APPARENTLY the last bus from Yarmouth to Burgh Castle and Belton may be withdrawn. After travelling on it with friends last Friday I can quite understand why.

APPARENTLY the last bus from Yarmouth to Burgh Castle and Belton may be withdrawn. After travelling on it with friends last Friday I can quite understand why. We were appalled at the behaviour of about 20 youngsters gathered at the entrance to Kingfisher Park on Butt Lane, Burgh Castle.

As the bus approached, some of the youths walked into the road and stayed there, forcing the driver to stop. They surrounded the vehicle, shouting and banging on the sides and windows and then opening the door at the back rendering the vehicle immobile.

After asking them to move and receiving a load of verbal abuse the driver called the police. After about five minutes or so the gang decided to move back on to the footpath. The driver then had to get out to close the back door. Eventually he was able to move off but only for another 200 yards, when another six lads decided to walk in a line across the road in of the bus impeding further progress.

There were several young people travelling home on the bus after a night out or work and the girls were quite scared. Apparently this happens most Friday and Saturday nights on this particular run with some of the offenders actually being on board.

Drivers often get bad press but this one should be complimented for the situation.

It's dreadful that a driver has to put up with this whilst having responsibility not only for the vehicle but also for the safety of passengers. I shudder to think what would have happened if the driver had been alone and fear for the safety of anyone cycling or walking along that stretch of road. All this not in a large city or town centre, but a small village.

What is happening to society when gangs of teenagers can so intimidate ordinary people they are frightened to move around their locality and even travel on public transport?

Name and address withheld

I AM writing in response to a letter from Mrs Cecilia Ebbage which appeared in last week's Mercury. I would like to allay Mrs Ebbage's fears about the future of the Edward Worlledge School buildings.

She is quite right that our plans will see a dramatic change in the buildings available to our students and our community. However, our plans will only see the demolition of one of the two old Edward Worlledge School buildings, that being the one closest to the new Edward Worlledge School. In fact, as part of a land swap agreed with the school, the land on which this building stands will become part of the primary school students' outdoor play area.

The building adjacent to Lichfield Road, which has already been partly refurbished to provide for our new nursery and which contains the war memorial, will be fully refurbished. It will remain as a landmark within our part of town and used for education.

I am more than happy to arrange visits to the war memorial for any “Old Worlledgers.” I hope that once we have completed the refurbishment of the Lichfield Road building we will host a formal opening ceremony to celebrate a new lease of life for this fine old school building.

ROBIN PARKINSON

Principal,

Great Yarmouth College

HAVING read with great interest the letter from Cecilia Ebbage (Mercury, September 26), I feel I must write in support of her concern regarding the further devaluation of the Edward Worlledge School.

The school, which can still be seen as part of the Great Yarmouth College, was opened on September 21, 1906 and closed on May 31, 1940 when the pupils were evacuated to the Nottingham area for the duration of the second world war. The school never returned with the name Edward Worlledge but became the Technical High School.

The war memorial mentioned by Cecilia Ebbage was conceived by Mr John May who lost his only son in 1916.

I suppose I could say my family was associated with the school from start to finish. My late father returned from a school in East Germany and entered the school circa 1907. He later became mayor of the borough of Great Yarmouth 1949/50 as Alderman Fred Kruber.

I spent five very happy years at the school, known then as the Edward Worlledge Central School, from 1934 to 1939, leaving in September of that year. It seems a great shame that all knowledge of such a wonderful establishment should be lost because of the irrational use of the eraser attached to an architect's pencil.

A short history of the school was published in 1952. May I end by quoting the final paragraph of this record? “The tale is told: the school is a memory; but a memory ennobled by sacrifice and enriched by happy endeavour. Until all Worlledges have passed beyond, each will treasure a tender thought for the school, which, to them had never an equal.”

FRED KRUBER

St Peter's Road

Great Yarmouth

SO the Labour group has decided to “come clean” and admit their intention of trying to introduce payment on the Gorleston Cliffs car park, after accusing the Mercury of misinterpretation six weeks ago. Buoyed up by a petition of 266 signatures, Marie Field has now decided to put her head above the parapet.

The car parks in question are very different in that Caister attracts holidaymakers whereas Gorleston Cliffs is a haven of peace, mostly used by locals. Anyone is welcome and entitled to use the car park. What advantage would the people of Caister have if we had to pay. Just spite!

PAULINE LYNCH

Mill Lane

Bradwell

I AM writing on behalf of my fellow Labour councillors who represent the residents of Gorleston and the Southern Parishes.

Councillor Marie Field, who is a member for Caister South, is doing a good job in representing her constituents in her fight to have car-parking charges removed from the Caister Beach Road car park,.

But her views, and the constant argument that because there are charges at the Caister Beach Road car park, there should be charges on the Gorleston Clifftop car park, is not supported by Labour councillors and is not Labour group policy, and Labour councillors are not battling to get the charges introduced, as was reported last week.

