Letters

IT'S official! As stated on the Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) website, “Great Yarmouth has a dog fouling problem

significantly higher than the national average.”

A survey found that 30pc of the streets in Yarmouth had dog fouling. Yarmouth may be the dog fouling capitol of Europe. This is a reputation that literally stinks!

On any given day you may observe ignorant dog owners allowing their animals to foul the promenade, beach and park areas of our glorious seaside town. I accept the majority of these people may not have fully benefited from the educational system. As we approach another summer season GYBC show no signs of tackling problem. As confirmed by the council environmental

health office, there are no patrols whatsoever to prosecute violators. The environmental health office only act on reports.

I urge those of you who enjoy the beach, walking, jogging or otherwise, who find dog fouling offensive, to report offenders to

the environmental health office on the local number: 01493 846478.

The council should ban dogs entirely from the seafront and designate specific areas well to the north and south of the beach where

these animals may be taken. The owners could then walk around all day picking up dog excrement (or not, in most cases). It has occurred to me that if there are aliens looking down on earth and they observe one animal picking up the excrement of another, they may be confused as to which species is the more intelligent.

Unlike more progressive councils across the country, GYBC has failed to introduce Dog Control Orders to force dog owners to

keep their animals on leads or ban them altogether from open spaces, greens and playing fields. If you are unfortunate enough

to be attacked by a dog in Great Yarmouth, not only can you take legal action against the owner, you can also take legal

action against GYBC for negligent enforcement of existing local bylaws.

GYBC - Great Yarmouth Beware of Crap!

Captain S COLMAN

Great Yarmouth

CAN someone, somewhere resolve the ongoing fiasco which has bedeviled local motorists since it was built. Namely the notorious Gapton Hall roundabout. We have had to endure constant tailbacks almost to the rainbow superstore, made worse in the summer months or school holidays, unimaginable tailbacks on the A12 south heading toward the Breydon Bridge, a set of traffic lights which appears to have a mind of its own, near misses or collisions on an almost daily basis and more importantly, having to sit and watch struggling emergency services straining to get through roads clogged with traffic and going nowhere.

More recently we have had to endure more hold ups for roadworks for which would supposedly prevent major hold ups and ensure a more even flow of traffic, and now we are told clearer signs would confuse overseas drivers. The Highways Agency should be aware the new layout has confused us all. It is the local drivers who have to navigate this death trap that should be given priority. How much time has been wasted and at what cost, to give us a roundabout which is worse now than before; can someone with some road sense get this mess sorted?

KEN GIBBS

Anglia Skills Academy

Great Yarmouth

WITH reference to the proposed development in Burgh Castle. We moved to Burgh Castle three years ago to get away from the hustle and bustle of town life and had to pay a large premium for this facility. The roadway passing our property (High Road) is now very busy with ever increasing traffic but we are happy to accept this current level of traffic, however, should this development take place the level of traffic/pollution etc will be totally unacceptable and this will surely have a detrimental affect to the value of our property.

This development will be placing us back to where we were three years ago and that is not acceptable. If this sound like a case of Nimby then so be it. We would respectfully point out that our illustrious parish council played Big Brother and refused permission for us to build a wall at the front of our property as they stated it would “urbanise Burgh Castle", Well, well, how things have changed with the passing of time! On behalf of our standard of living and the value of our property and all things held dear to us, may we ask the borough council please decline this proposed development and move it to somewhere far distant from Burgh Castle. A suggested location might be Scroby Sands.

DC and SR Payne

High Road

Burgh Castle

WE are pleased to say our plans to renew St Andrew's Gorleston are progressing well, and we are approaching the final stages of the formal application process. Part of that process requires us to produce two documents: a Statement of Need, detailing why we need to make these changes, and a Statement of Significance which spells out the impact of the proposed changes on the historic fabric. Both of these statements are available on our website in the “Re-ordering” section, www.standrewsgorleston.org.uk. If any groups in Gorleston are interested in learning more about the proposed changes to their Parish Church, the Vicar, Canon Tony Ward, would be very happy to give an illustrated presentation, and can be contacted on Great Yarmouth 663477. Any donations towards the project can be sent to St Andrew's Vicarage, Duke Road, Gorleston, NR31 6LL, cheques payable to St Andrew's PCC.

