Letters

When the debate on the Warren Road cycle path started, I thought the main issue was safety. Then it appeared to turn into a sort of class war between the residents of Warren Road who, apparently, have too many cars on their driveways and cyclists and others who, presumably, do not have too many cars on theirs.

Now I see from your item in last weeks issue that it really boils down to money with the council wanting to take what it foolishly thinks is the cost efficient option.

Just how long after they have spent �65,000 on the new one do they think it will be before someone asks them what they are going to do about the old one which they admit needs �200,000 spending on it to make it safe.

Maybe they think a couple of ten quid signs saying 'please do not use this cycle path' will do the trick.

Malcolm Leggett

Colomb Road

Gorleston

I see from your report on page two last Friday, that the council rejected, on the basis of cost, the suggestion that they should bring the existing cycle path up to an acceptable standard of safety and insist on building a new one less than half a mile away at a cost of at least, �65,000.

Why is it that some people cannot see the blindingly obvious? The cost of the new one plus the cost of decommissioning the old one totals more than the cost of upgrading the existing one in the first place. I am assuming of course, since we are told that the old one needs �200,000 spending on it to make it safe, that they do not intend to leave it in use.

Dan Goldsmith

Brasenose Avenue

Gorleston

I HAVE been following the saga of the proposed new cycle path along Warren Road with mild interest. The main thrust of the argument from those who are for it seems to be that the old one is unsafe.

I read in your report last week that Norfolk County Council says it will cost �65,000 to build the new one compared with �200,000 to make the old one safe.

I know that local government officers and some councillors think differently to ordinary members of the public like me, but do they actually believe by spending �65,000 on the new path that it will automatically render the old one perfectly safe? I think the council should start saving up, lets say around �265,000.

I mean if the old one is so unsafe, they can't possibly leave it in that condition, can they?

O J DILLON

Victoria Road

Gorleston.

I'm writing in response to D Halladay's “facts” in the Great Yarmouth Mercury (Letters November 20).

I can honestly say, I've never read so much rubbish masquerading as “facts” in any newspaper letters section.

Mr Halladay's ramblings were nothing short of incoherent nonsense. Of course people are entitled to their opinions, but the moment opinions are claimed to be facts Mr Halladay's side of the entire argument concerning the Warren Road footpath debate starts to fall apart.

In my opinion, the safety of the youngsters should be put first, simple as that. And the simplest solution to the problem, if in fact there actually is one is to construct a safety barrier/railing along the stretch of A12 between Hopton and Gorleston.

If Mr Halladay is genuinely bothered about air pollution he should walk around in a gas mask 24 hours a day (joke).

Richard Green

Great Yarmouth

If the council is planning a new cycle path and not intending to fix the existing one which they admit is not up to scratch from a safety point of view, then I hope they have of plenty of insurance. I'm no lawyer, but if any kid of mine got killed or injured while using it I would be thinking criminal negligence.

Colin Youngs

Leman Close

Loddon

With all of Scotland and Wales and much of England already having a unitary system of local government it was always on the cards that Norfolk would eventually go that way too. The last Conservative Government tried to achieve a unitary system in the mid-90s but Norfolk council leaders continue to pretend that its some kind of new Labour Government plot.

The Labour Group in Great Yarmouth always saw the potential for a coastal "Yartoft" unitary council - combining Yarmouth and Lowestoft - and when that failed to find favour with the Boundary Committee we worked on a "cross-party" submission for a bigger Norwich City Region embracing Norwich too. Sadly neither propo-sition is left on the table and the challenge for us now is to get the best possible deal for Yarmouth people - whatever the final outcome of the LGR process.

The Great Yarmouth Labour Group made a submission in May which indicated the key safeguards we were looking for including a robust area committee structure with area planning, licensing and scrutiny arrangements to keep as many key decisions being taken locally, the retention of jobs and services and council offices within Yarmouth, the continuation of mayoral and civic arrangements and regeneration work - so important to the future prosperity of the existing borough.

The ruling Conservative Group in Great Yarmouth believes the re-organisation will not happen - or that if it does then a new David Cameron Tory Government will somehow repeal it after a general election. I think they are being short-sighted. They owe it to local people to make the strongest representations to protect Yar-mouth's interests within a Unitary Norfolk should it come to pass. There is still time to help shape arrangements which will be better suited to Yarmouth's interests.

Michael Castle

Leader of the Labour Group

Further to recent correspondence regarding the bus service around Burgh Castle and Blue Sky. I would be very interested to have a more detailed explanation of First Bus' claims that the changes have resulted in positive feedback. Where from? Certainly not Burgh Castle/Blue Sky where probably 95pc of passengers are dissatisfied. It can only be from Belton, where passengers objected “to going all round the houses” the resulting changes cutting all links from Burgh Castle to Bel-ton, Bradwell and Gorleston. We were assured that the new service 5 would be more reliable than the old service 7 had been. In fact it is much, much worse. With only one vehicle on the circular route, since the change over in April, there have been numerous breakdowns resulting in passengers waiting up to two hours. Imag-ine this if one has a hospital/doctors appointment or need to travel on to Norwich or Lowestoft.

