Ferryman’s royal appointment

Interesting read about the ferry (Peggotty’s page, October 21). It reminded me of press reports of 1882 which I discovered researching royal visits to the town which I hope to publish shortly. The Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VII visited the town on May 30, 1882 to formally open the edifice of the then new (present) Town Hall the next day. The Illustrated London News carried sketches of the visit.

After a sumptuous dejeune, with 350 guests in the Town Hall assembly room, he walked with Lord Suffield and other friends along the well presented Quay. He wished to cross over the river to take a drive.

He hailed a shrimper boatman who told him that he was not licensed to ferry people and the Prince should use the proper ferry! The Prince did so and the ferryman gained a royal customer and presumably could have claimed a sign “by Royal Appointment”!

CHRIS WRIGHT

Victoria Street,

Caister

Police station’s short-term plan

I read with interest plans by Norfolk police to downsize Yarmouth police station. The police missed out on a golden opportunity to replace the ageing Yarmouth and Gorleston police stations, when the prisoner handling facility was built at Southtown. In my opinion, the plan to downsize Yarmouth police station, so that it, “alters the building to suit the force`s current requirements”, is likely to be out of date by the time work is completed. Norfolk and Suffolk police forces already share resources in order to cut costs and the day is not that far off for the two forces to become one.

What then for Yarmouth and Gorleston police stations? The temptation surely would be to retain the much larger Lowestoft police station and use it as the area`s command base. Meaning that Yarmouth in particular and Gorleston, to a lesser degree, would be further downgraded.

Norfolk police plans in relation to Yarmouth police station are only for the, “here and now”. Yet another short term plan that will quickly unravel in a few years time.

Norfolk police and its Police and Crime Commissioner Lorne Green seem rather amiss in not making some effort at local consultation before drawing up these plans, which are being presented as a bit of a fait accomplit. Something which undoubtedly Great Yarmouth Borough Council will take steps to address, now the plans have been made public.

BRIAN GARE

University Crescent,

Gorleston NR31

Dog can inflict terrible wounds

I do not agree with Mrs Watson’s views concerning Staffies. The breed is basically flawed and should never be let off their lead in public places or around children in a home environment.

Facts speak for themselves due to the ferocious and fatal attacks by this breed of dog. Do not always blame the owners and the environment they bring this breed of dog up in. When this dog gets angry the outcome is horrendous in most circumstances due to the power of the creature and its ability to cause fatal injuries to other dogs or small people.

Why do people want this breed of dog that can inflict terrible wounds? I do agree they are a status symbol with young people who keep them locked up in back yards in Great Yarmouth and parade them as a social symbols due to their aggressive nature overall.

I know there are many other dangerous dog breeds which also cause terrible injuries to children and other dogs, and I do not understand why people wish to own these breeds. The Staffie basically is a fighter and Staffie crosses is where the pit bull comes from.

Ban this bastard breed for the future. I do not wish for existing dogs to put down, just stop breeding for the future and the mongrel-type dogs they mix this species up with.

There are so many wonderful family dogs that we all can love and live with. Why do you want a basic killing machine as a family pet? Many of them are quite nice but others, when angry, are outright killers due to their nature and power.

CHRIS ROSE

Email

Horse crossing road sign please

My friend and I decided to take our horses out for a lovely Sunday morning ride. When we tried to cross Beccles Road from Sun Lane across to Jews Lane next to the Sun pub, a car stopped to let us cross, but the car behind him wasn’t so patient and held his hand on his horn!

Lucky for us our horses didn’t bat an eyelid but what if we had been on spooky horses? The story could have been worse. If the council could put up a horses crossing sign and the bridleway sign was clearer people would be prepared.

Most people are considerate but why are there still some small-minded idiots about? Next time you’re out and about please slow down and don’t sound your horn around horses and riders.

Mrs JOANNE TAYLOR

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Demolish station and build homes

Big plans to make town police station smaller. Mercury, October 21. Surely now that the police have a brand spanking new interrogation centre off Pasteur Road, it is time to sell off and demolish the outdated building in Howard Street for housing development.

Perhaps the new development could be called Coppers Mews, Grassers Views, or Golfers Stews. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head, I am sure locals could come up with something more fitting or significant.

On another topic, having crossed swords via letters on more than one occasion with Mr Barkhuizen, I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with his criticism of Halloween.

It is at best unhelpful and at worst downright dangerous to meddle in the forces of darkness. Jesus Christ came into this world to bring light. It is the joyous celebration of the feast of All Hallows the following day that are best celebrated.

Darkness has nothing to offer but sadness. Let us instead ‘walk in the light of the Lord’, phrase in Isaiah 2:5, “Light” in the Bible is a metaphor for life, happiness and righteousness. By contrast: darkness: sadness and despair. Why celebrate despair when you can celebrate happiness?

R HAYES

Bradwell

Stick to the recipe in the Bible

In his letter two weeks ago Mr Candon says: “The bible is not a book to be ‘obeyed or accept the consequences’, it is a spiritual guide for each individual to follow and hold in whatever opinion they wish.”

