Cricket club found lottery funding procedures farcical

As the secretary of a local cricket club (Skipton Church Institute) which has recently been successful in obtaining grants to upgrade our facilities, I am afraid that I am not surprised at the response Skipton Rugby Club received.

At the start we at the cricket club attempted to obtain Lottery funding. It soon became clear that we would have little joy from them.

The liaison officer changed every six months, the whole lottery application process is overly bureaucratic, their requirements are far in excess of what is necessary and they move the goal posts every 12 months.

At the end of the day we made a successful application to The Foundation for Sport and The Arts. It was far simpler, less time consuming and concentrated on providing just the facilities we required and not the fancy extras we didn't need.

The Foundation is funded by the football pools companies and since the inception of the National Lottery that funding has unfortunately been reduced.

If any misguided soul reading this letter buys a lottery ticket thinking it may benefit small sports clubs I would urge you to think again - try the pools.

Most lottery funding seems to end up in the pockets of the large well-to-do organisations (Wembley etc) and is not used to help small local sports clubs.

I would support entirely the view of the editor and the rugby club's representations - the whole administration of the lottery fund is a farce.

C Windle,

Secretary,

Skipton CI Cricket Club,

Long Meadow, Skipton.

A famous effort

SIR - I noted and support the comments made in Mr McDougall's letter last week regarding the loutish behaviour of some individuals.

It may please him to hear that all is not lost regarding our local youth! A group of 25 or so local young people, who are either working or from several of our local secondary schools, are putting on a charity performance of 'Fame the Musical' on September 21, 22 and 23 at Skipton Auction Mart.

Not too unusual you might think but read on. The difference here is that this was their idea when they were a bit bored during the summer.

Consider for a moment what they have had to do to put the show on. They have organised the performance totally through their own initiative and in the main without adult involvement.

Their responsibility has not just involved the hard work needed at rehearsals (by the way they are excellent). They have organised a bank account for Youth Enterprise, scripts and royalty payments to the London publisher, professional musicians for the three nights, lighting, publicity, leaflets, programmes, tickets, booked and liaised with the auction mart, written endless sponsorship letters with a good response from small businesses locally (see the programmes for details and thanks to those who did!), help and advice from the Craven District Council and much more.

As a proud parent of one of those involved, I can only take my hat off to them all. I doubted that they would pull it off but despite the risks and pressures of doing it on their own, they persevered and are now ready.

My request is that we as local adults must show that we are interested to see at least some local young people working positively together. Please support them and their chosen charity. Buy tickets from the Skipton Tourist Information Centre in Craven Court. We should now reward their work with a good turnout and be at the auction mart to show that we appreciate and applaud the hard work, initiative and endeavour of these young adults.

Mike Watson

Eastby

Skipton

Cautionary tale

SIR - I was pleased to see the Craven Herald supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I would like to offer a cautionary tale to all women (and men) who think it might never happen to them.

I ran marathons (albeit slowly), I ate the right foods, I didn't smoke, I drank in moderation (although my friends might like to argue on that point!) and yet when I found a lump I didn't find the time to see my GP - I was looking after my mother who had dementia, I had a family and I was working.

When my mother died I did find the time and yes it was cancer. I had what I call the 'Full Monty' treatment - surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Three years on and one or two scares on the way I know the joy of life - to walk the Dales Way and raise £1,000 on the way, to walk the high Lakeland fells, to conquer my fear of flying, to run in Bolton Abbey woods again but most of all to still be with my family --all the things I'd taken for granted. I am truly lucky.

So please check your breasts and see your GP if you're the slightest bit worried and don't think for one single second that it only happens to other women (or men).

My thanks go to Airedale which gave me absolute optimism and also to the Craven Clinic (especially Val Peet) which gave me alternative treatments, giving me the strength to turn up for the chemo (not my favourite way of spending a sunny afternoon).

Joan Newall

Beech Wood Drive

Skipton

Action not complaints

SIR - your correspondent, Stanley Phillips, in seeking to justify new expenditure on Bold Venture play area, makes comparison with the money spent by the town council on Broughton Road play area.

As Mr Phillips rightly points out, the council was considering selling the Bold Venture area as it was under-utilised, hence they had not allocated money for new equipment this year, but only for essential maintenance.

Mr Phillips is quite wrong to suggest that an agreement made between Broughton Road Play Area Committee and the council should be set aside in order to provide immediate funding for Bold Venture.

In recent years the Broughton Road Residents Group has raised over £5,000 for the area by a considerable amount of graft and enterprise. The group also takes a keen interest in supervising the area and keeping it tidy. We have worked hand-in-hand with the council on the play provision, which is very well used by the local children.

