Double whammy for Dales villages

Consultation; the national park provides car parking facilities under the 1981 Countryside Act and within that Act there is no statutory requirement to consult on a charging policy.

However, it would seem eminently sensible if the national park were to adopt a consultation procedure as the district councils have to do. This would improve their image within the local community. The consultation referred to by Mr Butterworth is just not enough.

The charge for long stay does impact on local residents when visitors try to use the road and streets for parking, thus pushing out local residents if they dare to leave a car parking space empty on the road in front of their homes. The county council is looking at introducing "residents only" parking in villages with a high visitor population.

The issue to which Martin Fretwell, your correspondent from Grassington, referred was that of the charge and the length of short stay, 90p for one hour only.

Since becoming independent, national parks have a duty to foster the economic and social well being of communities. Grassington, like other villages in the national park, has many short stay visitors who may come for an afternoon or to lunch and to browse round the shops. These visitors are essential if Grassington is to survive and at the same time continue to offer local residents a choice for local shopping.

The length of stay of one hour is not enough for such visits and begs the question, what criterion was used when reducing the short stay from two hours to one hour, certainly not the one about fostering the economic well-being.

Two cars (BMWs) were seen to park in the national park car park this week.

The drivers got out, went to the pay and display machine, returned to their cars and drove away again. As your readers will know, Grassington, along with many others, has particularly suffered from the effects of foot and mouth on the visitor population. To have an authority which does not understand the effects of its policies on the local community and is detrimental to residents is a double whammy.

Coun Shelagh Marshall,

Bow Bridge Drive,

Embsay.

Excessive charge

SIR - On April 25 my wife and I decided to do our bit for the suffering countryside traders and pay a visit to Grassington. On reaching the car park, we were surprised to find it almost empty. The reason I feel became obvious when I reached the pay station where two other drivers were looking at charges, £1 for the first hour, then £2.

We all drove off, I returned to Gargrave where I was able to park free of charge, take a short walk along the towpath to a pub for a meal and visit a garden centre.

May I suggest that the traders of Grassington complain to the people setting excessive car park charges for loss of trade. Under the present circumstances reduced, if not free, parking would help get people back. I for one will not be visiting again and I am sure many will think likewise.

P Livesey,

Preston.

Big difference

SIR - What a difference one little letter of the alphabet makes. In the article in last week's Herald with regard the speed humps in Settle you stated that I am seeking medical and legal advice with a view to going to law on "the basis of ill health caused by depravation of sleep".

I cannot remember any depravity taking place in the last three or four years. Perhaps I'm losing my memory as well as my reputation! Definition of deprave - unpure, perverted, debased, corrupt state of moral character. The word I used is deprivation, as in deprived, dispossessed, loss, suffering from hardship.

People have been sued for smaller transgressions but I won't sue you if you will say "sorry".

I would like to thank the Herald for its coverage of my attempts to completely get rid of the humps.

Mrs Sandra Price,

Artisans,

Station Road, Settle.

No useful purpose

SIR - Glad to observe some publicity by your journal, to the protest over speed humps in Settle.

I speak both as a motorist with 66 years driving experience, and as a victim of these 'carbuncles'.

As a veteran motorist, I have no hesitation in saying that they fail abysmally to fulfil any useful purpose; and as a pedestrian I note that many local folk, including myself, (a 92-year-old OAP) have fallen and been damaged by them.

Fortunately no-one (as yet!) has been killed by a passing vehicle as they lay flat on their face in the road.

We are supposed to be a democracy. Where is the democracy in having these dangerous humps foisted upon us against our will ? Come on, Mr Stewart Hurst, be honest, admit that they are a resounding mistake, and yield to reason. Don't jeopardise our lives, don't act like a dictator: listen to the voice of the people of Settle.

Remove them!

JFS Jones,

Longdale Avenue, Settle.

Serious danger

SIR - As it appears that the North Yorkshire Highways Authority has, in its wisdom, decreed that a huge volume of heavy commercial vehicles may pass daily through Settle town, rather than reach their destinations by means of the A65 bypass, perhaps this would be a good time to remind readers of a serious danger posed by the drivers of many of these vehicles: their use of mobile phones and CB radio handsets whilst driving.