Over the years Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk County Council have allowed planning permission for large residential cum holiday parks in the vil-lage, where most of the permanent residents are retired. Nationally we are being urged to cut down on private cars and use public transport, many of these people would love to but no longer have the option.

The borough council seems to be very proud of the various special week-end events and late night shopping etc but residents without adequate public transport do often miss out especially at this time of year. Would it not be a good idea to sometimes arrange transport from villages both north and south of the town to give eve-ryone the opportunity to join in these events?

Miss M.B.Grey

Butt Lane,

Burgh Castle.

WHILE agreeing with the letter concerning the appalling bus service in Burgh Castle, I would like to make it clear that Burgh Castle post office survived the government closures and is very much open for business and can do many bank transactions as well as pensions, parcels and post.

We are open six days a week. Come and see what we can do for you.

J M Thomas

Postmistress

Burgh Castle Post Office

I WAS born in Bath in 1944 and came to America with my mother in 1946 leaving my father, who was a British Marine, behind for recuperation from TB which he contracted during the war. He did recuperate and joined us two years later. He left behind one sister whose name is Doris (Williams) Butters.

She had three children - Andrew, Pauline and Christine. We've never met or corresponded. Dad used to write faithfully every Sunday to his parents and probably his sister. He returned once in 1963 to visit his aging parents but we never made the trip nor did any of the family come here.

I know that Andrew Butters, as an adult, moved to Australia and Doris and her husband followed, but then returned to England at some point. Because I don't know the married names of Pauline or Christine I am stuck. I know one of them had twins. Doris, if she is still alive, would be 91 or 92. The only address for Doris I can find is Mr and Mrs C Butters, Glen More Avenue, Caister-On-Sea, Norfolk, England. This address was taken from a handwritten paper with information for a secu-rity clearance for me in the mid 1960s.

I would love to be able to connect with any of them and wondered if you, through your newspaper, might be able to help. I know it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

BARRY WILLIAMS

b.mwilliams@charter.net

WE are readers of The Mercury who live in North Norfolk. We have had a brown bin for a few years now and strongly recommend them for garden waste. They save trips to the recycling centre and therefore petrol, also there is no longer a need to have a bonfire in the garden.

Mrs J M BROOMHEAD

Church Close

Antingham

Thank you to the following who all contributed to make this year's Turkey & Tinsel events so memorable and enjoyable: The Children's Choir from Caister Infant School, The Jolly Rogers from Centre 81, Seacroft Holiday Village and Reynolds Coaches. Also thanks to our sponsors AMEC, J & H Bunn and Great Yarmouth Stores. Many thanks to all who donated raffle prizes and finally a special thanks to the volunteers and trustees who help with the organisation on both days. In ex-cess of 360 people attended on the November 27.

Rachel Mclean, Chairman, Age Concern Great Yarmouth.

In last week's Mercury (4/12) on page 47 an article referred to the Smiths Crisps factory on Caister Road. The factory did not close in 1990 the factory closed in 1982 and in 1986 it became a Shell garage selling fuel, not a BP garage as stated. Smiths Crisps first stared in Cobholm in 1932 and later moved to Caister Road until 1982.

ROBERT KELLY

Via email

The Christmas Fayre in St Nicholas Church was fantastic as usual and when we came out there was a series of signs leading us to the food and tombola stalls .

I pushed my husbands wheelchair through the puddles of rain and up the slope that was signposted only to find when we reached the door a small handwritten sign saying " Mind the Step."

We had to reverse down the slope and go back along the path. At that point I was so exhausted we simply went home. Would it have been so difficult to have a sign saying “disable access this way?”

Glenys Bright

Lowestoft Road

Gorleston

A NOTE to say how much I enjoyed the Sheila Pascale Stagedoor Youth Theatre production of Dickens' Christmas Carol at the Pavilion Theatre in Gor-leston on November 29.

A musical version that did not stray from the theme of the original story and was studded with thoroughly professional performances by the cast.

Suffice to say that it compared most favourably with a similar production which I saw recently in the West End and also enjoyed. Thank you and well done!

Dr W H HAMILTON-DEANE

Middleton Road

Gorleston

FRIENDS of Gorleston opened the festive season in Gorleston with the switch-on of the Christmas Lights and the late night shopping. The Mayor, appropriately dressed in his scarlet robe, launched the countdown to the illumination of the Christmas tree and the decorative lights.

There were many families in the High Street to enjoy the fine evening, with bands and roundabouts and several shops open to add to the festive atmosphere.

Thanks are due to all those people behind the scenes, particularly the shopkeepers in the High Street, who organised the evening and gave Gorleston an enjoyable community event at the start of the festive season.

DOREEN FEUELL

Church Road

Gorleston