It is unworthy and shows a selfish attitude for Mr Phillips to suggest that the town council should flaunt one agreement at the expense of another. I suggest that the people of Bold Venture set up a residents group to raise funds ad start working with the council to bring about improvements, rather than constantly complaining - all it involves is a bit of hard work.

Mr Phillips clearly believes that either money grows on trees and can be provided by the town council for any scheme at short notice, or that the council should rob Peter to pay Paul.

Sue Carpenter,

Broughton Road Playground Association.

Rescue old rail line

SIR - Earlier this year proposals were put forward by Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils for highway improvements to the A56 between Skipton and Colne.

Lancashire submitted their proposals for new highways within their own area and selected a bypass for Lancaster to connect with Heysham. It is understood that the A56 scheme ranks as either second or third on the list of priorities for future highway schemes.

If major highway improvements are made to the A56 they will lead to very significant increases in induced traffic.

Some of these will affect the A629 between Skipton and Bradford but, much more importantly they will also lead to massive increases in traffic eastwards towards Leeds and the Humber ports with similar escalation in the number of recreational vehicles moving between Greater Manchester and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Existing roads would be unable to cope with the resultant flood of traffic and the resultant outcome would be of wider roads full of slow moving and pollution generating traffic passing through some of Britain's finest countryside.

Consideration should therefore be given to the reopening of the former railway line between Skipton and Colne. At the public exhibition held at locations on both sides of the Pennines earlier this year, it was admitted by representatives from Lancashire County Council that it would cost the same amount of money to re-open the railway line as it would to carry out highway improvements to the A56.

The advantages of re-opening the former railway line to passengers and freight would have a tremendous impact.

Passengers from Skipton would be able to gain direct access to east Lancashire and the west coast resorts and may possibly have a direct service to Manchester with links to the airport via Blackburn.

Rail passengers living in the Colne area would be able to travel on the scenic Settle and Carlisle line by changing trains at Skipton. Equally they would be able to travel to Leeds and Bradford by fast and modern electric trains when the new class 333 electric multiple diesel units are introduced later this year.

A feasability study should be carried out by North Yorkshire and Lancashire County Councils into the reopening of the former railway line and a survey should be undertaken as to the number of passengers who would use the line if it were reopened.

There is a need for better east-west communications by public transport between Skipton and Colne and a preservation order should be placed on the former trackbed between these two points.

The trackbed is intact apart from the need to create a short tunnel under the Skipton bypass and a bridge over the river Aire in North Yorkshire.

As the trackbed of the former railway is almost intact, it makes sense both from an economic and environmental point of view to reopen the former railway line.

Peter Davies,

Chairman,

Yorkshire branch,

Railway Development Society,

Dewhirst Road,

Brighouse.

Lorry action group

SIR - The situation regarding heavy quarry trucks passing through Settle town centre, a matter which has received much attention in your letters page recently, has culminated in the formation of a group of Settle residents and tradespeople who are determined to find a solution to this serious problem.

The objectives of the group are:

1 - To remove a serious threat to the safety of pedestrians and road users.

2 - To ensure that the quality of life for many people living in the "flight path" of these extremely noisy, polluting vehicles is removed.

3 - To create a pleasant atmosphere for residents and tourists alike.

It is important to emphasise that the group's actions are not intended to jeopardise the livelihood of the quarry truck drivers. We also realise that many lorries will always require access to the town, for deliveries to businesses.

Our intention is to ensure that the perfectly adequate Settle bypass is used by lorries in order to reach the quarries.

The Trucks out of Settle Town Centre action group is determined to improve life for all who live or work in our town.

Andrew Fawcett,

Trucks out of Settle Town Centre Action Group,

Skipton Road,

Settle.

Village concerns

SIR - Your article concerning the redevelopment of the sadly defunct mill in Carleton-in-Craven includes comments from James Pye and Son, who stand to gain from the sale, but no comments from anyone who actually lives in the village.

Had you approached people in Carleton-in-Craven, particularly any of those whose homes are located close to the planned development, you might well have elicited more guarded comments.

While we note from your paper that the developers, Novo Homes, will be working closely with our parish council, the people of Carleton have yet to be consulted and informed about this potential development.

Paul Schofield, of James Pye, appears to be quite confident that the development "will be good for the village". He might like to itemise the practical benefits that the people of our small village can anticipate as a result of what we assume is to be a substantial development.

