Letters

I THANK Caroline Buddery for her generous review she gave my article on the second world war as it affected the parish of Hemsby. My other research not mentioned in Yarmouth Archaeology is into those names on the village war memorial who by the sad nature of conflict I am unable to contact.

Perhaps the saddest examples in Hemsby were the Smith brothers who moved with their mother out to the village. Michael Allen, the former butcher, told me they were part of the family who ran Smith Brothers Wholesale Grocers somewhere in south Yarmouth. Mrs Smith drove a delivery van for Michael Allen's father Harry during the war and her two sons had attended Duncan House School. I obtained the following details from the internet from www.commonwealthwargravescomision.org and from www.rollofhonour.com/Norfolk/Hemsby

Trevor Patrick Smith died age 20 0n 8/6/1940. He was listed as an Air Fitter, Royal Navy, HMS Glorious, son of William James and Gladys Mary Smith of Red House Hemsby. He is recoded on the Lee-on-Solent Memorial suggesting he was lost at sea.

Derek Clowes Smith died 14/4/1943 age 21, listed as Flight Sergeant (Engineer) Royal Air Force. He is buried at St Peter and Paul's Churchyard. Mautby.

Michael Allen believes that the Smith family were related the wife of the Headmaster of Hemsby School, Mrs Marion England, whose only son John, was killed in March 1945 after a distinguished military career.

I wonder if readers of the Mercury have any details or photographs of the Smith family.

I have no wish to revive painful memories particularly in these difficult times but I feel it is appropriate to record details of the fallen of the second world war while there are people who knew the victims of that conflict to recount them.?

ANDREW FAKES

72 Lawn Avenue

Great Yarmouth

MATTHEW Smith's "Hypocrisy" letter (Mercury, January 15) seems calculated to present the Elected Mayor Petition as a some kind of "mischief". For about the umpteenth time can I say quite clearly that Trevor Wainwright and myself are organising this petition on a strictly non party political basis and with some very welcome support from some local businesses and community groups. It is a very serious bid to allow Yarmouth people themselves to decide in a referendum later this year whether to have an Elected Mayor to lead the Borough Council. I hope Matthew Smith trusts local people to take the correct decision. The petition has been welcomed right across the borough and getting on for 2,500 local people have already signed-up. We hope to get the last 1,000 or so signatures in the coming weeks and in due course this will be presented to the council (if the Tory County Council's Unitary Norfolk Council scheme doesn't find its way onto the Statute Book in the meantime.) Obviously if Great Yarmouth Borough Council ceases to exist there will be no place for our Referendum. We shall be ready however if the "status quo" is preserved and will campaign for a resounding "Yes" vote when the elected Mayor referendum takes place. Incidently, I favoured a new council covering both Yarmouth and Lowestoft but sadly that didn't win the support of the Boundary Committee. Perhaps now - like Hartlepool - we will work towards the aim of a Unitary Great Yarmouth - as indeed we were prior to 1974.

MICK CASTLE

Town Wall Road

Great Yarmouth

Ref. The headline article in the Great Yarmouth Mercury (15/1) concerning progress of the outer harbour. I read with interest one of Eddie Freeman's comments concerning certain aspects of the project. I quote: “The contractors are all being demobilised and the dredger is all part and parcel of that final tidying up process - there's no chance of the port sinking.” To which I say: “Correct.”

But what is happening, as I have said in the past, is the shifting sand is piling up and in so doing is giving the impression the harbour's sinking. So please keep the dredger handy.

J DYE

Gonville Road

Gorleston

BECAUSE of The Mercury's diligence and total interest in our town and the port's activity, you can now track your ship, or the comings and goings of your loved one on board a ship using the link on the www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk Mercury 24 website just click on the logo “Great Yarmouth Boats On Line” on the right of website. When the site opens either type in on the left the name of the ship or/and the name of the port. You can track ships worldwide or ships in and out of Great Yarmouth. If you see a ship moored up in port open up www.marinetraffic.com click on the ship and all its details come up, click “track ship” and see where its been and on route too. By far a most useful link. Well done Great Yarmouth Mercury.

JOHN L COOPER

Burnt Lane

Gorleston

WHEN I first heard that the council was going to have a vote on demolishing our historic jetty, I thought this must be some kind of April Fool's Day joke - but the month was wrong, and unbelievably the council are actually having a vote on February 16. Even having this discussion seems incredible, the jetty is an important historic landmark that is ingrained into Yarmouth's history and psyche, demolishing it for the sake of a bit of repairs would be vandalism on an unimaginable scale. So come on councillors, stand up for your history. I am sure you can find the money from savings, made elsewhere, even when money is tight - maybe you can get an Icelandic basnk to lend you some? Demolishing this piece of Yarmouth's living nelson history would make us the laughing stock of not only Europe but also the world.

it for the sake of a bit of repairs would be vandalism on an unimaginable scale.

