Letters, May 3 3013

I could more understand Mr Peacock, of Norfolk Living Streets concern over the “dangerous” mix of walkers and cyclists on the Prom if cyclists using it were all budding Bradley Wiggins’, hurtling along, heads down, flat out, at breakneck speed, but they of course are not. The majority would be going at a very sedate pace, enjoying the sea views, stopping for ice creams, just as pedestrians do.

Cyclists of course can legally use normal roads where the mix of motor vehicles and cyclists could be far more lethal. I would guess that far more pedestrians are injured just crossing the road than those involved in cyclist related accidents.

The Prom is a facility that should be enjoyed by everyone, and it is wide enough to be safely used by us all.

KEN OVERY

Gorleston

I’m searching for a Christina

I am trying to find and contact Christina Adams nee Middleton. Her mother was formerly from the Birmingham so was her late father was David Wilson. I believe she did work at the Grosvenor Casino. I would like Christina to contact me. I am Sandra the sister of the late David Wilson and I can be contacted by email on sh.1960@tesco.net or by phone on 07703 703609.

SANDRA HANSON

email

Why give cash to parish councils?

The idea that councillors have a £2k fund for local needs seemed sound. I am not sure if it has been well used, particularly when the council is cash strapped. (Mercury 19 and 26 April)

Several parish councils seem to be main beneficiaries. Why? Parish councils already have powers to raise their own council tax. Caister seems to have one of the highest council tax takes - hopefully for services and not administration. Why cannot other parish councils raise more from their parishes and not take from the rest of us?

I am not sure why grants are made to football and cricket clubs. Why are council taxpayers subsiding the leisure time of small groups? It is a relatively low cost pursuit and a whip round or few less pints after the match would remove the need for council taxpayers to fork out. Does sports fields hire cover their cost or are they subsidised too? Some clubs gained funding. I wonder what happened to self help and other sources of funds and how many people benefitted. What was the cost benefit to the community? I also see a bus shelter was funded when there is a long disused spare one at the end of King Street!

The Tory county council is even worse with £4m given away to community groups and parish councils. Close scrutiny suggests this was not all well used and other funding sources could have been sought.

Meanwhile, our area is disappearing into the sea and we still await improved road and rail access to the town. We need major funding for such infrastructure and job creation - 4,000 on the dole is ridiculous and a waste of resources and investment.

CHRIS WRIGHT

Victoria Street,

Caister

Street traders are a nuisance

I noticed this past sunny weekend, a group of “Only Fools and Horses” type characters, attempting to ply their merchandise along Regent Road. This business venture was being conducted in shop doorways and other small places, previously reserved for urinating drunks.

I have no complaint against anyone trying to earn a living, however, aggressive sales pitches are causing people to walk to the other side of the street to distance themselves. Perhaps GYBC might remind these gangs of street traders, that their licence is granted on the condition that they do not cause obstruction, danger nuisance or annoyance.

Mr P TAYLOR

Great Yarmouth

Problems with union benefits

I was member of the old Electrical Trade Union, then the AEEU and Amicus Unite the Union. I have been a retired paid up member for quite a few years. Last year I received a pamphlet describing the advantages and benefits of Amicus and Unite the Union for the annual sum of £26!

I thought this might be of some benefit to me and to see what they could offer I paid the money on a direct debit. On receiving and reading the new information booklet I found there was not a great deal on offer to me and I decided to cancel the direct debit.

Two days later I received a telephone call from Unite enquiring as to why I had cancelled my direct debit; and was I aware this would completely cancel my retirement membership of the union as of 2012.

I am led to believe that there is no such thing as a paid up retirement membership of the union now. This took me by surprise as I am receiving help on a legal matter through the union which I was informed would be no longer applicable.

So to all you retired Amicus members - check if you are still a member as I had misread/understood the pamphlet I had received last year!

M T WEBB

Station Road North,

Belton

Village charities needed funds

I refer to the Mercury, April 19: How councillors spent pot. The budget of £2,000 is allocated to each borough councillor to spend for the benefit of their ward, as they believe will make a difference. Borough councillors Hacon, Plane, Plant, Smith and H Wainwright came to Bradwell Parish Council with a view to spending their budgets on projects for the parish.

Cllr James Tate did not approach the parish council with, or for, any suggested project. Approaches were made to him, both by email and letter, asking if he could allocate some of his budget monies towards a particular project, and offering to supply further ideas or alternatives if he needed them.

Bradwell Community Centre and the Mill Lane Centre could both benefit from part of the £2,000.

Since his election to the borough council in May 2004, Cllr Tate has only attended one parish council meeting, and has never attended a parish meeting.