While it is undoubtedly preferable to have our mill building put to some use, rather than it becoming derelict, we cannot assume that a large scale development of offices, houses, cottages and flats in the centre of our village will automatically result in benefits.

I trust that Novo Homes will show more sensitivity and good sense than the estate agents and consult fully through the proper channels with all the people and interested community groups and other organisations in the village before presuming to tell us what is good for us.

Anne McGrath,

Malcolm Bray,

George Street,

Carleton-in-Craven.

Ramblers efforts

SIR - I have just read Diana Kaneps letter (Craven Herald September 1) on my return from holiday.

The philosophical questions raised about truth and the law must be left for greater intellects than mine to consider but I would like to respond to some of the other points raised.

Since my retirement 18 years ago I have walked on average about 600-700 miles a year so in total I have covered at least 11,000 miles on foot. Some abroad but mostly in this country and I just do not recognise a countryside seething with conflict that Mrs Kaneps describes in her letter.

Problems have arisen, far too many public paths are illegally obstructed but in the main I look back with great pleasure at my walks, mainly undertaken with my wife or just a few friends. The usual response from the people we have met, country people born and bred, locals and offcumdens, ramblers and landowners, has been a cheery wave or friendly word with only a few exceptions.

There are some over-visited honeypots which cause problems but over the greater part of this area one is more likely to meet a lone walker or just a small group. "Hundreds and thousands" are not in evidence.

Of course, large numbers of people do walk but we have 4,000 miles of paths in North Yorkshire outside the national parks so there is space for all. The walkers we do meet are just enjoying their walk and most certainly are not filled with envy and resentment.

Ramblers Association groups up and down the country have always done a great deal of voluntary work to maintain and improve the public rights of way network, saving a great deal of ratepayers' money.

The Ramblers Association is presently exploring with North Yorkshire County Council the possibility of a more structured approach to the work they undertake.

Also I must mention the sterling work done by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and the many local voluntary groups working to maintain the footpath network. The idea that walkers do nothing to help to maintain and improve the paths they walk is, and always has been, a stupid myth.

Clive Bell,

Footpath Secretary,

Craven Group,

Ramblers' Association,

Embsay.

Skipton's fine points

SIR - I would like to reply to the article Dales Folk by John Sheard (Craven Herald, September 8).

If things were "not going too well for dear old Skipton Town" we would be living in a ghost town. Instead we live in a thriving bustling market town.

Yes, we do have a traffic problem and the locals complain about the tourists but we could not do without them.

The reason there has been a decline in "up-market businesses" is the advent of - as in all towns - the supermarkets where you can buy everything cheaper than in these small businesses.

In Skipton we have many good shops. I have shopped all over the country but still think Skipton has some excellent shops. We have four brilliant bookshops and a do-it-yourself in Newmarket Street which would rival and beat B&Q. We have good pharmacies and a whole range of other establishments.

I know we have not got a fishmongers or a vegetable shop but Tesco's and Morrison's are not worlds away.

Now to haberdashery. I know Mrs Sheard does visit the fent shop behind Dillons in Keighley Road. They have many types of buttons and fastenings in most size colours and shapes along with other haberdashery items. If you need special buttons you will have to travel to Ilkley (where, may I add, they have just as many charity shops as Skipton).

Please do not put Skipton down. It has suffered just the same fate as every town in Britain. Make the best of it.

It's called change even if it is not change for the better. Enjoy what we have, we have more here than most large towns and even they have parking and tourist problems.

Judith Harris,

Bright Street,

Skipton.

Difficult days

SIR - I was very interested and surprised to see the group of children from Draughton School in the Craven Herald of September 8.

The lad on the left of the middle row happens to be me. I well remember being taught by Miss Bancroft who later on in life went to teach at Ingleton.

Adelaide, Walter and Cecil Umpleby were my half sister and brothers.

I recall Adelaide and myself being taken from Draughton school in a horse drawn ambulance to the scarlet fever hospital in Skipton.

At the time we lived in Halton East, a good walk to school and back each day. Our dinner consisted of a few jam sandwiches which we took with us; money was not so plentiful in those days.

Looking back I don't think we have much to grumble about these days, our parents couldn't afford a bike, never mind a car.

I remember the school closing and I ended my school days at Otley Street; it was quite a novelty getting a ride on a bus to school.

My stepfather worked on a farm in Halton East, the name of the farmer was Mr Moon. Annie Eastwood and Hilda Lambert also lived at Halton East.

I read in the Craven Herald some time ago that Harry Booth, also in the picture, had lost his life in the war. Very sad.

