Letters, April 5, 2013

I was interested to read the article regarding the old Manor House Hotel that fell into the sea in the early 1940’s.

As a Caister born girl I can remember in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s riding my bicycle over the railway crossing at Caister station on Beach Road and turning immediately left into Manor Road, not built up as it is now, and going for what seemed miles to this large open area at the end of the road.

The brick foundations of the Manor Hotel were there clearly visible in those days and in summer the area was overgrown with yellow bush lupins.

To me it was far away from the grown ups and seemed like a place out of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books.

There were still some houses tottering on the brink and I can remember going into one of the houses and jumping on the overhanging corner to see if I could make it fall over the cliff! I never told my mother about that until I was grown up.

All the recent talk about Dr Beeching and his rail cuts also reminded me that me, my mother and my sister, born late 1948 and in a large carriage built pram, would board the train at Caister railway station and travel to Beach station at Yarmouth in the goods van when we wanted to do some shopping.

There was no other way of transporting that huge pram into Yarmouth.

The rail journey just made the shopping experience tolerable as I would rather have been kicking about on the beach or at the end of Manor Road where the ruins were. Happy carefree days!

VIRGINIA PITCHERS

The Green,

Upton

Not consulted on fair’s extra day

In last week’s Mercury the market superintendent listed the preparations for the Easter fair that have gone on behind the scenes and states that the showmen were contacted by the organisers in November.

Presumably the decision to extend to a fourth day was taken then.

Not surprisingly the residents of Great Yarmouth who are most affected by the additional noise and disruption were not consulted. Behind the scenes, in this instance, appears to have been behind closed doors with the decision to hold the fair on a fourth day announced when it is too late to object.

So much for democracy.

EMRYS PARRY

Northgate Street,

Great Yarmouth

Chateaux days were happy days

I’ve just been reading Peggotty’s column in the Yarmouth Mercury about the Chateaux and Co removal and storage premises on Southtown Road. I worked at Palgrave Brown and Son Ltd from 1963 until 1985 when it sadly closed.

Although situated on the opposite side of the main office and yard on Southtown Road it was always referred to as Chateaux by everybody at the company. Happy days...

GORDON CRUICKSHANK

Gorleston-on Sea

I feel sorry for future tourists

I am writing in response to the letter last week regarding the public toilets in the borough. The mobile cleaning van is always just one member of staff. Nine toilets are not manned it is only five now, Market Gates, the Conge, Tower, Jetty and Pier head.

There were two more, Marina and Hemsby, but they have not been manned for three years and staff are being forced out of their jobs. My family member being one of them.

They are being offered severance now or walk away with nothing in October. And as for an enhanced service, they may be open longer but they are filthy.

I feel sorry for tourists in the future, what are they going to be walking into.

SUSAN DIMBLEBY

email

Why wasn’t the spire replaced?

Now that work has finally been finished and all the scaffolding taken down on the Minster Church of St Nicholas, it was by coincidence I was recently reading a book on the history of Great Yarmouth, and in it there was a section on the St Nicholas, reputed to be the largest parish church in England, with a photograph taken in 1896 showing the magnificent spire.

And how after the second world war when the building was heavily bombed and gutted, it was rebuilt with a neo-Gothic interior. The funds for the church rebuilding could not stretch to a replacement spire.

Surely after all this time someone could organise a fund to have the spire replaced to its former glory, or maybe a commercial sponsor could be found to finance the project with the promise of recognition from the flagpole on top, maybe a Vodafone or Aviva Pennant fluttering in the breeze atop the newly erected structure, or would this be construed as blasphemy in the eyes of the church?

In any light it would serve as a proud land mark to all who enter our town!

PETER McKINNA

Alderson Road

Great Yarmouth

Park resembles a rubbish tip

I would be astonished if I was the only person who believes that the reputed £86,000 to replace the existing skatepark on Gorleston recreation ground with a concrete monstrosity, is a disgusting waste of taxpayers money.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the existing skate park, in fact it was refurbished just last year.