In fact, when the Conservative administration wanted to introduce pay-and-display parking at the Gorleston Clifftop car park last year, which subsequently was agreed by the Conservative cabinet, it was Labour councillors, residents and Mercury readers who opposed this proposal and managed to get the decision reversed.

As Labour Group Leader, Mick Castle, has said, the council should develop parking strategies that meet the needs of the different conditions that exist in different parts of the borough, and, of course, the wishes of local people. This is the sensible approach to take, and the Conservative administration should follow Labour's lead in adopting this policy.

TREVOR J WAINWRIGHT

Member of Norfolk County Council for Breydon Division

I WOULD like to congratulate Marie Field on her fight to make Gorleston on the east coast pay to park. This year on my holiday, I decided to travel round the east coast from Gorleston up to The Wash, as I have lived in Gorleston all my life and never travelled the Norfolk coast. As I travelled the coast - Walcott, Cromer, Sheringham, Blakeney, Wells, Brancaster, Hunstanton, Heacham, King's Lynn - I soon realised that in today's modern era everyone wants to visit our beautiful coast by car. There were some places that I gave up trying to get into ie Blakeney, Wells, because of the traffic and parking on the often small back roads.

The whole of England has found out about our beautiful beaches, coastline and wants to visit.

But at all the places I went I did not see a sign saying “Make Gorleston Pay”, so congratulations to Marie Field if she would like to inform Walcott, Cromer, Sheringham, Blakeney, Wells, Brancaster, Hunstanton, Heacham, King's Lynn about Gorleston's free parking, then maybe they would be only to pleased to join in her fight for justice.

ROBIN HARVEY

Email

MARIE Field, are you or are you not a councillor for Caister? So why do you keep threatening to get charges imposed upon Gorleston cliff top car park, if you don't get your own way regarding the problems you have at Caister car park and the pay and display removed. It beggar's belief to think you don't care at all about the people of Gorleston and you are happy to willing to destroy the pleasure of everyone who goes there. And all that will happen if you get your way is, no one will use it any more and Gorleston councillor Bert Collins is correct, it does attract a lot of people to the area. So Marie Field, is that what you want, Gorleston cliff park empty?

PETER MANTRIPP

Leman Road

Gorleston

I WOULD like to thank councillor Castle for his clear and concise response to my earlier letter re: parking. It's true that needs will dictate parking policy and geographical location will also play a major factor in any decision making that Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) would be involved id.

Where I take exception to councillor Castle's comments is that I, and I'm sure many other residents in the borough, resent having our local council tax continually raised on the pretext of maintaining services and so called quality of life, yet still have to pay more tax to park and enjoy these attributes.

Councillor Castle is absolutely correct, it would be “very rare indeed” not to find a space in the over priced parking locations scattered around the town; this is because people do not want to pay these charges, myself included.

Having now been exposed to the rationale applied by the council with regard to parking, it becomes obvious that parking or no parking facilities in the various borough wards depends entirely on the degree of local concern, determination or willingness on behalf of the incumbent councillors representing the wishes of the majority of their wards' residents.

Many Caister residents live on streets and roads where parking is in short supply with vehicles parking across their driveways and even on their drives. Yet, there had been very little support from GYBC to eradicate these problems.

Caister Beach Road car park is a typical example where the vast majority of residents see no reason why they should have their quality of life reduced in the summer month by having to pay parking fees for the privilege to go to their local beach.

With regard to roadside parking, I have always been under the impression that no one has a right to claim parking space on the general public highway, including outside their own home. We drivers pay our road tax and insurance and I would suspect we are entitled to use all roads that require a road tax disc.

To end, I must admit to feeling a little flattered to know that councillor Castle took the time to find out that the T in my name stands for Tom.

T ANDREWS

Northern Close

Caister

HAVING returned to Great Yarmouth after an absence of 14 years in Australia and tracing my ancestral family, today, in St Nicholas Church cemetery I was researching gravestones and saw utter desecration. I came across two gravestones which had nothing to do with my research. A mother and her one month old son. The standing cherub had its head knocked off and the other gravestone of a three-year-old girl also had its decoration desecrated.

“Safe in the arms of Jesus” was inscribed - I shed a tear for this young child who I did not know but was so overwhelmed with sadness and also with contempt for the louts who had the opportunity to live long enough to desecrate the gravestone of one so young and whom did not have the opportunity to enjoy its youth of a long life.

Unfortunately these are the people who are the breeders of our next society. These are possibly the same ones that can be seen around the town; Unemployed, using profanity in their everyday talk to friends and family, spitting on the streets as well as throwing cigarette butts AND rubbish on the streets.

Most of the above are fineable offences but are not enforced by the police. Nobody wants to be unemployed but we can all lead productive and useful lives without resorting to being debased.

E F ALWAY (Mrs)

Falcon Court

Great Yarmouth

IN reply to Mr Alf Grey's recent letter and photograph of Gorleston Albion, I am able to supply the following information as regards the club.

Gorleston Albion were formed in 1930 and they were originally members of the Yarmouth Thursday League (second division); in their first season they finished in last place.

