Letters, July 15 2016

Vote to leave the EU is binding

Reading articles about the demonstration for those who opposed Great Britain leaving the EU I cannot believe that these people want a second referendum. Are they for real?

The referendum was so that the people of this country could vote democratically, whether they wanted to stay in the EU or not.

Prime Minister David Cameron said this would happen three years ago, that this would give the British people a free vote on whether to stay in the EU or not.

By the 24th of June 2016, we all knew that more people had voted to leave the EU, thus ridding ourselves of the shackles of Brussels and eurocrats.

The outcome was that it would be in the best interests that the UK would be leaving the EU as that was the majority vote.

You could have predicted that this would happen, that the Remain camp would have sour grapes about the whole affair.

They remind you of a child not getting their own way and stamping their feet by encouraging a second referendum.

This will not happen of course, as the voting system was carried out democratically.

It was not done underhand, it was not set out to deceive us.

Somebody had made a comment that was being interviewed at the demonstration in Norwich that they are “proud of being European.”

Well sorry but Europe is a continent, not a country.

Instead of trying to hold demonstrations and saying silly things we all should try to pull together.

The UK can still build a strong relationship with the rest of Europe, but not with the EU.

To those in the Remain camp: just learn to accept defeat.

JOHN HUGGINS,

Turin Way,

Hopton

Martham Carnival puts fun back in

What a superb weekend spent at Martham Carnival, just like the old days of the eighties.

Our thanks must go to Mr Bob Warnes and his carnival crew. What an amazing job they did, especially with the procession.

I’m sure everyone who attended had a great time. You certainly have put the fun back into our carnival, and knowing Bob next year’s, I can guarantee, will be bigger and better.

G HOWARD

Hemsby Road,

Martham

Law lacks the teeth today!

When I was a lad and engaged in under-age drinking, I would sit there with my mates, nursing our pints of mild and always making sure that we sat near the door of the pub to ensure a quick getaway.

The minute anyone in a blue shirt and dark tie walked in, we would drink up and get out sharpish - just in case it was one of the boys in blue.

Now it seems that with impunity you can break into private property, cause criminal damage, contaminate the ground and basically do as you want without a blue-shirted constable anywhere to be seen.

They were certainly not the good old days but at least at that time the law was applied equally to all and sundry. Why not now?

MIKE SPRAGG

Collingwood Road,

Great Yarmouth

Dial up for town’s fish and chips

It came as a great surprise to find the first ever fish and chip shop in our famous Market Place known for its many chip stalls and another plus is that orders can be telephoned in on 07914 837858.

The food was hot with a good portion size with my friend also giving 11 out of ten for the great variations.

Long may they attract customers.

BETTY COATES

Back Lane,

Rollesby

Now you try the No 9 bus

Before free travel was issued some years ago I admit I paid half fare and found buses very frequent.

We had numbers 2, 8, 8A also X1 limited to stops to Kings Lynn.

Buses ran on Sundays and bank holidays.

How times have changed! To reply to Steve Hewitt and my scaremongering, perhaps he would like to catch the number nine weekdays leaving the JPH at 9.30am and see what travelling at that time is like.

This will be my final letter on the subject. Travellers at bus stops and on the buses are quick to complain but I don’t see many of them backing my efforts.

M MOSS

The Close,

Bradwell

One rule for one and one for...

A few months ago I parked my car at the north end of the Market Place, purchasing a ticket from the machine to cover this.

I was unavoidably delayed and found that I had overrun the stated time by about ten minutes and was fined accordingly, even though I had actually paid considerably over the correct rate as the machine did not give change.

I believe that many of your readers will agree that this is patently unfair whatever the authorities say.

Your recent report of the criminal damage, illegal parking and other offences on a local playing field highlights the difference in the treatment of law abiding members of the public and these so-called travellers.

Surely there is sufficient legislation in force to deal promptly with this blatant disregard of our rights as ensconced in the motto of our town?

In the unlikely event of finding myself at odds with authority I will declare that I am a “traveller” and expect to be treated as such.

NICK POWNALL

email

Future blown open by Brexit

Change happens quickly, and as a country we have seen a lot of change that we have chosen to react to now, in hindsight.

The swift totality of our reaction has called into question everything that has happened in the interim: Questions of English representation; The rights of émigrés and immigrants; The Northern Ireland Peace Process, and Scottish independence.

We are in crisis.

This dissolution of the certainties must be dealt with before we commit to Brexit.

We must begin by understanding that the UK we know is finished, however poignant this may be.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are not English shires but distinct national and cultural polities. They have to be given greater autonomy to shape their own EU destinies, just as England must be allowed the same, albeit in the opposite direction.

This is an entirely new concept of the UK, and I hope we have the sense and bravery to create it. To this end the interregnum of Mrs May must separate the national from the Tory interest, and here the failure of her predecessor looms large.

ANDERS LARSON

Vienna and Great Yarmouth

Same old excuses

Can any taxpayer in the borough of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston be satisfied with the current state of weed covered pavements, yellow-dead grass path edges, road verges obscuring motorist’s vision and unkempt growth on roundabouts?