Drive or walk through Settle, and you will frequently see truck drivers manoeuvring their enormous vehicles around bends and past obstructions whilst carrying on conversations into hand-held receivers.

I was scared out of my wits recently whilst driving towards the town under the Skipton Road railway bridge. A quarry truck was approaching me at an angle and in the middle of the road, as it was compelled to do by the arched shaped of the bridge. The driver had only one hand on the steering wheel, the other being used to hold his telephone. What control can the driver have in such a situation?

We are continually told that it is illegal for a car driver to drive whilst holding a mobile phone, and are frequently informed about prosecutions. How much more dangerous is the situation outlined above?

Of course, if there is time, we can note the registration number of the vehicles concerned. More effective, however, would be monitoring by the police of the situation. These vehicles pass directly in front of Settle Police Station.

We, in Settle, have to tolerate the continuous and highly dangerous presence of these vehicles in our town. What we do not need is the added threat of a serious accident which is posed by some irresponsible individuals.

Andrew Fawcett,

Skipton Road, Settle.

No complaints

SIR - As chairman of the Ladies Section of Gargrave Village Hall, I was stunned to read Mr Watson's letter. Our dances have been run successfully over the past 30 years and this is the first complaint in respect of the seating arrangements.

Last Friday we held another dance with the music provided by Mark Kitte, attended by two Gargrave people. We increasingly rely on people from outside the village coming. Why Gargrave people do not attend is nothing to do with the seating plan.

We would like to see Mr and Mrs Watson again at our dances, "tripping the light fantastic".

Joan Phillip,

Chairman, Ladies Section,

Gargrave Village Hall.

Dancing delight

SIR - I am writing in reply to R Watson's letter "seat of problem" (Craven Herald April 27).

As a member of Gargrave Sequence Dance Club I fail to see the point of Mr Watson's letter but I do know that it has upset many members of the dance club.

My husband and I have been members of the club for more than 10 years and my husband, who lived in Gargrave for more than 40 years, attended dances in the village hall from being a boy. We attend ever Monday and monthly Saturday dances and we have never come across any arguments over seating .

Because we have a great number of holiday makers and members attending from as far away as Settle, Burnley, Keighley and Leeds, we feel this letter could have put people off from attending our very popular dances.

It is true that we have only one couple from Gargrave itself and I fail to understand that with all the new housing we have not attracted more couples from the village but that is their loss and we all feel the benefit and enjoyment enhances our health in advancing years.

Elsie Crook,

Park Road, Barnoldswick.

Hard workers

SIR - Your article on the opening of the new headquarters in Skipton for St John Ambulance was much appreciated.

May I correct the title of the division. It is officially known as Settle/Skipton Q Division (purely for alphabetical reasons) and may I also ask you, again through this letter, to recognise the enormous effort put into the running of the divison by Mr and Mrs B Harrison.

I may have "resuscitated" the casualties, ie the rumps of the divisions I found in Settle and Skipton, but the aftercare and general welfare of the division has been in the very capable hands of Brian and Elizabeth, the latter having been made up to superintendent on the 21st, with Brian in charge of training.

So much more could be done - as with all charities - with more resources, both personnel and money.

With regard to the latter, may I take this opportunity of publicly thanking the Rotary Club of Skipton for its recent donation.

Arthur Cookson,

Yealand Avenue, Giggleswick.

Spiritual quest

SIR - Gratitude is due to the Rector of Holy Trinity for initiating a debate on the Church, and to John Fiddler for his contribution. There is little doubt that the institutional Church is having to be dragged kicking and protesting into contemporary society.

The world today is taking part in a spiritual quest but thousands of people no longer believe the institutional Church to be an asset in that quest.

Institutional religion is being torn apart externally as it collapses internally: religion must move into the context of today or die.

So many of the words and dogmas we cling to in our churches seem no longer to embody the living Spirit of Christ. Indeed, it is my opinion that the lack of honest ecclesiastical leadership is an important factor in the Church's decline.

Thousands every year are rejecting a religion based on fear, the closed-mind, and self-deception. So often the Church seems fearful of inquiry, of freedom and of knowledge. As John Fiddler implies, the Church has been too ready to criticise, marginalise and even expel, its most creative thinkers.