The chairman of the club was Charles Balls, and their secretary was Sidney Darby. The club switched to the Yarmouth and District Saturday League (third division) in the 1933/34 season and they enjoyed a superb campaign, winning the division championship with a 100 per cent record (P12, W12, goals for 167, goals against 8).

It was during this highly successful season that the club set a league record (that still stands to this day), when they defeated St James Church Reserves 42-0. Also that season, Gorleston Albion reached the final of the Norfolk Minor Cup. In the match, which was played at Cromer's Cabbell Park, they drew 1-1 with East Norfolk Village League club, Bacton. Unfortunately, Gorleston Albion were beaten 3-2 in the replay, which was again held at Cromer's ground.

Among the better-known players who turned out for the club were, Frank Bonney, who later played for Gorleston, as did Harry Wynes (who was one of the Gorleston goal scorers when they defeated Great Yarmouth Town 3-0 in the 1938 Norfolk Senior Cup Final).

I have accumulated all the above information during my research for the forthcoming book about the history of junior football in the Yarmouth area from 1891 until the present.

BRIAN BUNN

Harbord Crescent,

Great Yarmouth

MAY I please, through this letter, jog the conscience of the female who took her two large dogs and one small one on to Mill Lane field in Bradwell last Sunday afternoon, and not only let her dog defecate there, but refused to clear it up after being prompted to do so by my elderly aunt, who was also exercising her dog at the time.

This totally irresponsible person makes things harder for us other dog owners who do clear up after our hounds, because we constantly hear people moaning about this very issue. This incident has made me feel very angry and frustrated because those of us who use the field on a regular basis work hard to keep it a clean environment for other people to use.

So I hope this irresponsible woman feels ashamed about her conduct.

SUSAN INGRAM

email

POOR relation (again). Here we go again! Councillors are about to spend £4m to revamp King Street. So why, if they can find this money from various sources, can they not find the money to demolish the old beach huts (wrecks) on Gorleston on Sea promenade?

Do they think that if we say nothing they will be forgotten? No way. We are still watching. And waiting.

MAURICE HOOD

Claydon Grove

Gorleston on Sea

I AM a parent of a 16-year-old, a 14-year-old and a nine year old. And I think very strongly that as a responsible parent that my child having a tattoo should be up to my husband and I. W e would much prefer being able to take our 16-year-old son to a reputable tattoo shop, to decide the tattoo he would have and where he would have it.

Both my husband and I have tattoos and I feel with parents consent this should be allowed. If not, number of children would decide to have backstreet tattoos by someone they don't know may be in an unsterile environment, or I have even heard of these teenagers deciding to get friends of theirs to do “homemade” tattoos using Indian ink. Obviously these are avenues I would not wish my child, or any other child, to partake in.

It seems unbelievable that a 16-year-old can have sexual intercourse and get married with parental consent, yet cannot get a tattoo.

I feel we should keep the age limit of tattoos to age 18 with the exception of a tattoo being done at 16 with the parents present, therefore giving all parents the choice.

H COLLINS

email

WE try to make a contribution to the environment by composting all vegetable waste and using the results to improve the fertility of the garden. However, this year we were surprised to find six vigorous melon plants growing in the most inconvenient places and threatening to take over. As we were intrigued to see if they would fruit, we managed their growth by gentle pruning. We have now hopefully, done the right thing by harvesting four melons, weighing 3.4kg, 1.4kg and two at 1.1kg respectively.

Have other readers had similar crops?

JEAN AND ALAN MORRIS

Lynn Grove

Gorleston

WITH reference to my recent letter concerning the low tides etc off Gorleston beach, a word missing or edited out sometimes changes the meaning. I, for instance, have seen many lower tides than the one I photographed. The day previous when I rang your reporters' office, the people were much further out and there were lots of them as it was a lovely summer's day and the water was absolutely flat. When I went the next day (photo day) the water was just moving enough to look a bit forbidding for anyone a long way out.

My main interest was if a sand bank was forming which could grow and be a hazard for the old harbour entrance. I took another picture which shows two ladies who just kept walking and talking until they suddenly looked behind them and saw how far they were off from the beach. Tides well out but water still (trapped?) between them and the beach.

I wonder why no one bothered to send you pictures before?

Anyway someone commented that no one was keeping any record so no one knew what changes were taking place. I would suggest that a good place to start would be the lovely picture in The Mercury of the new harbour (September 19). Look at the sea bottom right the new bank or how far south (possibly The Mercury may have the frame next to the one published)

DEREK COOK

Middlestone Close

Gorleston

“HOME on the range?” What was a frightened young deer doing late morning last week at the junction of Burgh Road and Mallard Way in Gorleston? We used to sing “Where the deer and antelope play” but this was unusual. Perhaps the RSPCA happily sorted it out safely. Different work from the increasing time they spend now dealing with hundreds of neglected, deserted cats and dogs due to people not affording food for them.

ROY WALDING

Mill Lane

Bradwell