The recreation ground, once the pride of Gorleston FC is now plagued by anti-social behaviour, vandalism and wanton destruction ranging from trees being uprooted, brick walls and fences knocked down, the children’s play area vandalised, Church Lane community centre deliberately damaged.

The electricity sub-station broken into and numerous acts of arson, the most serious resulted with the total destruction of the pavilion and changing rooms.

At times the park resembles a rubbish tip with the amount of glass bottles, cans and other rubbish scattered about.

If our council has so much surplus money in these very austere times may I suggest it is awarded to a more deserving and worthwhile cause, one springs to mind immediately, £86,000 would staff our public toilets for a whole year. Just a thought!

P HUBBARD

Gorleston

Thanks to Paget and ambulances

On March 18, I was unfortunate to have an accident at home. A neighbour saw what happened and came to my assistance.

He immediately called for an ambulance and due to possible complications the air ambulance was also called. Both arrived in what seemed only minutes.

I was taken to the James Paget Hospital where I was immediately assessed, scanned and treated. My next seven days were spent on Ward 5 where all the staff made my stay as pleasant and comfortable as could be expected.

My family and I would like to thank the air ambulance, the ambulance service and all the staff at the James Paget for all their care and attention that I received while there.

RODNEY HOLLAND-MERTEN

Email

Help find mum’s long-lost sister

We hope your readers will be able to help us find my mother’s long lost sister, Jean Mahoney. She was last heard of living in the Great Yarmouth area and as far as we know she has never married.

My stepfather is hoping to hold a family get-together and reunion this summer as it has been a very long time since they were all together.

My mother, Joyce Sadler (Mahoney) had four sisters – Jean, Sheila, Angela and Christine (deceased ) and two brothers – Michael and Raymond. I remember visiting my grandparents when they were all living in Station Road, Oakington, Cambridge.

My mother and stepfather, Joyce and Mick Sadler, now live in 2 Hill Farm Cottages, Radwinter Road, Ashdon, Saffron Walden, Essex. CB10 2ET. They can also be contacted on 01799 584036.

ALAN BAKER

email

Witnesses saw the Resurrection

At this Easter season perhaps you would allow me some words why Christendom are celebrating. There is a huge amount of evidence that Jesus’ Resurrection really happened.

The fact his tomb was empty. (Luke 24:12, John 20:3-9). Opponents Agree: The Jewish authorities agreed Jesus’ tomb was empty, else they would have simply pointed to the presence of Jesus’ body as evidence he had not been raised from the dead.

Matthew records that many first century non-Christians claimed the disciples stole the body. This is implausible because the authorities themselves had gone to the Roman governor, Pilate, and arranged to have a Roman guard set over the tomb to prevent precisely this (Matt. 27:62-66).

All four gospels record women as the first people to find the tomb empty (Matt. 28:5-8, Mark 16:2-8, Luke 24:1-8, John 20:1-18). This is significant because, prejudices of the day, women were regarded as unreliable witnesses. If you were making up a story you wanted people to believe, you would not make women the first witnesses to the key fact.

They saw him alive and interacted with him after his death (Matt. 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21). St Paul records more than 500 individuals witnessed him alive after his Resurrection, many of whom were still alive to be questioned about the fact (1 Cor. 15:6) when the New Testament documents were being written. A modern myth is that Jesus didn’t really die on the Cross, he just appeared to die. This is impossible because John records: When Jesus died, a Roman centurion pierced his side with a lance and ‘blood and water’ flowed out (John 19:34).

The ancient world wouldn’t have known the medical explanations to produce this effect, a deep body cavity puncture wound by the spear (piercing the pericardium-- sac that surrounds the heart) is required.

Nobody could have survived that, particularly not in the ancient world and without even primitive medical care. (He was hurriedly buried, remember?)

