastic drinks can holders caught around their beaks, or fishing line and hooks lodged in their stomachs and throats, for instance.

The sad fact about this increasing problem is that all these incidents could be easily avoided if people disposed of their litter properly.

Many hours of inspectors' time are spent dealing with these casualties and so much suffering would be prevented.

I appeal to your readers to consider several quick and easy ways to deal with lethal litter.

Cut open the plastic loops on drinks cans to prevent wildlife becoming entangled take home unwanted fishing line and hooks.

Cut plastic bottles in half, if you cannot recycle them.

Tie a knot in plastic bags, so animals cannot get inside them and suffocate.

Recycle cans, or remove lids completely so animals do not get stuck inside them

Dispose of broken glass carefully, as it can pose a serious risk of injury.

Remove the lids from yoghurt pots to stop small mammals getting their heads stuck in the pots.

Juanita Fenton,

Branch secretary,

Craven and Upper Wharfedale RSPCA.

Corrective training

SIR - As expected, within hours of China getting the 2008 Olympics, the various civil rights and how to sue the police organisations are already waffling on about the severity of the Chinese prison system.

Bearing in mind the recent riots, perhaps some of our thugs could benefit from a list of Chinese-style corrective training instead of a couple of weeks fishing in the Rockies as no doubt some plonkers will suggest.

R Potter,

Low Lane,

Grassington.

A great day out

SIR - Skipton has always been a favourite town of mine and I have holidayed there many times but, as you do, used it as a base to travel to other parts of your lovely county.

Collecting literature in the tourist information I picked up a leaflet for the walking tour and booked the expected 90 minute tour.

Two and a half hours later, I'd still not covered it all. Malcolm, the guide, combined history, humour and his love of Skipton into possibly the shortest two and a half hours of my life.

I would like to suggest that holiday makers, locals and I think children especially would love to hear all that's happened in your wonderful town. It's not just a history lesson, it's truly a Skipton experience.

Ann Brandon,

Green Way,

Great Horwood, Bucks.

Odd appointment

SIR - Is it consistent with our Christian faith that an agnostic has been appointed as head of religious broadcasting at the BBC?

Mrs C Howard,

Station Road,

Giggleswick.