Letters

WE were very sorry to learn that an application had been made to demolish the jetty between the Britannia and Wellington Piers and hope that this news will spur the people of Great Yarmouth into action.

The jetty is one of a diminishing number of the town's heritage sites. Many of these were bombed and lost during the last war and, shortly after afterwards, many other wonderful buildings were bulldozed to the ground. The jetty cannot be regarded as a grand building but it has great historical significance, being the place where Nelson landed in the early 1800s, and it has played a great part in the nautical history of the town.

It is far too easy to dismantle ancient structures and once they are gone we have lost part of our heritage which we should be handing on to our future generations. We urge the council to think again and save this jetty for posterity. May we suggest we start a fund whereby plaques costing �25 each are bought by citizens of the borough and that these are placed along the edges of the jetty? It would be an opportunity for individuals or local groups to remember certain people or events. Perhaps the Great Yarmouth and District Local History and Archaeological Society could lead on this.

HUGH & ANN STURZAKER

Great Yarmouth

IT would appear that a 20,000 signature petition still isn't enough to prevent a large Essex aggregates company from trying to muscle-in to Norfolk and dig up the Waveney Forest at Fritton. The County Council has already stated that this is not an acceptable site for aggregate extraction yet a planning application has just been submitted. This said, the applicant can also take it further and ignore and by-pass our local Government together with 20,000 peoples opinion by appealing to No10. Doesn't the opinion of Norfolk matter to anyone outside Norfolk?

JAN BAINES-BURTON

Fritton

I REFER to the letter from Brandon Lewis in The Mercury, January 8. I note that despite the fact the county council has already deemed Fritton unsuitable for gravel pit installation, as well as the plea signed by so many, to spare Fritton the inevitable damage that such a plan would cause - a new application has now been lodged. Disappointing to say the least, but it must serve as a stimulus to us all to renew our efforts to save the beautiful village for us and for future generations. I have fond memories of family strolls in the woods and for many years my medical practice included this delightful areas and I can well imagine the disappointment and distress which will be felt by so many by the regrettable resurrection of this plan.

Dr W H HAMILTON-DEANE

Middleton Road

Gorleston

REFERENCE the change of use for the redundant first aid hut on Lower Marine Parade in Gorleston, to a food and drink outlet and conversion of the adjoining shelter to house tables and chairs - and for a considerable amount of pink neon lighting mounted on this building. Let us not forget that Gorleston seafront is a listed Conservation Area. The shops are listed numbers 1-18 and it is the terrace that actually confirms it's conservation status.

The conversion of a dilapidated old first aid building to open as a completely unnecessary food and drink outlet together with all things a large amount of pink neon lighting certainly has no place in such a beautiful little conservation area. Furthermore, the public shelter in question is in constant use by members of the public. It fulfils its main purpose and should remain so. After all, the definition of a shelter is solely to offer protection against the elements. Obviously that means for people, and not to be taken by stealth to further anyone's business interest. Time was Gorleston was brimful of visitors during the summer season. Sadly those days are long gone which begs the question, if the shops in the terrace were then adequate, why with the decline in trade so we need any additional shops? Much time and disruption of traffic is presently going on at Yarmouth to among other things highlight St George's Chapel, while the seafront at Gorleston seems to be a target for destruction. Isn't it time this attitude was changed? One of the first steps in this direction would be to demolish this redundant first aid hut. This would open up the view to the sea and beach and be more in keeping with an area of conservation.

R MOORE

Roslyn Road

Gorleston

SO, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition now think the Lib Dems are similar to their own parties. What utter nonsense. The Lib Dems stand for real change. We stand alone for radical tax reform - including abolishing the detested and unfair council tax with a fairer local income tax. Equally, we do not think our youngster should be saddled with huge debt - so we would abolish student loans. These are just two examples of just how different the Lib Dems really are. If you would like to know more about the Lib Dems, I can be contacted on 01692 581221 or email simon@simonjpartridge.com

SIMON PARTRIDGE

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Great Yarmouth

Catfield

TONY Wright mMP is doing the three card trick again saying the government is investing in Great Yarmouth. Government does not have money, it is ours which has been taken from us in many stealth tax ways. I do not regard the economy as the great deciding factor in the forthcoming election. For many people it is a judgement of Labour's record in hype, spin, lies, Iraq War and sheer waste of taxpayers money. Why was my private pension tax grabbed as soon as Labour come to power yet public pensions are gold plated. There is mass uncontrolled immigration putting pressure on services, early realease from prisons, people on bail committing murder. So many issues to judge Labour on. The economy is just another failure since every single Labour government has bankrupted this country.

