Letters, July 19, 2013

In 1945 George Orwell wrote Animal Farm in which he wrote all animals are equal but some animals are more equal. In the 2010 budget the Tory government in which Brandon Lewis is a minister said that we are all in it together; what they should had added is we are all in it together except the rich and MPs.

Teachers, doctors, nurses, council workers were given a one per cent rise but the rich were given a large tax rebate and now we learn that the MPs are to be given £6,000 a year rise. One policy for the rich and one policy for the poor.

TERRY RIFKIN

Great Yarmouth

Dodgy paths are a real menace

Walking along Deneside in Great Yarmouth on Thursday afternoon last week, I tripped and fell very badly. When l got myself together l noticed a very large hole on the pavement. Lovely weather, but l spent most on the morning in A&E.

I hurt my shoulder and arm. Now for the next four weeks l have to wear a plaster on my badly damaged wrist. I thought the council were dealing with the paths and roads? The same cannot be said about the badly damaged path outside the clinic opposite the police station on Gorleston High Street.

Some child or older person could really hurt themselves. Looks like I have to put my rock climbing on hold for a long time. Not easy using just one hand.

Mrs THERESA WHITMORE

email

Justice works with guidelines

I must and do take issue with the comment of your correspondent Roy Batley, July 12, who asks “Are all magistrates and judges so out of touch with reality?” I worked in the criminal justice system for 20 years and can confirm I have never met anyone in society who are more in touch with reality than magistrates and judges.

The criminal justice system is not infallible, but, in my experience, magistrates and judges get it right a high proportion of the time. They would not achieve that success rate were they not so in-touch with reality. Whether or not one agrees with sentence outcomes, magistrates and judges have to work within the sentencing guidelines, they do not have the power to invent tariffs.

Society has unrealistic expectations of the police, no doubt fuelled by the successes of the fictional characters in television police dramas their success rate is precisely that: fiction.

Solving a crime does not mean the police have found the person responsible, only that they have found someone upon whom the evidence best fits.

That is no criticism of the police, “solving crime” is not an exact science, it is very subjective.

ROGER HAYES

email

Bus fare plan takes the biscuit

Re the proposed bus fares to Ormiston High School.

I know we are in the times of austerity, but this really does take the biscuit! Parents of the children who live at Burgh Castle and Belton are expected to pay £100 per term in bus fares. If you have more than one child, the cost could be astronomical.

As if the majority of parents can afford this, no nominal fare to start out with!

Most of the route from Burgh Castle and Belton does not have the benefit of street lighting, until you reach the main road in Bradwell, Beccles Road.

Through these measures, a lot of children may be forced through financial means, to walk or ride a bike along this busy thoroughfare of Beccles Road. The traffic coming through Bradwell early in the morning, the afternoon and the evening is so busy, as any resident will tell you.

I must say as a parent and grandparent, this fills me with horror and with the proposed new road to go from Beccles Road in Bradwell through Browston. I can just imagine how much more traffic this will incur.

These are all supposed to be villages, which is why a great many people lived here in the first place, now they have grown so much. The county council need to rethink these fares.

The children of today are the future of tomorrow.

MARLENE DELAY

email

Slap on wrist for drunk in A&E

After reading Roy Batley’s letter “Slap on the wrist for offenders” I am sorry to say this often appears to be the norm with our judiciary.

This certainly applies when they hand out a conditional discharge with a small fine for being drunk and disorderly in the accident and emergency department at the James Paget Hospital.

This department is busy enough without having to deal with this type of behaviour.

Had this offence been viewed more seriously then a sentence of a deterrent nature should have been given.

PETER TENNANT

Ormesby St Margaret

MPs oversee the decline of town

Whilst stuck in yet another traffic jam at the Asda roundabout, one had the chance to reflect on the fate of our town and the failure to secure funds for the town. Indeed the failure to solve this problem by re-opening the suspension bridge to Asda and station traffic.

I was also able to admire our beautiful railway station, the excessive expensive rail layout and the end of the long siding from Norwich.

Once on the Acle New Road, one is amazed to find a 40mph speed limit as the road sinks into the marshes. Not only is there no progress on funding dualling but soon we may not even have a road!

The Mercury also reports our bid for funds to re-invigorate our town centre as the Co-op plan failed showing how the Government wastes officials time in bidding processes. I see the lovely floral displays and wonder how long we can afford to fund them. Empty shops, offices, pubs and theatres need new life. Coastal erosion could even see parts of our villages town return to the sea.

Meanwhile, our 4k unemployed are left wondering when the job market will improve as locally the private sector will take years to create 4k jobs without Government help. Some schemes, like the casino and related developments get announced and seem to disappear. Other jobs created may need out of town recruitment.

It seems to me the Government is committed to the decline of the town and our MP powerless to get things done and too busy in his second job as a minister which was supposed to increase his influence!

CHRIS WRIGHT

Victoria Street,

Caister

Services not good enough

This weekend I was very disappointed by the delivery of services to the Gorleston cliffs area.

I read a complaint in last week’s letter section about the state of the toilets. I am sure there is some correlation between this and the lack of toilet staff, something UKIP petitioned against last year along with many thousands of local residents.

On Saturday afternoon after trying to play tennis I found out that just two of a possible six tennis courts are available for use, particularly disappointing as I am sure there was a likely surge in the demand for their use around Wimbledon and Andy Murray’s success.

Finally on Saturday evening I noticed streams of rubbish along the promenade as the bins were full. I am sure residents expect more for their tax money and I will be writing to the borough council about all three of these issues.