Whilst considering my outlook to be both positive and proactive, it is testing to hear well rehearsed and repeated mantra’s such as “cash strapped council”, “budget cuts” “…doing this to save money…” have not only become the natural retort for authorities maintaining the status quo of doing nothing, but they now seem to believe these quips have the moral high ground over peoples reasonable concerns and expectations, this borne out by a recent response from Highways Agency as to high unkempt grass on roundabouts “….The height of vegetation on a roundabout island may actually help improve safety as it encourages drivers to slow down on approach to ensure the roundabout’s circulatory carriageway can be entered safely….” Really?

Effective organisations don’t allow internal departmental silos to become barriers to delivering the required end result, especially when needing to deal and cooperate with other similar organisations. For successful organizations it is down to individual beliefs and behaviour aligned with that what is needed to be delivered.

Think different, do different, stop wasting time in self-justification of doing nothing. For instance:

Highways Agency are “amenable” to local authorities taking on landscaping maintenance of roundabouts, whilst it was stated our council would want “…some of their budget…”. Will it really take that much for GYBC to just restore civic pride with 15 minutes extra work instead of this standoff?

Gorleston Cliffs, why not sow meadow grass that needs less attention, increases bird/insect habitat and enhances green credentials similar to the Lawn Avenue residential housing landscaping initiative.

Business sponsorship of areas such as roundabouts that positively advertise our community with visible standards.

Resident/community adoption of areas that can be positively maintained for the benefit of all.

Whether these are practical or foolish thoughts and ideas, putting positive energy into addressing issues instead of negative defence must be better for everyone?

STEVE TAYLOR

Clarence Road,

Gorleston

Parking on road is a huge issue

I live on Palgrave Road where parking is a big problem.

Most houses have one car, some have two or three cars, but it seems that a few people think that they must park outside their gate.

We live on a terraced street so you have no more right than anybody else.

We have the car shufflers who park in the middle of two spaces plus we have the drivers who park so close to to your bumper to intimidate you because you’re outside their gate.

We have cars, vans with half of it hanging over the junction so you can’t see what is coming up or down the road. Plus cars are speeding up the roads using them as a rat run to get on to Northgate Street and Lawn Avenue.

It will not be long before somebody gets hurt.

With over 200 houses on our road paying an average £1000 pounds a year in council tax you would think that you might get a road sweeper and the fly tipping removed and the weeds sorted.

I am aware it’s not just where we live but all over the town. Makes you wonder what we are paying for.

KEVIN HUBBARD

Email

Too pricey in town on rainy days

I brought my two grandchildren into Great Yarmouth at the weekend to see the sea and the sights, and to show them where I had grown up and gone to school. Although I left the town many years ago, I still love visiting and seeing my old friends, faces and places - and I am proud to be from Yarmouth.

But, if the weather is bad there is nothing or nowhere to take children that doesn’t cost a fortune. Is it greedy businesses on the seafront trying to milk money from visitors, just in case no-one comes back? I will certainly think twice about bringing my grandchildren back.

In the end I must have spent nearly £75 trying to keep them entertained. Why is there no free soft play areas, or if there is such a thing, why is it not advertised?

The thing the children liked the most was the cheapest entry we found - Merrivale Model Village, we will certainly visit there again. I didn’t feel so ripped off.

When I enquired about the future of the Winter Gardens, which looks so sad and uncared for by the way, I was told there is no money to restore it so it has to stay shut. Well then, there is one answer to that: pull it down. It is a massive blot on the landscape. Come on Yarmouth, get your act together and present a seafront which will attract regular visitors like me and hopefully my grandchildren in the future.

Mr G A KELLAM

Email

No to third river crossing

I am fed up having to queue for up to half an hour every morning from half a mile outside Yarmouth on the Acle Straight. It would be quicker to walk but there is no path! It is so frustrating as it seems no matter what time I leave home in Norwich to get into my workplace the queue approaching the Vauxhall roundabout never seems to be any different.

The town does not need a third river crossing, it needs a sensible entrance to the town that will cater for traffic going into Yarmouth town or turning right to go to Gorleston or in my case Beacon Park.

Get rid of the silly roundabout and have filter lanes and traffic lights to negotiate what at present is a nightmare.

I suppose Highways England - or whatever they are called - will have decided the traffic system is fine; after all they must visit a lot. Not! After all, they decided the Gapton Hall roundabout was working well and didn’t need changing until massive protests made them think again; I recall the headline in the Mercury and a petition calling it the Crap-ton Hall roundabout, how apt that was.

Perhaps we should refer to the Vauxhall roundabout traffic disaster as the Pox-Hall roundabout.

The shame is we can’t avoid it or go in another way so the only other answer would be to change employers and not face this mess every morning.

I would be interested to see if other readers agree with me, but I doubt the highways bosses would take any notice anyway. They wouldn’t trouble themselves taking note of local opinion as they are the “experts”!

SUSAN DIXON

Norwich