M CLARKE

Albemarle Road

Gorleston

IT seems Labour leader Mike Castle and Mr Wainwright are confused men. They are championing an expensive and costly elected Mayor. Something that would cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds to even ask them if they would like an elected Mayor, let alone the cost of the elections themselves! They dismiss these costs it seems, and I quote, call the process of working towards and having an elected Mayor ''as a bit of fun.' Then on the other hand, Messrs Castle and Wainwright are preaching that the main benefit of a Unitary Council for Great Yarmouth would be that councillor numbers would be reduced and that these savings could be passed on to Council Tax payers. A Mayor would cost a great deal more than losing many councillors. This does not even take in to account losing their important role in maintaining local democracy and acting as a link for residents to help resolve their local issues. Labour want a referendum on an elected Mayor, but this would be abolished if their dreams of a Unitary Council came true, what an expensive mess this would be. Please make your mind up Labour. You cannot use tax payer savings as an argument for one campaign and then in another campaign you are fronting, were it to be successful, cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds. This is Labour hypocrisy on a transparent and grand scale.

MATTHEW SMITH

Hawthorn Road

Gorleston

THANKS for the interesting article on pillboxes in the borough (Porthole, January 8). The two pillboxes on the Acle New Road , just out of Yarmouth are said to be built during the first world war, reference page 93 in "Yarmouth is an ancient Town" by AAC Hedges. It also mentions there is another first world war pillbox at St Olaves Bridge, which might be the one pictured in the article. Although it is not in the borough, there is one well hidden by the side of the road A149 prior to entering the village of Thorpe Market. It was two years before I spotted it behind a tree.

PETER DAVIS

Beechwood Road

Hemsby

IT'S snow joke, slipping and sliding in Gorleston and Yarmouth town centres: why were they not cleared or gritted? No wonder shops were half empty on Wednesday and Thursday last week, people were afraid of falling over. Emergency services are well stretched at this time of year anyway without avoidable falling adding to the chaos. Shopping in Lowestoft was a very different matter; clear walkways everywhere - if they can do it, why can't we?

Mrs H D BRACEY

Durham Avenue,

Gorleston

I AM more than happy to see the white flakes falling across our wonderful county and more than happy to have my two boys at home from school and pre school. However, two things have annoyed me: While walking through our village on Friday, with my boys, I was horrified to see the speed of the buses travelling through New Road towards the Acle Straight yards away from us. The roads were narrowed by the sludge which resulted in passing traffic covering the pavement, or pedestrians in said sludge or risking the possibility of skidding or sliding. The 30mph speed limit is sufficient in normal conditions but this wasn't normal conditions and it must have been dangerous. Surely drivers were advised to slow down regardless of timetables! Also, I was required to venture into the Market Place on Saturday morning from Acle. Fine. I expected problems getting out of the village and into town. But what I was faced with in town was totally unexpected. Marks and Spencer, Ethel Austin, WH Smith, Palmers etc, why were customers expected to risk their lives entering these premises? None of these businesses had made access for their customers easier/safe by salting or clearing the front entrances. The cost of a few spadefuls of salt or grit? The whole town was like a skating rink. Ridiculous. It's winter! It's snow!

Mrs SAM BARFORD

Oxcroft

Acle

OUR Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader is certainly sounding edgy. Anything to do with the imminent decision on the Boundary Committee's proposal? Given what is looking to be an unmitigated disaster with the Outer Harbour, what is to be the coup de gras? And it's all gone suspiciously quiet with regard to the casino.