We have information where Jesus’ disciples (the apostles) preached after his ministry. They endured terrible martyrdom: We don’t have an instance of any of Jesus’ disciples saying, “Hey, I wasn’t serious. It was all a hoax. You can let me go now.”

Nowhere that the Christian message went, do we find that. Faced with a terrible painful death: you don’t die for a lie! The case for the Resurrection is solid. And so is the basis of our faith.

Happy Easter, everyone!

ROGER HAYES

Beccles Road,

Bradwell

Working hours rule, is it fair?

On July 29, 2010 I asked Brandon Lewis, the Tory MP for Great Yarmouth a question about national insurance and part-time workers on minimum wage.

The problem is that working less than 16 hours per week on minimum wage or working over17.5 hours up to 23.5 hours at minimum wage you are covered for national insurance at nil cost.

I asked about those working 16 hours to 17.5 hours and why they were not covered.

On January 10, 2011 – six months later - I received a letter from the Treasury telling me that working 16 hours on minimum wage that you were not covered for national insurance but you could pay £13.50 to be covered. I knew this and that is why I asked Brandon Lewis is it fair?

Ten visits later and I am still asking the question, and on March 18 this year, I received a letter from the Treasury - exactly the same wording as I received two years ago. My question though remains unanswered.

Does Brandon Lewis understand these rules do not make sense and they are unfair. In two years time the voters of Great Yarmouth will also have a question to answer do we vote for Brandon Lewis.

He will get an answer, unlike myself who is still waiting

TERRY RIFKIN

email

Join us on visit to French twin

From Thursday to Monday, May 9-13, a group of Twinning Association members and members of the town choir will be in Rambouillet for a concert of five choirs, all from twin towns of Rambouillet.

John Stephens, musical director at the Minster has trained the Great Yarmouth choir and his new wife Melody will sing a solo to John’s piano accompaniment.

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear some first class singing and enjoy a busy but entertaining weekend. Whilst there we will also witness the signing of a new Twinning Treaty between Rambouillet and a Portuguese town and witness the reaffirmation of their twinning with Waterloo in Belgium to celebrate 25 years of union. Most of the ceremonies will take place in the town’s ancient and beautiful castle.

There are some places available on the coach if anyone would like to join us; you will need to pay your fare but accommodation is provided free by members of the Twinning Association in Rambouillet.

Everyone working or living in the borough of Great Yarmouth is welcome to join us; we simply ask you pay the annual £10 subscription and your fare. Further enquiries can be made to John Russell on 01493 780636.

HILARY EVANS

Chairman,

Great Yarmouth Twinning Association

A subliminal Green message?

I received my poll card today. I see that again our voting booth is at the Bowls Pavilion on Marine Parade in Gorleston. Would I be correct in inferring that this is a subliminal message to vote Green?

STEPHEN CONWAY

Gorleston

Fantastic local talent in town

Another fantastic performance by the Great Yarmouth College performing arts department. Four male second year students took on the roles of 20 characters in Bouncers by John Godber.

For those of you that think Great Yarmouth needs different entertainment, keep your eyes open for the local talent in this area. Well worth watching.

SAMANTHA BALLS

Bendish Avenue,

Gorleston

Kindness of the roadside help

Returning home from Yarmouth on Easter Saturday lunchtime, the clutch ion our car packed up on the Caister bypass.

We rang the AA and a charming lady answered.

I told her we were elderly and quite worried. She told us to stay away from the car but leave th hazard warning lights on.

She said our safety was the first priority and that the car was just a lump of metal. We were put on the list.

Soon after, a lovely couple pulled up and asked if we were okay, and then waved as they pulled away.

Then two fine policemen arrived and positioned their car across the lane and put out a row of cones for safety. They rang the AA again for us.

Then my grandson passed the scene and recognised the car. He did a u-turn and came back and took me home. My husband was not far behind with the AA pick up truck.

We were treated with the utmost kindness and we would like to send our love and thanks to them all.

Mrs J B BEAL

Martham