Cllr E C HOWLETT

Chairman,

Bradwell Parish Council

Cycling on prom is dangerous

With reference to your article on cycling along Gorleston Prom. We strongly agree it is dangerous. We have seen cyclists coming down the slopes at speed and whizzing along the prom at the bottom, as opposed to it being just leisure cycling.

Last year my husband had a near miss, a cyclist went passed, my husband pointed out he shouldn’t be on the prom the cyclist promptly turned round and headbutted my husband. The cyclist said we shouldn’t have our dog there either, so he was well aware of the law. He wouldn’t give me his name so how could we report the incident.

We asked for more signs to be put up along the entrances to the prom, the Ravine and Links Road end but nothing materialized. We see the signs for allowing cycling have been put up immediately.

During the period when cycling was prohibited, there appeared to be no or very little monitoring so how will it be effectively monitored now? Who will monitor it so people are able to report incidents?

At the meeting where the proposed change to the bylaw was brought up how was this published so people could be canvassed on their opinions? In light of cycling on pavements being condemned by most people, and yet allowing free access to the Promenade, which was designed for walking, we feel this is retrograde step to the amenities of Gorleston. We wonder how many of the committee members use the prom for walking.

Mr and Mrs JENKINS

Bately Avenue,

Gorleston

Bible cannot be seen as accurate

I am sorry I upset Denis Cooper with my letter about the historical accuracy of the bible. I note he has justified his point of view with many quotes from the bible and a rather strange conclusion that all the Easter stories from other faiths stem from a corruption of the Adam and Eve story being spread around.

It is of course quite all right to use the bible as a basis for a Christian faith if this is what one wishes to do. What I was trying to point out is that it cannot be accepted as historically accurate. The Council of Nicaea in 325AD was set up by Emperor Constantine to decide on the divinity of Jesus but in the course of doing this they also decided what was to be kept in the bible and what was to be rejected and of course they kept those gospels that agreed with their decisions.

There were about another 30 gospels some of which have now been translated and give conflicting accounts of the events which must throw doubt on the accuracy of the four books in the bible. There are also some obvious inaccuracies. For example in the Christmas story we are told that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem for a Roman census.

We are told this because the Old Testament or Jewish prediction for the birth of the messiah is that he would be born in Bethlehem. However no such census happened and of course the purpose of a Roman census was to collect taxes so you need to count people where they live and work not where they were born.

I would agree with Denis that the Old Testament did predict the birth of a messiah but there were a number of young men about Israel at the time claiming to be the messiah and the Jews are still waiting for him. So like all predictions it is not difficult with little imagination to match a subsequent event to fit what was predicted.

However none of this matters and we can go on enjoying Christmas and Easter to our hearts’ content.

DEREK BROWN

Royal Naval Hospital,

Great Yarmouth

Food-stealing seagulls terror

I was made aware of an issue a couple of weeks ago by two market officials - seagulls taking food from adults and children’s hands in our town centre areas.

On Saturday, outside Superdrug at about 1.50-2pm I witnessed a large seagull swoop down from behind a lady outside the store’s main window and take a sausage roll out of the lady’s hand, just as she was about to take a mouthful ,

This issue needs addressing somehow before it gets completely out of hand.

I’m not sure what the answer is, but it needs looking into before a bad incident occurs. I am a firm animal and bird lover but what happened is getting beyond a joke.

Maybe the seagulls need culling in an appropriate humane way. Pinch their eggs or put them on a contraceptive programme?

Cllr MARIE FIELD

email

We will always remember dead

Seventy years ago on May 11 1943, Yarmouth was attacked, yet again, by enemy hit and run bombers making the short crossing of the North Sea under cover of early morning mist to drop their bombs indiscriminately over the town.

On this morning a house on North Drive received a direct hit and 26 members of the ATS, the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the Army, were killed instantly. Details of this raid and names of its victims were not disclosed until many years later. In 1993 when the Norfolk branch of the ATS Association was made aware, a service was held at the graves in Caister cemetery and the Roman Catholic burial ground. The following year a plaque was erected and dedicated by Lady Soames (Mary Churchill) herself a member of the ATS.

Every year since then we have held an informal service and laid flowers at the plaque in memory of our wartime comrades. This year, being the 70th anniversary, we hope to do the same. We all served in the Army in the second world war and age is overtaking us.

We would welcome all who would care to join us at the Burlington Hotel, North Drive at 11am on May 11. It is our hope when we are no longer able to undertake this duty, Great Yarmouth citizens will continue to honour their memory.

Mrs J AWBERY

Meadow Rise Road,

Norwich

Treasure prom

Cycling on the prom? This is just another “go” at something that is quiet and peaceful. A tranquil prom is something to be treasured in these days of hustle and bustle. No! Let our prom alone!

