We should be visitor-friendly

Here we go again, another one of Cllr Wainwright and his socialist cohorts’ crazy un-visitor friendly ideas. Don’t they realise this town’s major lifeblood are the visitors.

Removing the Marina toilets to make way for more chargeable parking is just another measure this Labour council wishes to impose on a dwindling number of visitors. Surely if the Marina needs refurbishing, it is not rocket science to ensure the new plans could include toilets.

Also where are the detailed costings showing the number of parking places to be provided, revenue steams these may generate, against equipment and running costs? Or will these be massaged like those that councillors tried to use to hoodwink the people over the recent residents’ parking fiasco? Come on Yarmouth council let’s start becoming visitor-friendly.

JOHN STEVENS

via email

Cyclists? Look at mobility scooters

I have just heard if you ride your bike over Haven Bridge in Yarmouth you will be fined. If that is the case isn’t it about time this so-called council looked at speeding mobility scooters on pavements nearly wiping you out.If they go that speed why can’t they use the roads?

DOUG TOWERS

email

Firefighters do a dangerous job

Brandon Lewis, our MP, is now wanting our firefighters to fight fires and rescue people up to the age of 60, putting firefighters and the public at greater risk.

If firefighters, of which two-thirds can’t make the standard fitness test beyond the age of 55 (the current retirement age for a full pension), retire before the age of 60 they will receive a smaller pension, many will be sacked under the imposed rules. Where is the fairness in that?

Firefighters already pay 13pc of salary towards their pensions and do a dangerous job. All this whilst MPs claim more in expenses, want a massive pay rise and refuse to pay more for their pension.

Firefighters are understandably angry and have no option but to go on strike. Mr Lewis could stop this, keep the current rules and avert a strike, I suspect he’d rather say firefighters who earn around two-thirds less than MPs should stop complaining. I say firefighters save lives and are worth every penny, I can’t say the same for our MP.

LEE SUTTON

Secretary Great Yarmouth Trades Union Council

Absurd idea to scrap toilets

Whilst not quite in the same league as “Second world war two bomber found on the moon”, there have been a few local headlines I’ve initially scoffed at before going on to read the full report.

For instance “Big cat spotted on Beacon Park” or “Thousands of jobs to be created by outer harbour project”, well I suppose to be fair one of these seems more likely, but the recent headline of “Seafront toilets to be demolished for car parking” looked absurd.

However, it has a basis of truth in that the council is actually considering removing a public amenity from the seafront, despite the protestations of locals and traders that a tourist resort could even consider such.

Just what is the strategy the Town Hall is following? It is contrary to the park and ride (what happened to that apart from the signage?) scheme to provide amenities for the visitors attracted to the Golden Mile. Seems to me rather than an integrated transport strategy, we are in danger of turning tennis courts over to tarmac and making ideas up, rather that proper assessment and consultation to build a sustainable future for GY plc.

STEVE TAYLOR

Clarence Road

Gorleston

Final journey of disaster tribute

The final journey of the Suspension Bridge Disaster is coming to an end. The unveiling is Saturday, September 28 at midday near the Swan public house.

I have asked a lovely lady who I respect and feel has a good heart to unveil it,Valerie Howkins. There will also be somebody from St Nicholas Minister to say a prayer and some kind words to counteract the cruel words used when the victims were laid to rest.

The Rector is trying to get the church bells to be rung so the whole town can hear the victims being remembered. TS Warrior will be there along with descendants of the people who died.

The memorial has been created by the people of the town so it would be so nice if the people came to this last act of respect.

It has become so much more than a memorial to me, meeting so many who have helped along the way.

It has been like a big jigsaw and this is the final piece. The Suspension Bridge Disaster story is now firmly embedded in the town’s history. The wonderful job Paul Davies and the history society have done in bringing the George Beloe stone back, the eye witness painting by CJ Winter of the disaster has it’s own place in the Time and Tide Museum.