TONY WARD

On behalf of the Re-ordering leadership Group

A REUNION is being held on Saturday, May 15 for those who joined the Technical High School in 1961, leaving in 1966/67/68. The event will be a buffet at the Burlington Palm Hotel, Great Yarmouth at 7.30pm, and tickets are now available at �20. If you are interested in attending please contact, before April 30, either Wendy Hogg on 02075841796

Or Rosemary Horrocks nee Howell on 01493722316, email prhorrocks@talktalk.net, or write to 7 Carter Close, Caister on Sea NR30 5NT.

I WAS amazed by a letter in The Mercury during March reference a Hopton action group, set up by them to raise awareness for the cause of beach erosion in their area. As an independent 83-year-old beach bum, whose family owned beach huts on the sands at Gorleston for many years, I feel I would like to impart some of the knowledge I gleaned from the childhood I spent on the beach.

Between Scroby Island and Yarmouth beach there runs a very turbulent course of water with currents and sandbanks, ever changing. In fact, going back to the 1930s it was very dangerous to swim from the beach north of Britannia Pier.

Now, with the death of a swimmer last year I would say it still is.

On an outgoing tide, this trench of fast flowing current of churning sand and water, careers along the shoreline. This could explain why, during the period of an abundance of seals on Scroby island, none ever made the beach at Yarmouth. The sand and tidal race referred to flowed unhindered, even by the lattice work piers of the harbour. But slowly, those who should no better about these things put obstacles in its path, altering currents and forcing sand to flow in all directions causing an undertow at Gorleston on an incoming tide where water is trapped between the breakwater and the hook at the end of the pier.

Here it is pushed back in an undertow, followed by further interference by an outer harbour, I believe this is the reason for the erosion at Hopton. The folks at Hopton don't have to prove it. They have the erosion, now it is up to EastPort or whoever to disprove it.

J DYE

Gonville Road

Gorleston

I AM sympathetic to the views of reader Dave Gahan, but I cannot agree with him that not voting at all is the answer. If all the decent people stay at home on polling day, the only ones who are going to vote will be the extremists. We could wake up on May 7 to read we have a BNP government, or a Marxist one. The fact is that our MPs are elected on specified days, and a turnout of, say only 5pc countrywide, will still have produced an elected government and we will be stuck with it for five years. My personal belief is that governments are voted out, not in, so can I urge your readers to do as I intend to do, and vote for the “least worst” party?

ANNIE WHEELER

Crittens Road

Cobholm

SINCE moving from Gorleston I keep in touch with news from home by reading your paper. I am but one of the many thankful patients of the late Dr K Hamilton Deane - “Daddy Deane” to us - and indeed I owe my life to his dedicated care. I was deeply moved by the letter from Mr Crowe in answer to the request by the chairman of the Great Yarmouth Archaeological Society in your paper over a year ago. I am not alone in wishing to know when and where it is planned to put up this memorial plaque to our dear doctor and friend.

S BARRON

Goodman Square

Norwich

UPTON, a lovely village with a locally famous pub, the White Horse. The White Horse is the only public house in Upton, the landlord, Winkle Norman is retiring and the White Horse is now up for sale. At a recent meeting of the villagers it was proposed we try to purchase it. It would be a tragedy if it was closed and the area sold for housing.

