We’re plagued by the seagulls

Please, when can something be done about the vast numbers of seagulls squawking day and night and now nesting on people’s rooftops, mine included. If neighbours or a dog created this volume of noise something would be done about it.

I don’t know how much longer I can cope with so little sleep as they only seem to quieten down for a couple of hours out of the 24. Nearly everybody I’ve spoken to locally is plagued with them disturbing their peace and sleep and there seems to be fewer garden birds. The balance has tipped drastically - they have no obvious natural predators to keep their numbers down. I’m very much a nature lover but please can the council do something about this growing nuisance.

Mrs D HOPWOOD

Gorleston

Fridge/freezer bought in 1982

I read with interest the letter from Steve Scott regarding the “death” of his in-laws’ freezer. In January 1984 I had a new kitchen installed. The only stipulation I gave the installers was that I wished to keep my fridge/freezer which was then about two plus years old.

This fridge/freezer moved house with us in 1997 and is still working. I doubt if I have still got the receipt but it was bought at the old Electric House in Market Gates. Mr Scott, like your in-laws, it is an Electrolux, but I hope I don’t hear it wheeze any time soon, as it is a good old friend.

JANEY WOOLSTON

email

Loco-hauled trains frequent

I was surprised to read Peggotty’s complaint about the lack of locomotive-hauled trains on the Norwich to Yarmouth service. In fact Yarmouth is one of the few places in the country where such services operate fairly frequently.

When multiple units are in short supply I hear the class 47 top-and-tailed “short set” thundering past my house in Acle up to four times a day during weekdays, as it accelerates off towards Yarmouth.

In addition, there are a couple of London to Yarmouth through trains which are “dragged” from Norwich to Yarmouth and back on summer Saturdays. The short set comprises two 50-year-old class 47 diesel locomotives and three coaches in matching Direct Rail Services (DRS) livery, and these are usually in immaculate condition, well worth a look, or even a ride. Their appearance on weekday services is, however, a bit unpredictable. I can’t imagine the short set is economical to operate, or is comparatively environment friendly, and it doesn’t seem very popular with staff, but at least Abellio manages to keep a service running when it has operating problems, and it does deserve credit for that.

CHRIS BASSHAM

Old Market Close

Acle

Err, we think he wants gossip!

Oi thart Oi orta roite to thar editer, thar Mawther Anne Edwards far stoppin thar religious letters. Thar wus begginin ta git on moi wick, anuf is anuf, Oi wotabe areadin lettars O gossip and wot folk loike ta mardle abewt and dornt thar git agorn when someone roit in abewt suffin thar dornt agree?

Anyhew, Oi dussent go on far tew long, Oi’m astornin thar bullices for thar jem maerkin, an if Oi storp far tew long, Oi’ be afforit an Oi’l git a mobben. Moind yew, moi missus look arter me roit so Oi carnt complairn. Eny ole hew, Oi betta git gorn, Oi’l wish yar orl thar best and do yew keep a troshin bor.

PS. Please tell thar EMO Oi said ‘dew yew juss keepa gorn, orny Oi dornt know whoi thar Council hetta be so occurd and puttin on thar parts?’

BOY JIMMY

Bradwell

What to do with poor pigeon?

Further to my last letter, we still have the pleasure of this racing pigeon, and she comes into the conservatory for her food and then flies into the garden.

After my initial contact with her owner last week I have heard nothing more. I have visited three local pet stores who together have given me advice on how to care for her has my experience of racing pigeons is nil!

Both my husband and I feel a responsibility towards her even though she belongs to another, but she is such a trusting little thing. After she has eaten she wanders around the conservatory, pecks everything and treats it as her temporary home.

From what I have been told about pigeon racing I am rather glad she has yet to fly home, if she ever does, as if they are for racing and get lost and then eventually make it home her life expectancy may be halted. I am not saying every pigeon racer owner takes this approach but more than one person has told me of this process, it is a bit like greyhound racing if they are no good then they also take a different life path, all in the name of sport.

Not too sure what to do next. Do we build her a loft?

PENNY CARPENTER

email

Our transport is there for you

We’ll help you get there! Community Transport has changed. It is no longer just for those who are frail, elderly or have a disability. It is for all who cannot access ordinary public transport. Centre 81’s transport is fully accessible so if people have difficulty in negotiating the steps or need to use a wheelchair or walker our buses are ideal.

Community transport enables people to live independently, participate in their community and to access education, employment, health and other services. It uses and adapts conventional vehicles to do exceptional things – always for a social purpose and community benefit, but never for a profit – CTA-UK.

