Letters, October 21, 2016

I read in last week’s Mercury that the old chestnut about the pong in Caister has raised its ugly head or should that be the other end, yet again. We have all been lulled into a sense of false security with promises of no more smells from the Caister pong factory. Just how many more times are we going be told they have sorted it all out and we won’t suffer any more bad smells?

If you are like me, when I drive past the sewage farm the windows go up and the air con goes on recirc as a matter of course. Your heart must go out to those who live close they just can’t get away from it, it must have permeated into the bricks of their homes.

Have you ever thought why did planners allow something like that to be built so close to our village when there is miles of broadland they could have put it in, without a house, shop or person to be inconvenienced for miles? The last insult must be to ask the villagers to keep a log of pong days and the strength they assume it is.

We live in the north end of Caister so you would think we were far enough away to be immune from the smell, but I continuously find myself saying such things as they must be muck spreading on the fields.

But it happens so often the excrement must be feet deep on the fields, even in our area. I wonder what the planners will blame next time the smell gets greater than the normal pong!

ALAN HENDLEY

(and nose peg)

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I don’t have a dog, but dumb friends

People with dogs are just too scared to bite people themselves. (only joking!) Seriously though, I don’t have a dog as I have enough dumb friends already.

MIKE SPRAGG

Collingwood Road,

Great Yarmouth

Halloween is not harmless fun

Halloween has crept back again. For real witches and Satanists this is one of their most important festivals, a time when human sacrifice to Satan takes place. Parents, children and teachers who think celebrating witchcraft, demons and death is just “harmless fun” should think again.

God, the creator and keeper of the universe, says in His holy book, the Bible: “There shall not be found among you anyone who practises witchcraft, or a fortune teller, or ... a sorcerer, or one who does spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are hateful to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:10–12; see also Matthew 18:6–7). Watch this short video by Doreen Irvine, former queen of witches in Europe: http://tinyurl.com/hnvw34d.

E BARKHUIZEN

Albemarle Road,

Gorleston

Homes plan will create dangers

Planning permission has been applied for to build 93 houses opposite Church Farm Residential Home in Hemsby.

The grounds of the home flood when it rains as the drainage cannot cope already. Also the entrance to the site is almost directly opposite the entrance of the home, immediately after a blind bend. Residents and visitors already face a hazardous exit from the home, more traffic will surely add to the risk.

Also equally as important is that the residents, some over 100 years old will lose their beautiful view of the fields and sky that they look out to at present.

ANNE MORLEY

Email

More to Yarmouth than the seafront

Several weeks ago in a letter to the Mercury I broached the subject of Bollard Quay closure. Since then I have sent a Freedom of Information letter to the borough council asking them to clarify the state of the Quay on Southtown Road. The council, I understand, does not have members attending meetings on the port and so could not explain the voids under the quay.

In 2011 at a public meeting at County Hall, the Port Company and GYBC chief executive announced the birth of the Community and Marine Liaison Committee (CAMLC), a vehicle that complies with the 2015 Harbour Revision Order (HRO) a legal entity complying with Modernising Trust Ports 2000 issued by the Department of Transport.

Three issues of the Mercury have been and gone and yet no statement has been made by the council, so do they believe that Quay Heads falling into the river is of no immediate concern?

But hold hard, because of the decisions made in 2007 we pay for the West Bank (Gorleston side of the river). Are we to wait like we have been to watch the quays from the Pilot Station to north of Bollard Quay to be even more of a danger? There is more to Great Yarmouth than the blessed seafront.

JOHN L COOPER

Burnt Lane,

Gorleston

Thanks for return of my handbag

I would like to say thank you to the person who handed into Sainsburys my handbag, left on a trolley. It is lovely to have such an honest person living in the community. Thank you so much.

DOREEN WOODCOCK

Filby

Use of ‘pauper burials’ hateful

Shame on the Mercury for the use of the hateful expression “pauper burial” on both the front page and in the following article, Shock rise of pauper burials (October 14).

This archaic term which is used by your journalist, but not by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, is laden with reproach. It derives from the Poor Law, which, during a 330-year history that ended within living memory in 1929, was the most loathed and feared institution among working people throughout the country.

In a town and district in which many families are doing their best to make ends meet and who would be placed in a very difficult position financially by the cost of a present-day funeral, you could not have given more offence if you had set out with the intention of doing so.

TREVOR NICHOLLAS

Kensington Court,

Lowestoft

Jem Mace has a church memorial

Further to your interesting article about prizefighter Jem Mace. He was born in Beeston, a small village near Dereham and a memorial is in the churchyard. It is a very remote church, some way outside the village and not in use.

I based an article on Jem Mace, written for my motorcycle club magazine and a picture of the memorial was included.

I have visited the church twice and found the memorial in need of a clean up and thought about approaching the local boxing club with a view to getting a clean up sponsored. It seems it would not be that simple, it would require permission, also the deeds of the plot.

By a strange co-incidence, in the October Let’s Talk magazine, the reviewed book was titled “Gypsy Jem Mace”, and written by his great, great grandon. How many relatives must he have as he seemed to spread his wild oats worldwide?

ROBIN HAMBLING

Lawn Avenue,

Great Yarmouth

Remembering the athelete Anne

It was with much sadness to read in last week’s Mercury that we lost a sporting celebrity of Great Yarmouth from the 1950s such as Anne Pashley.

I have so many good memories of being part of the Great Yarmouth Three A’s team competing alongside of that great lady champion.