Cllr MATTHEW SMITH

UKIP County Councillor

Gorleston St Andrews

Palliative centre never about beds

Misquoted, misunderstood and too much criticism. Nobody has said anything about the Louise Hamilton Centre having beds, including the mother of the person the centre was named after.

Anyone who has misquoted and said someone did say something is only causing trouble. The same goes with calling the palliative care east centre a drop in or floating information centre.

The Louise Hamilton Centre has many things to offer including complementary therapies, counselling and various supports. The staff are very helpful, friendly, pleasant and will do whatever they can to make your life easier when you are in pain and have a health situation they maybe life threatening. The volunteers are also there to help as well.

There is more to the centre than what people think and they should go in and find out about it.

PETER KING

email

Good for bank to come to town

Oh dear, what a shame Yarmouth cannot get funding for another indoor market. We really need it like we need another phone shop or charity shop – I don’t think so.

Maybe the best idea would be to pull the Co-op building down and build flats with new shops underneath similar to those down Market Row. It’s good to see Barclays Bank coming in to the town centre otherwise we would have yet another empty shop to add to the list.

Well done to Martham and their three-day carnival. A good time was had by all, pity Yarmouth can’t do the same, so sad.

CA BALLS

Bradwell

Editor’s Note: What would readers like to see in the old Co-op building? But let’s not forget it has been for sale for a long time and no big name store chain has shown any interest. What alternative uses could there be for it?

Gull dive-bombs nothing new

Not intending to prolong the seagull saga but speaking from experience, I can sincerely sympathise with both the little girl who had her sausage roll snatched and the gentleman who was mugged by them. It must have been traumatic at least for the child.

As a youngster I lived on the housing estate nearest to our fish wharf and seagulls were frequent visitors to the back garden. One day I was standing on the path about to eat my bread and jam when a seagull dive-bombed it and left me only with tears.

They often flew over, too close and at considerable speed but being good pilots never touched me. They probably preferred the taste of the bread and jam!

If we succeeded in getting rid of them I believe their Creator would send us some more.

DAVID KING

Falcon Court,

Great Yarmouth

A right to see electors’ names

With reference to last week’s letter headed ‘What price democracy’. I have regularly attended the meetings at Hopton Parish Council for nearly eight years and would agree that it is the democratic right of residents to call for an election even though it is for only one vacancy on the parish council that will cost £2,300. What a waste of public money.

But what this letter failed to state is that it is also a resident’s democratic right to ask who the people are that are calling for this election and to see their letters requesting this. This is true democracy.

Consequently I would like to point out that these letters can be seen at the Town Hall or at the Parish Council Office in Hopton Village Hall and this procedure has been approved by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

MARION HARDISTY

Sea View Rise

Hopton on Sea

Not the first Town Hall bride

Re the publicity given in the Mercury regarding the first wedding to be held in the Town Hall.

I think, in fact know, you have got this wrong as my own daughter was married there, Francesca Ann Blake married Philip Edwin Dowe at the Town Hall on April 25, 1998.

Mrs L BLAKE

Rowan Road,

Hemsby

Editor’s Note: Thanks for pointing the fact out Mrs Blake. We should have put “first wedding after a gap of many years”, as the Town Hall let the licence slip until recently.

What befell the boat ‘Sunshine’?

I am seeking information through your newspaper regarding a Great Yarmouth boat “Sunshine” YH 324 which could have sunk in Yarmouth harbour.

I believe the ship’s master was James Haylett and the third hand was William H Foundling.

I would be pleased to hear of any information anyone might have about the incident and if there is in existence any memorial which includes the name of William Foundling.

I can be contacted via email at geoffreywoodall@hotmail.co.uk

GEOFFREY WOODALL

Eastleigh

Hampshire

Best to leave the ruins closed

Regarding letters in last week’s Mercury regarding Hopton’s Ruins.

I was at the last meeting – now I do believe the Ruins has got its funding to make the area safe but they seem to think they have been “locked out”.

Councillors say until it is safe and sound the area will be a building site and surely it would be best to leave the gardens until it is made safe. Work should start at any time.

Val McGee resigned from the council and the Ruins people were asked if any member wanted her place. No one came forward so an election is to take place in September costing £2,000.

Now only a few villagers asked for an election but did not want their names printed. Why?

Our local council don’t have a big gold pot to put its hands in, perhaps something will have to go like the Christmas parties.

This is a great shame and surely we should all pull together. Let’s agree to disagree, we are adults.

P A TYLER

Watsons Close,

Hopton

Youngsters a credit to schools

After the recent bad publicity of Norfolk schools’ performances, it was a great pleasure to attend the Britannia Pier and watch the GY7 schools giving an excellent performance of singing and dancing …with a seaside theme.

All the schools involved worked extremely hard to provide a thoroughly entertaining evening with an equal mix of traditional and modern music and dance.

The children who performed on stage overcame any nerves they may have had by giving an outstanding performance, and we’re a true credit to their teachers and schools alike

As a grandparent of one of the children who sang in her school’s choir I for one was very proud and would like to think I speak for all family members and friends of all the children.

It was nice to see that the hard work and dedication of the teachers and organisers turn out to be such an entertaining and successful evening.

PETER and DENISE COOKE

email

Congratulations for school show

Last week, myself and my family were very impressed when we went to the Britannia Pier to see the GY7 Schools put on a show and congratulations to the seven schools and the pupils, staff, for all their hard work.

Well done.

Mrs JUNE COOKE

Great Yarmouth

Schools show was impressive

On Tuesday evening last week myself and my family were very impressed when we went to the Britannia Pier theatre to see the GY7 Schools put on a show.

We congratulate the seven schools, pupils and staff, for all their hard work. Well done.

Mrs J COOKE

email