Centre 81’s community transport is not a bus service, not a taxi, but something different, something special. Driven by the centre’s well-trained drivers who really do care that you are able to get out and about in your local community.

For some of our passengers it is their solution to staying independent, for others it keeps them in touch with family and friends. Many consider it to be their social club on wheels. For all it is their lifeline.

If you live in the northern or southern villages or any of the towns or hamlets within the borough of Great Yarmouth, then Centre 81’s community transport is for you to use. It may assist you to become a volunteer with the organisation of your choice or provide you with access to paid employment.

Why not contact us on 01493 332253 or visit www.centre81.co.uk and see how becoming a member of our community transport service can help you?

Centre 81’s community Transport provides transport Monday to Fridays 9am to 5.30pm (excluding bank holidays) in order for you to be part of your community.

DIANA STAINES

Chief Executive

Centre 81

Bank could have done it better

I went into my bank in Gorleston High Street on Monday afternoon last week to find only one cashier behind the counter. There were between four/five persons in the queue. Another member of staff was approaching those in the queue asking what they wished to transact. I stated I wished to see the cashier. The lady behind me was asked how much money she needed to withdraw to which she replied £200.

Should I or others in that queue have been of the inclination, we could have waited for that lady to leave the bank and rob her. We all knew she had at least £200.

I think the bank would be better putting the second member of staff behind the counter.

T E SORRELL

Bradwell

The easy prey of chips, burgers

Seagull as the name suggests are seabirds with webbed feet and their diet should be fish. Due to the easy prey of chips, burgers and bread people continue to feed them they now have no need to do what should come naturally to them in their natural habitat at sea.

The problem is people who have enticed them from hunting at sea, thus making them dependent on “handouts” and making them lazy on an unhealthy diet that also affects people!

Seagulls make nests and will return year after year to where they were born. People are the culprits and need educating on this subject. Because people are feeding bread in their gardens, seagulls are moving inland and smaller birds and breeds are suffering as they don’t have a chance to feed for fear of the dive-bombing seagulls, screeching and pebble-dashing as they fly overhead.

In a blame society it is so easy to point the finger, but not look at the original problem for the solution.

SUSAN WATSON

Bradwell

I ‘filed’ my 1957 wedding receipts

In reply to Steve Scott’s letter of last week “Death of a freezer prompts query”, I have in my “filing system” (just an envelope) the following receipts:

24 December 1955. Cox & Son, Northgate Street. £16.16.00. Engagement Ring

27 May 1957. Matthes Ltd, Gorleston. £6.17.10. Wedding Cake

24 April 1957. Penrice Arms, King Street. £5.00.00. Deposit for wedding Reception

1 June 1957. Penrice Arms, King Street £41.3.5. Wedding Reception

July 1957. R C Nichols , Nichols Taxi Service. £6.18.00. Wedding Cars

3 July 1957. Ernest Layton Florist, 20 Howard Street. £7.17.09. Brides Bouquet, Posies, Buttonholes.

Gordon and I were married at the Greek Orthodox Church, St Peters Road on 1 June 1957, as St Nicholas Church was unavailable because of the war damage.

MARGARET HOLMES

Belton

Workers on the ground needed

In reply to Mr and Mrs Barnsdale’s letter last week, I am not surprised at the state they are finding their flats. I have it on good authority this is down to the powers that be cutting the number of caretakers and those remaining now have to do other jobs, including litter picking and cleaning the Council Shrub areas.

The shrub areas have always been the gardener’s job, but they are now doing the roadsweeper’s job. We have not seen a road sweeper on Middlegate for months then all of a sudden the gardeners turn up with the mechanical vacuum cleaner-type machine being used by one gardener while the other guy was using a broom.

When I was involved with the old Tenant Association we managed to get a dedicated roadsweeper, but that has fallen by the way. I bet Community Housing are still paying for a non-existent roadsweeper now.

So I am not surprised at the state of the blocks or the shrub areas when the caretakers are overstretched as they are and have to do other people’s jobs. We used to have two caretakers on our part of Middlegate, we are now down to one, who does an extremely good job but he is not Superman.

I am also appalled by the state of the back alleys as well, with rubbish lying around for months because there is no-one to clean these areas. We do occasionally get Community Service around here to clean up, but they are only here for a day at a time.

I was given a leaflet a couple of weeks ago asking for tenant inspectors to do the job for nothing, from someone who is on a damn good salary. The trouble with this borough council is there are too many managers and not enough foot soldiers.