On a few occasions when the Great Yarmouth team travelled to other towns I had sat next to Anne and had many a chat about her triumphs. As you mentioned in your report, Mr Tom Parkes was our coach and it was he who enrolled me into the GY AAA team in 1950. I was allowed to go to the Wellesley ground on my own to practice my high jump.

It was on one of these practice afternoons whilst jumping at the sandpit I noticed Anne and her family come into the grounds through the south east gate. The family was talking to a gentleman who I think was the man who started all the running events on competitions days when suddenly Anne approached me and asked if I could help her by pacing for her. I reluctantly said yes.

She gave me a 10 yard start on a supposedly 60 yard run. The big man gave us a ready, steady go. I set off like the wind so I thought, but before I had run 20 yards Anne went past as though I was standing still.

On one outing, I think to Kings Lynn, where Anne entered and won the long jump event she was only a quarter of an inch off the British Ladies title at the tender age of 15.

But it was 1951 when at a meeting on the Wellesley that Anne won two events and Mr Tom Parkes forecasted she would some day become a British, if not World, champion. It was on that same day a number of the Yarmouth team won several events and the day I became Norfolk high jump champion.

I started high jump competitions at North Denes Junior School in 1944 at the age of nine, and during the six years until I left school I only lost one even. But in 1950 I left school with two sporting records and the Victor Ludorum Cup. My high jump record of 5ft 1ins lasted for 25 years, never to be beaten but was equalled in 1975. It was a very hard landing in the sandpit, no sponge mattress like they do now with the flop.

Over my lifetime I have often thought and talked to my family about the old times and of my acquaintance with the lovely Anne Pashley.

RAYMOND WELCH, 81

Queens Road,

Great Yarmouth

Bluebells plan for Bluebell Meadow?

May we look forward next spring to the scenic blow of Beacon bypass and Bluebell Meadow housing estate being softened by Borough, Highways and contractors by thoughtfully planting and providing a few hundred bluebells? Let’s hope so.

R WALDING

Mill Lane, Bradwell

Don’t stop dogs going on beach

I am not a dog owner but would not like to see pets banned from our beaches – where few people venture anyway! Visitors generally stay between the two piers to enjoy the beach in Great Yarmouth; and I know people staying in caravans at Haven Seashore at the end of North Drive like the fact they can take their dogs on holiday and walk them safely.

I walk for about a quarter of a mile every other day along the beach towards Caister and enjoy seeing dogs offlead and enjoying themselves. The owners are always so polite and stop to chat with me.

I walk to stay fit and healthy, the beach is perfect and I have never seen an offlead dog get into a confrontation with man or animal. Yet I have seen considerate owners pick up mess which their dogs haven’t deposited!

You will never stop the irresponsible dog owner walking the beach in the dark evenings; and who is going to patrol it late at night?

Name and Address withheld

Rinks could have helped foodbank

I think I know now where I will be shopping this Christmas, or at least experiencing the late night shopping experience that brings with it the festive spirit and happiness – Norwich. I cannot believe there is going to be nothing big happening in our Market Place this year. What an absolute letdown.

Councillors should think on at the decision they have made not to bring the ice rink back or indeed have a roller-skating rink here: and as for the Labour councillors who cited the reasons for their decision not to have the ice rink was because a lot of people were needing and using foodbanks, well that is ridiculous! You could have used the attraction to encourage locals to bring items to put into big containers to help feed those poor people through Christmas and into the new year.

No doubt people would have brought presents too, and included festive fare.

And it would have raised the profile of the foodbank especially if the Salvation Army had been there with their band on several evenings.

I have always voted Labour, but this decision has stuck in my craw, so why should I spend my pension money in Yarmouth supporting a town centre that is being encouraged by our councillors to die. I will spend it where I know I will be greeted by happy, smiling faces and who have the Christmas spirit.

Mrs J SUTHERINGTON

Address withheld

Don’t blame dogs, it’s their owners

I was delighted to see the story on your website about Jess the Staffordshire bull terrier being safely returned home. I could tell from how the owner was talking about her just how much of a part of the family she had become, which got me thinking about Staffies in general.

A lot has been said about how they are a dangerous dog and should be banned, and I think that is absolute tosh. I have had a Staffy myself for several years called Bungle and he is the most docile, friendly dog you could ever hope for. He’s such a sweetheart and loves nothing more than cuddle.

I’m a firm believer that there are no dangerous dogs, just dangerous dog owners. Given the right love and training any dog can be harmless – it is only when irresponsible owners raise them to become brutes, that they turn into brutes. I think we need to start looking at the people that are raising the dogs, rather than the dogs themselves.

How we can do that, I’m not totally sure, perhaps people need to take tests to prove they are capable of caring for a dog properly? That’s not for me to say. What I can say though – stop blaming the doggies!

CLAIRE WESTON

Email

Southtown Road traffic so slow

What is wrong with the creeping traffic on Southtown Road in Yarmouth this week? It has been a nightmare.

On Tuesday morning about 8.45am it took me 14 minutes to get from Gordon Road to the first set of traffic lights at Station Road junction. And this happened again this morning (Wednesday). There didn’t seem to be any reason except for... wait for it ... the sets of traffic lights. Are they out of sync? Southtown Road is one of the busiest in the mornings as drivers are discouraged from going from west Gorleston along the A12 because of the massive queues that build up there - and even more traffic lights to be held up at outside the old Two Bears. Sort it please.

N WOODS

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