The pub has a great potential as a centre of village life, particularly as the local shop and post office has closed due to retirement of the owners. With a predominantly older population the pub, which has a very large car park at the rear, could be developed as a farmers market or similar, with a village shop for all the items one forgets at the supermarket, a pick up point for dry cleaning, servicing boats for food, a hairdressing salon and as a further extension of the famous fish and chip night, an all day caf� where we could sit and mardle and a restaurant. I do not drink beer, but I would use all the other proposed facilities, so please do not let us lose our pub which has such great potential to maintain village life.

PETER HOWKIN

Back Lane

Upton

I REGULARLY access the Mercury website to keep abreast of what is happening in my home town. I also check out the GYBC site which is well-constructed and useful. From time to time I try to find out what 1st East have accomplished in the five years they have been in existence; sadly there seems to be nothing at all for the good of the town. The latest e-letter posted on their site is No. 6, dated July 2009, and surprise, surprise it has nothing positive to report. Then I looked at their “Hot Download” which promised to show the minutes of the Board Meeting for December 2010. This is too good to be true, I thought, and it was. There was nothing later than December 2009 although a meeting was scheduled for February this year. Perhaps we shall see it on our screens eventually. Is it not time that all the local authorities concerned severed their ties with this useless and expensive quango? Our own council will have to reduce its workforce and some services will be stretched to the limit, so why should we support 1st East? Doubtless you will afford them the right to respond in your columns and it would be interesting to be informed what more than 15 board members do and what the cost to us, the public, really is.

Mrs M FARMERY

Address withheld

WHAT a treat! I am talking about the Original Dusmagrik Young Peoples Theatre Company's 25th Anniversary celebration show at Gorleston Pavilion. A box of delights from beginning to end, fast paced, professional and thoroughly enjoyable. Past members came back to perform and showed what a good theatrical grounding can do, including the show's musical director the amazing John Stephens. We were treated to songs and dances from The King and I, Oliver, Oaklahoma and many others plus some new dances which showcased the multi talents of these amazing six-18 year olds whose professionalism, enthusiasm and skills were truly amazing. Dusty and Mags Miller the founders of the group were there on Saturday night to see how their tradition of supporting some of the best talent in the borough has continued under Mary Carter and Graham Turner and they were welcomed warmly. For me and many others the highlight of the show was the magnificent Can Can performed by the seniors as the finale. Choreographed by Cath Cook, herself an ex Bluebell girl, this was breathtaking. If you missed it you missed a really good night out.

JULIA WESTBROOK

MY family and I really enjoyed “25 years of Dusmagrik” at the Gorleston Pavilion last Friday. It goes to show what talent we have in our young people in the area and the commitment of their mentors. A great show.

BOB ANNISON

REMAP is a unique charity offering a unique service to anyone who, because of some form of disability, is unable to carry out daily tasks or continue a much enjoyed leisure activity. It is not only people who are registered disabled who receive our help. Many people with arthritis, for instance, would deny that they are disabled, but would certainly value a tailor-made gadget to help them carry out such everyday tasks as turning on a washing machine and opening windows.

It is the bespoke nature of the jobs our volunteers do that makes REMAP so special. Some of the equipment may not look glamorous but these custom designed, individually made aids can make a really positive impact on the lives of the individuals involved. It the need is there REMAP will try and find a solution.

The area covered by the panel is mainly the Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust area, which is covered by eight engineers or technicians, based in areas close to where they live. This is done to restrict travelling time.

We are appealing for a treasurer, as the current treasurer is standing down, but will continue until the volunteer is satisfied with the transfer. This position would suit a person who would like to do some voluntary work. Simple book-keeping skills are all that is required.

The work involved: Issuing cheques for expenses, keeping records of payments, handling our bank account, complete an annual report of our financial state and record donations received. The panel meets about every six weeks at the Burrage Centre at the James Paget Hospital, where the treasurer issues payments for materials and mileage being claimed.

If there are any engineers, technicians with mechanical, electrical, electronic skills, or DIYers with woodworking skills who wish to join us, please contact me on telephone number 01493 728050.

REG NICHOLS

Chairman