Picture this... You have a recipe for making cherry scones. Nine people change the ingredients, amounts and baking times to what they want them to be. One person sticks to the recipe. Who will end up with the scones described in the recipe?

Likewise, if we change the Bible to make it say what we want it to say, then our new idea becomes our guide – we have become our own god. And this is what the “Baptists”, “Methodists”, “Anglicans”, “Roman Catholics”, “Salvation Army”, “Free Presbyterians”, “The Tabernacle”, and so on, have done. Their man-made organizations do not match God’s church, described in the New Testament (see for example Acts 14:23; James 5:14; 1 Corinthians 12:28–31; 14:26–37).

Jesus, the lord God, says: “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:26–27).

E BARKHUIZEN

Albemarle Road,

Gorleston

A ferry would extend season

“Not been without controversy”, so said the new owners of our Port. Well Peel Ports has brought more business into the borough in six months than the venture capital company International Port Holdings brought here in eight years - that was the controversy.

Peel Ports are an established Port operator, in these short months we have had no “ifs” or “buts” they have just got on with the business of getting work for our struggling offshore companies.

I disagree with those that say a ferry service would not bring employment to the borough as “wind power” would. Yarmouth has a short holiday season, what 12 weeks? A ferry service will bring much needed custom for the very hard-pushed tourist trade, this would be extended.

I don’t just mean our Golden Mile; there are many idyllic places west and north of Yarmouth that would benefit and with three sailings a day, seven days a week, the manpower needed to operate the ferry would run into hundreds.

I am sure Peel Ports will already have decided that wind and tourism can run together. Who knows they may already be looking into the possibility of Superfast Ferries making an appearance, which eight years ago our council let slip from their fingers.

JOHN L COOPER

Burnt Lane,

Gorleston

Your lost purse is at the library

To the lady who lost her purse at the bus stop in Gorleston High Street last Thursday: it is in safe hands at Gorleston Library on police advice.

Mrs K JERVIS

Lowestoft

Jobless? We need other figures too

Please would it be possible, in future reports about the unemployment figures for Great Yarmouth, for other elements of the local labour market to also get coverage?

In particular, the number of people currently using foodbanks in this area, the number of zero-hours contracts and the number of workers required to become self-employed in order to get work.

These statistics would give a much less biased picture of the local labour market than the regular, unchallenged account from Julie Nix of the DWP/Jobcentre, which is inevitably upbeat despite the experience on the ground.

You might also include a running count of the number of empty shops in the town centre.

At the last count, I could see seven - without moving from the corner of the Market Place and Regent Street. Consulting firms and expensive regeneration “gurus” don’t seem to be having much effect.

R F WARD

Upper Cliff Road,

Gorleston

Sprinting record was never broken

After reading about the passing of Anne Pashley, it brought back memories of when I was at the Technical High School. I was a sprinter and was also coached by Tom Parks.

When I was 13, I ran 80 metres in 10 seconds – a record which was never broken! I was selected to run for an All England sports event but boys became my interest then, so sadly I didn’t reach the great heights of Anne.

Good memories! I am aged 75.

Mrs BARBARA FERGUSON

(nee Myhill)

Arundel Road,

Great Yarmouth

Oklahoma a treat at the Pavilion

Seeing Oklahoma again at the Pavilion Theatre, Gorleston was a treat. Having been in that show, in that same place, in April 2001 with Dusty Miller, Matthew Canwell, Ian Sykes and others, it was refreshing to see the format of shows don’t always have to be updated.

Well done the ops and drams team, we and relations in audiences would probably agree with the song There’s No Business Like Show Business. It dates back to Rogers and Hammerstein in 1943. The Sound of Music last week too, at the Theatre Royal in Norwich, was an original 1959 production, also evergreen.

ROY WALDING

Mill Lane,

Bradwell

Our dogs need to enjoy stimulation

As a responsible dog owner I was surprised to read a notice at Burgh Castle concerning proposed restrictions on the freedom they at present enjoy in this area.

To expect dog owners to impose lead control in an open area does not take into account the need our pets have to enjoy a stimulating environment.

I have spent many happy hours with my dogs from as long ago as 1968 and I find this proposed manoeuvre deplorable.

PETER GUNTON

Wheatacre Drive,

Corton

Will there be flood relief in Bradwell?

Some time ago, there was talk of a £2m grant for flood relief? Before we enter the nasty period of the weather, may I through these columns ask if anybody in authority if any of this money is to be spent on the inadequate sewage pumping station at Morton Crescent in Bradwell, or the one at Baker Street in Gorleston.

JACK DYE

Gonville Road,

Gorleston

Greenacre reunion time comes again

Once again, through popular demand, I am organising the Greenacre School reunion for pupils from the years 1952 to 1962. The next reunion will take place at the Rumbold Arms on Southtown Road, Great Yarmouth, on Friday, February 3 and tickets are £15, to include buffet.

Please contact me on 07510 258544 or 01493 650395 for further details.

NANETTE SMITH

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