PETER JAY

RE Mercury article: Lifeguard hut plan is withdrawn and Councillor Bert Collins' comments.

Cllr Collins remarked there would have been seating for non paying customers if the public shelter was allowed to be removed, but would the applicant have been prepared to go down every day out of season and put out seating for non paying people who use the seating all year round? I don't think so.

Also following the huge antipathy from the public rejecting the notion of this application, why has Cllr Collins not spoken of their views? Are councillors voted in to represent the local community and what is best for the community? Usually this is achieved is by listening to what the majority of that population needs, not the minority.

Cllr Collins stated that this “putrid” hut should be demolished, then goes on to say he was upset the plans had been withdrawn by the applicant, and that he is sure it will be reapplied for!

There is already for sale a business within yards of this proposed development. There is no need to spoil a wonderful area with a garish kiosk with neon lighting and advertising boards, and which would impede on the promenade.

A lot is said in the media recently about getting communities involved in local projects, and if the constraints from the council are due to the financial economic climate, they should use the idea of selling bricks, with the buyers name on it, which can be used to build a new shelter; this has been used with huge success by other local authorities.

Let's start working together for the benefit of the community needs, and we don't want another ice cream shop please.

Mrs SHEILA HOWLETT

Sycamore Avenue

Bradwell

I READ with great sadness in last week's Mercury's, about the application, to demolish the jetty between Britannia and Wellington piers. It is a great shame to demolish our town's heritage, whether of historical importance, architectural significance or a piece of important engineering like the Vauxhall Bridge. It is our duty to safeguard them for the future generations and hand them over, so they can do the same in the future. Demolishing them, because of money is a short sighted view. And it costs money to demolish!

Ann and Hugh Sturzaker's suggestion for citizens to fund plaques on the jetty is an excellent idea! It worked very well at Southwold pier.

MIRIAM KIKIS

North Quay

Great Yarmouth

WHEN I saw the photo of the Yarmouth Corporation wartime utility us number 14 in Peggotty's columns (GYM, January 15), it took my memory back to the days when I worked on them right through the 1950's and very good reliable old buses they were.

They had wooden slatted seats and heating had not been thought of, neither had salt on the roads for the snow, only sand thrown on the compacted snow from corporation lorries by men with shovels, and I cannot remember much in the way of delays to services.

What would passengers say today if the bus they boarded had wooden seats and no heating?

What I remember most about the 1950's, and being a conductor, was that I cannot remember once being threatened by violence from a passenger, in fact I enjoyed working with the passengers. I stayed as a conductor and never bothered about being a driver.

Another thing I remember well is the queue stretching the length of Palmers shop front down to Jarrolds for the last few buses, after about 10.30 at night, in the summe,r for Newtown. An inspector would stop us in Regent Street on our last trip from Gorleston to the depot and ask us if we would pull into Palmers' stop and do an extra trip to Newtown to clear the queue, a handy bit of overtime and lovely days. We will never see the likes of again.

A WATKER

Sturdee Avenue

Great Yarmouth

THE “Off the wall” idea in last week's Mercury, to build a wall around the Norfolk coast was brilliant, but lacking in the big picture. A wall, like most coastal defences, just moves the problem further down the coast. If you don't like coastal erosion, then don't live near the sea. But I would like to progress his idea a stage further, let's concrete over the entire North Sea. and pave a super highway to the Continent. To all of the Nimbies who hate the prospect of wind turbines spoiling their view, and their house prices, then this would be a great opportunity to build as many turbines as required, and if they go wrong, then a short drive in a white van will solve the problem. Who would control it, better get in a Parish Council and, even better, a few Borough Councillors. Let's bring in the County Council to take control of things they know little about…I think we have a plan.

PETER KIRKPATRICK

Ormesby St Margaret

IT was very sad to read of the death of Keith Cutler in the Mercury as he was last surviving founder member of the Great Yarmouth Recorded Music Circle that was formed in 1946.

When Keith returned to Norfolk he once again rejoined the Circle that he had helped to form all those years ago and took part in the club's activities and presented programmes to the Circle so he will be well remembered by the members who knew him as a good friend and colleague.

He continued to attend until poor health stopped him from being able to attend but he did manage to come to the 60th anniversary of the Circle in 2006. I did have some contact with Keith after he moved to Dorset but sadly now it is like the end of an era and our condolences to out to his family. This is the Great Yarmouth Recorded Music Circle tribute to Keith, a friend and colleague.

JOHN TAYLOR

Secretary