RITA I FARMER

Marine Parade,

Gorleston

Cycling on prom is stupid idea

I cannot believe how stupid it is to let cyclists along Gorleston prom from May until September. It is the busiest time when locals and holidaymakers like a lovely stroll without having to watch out for bikes.

It will turn out to be a racetrack. There is nothing along there to attract youngsters. I would think October till April would be better, if at all. Everyone beware while taking a lovely walk along the prom. I would hate to see someone get hurt because of someone’s stupid mistake.

C A BALLS

Bradwell

Thanks to QD

Our heartfelt thanks to all of the kindly helpers in QD in Gorleston High Street, on Wednesday, April 24, who “rescued” Stanley Ward. Glad to say he is more or less recovering, but needs to take care.

Mrs JOYCE WARD

Elmhurst Close,

Gorleston

Use cycling lane in rush hour

Recently there have been a number of programmes on TV about cyclists and motorists clashing on British roads, usually with the motorist getting the sometimes admittedly deserved blame.

This makes it all the stranger that a few ignorant/thoughtless/obstinate riders keep riding on Caister Road in rush hour traffic when they have a perfectly good cycle lane to use.

This is a very busy road at these times with relatively high speeds, four lanes and not much spare room, so why they choose to do so is beyond me - and a lot of other motorists I think too. Perhaps one of them could explain their reasoning, preferably before they cause/are in an accident. I have been told that this also happens on other roads in the area too, including Gapton Hall Road.

On a related note there are a number of underused pathways that could double up as cycle lanes with some minor adjustments. I am thinking particularly of the A149 from Rollesby to Ormesby, which appears to have very little foot traffic. If someone brave in highways or our council spent some of our money it could even be extended to Potter Heigham and Caister!

SIMON CLARKE

Repps with Bastwick

Excellent care at the Paget

We would like to thank the James Paget Hospital for their excellent care of Stanley during his recent critical illness. We have nothing but praise for everyone involved including A&E, EADU, ward 15, ICU, ward 1, ward 5, radiology, pathology, pharmacy, physiotherapy, speech and language and dietetics, without whose teamwork the outcome may have been very different.

JOSE & STANLEY MARJORAM

Belton

Undermining of onshore battle

Reading of the endeavour planned by the good folks of Hemsby towards erosion inspired my concern over the estimated cost of the operation being considered. Money and manpower inshore is being literally undermined by greater money and manpower offshore.

Villagers want to build a barrier on a clay bed, and talk of ballast building up around it in an effort to stop this erosion.

Let’s stop and think. Where is this silt and ballast going to originate from? If the situation remains as it is now, there will be nothing left material-wise to consolidate the concrete blocks - because aggregate extraction keeps on pillaging.

The local council has gone ‘on guard’ when it comes to apportioning blame. If this pillage of aggregate can be classed as stolen from private ownership - eg from Geoffrey Watling Norwich Limited - and can be proved as being the source of the trouble, can the people behind the extraction not be brought to book?

This would help with the endeavours of these threatened people.

JACK DYE

Gonville Road

Caister

Four gospels don’t agree

With reference to Mr D Cooper’s letter: The logic that if A testify for B and B testify for A then it must be true, sums up the position of the four gospels and the apostles. If you read the four gospels you quickly see they don’t agree even on who first visited the tomb and what they found there. And in Acts, Jesus was said to have stayed on earth for forty days and not the three days of the resurrection, but that is usually not quoted as it spoils the story we have forced on our children for generations.

As for dying for the cause, thousands have died for their non-belief and if a willingness to give one’s life for religious belief is the standard to reach for, one has to say some other religions have the clear lead here. It doesn’t make them right.

What is written by Mr Cooper is the typical mishmash of the four gospels weaving a single jolly story, which simply glides over the fact the actual written words fail to agree on events.

DAVE GAHAN

Havelock Road,

Great Yarmouth

Hospital staff operate well

Our mum has been admitted to the JPH on two occasions over the last six months. The first being last September with a serious infection, for which she was admitted for four weeks, and more recently with a mini stroke.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all who cared for our mum during her stays. Everyone from the paramedics and ambulance crew to the doctors, nurses and physiotherapist who looked after her on Ward 3, 18 and recently in the Stroke Ward (1), have been brilliant.

Bearing in mind the constant government cuts to the NHS budgets, we think the staff at the JPH who we know are constantly busy, manage it very well without compromising on thoroughness or care. Although this has been a worrying time, we believe that without the care of the staff at the JPH, we would not be in such a fortunate position now with mum having made a good recovery.

The SMITH Family

Bradwell