As a Christian with a deep faith, I have grown increasingly anxious about the orthodox Church which seems fearful of anything except its own repetitive propaganda which has its origin in a world that we no longer inhabit. In large measure the Church has become repressive; binding people in a religious straitjacket unless they conform to the views of so-called "true-believers".

Certainly, God is too real for me to cease believing, but I can continue to believe only if I am able to be an "honest-believer" rather than one drugged on the narcotic of religion. I cannot park my brains at the door of my place of worship in order to use words and dogma which no longer illuminates my understanding of God.

Of course I treasure the Hebrew Scriptures as the record of our ancestors in faith but certainly I, and thousands of others, cannot be bound by the cultural limitations of these writings. God still inspires men and women to discern the truth and express it in ways that carry credibility in a contemporary context.

More honesty and integrity from the pulpit in terms of what preachers really believe rather than what they are expected to believe, would not come amiss. At least they could go home to Sunday lunch knowing that they have been honest to themselves, honest to their congregations, and above all, honest to God!

Graham M Adams,

Lumb Mill Way,

Skyreholme.

True faith

SIR - It is quite a surprise to some of your readers to see several inches of your letters columns given up to "religion" - we quite thought the subject had been confined to editorial oblivion.

Unfortunately the sermon appearing last week was without a text - surely in all matters Christian we must appeal to God's own Word?

Salvation is all by the power and grace of the triune Jehovah and until the denominational Church - whether Anglican or Methodist - returns to a solid biblical, Christ-centred faith, it will continue with its "judicious mixes" that will never please God nor satisfy the deepest need of man.

Spirit-led Christians worldwide are those who pay heed to the Spirit-inspired Word of God alone to the exclusion of all man-made and man-centred forms of religion.

In all gentleness, I would direct our "Methodist local preacher" to pay heed to the words of an inspired apostle who says that we are to "hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15; also 3:6) and who gave very clear directions as to the raising up of those who are to preach the true Gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1 :6-9).

There are many who speak of "full obedience to our Lord" who care nothing for full obedience to His Word and whose knowledge of it is only governed by the human doctrine of relativity. True faith, true prayer, true humility, true obedience - ah, how impossible they are for us all, poor sinners, left to ourselves.

David Clemence,

Prospect Terrace, Settle.

Ongoing debate

sir - Adrian Botwright's original piece about the state of the Church deserves and warrants serious thought. I do so hope that it has generated more than three letters to you, if that is the sum of what you have received.

If I may say so Jane Taylor's letter (Craven Herald April 27) did address the essence of the issue and I do hope that she is right in referring to a "continuing" debate.

Your correspondent Mrs Kinder, on the other hand, dwelt upon my contribution, which is a pity. If I may say so and do so of course with the utmost deference and respect, it would have been more helpful to your readers if she had given them the benefit of her undoubted knowledge and experience as both an Anglican lay reader and a Methodist local preacher.

I was, though, slightly amused that Mrs Kinder refers to my "long" letter when hers is over a column inch longer than mine !

What did interest me however was her reference to Fred Pratt Green's hymn. Fred was for several years the Minister at Trinity Methodist Church, Sutton in Surrey, a church at which I spent the first 29 years of my life. Fred baptised the younger of my two sons and my late father-in-law was one of his stewards.

Whilst I'm sure that Fred would have been flattered to have one of his hymn's quoted, I beg to doubt whether he would have accepted the context in which it was quoted. Sadly Fred is no longer here to ask. Mind you, the old warrior would have relished the debate! But, of course I acknowledge that Mrs Kinder might have known him better than me.

John Fidler,

Skipton Road, Embsay.

Cricket grant

SIR - On behalf of Bolton Abbey Cricket Club, I would like to publicly express our appreciation to the England and Wales Cricket Board for their help in obtaining a Lord's Taverners Foundation Grant.

This has been used to purchase an all weather practice pitch and nets which will hopefully prove invaluable to all our members, both junior and senior sections.

Roger Tiffany,

Secretary,

Bolton Abbey Cricket Club.