We need toilets for the holidaymakers

What will happen when the cruise ships call at Yarmouth? Tell every one use the loo before you leave as there might be a shortage of toilet facilities in the town.

Having just read the story about the public toilets in Market Gates being considered for closure; what are councillors thinking about?

This town has tried to encourage people to visit, and the seafront now looks much better and l’m proud to take my visitor to see that area.

I thought the council had officers who deal with tourism. Why are they not fighting this idea. Look to improvements not go backwards.

The simplest idea to stop the walkway being used as an open loo, is put up mess covers over the archways, with bright lights that come on when you walk through. Not gates at each end, we all use this short cut.

The toilets whenever l’ve used them are clean, they look like a seaside public toilet. Lots of them empty and a nice lady to keep an eye on things.

A lot of the council ideas are so short-sighted for a quick fix. Leave the loos alone, the town needs them.

MARILYN KNOX

Fulmar Close,

Bradwell

Town parking fees are extortionate

I parked on Howard Street car park for a couple of hours for my wife to go to Palmer’s hairdressers department.

It turned out two hours would not be enough so I went back to the car park to get another hour, this was 20 minutes before the previous one had expired thinking I had three hours from when I first parked.

I left both tickets on the dash so the attendant could see what I had done. No, when I came back the attendant was issuing me a ticket. She said I could only park up to the end time on the second ticket. I had parked and paid for three hours and only got two hours 39 minutes. I got to the town hall to complain to parking department before my three hours were up.

No wonder no-one wants to go into Yarmouth. Nowhere on the signs does it say tickets have to run consecutive and even if it did, why should they have to? This to me is legalised extortion!

F THURSTON

Email

Is Yarmouth a town in waiting?

How should we present Great Yarmouth? A town in waiting?

Wanting a town centre that is not a bird sanctuary? A bus station with its own toilet and rest room?

In fact a retail therapist’s property and not a property developer’s nightmare, also a daytripper’s dream where their car is not something to plague them with worry about whether they have a parking ticket and how far have they roamed from it.

Or would readers present the town as being different, a compact haven with everything – without the worry of there being no toilet.

JACK DYE

Gonville Road,

Great Yarmouth

A thank you for handbag return

I would like to say a big thank you to the lady who found and handed in my handbag at Sainsbury’s in Great Yarmouth on Saturday, February 10. It is nice to know there are still honest people about. Once again a very big thank you.

MARGARET HARRISON

Kirkley Cliff Road,

Lowestoft

Can we now use Town Hall loos?

This closure of the public toilets under Market Gates is very worrying – surely the council has an obligation to provide such facilities in a tourist destination, or has the council given up on that.

What have our tourism bosses to say about the issue? They have been very quiet.

I know of one elderly gentleman from a village who since he retired 10 years travels into Yarmouth just for the joy of coming here. It gets him out of his home. But with no toilets in Market Gates he fears his out of season weekly visit will have to come to an end.

This is such a shame; not only will he lose that weekly day out in Yarmouth, but the market will lose the bit of money he spends.

Shame on you councillors; I suppose you have loos we could all use in the Town Hall, after all, we own that – the people own the Town Hall.

JOAN BRIGNELL

Email

Tell us why you like living here

I love Great Yarmouth and love living here, and get upset when people attack it, particularly on social media where there seems to be no control over what people can say.

A community pulls together and works together to make things better, but I agree with the person who wrote a couple of weeks ago: if you don’t like living here then move!

It is generally only complainers that write to the Mercury (or is that a generalisation?), let’s have more people writing about why they like/love living on the coast and that special North Sea air!

E J McMANUS

Email

Thanks for helping husband and I

Late morning of Thursday, February 8 my husband collapsed in Morrisons supermarket, Gorleston. Our sincere thanks to Morrisons staff, the kind person who called the emergency services and also our gratitude to the ambulance crew who attended him promptly.

I am pleased to say he is being well cared for at the James Paget Hospital.

ANNE THOMAS

Email

Follow example of the youngsters

I read the continuing correspondence about the state of the town (February 9) and agree with the comments of Gloria Webb.

I too have lived in this town since I was seven and yes there has been many changes, but that is life. A great many people I feel hark back to those ‘halcyon’ years when the tourist season was booming and holidaymakers visited in their droves.

The whole tourism scenario is different now and Great Yarmouth has had to adapt to shorter stays and off season visits as well. But that is not to say we still have a great deal going for us but there is now a

different approach incorporating culture and heritage.

I also read Chris Wright’s letter and he is being proactive and not so negative in his comments, unlike the correspondence from a few weeks ago when us Yarmouthians were up in arms about all the crass and vacuous comments.

He is right there are issues which do need addressing and he is thinking outside the rigid box of what can and cannot be done to improve the town and its environs.

As an inveterate user of all the great library facilities, I am not convinced it needs to be moved. It’s present location with its spacious rooms and very user friendly cafe, seems to be in the right location for me. It is genuinely an integral part of the surrounding neighbourhood and at this moment in time, while I am writing this there is a real tangible buzz with men, women and children all enjoying this affirmative space.

We are so fortunate to still have our libraries in this still continuing austerity in the country. So many have closed which is in itself an indictment on the still pervasive cuts that our councils have to deal with.

The paper too was full of school news with young people making a difference and enjoying reaching out to the community. Why can’t adults follow their enthusiastic example of optimism and joy and stop whinging about all the problems but make the very best of life and all that it affords.

So I would reiterate strongly MIke Burroughes comments it is essential to display positivity and rejoice in the fact that Spring is just around the corner - hopefully!.

JUDITH A DANIELS

Winifred Road,

Cobholm