Adelaide and myself are both aged 79 this autumn, so we have seen many changes since our schooldays at Draughton.

Thank you to Edith Haywood who sent in the picture.

Ronnie Middleton,

Skipton.

Code of conduct

SIR - I thought I should respond to Mr Darwin's letter (Code is an Insult, Craven Herald September 8).

One of the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, which recently became law, requires district councils to set up standards committees and provides for the Secretary of State to present a code of conduct for adoption by parish councils in the district.

A code of conduct for parish councillors is nothing new. For some years now all parish councillors have had to be guided by a national code of local government conduct.

I have seen a copy of the consultation document on the new code. It incorporates a set of principles and, all in all, it seems to me to be based on common sense. The biggest problem with the existing national code is that it is open to different interpretations. I sincerely hope that the new code will be easier for everyone to understand.

I believe there is an expectation from the public that those of us who take on the office of councillor, whether at county, district or parish level, should conduct ourselves in a certain way. The new code aims to establish a set of principles which we should all be guided by in carrying out our public duties.

I am sure that the district council standards committee has no intention of judging anyone. In fact, so far as the 37 parish councils in the district are concerned, all it will do is assist the parishes by advising on the adoption of the code, monitoring its operation and providing advice and training.

Any breaches of the code will be a matter for the National Standards Board, which is also to be established under the new legislation.

Mr Darwin and all the other parish councillors who give of their time so freely should not be insulted by the new code. It is there to guide county, district and parish councillors and is an attempt to replace something complicated with something easier to understand.

Peter Walbank,

Chairman,

Craven District Council,

Granville Street, Skipton

Airedale's miracle

SIR - Recently I have been a patient in the Airedale Hospital, the first time since it opened. It was a fascinating and very pleasant surprise.

Eye patients, we were in the 70-85 years age group. We were treated with great kindness, consideration and deference, The whole procedure of the operation was carried out by Mr Atkinson and a splendid team and we would thank each one of them for "the miracle", as we agreed to call it.

The only shock came after the cataract operation, to see ourselves as others see us - old, grey and full of wrinkles!

Everyone, from the time I entered the hospital, was helpful and polite. And Jean, the voluntary worker waited until the last patient had returned from theatre to give her tea and toast.

I have often read letters in your columns which give the idea of the splendid work that goes on at Airedale. So I would like to say it was a wonderful experience. It is now a lighter and more colourful world and will help those who are in "the departure lounge of life" to keep going.

Mrs M Hunter,

Raikes Avenue,

Skipton.

Propaganda

SIR - Thought you might like to hear about the fuel crisis. No! Well I am most surprised. However you may have noticed that the reporting on the BBC has been rather one-sided, a sort of war time propaganda campaign.

Keep your nose pointed at the effects but don't discuss the causes seems to be the flavour of the day. Crisis in the NHS has been talked up (hasn't that been going on for years?) by the Department of Health (spin) yet trust managers say that it makes little difference to normal operations.

The issue of Britain having the cheapest pre-tax petrol in Europe and the most expensive post-tax petrol in Europe is never addressed. In fact it is ignored by the Government.

Heard any news about the French truckers and farmers, I bet you haven't. There has not been a single report on this or the Belgium protest since our protest began on any channel that the Government can control. The BBC continental travel information on Teletext is now unavailable, page 488 & 489.

What they don't want you to see or hear is that the French Government has agreed to reduce tax on fuel and the Belgians are maintaining road blocks during negotiations.

What seems to have escaped everyone's notice is that the British Government has benefited enormously since the introduction of VAT on fuels, coal, gas and electicity at the going rate of 17.5 per cent. Petrol is, if my memory serves me correctly, just another fuel and by rights, should now be treated the same.

Too much excess money in the Government's pocket leads to Domes and not an integrated transport network.

Roger Bell,

Gargrave.

Choir welcome

SIR - on behalf of the Polish community in Barnoldswick, Colne and Nelson, I would like to express heartfelt thanks to everyone at St Andrew's Methodist Church, in Barnoldswick, and St John's Church, in Colne, for last weekend's concerts by the Polish choir.

Special thanks go to Peter and Doreen Elgie and their team of organisers and host families for their enormous hard work and warm welcome.

I also want to thank Coun Marjorie Adams, chairman of Barnoldswick Town Council, and Coun David Whipp for their welcome and generous gifts for the members of the choir and accompanying officials.

You cannot imagine the emotions and memories recalled for us in the Polish community by this wonderful concert. Once again, thank you very much to everyone involved.

BM Marks,

Park Street, Barnoldswick.