At one stage the quality of life in Keighley was raised. I was overwhelmed by the depth of negative feeling about the town. The prime aim and objective of some was to move away from Keighley as soon as possible.

I countered by putting the alternative view and explaining why I feel it's not as bad as they say. One of the issues raised was the lack of facilities for young people, and the claim that no one in authority listens to their voices.

As the debate rolled out, something struck me which I mused over with the group.

Last week I took a break and went over to Belgium on my bicycle. While there we saw part of an in-line skating competition - ( I wish I looked like some of the athletes in Lycra). Each town centre we visited was a hive of activity with young people on skateboards and in-line skates having fun in the central area. Toddlers were learning to ride bikes or trundled around in toy cars.The elderly took it in their stride. It was great fun.

The first headline I saw on my return screamed out that skateboarding had been banned in the centre of a town not far from here. This led to making mental notes about how many official signs are posted commanding 'No ball games allowed' etc.

The debate ended, but it still left the legacy of 'nobody listens to us' ringing in my ears. They certainly gave me plenty of food for thought.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.