We need more ground workers.

JOHN DONOVAN

Clarendon Close,

Great Yarmouth

I believe actions speak louder

In reply to the letter by Esther Aldred last week. I am not affiliated with any political party. The reason I mentioned Labour and the Labour Action Resource area is because I have seen the work they do and I truly believe actions speak louder than words.

I’m interested to find out how Mrs Aldred, as a women, can support a political party which slams women in the workplace and makes bigoted comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. I find this the true insult that in this day and age how someone in a position of responsibility can be so close-minded about equal rights. I feel UKIP should drag itself out of the dark ages.

A female vote for UKIP is like a turkey voting for Christmas.

Miss EMILY TOOKE

Email

Festival disability access sorted

Disability access at the Maritime festival came up when I took my wife in a wheelchair to this event for the first time. Further to this, Cllrs Annison and Myers, both of UKIP, kindly took the issue over from me.

They negotiated 10 disabled parking spaces at the south end of the festival; the British Red Cross is going to provide some wheelchairs; there will be better signs for entry to the festival for the disabled; most importantly there will be signs telling people of the danger of uneven surfaces at the Cobblers end opposite the Town Hall; and next year they won’t hopefully use that part of the quay.

This comes with the turn of events about seaside resorts not doing enough for the disabled and this goes a long way in addressing the situation at the festival. Thanks again to UKIP, well done.

A H SAYERS

Beech Rise,

Bradwell

No to any NHS privatisation

I write in response to the article regarding my statement about the privatisation of the NHS, Mercury, August 15. I stated on Harbour radio when asked on this matter as to whether I agreed to it.

I emphatically stated no, I do not. I do not believe the nationalisation of industries that have been built up with taxpayer’s money should be sold off to private investors. One only has to look at the utilities and the railways to clearly see the taxpayer and general public are worse off due to the privatisation of these vital industries. The money in many cases flows abroad to company shareholders.

Has privatisation meant a cheaper more competitive market? No of course it has not, yet this is what we were promised. That is just one reason why I am against the privatisation of the NHS. This statement seemed to have “stunned” Mr Reynolds.

Having explained my position, I will now address Mr Reynolds’ point with regards to the UKIP manifesto. It may be new to many of the electorate, but neither I nor my views are controlled by party central office. There are no whips and as such I am truly answerable to the electorate, unlike all the other political parties, who when it comes to the crunch tow the party dictum or face a whipping, even if that dictum is detrimental to those who elected them.

I do not believe any member of a political party can agree with everything the party stands for, and I would be concerned with anyone who did. The difference is with my party, because there are no whips, we are allowed to openly and honestly debate the issues. We have to put our arguments forward have them challenged and make our case.

This is how policies can be formulated to best serve the electorate and not the party. This in my view is how real democracy works, from the people upwards, not from party central office down.

That is why I can hold these views and that is why I joined UKIP, a truly democratic progressive party that allows me to work on behalf of the electorate.

So I would agree with Mr Reynolds it is pretty stunning, isn’t it?

ADRIAN MYERS

UKIP Lothingland ward

Our thanks to store customers

Great Yarmouth Stroke Group would like to thank Bradwell Rainbow store for allowing us to collect on two occasions. Thanks go to the customers for their generous donations.

SUE CASEY

email

Councillors are doing their best

I read with interest the letter from Christopher Richards of Chelmsford who compares the parking situation here with that in his home town very unfavourably. I note Chelmsford is much bigger than Yarmouth - it has City status and is the county town for Essex. Its unemployment rate is less than half of ours and lots of people want to move there because of the ease of commuting to a job in London.

Mr Richards complains about bus services in both towns so as a motorist he must use a lot of buses. He also complains our councillors are deliberately overcharging the motorist. He is probably unaware the government cuts to local councils are highest for poor areas and lowest for rich areas according to a news report in Monday’s Guardian.

My sympathy is for our councillors struggling to absorb the cuts without damaging vital services - they are doing their best under a torrent of abuse judging by last week’s letters.

LIONEL BALLS

email

Stop litterbugs, seagulls will go

Seagulls are a problem, yes. But it is your - our - fault we have so many. Their natural diet is fish, but it has been years since the herring industry drifted away, so why do they keep returning to Yarmouth to have their chicks - because people leave their food droppings all over the place!

How many see people discarding chips or burger boxes, or pizza pieces in the streets but say or do nothing? I would say 100pc of you. So do something instead of moaning!

Name and Address withheld