JIM MALLARD

Beach Road

Winterton on Sea

IN response to car parking in Great Yarmouth. My suggestion is that where the Beach Coach Station is, keep the coach station on the ground level then build upwards to five more levels across the entire site. This would create quite a number of spaces. On the lower floors, block off views overlooking residential properties and keep the prices at the same level all year round. This would help residents and holidaymakers at the same time, reducing the number of on street parking for residents who suffer during busy periods and cannot get a space close to their homes.

Name and Address withheld

HIGH-RISE parking is the answer for Yarmouth. A multi-storey coach and car park could be built where the coaches are parked now, Beach Coach Station The ground floor could be for coaches. When the showmen visit Yarmouth they could park their caravans and trucks as well, and the upper floors would be for cars. We don't want any more parks on the seafront

E A EGGLETON

Ashwood Close

Caister on Sea

ON Monday, I walked from Fastolff Avenue in Gorleston to the shops on Magdalen Way; as the path across Magdalen Square was slippery I decided to walk on the grass, passing through the children's play area on the Square and I was disgusted by the amount of dog excrement left by irresponsible dog owners! On the pavement adjacent to the St Mary Magdalene church hall there were three lots (two of which had been trodden in and spread), plus another three on the grass verge; there were also several “deposits” left among the children's play area and, when I walked back along the side of the path, I found there were even more either on the grass or the pathway itself.

Yes, I know the weather has been bad, and the ground covered in snow, but that is still no excuse not to remove your dog's excrement, particularly as a lot of what I saw had obviously been deposited after the snow had mostly cleared. Do these dog owners not realise that anyone (but especially children) are vulnerable to diseases which can be spread via dog faeces? That germs are still there whether it is snowing, freezing, wet, etc? If a child's buggy wheel or a shoe gets “poo” on it, and it goes un-noticed, it would invariably get taken back to the house, and the germs could then spread through the family - eg E-coli, Toxacara Canis, worms. By the way, Toxacara germs can stay in the ground for 3 years after the dog has fouled.

So please, if your dog does its business in a public place, “scoop the poop”, bag it and bin it! As well as being hygienic it is lawful and it will save you a fine!

SHEILA DENTON

Nuffield Crescent

Gorleston-on-Sea

SO here we go again. For all of us who can remember growing up during the war years, we are to be plunged into darkness after midnight and have to walk around again with torches, if the bright spark gets his way. We could fill the pages of this newspaper by listing different ways of saving money and energy, suffice to say expenses paid in disgusting amounts to politicians etc. I would think the bad boys are rubbing their hands in anticipation. Blackout indeed! What nextm candles in the house?

R SIMMONS

Addison Road

Gorleston

BEFORE we put the government at fault for lack of salt and grit during the cold period, remember local councils are responsible. Most of which are Tory controlled.

SYLVIA BEANEY

Sturdee Avenue,

Great Yarmouth

AFTER the severe winter of 1947, which went on until March, I remember at Gorleston seeing the ice floes coming down the river and being swept out to sea. This reminds me of the pathetic incident in Uncle Tom's Cabin when Nancy, clutching her baby, is carried down the Mississippi on an ice floe.

CECELIA EBBAGE

Lovewell Road

Gorleston

DURING the spate of bad weather I saw on the news that Felixstowe container port was closed for a few days and the outgoing lorries had to be stacked up along the A14. Now my question is, if the same situation were to happen at Great Yarmouth where would the backlog of lorries be put.

PETER BELL

Larkway

Bradwell

IN regard to the removal of the pews at St Andrew's Church, Gorleston. I must express my feelings to say how upset I am. I have been a willing parishioner for the last 50 odd years and, in my formative years especially, found the church a place of refuge and warmth, like an old friend. Now they want to rip out the pews, wanted by the few because of some new age agenda “moving forward,” I believe they call it. Of the main instigators one has already moved away.

I would like to know how removing the pews put “bums of seats?” - the main objective. Above all is the cost. We, the parishioners, are on occasions asked to support groups of people and charities who are in desperate need, and to ask and expect contributions for �500,000 for this act of wanton vandalism is not only criminal, but amazingly arrogant.

PATRICIA M WALKER

Cliff Park Estate

Gorleston