The history mural now includes the disaster near the Vauxhall Bridge. This new memorial will tell their story so nobody need go anywhere else to learn of what happened on May 2, 1845 on the spot where the memorial will stand. Please come to see it unveiled.

JULIE STAFF

email

I give way to all the pedestrians

In response to cycling over Haven Bridge, I personally don’t see a problem with it. I have been doing it to and from work for years and not a single person has ever said anything to me about it. This is probably because I slow down and give way to pedestrians every time. I will say that each winter when I cycle home in the dark, I see at least half a dozen cyclists with no lights on their bikes at all. This happens almost every night and I have never seen anybody get stopped by the police regarding this. Surely this is more dangerous than cycling over the bridge (carefully).

M REEVE

email

Must give credit to the Paget

We all know the NHS nationally comes in for a great deal of adverse criticism and some of it is no doubt justified. I, however, have had to visit the A&E department at the James Paget Hospital twice within the last few weeks and found the swift treatment by the professional staff on duty to be of the highest quality, for which I am very grateful. As my dear late mother would say ”give credit where credit is due” and I do. Thank you all very much.

MR G DANIELL

Sidegate road

Hopton

It’s a choice to be a Christian

Mr Gervais (September 13) might be surprised to learn that I, as a Christian, do not believe in ‘gods’ either, on the basis I have never experienced or seen any hard evidence for their existence.

On the other hand, if he is speaking of “the” Holy Triune God of the Bible, then I have had more experiences and seen more hard evidence than he could ever imagine. I have a personal relationship with Him, which is more intimate than any human relationship could be, so I can categorically state I know beyond doubt He not only exists, but is omniencently present in my life.

I know that relationship will continue for all eternity, a fact Mr Gervais will never understand while he is dependent on human rationality. Some say they have to see before they can believe, but the corollary is true: one has first take a leap of faith and believe in order to see!

Mr Barkhuizen is fulfilling his duty as a Christian, to warn of the dangers there is only one choice worthy of human dignity and that is to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour, enter into an intimate relationship with Him and live by His precepts. The alternative is unimaginably awful, too horrific to contemplate and never intended for humanity, but it is still “a choice.”

ROGER HAYES

Beccles Road

Bradwell

Route climbs vertical wall!

I was very interested to read about the bus pass situation encountered by the parents of Demi Leigh Rowland.

My son started at East Norfolk Sixth Form College last September and my daughter this September. My son was assessed as eligible for subsidised travel and only one year later, my daughter is not eligible. The refusal letter claims the walking route from home to the college is now less than three miles even though neither of the buildings have moved.

To check, I walked various possible routes from door to door using a GPS tracker and all routes exceeded three miles. I appealed to Norfolk County Council and eventually was sent a map extract from their GIS software that assesses the walking route as 2.945 miles - apparently just 96 yards less than the required three miles. When I looked at the route clearly marked on this map I was astounded and angry at the assumptions made by the person carrying out the assessments.

The chosen route goes along Beccles Road up to the flyover for the bypass. The walking route then climbs a vertical wall up onto the bypass - where pedestrians are not allowed to walk. Further along the bypass where Church Lane crosses as a flyover the walking route then climbs another vertical wall to turn left onto Church Lane to access the college.

The route does not use Shrublands Way which can clearly be seen on the map as separate from the chosen route. The detour to use Shrublands Way is further than the assessed route and it certainly exceeds the required three miles from our home.

The letter from David Halfyard last week questions the accuracy of the Geographical Information System software used by the county council. Even if the software was completely accurate the council have a duty of care to ensure local knowledge is used and the routes chosen are physically possible to walk.

I have again appealed to Norfolk County Council but the council has sadly chosen to ignore this. I have heard there are a number of families in my area near Northgate Street that have similarly been refused subsidised travel and in many cases this will be because the council has chosen a route that is impossible to walk. If you think you may be affected I urge you to appeal to Norfolk County Council.

There is another relevant point. For the first time, it is compulsory for my daughter and those currently in Year 11 to receive one extra year of education - in effect the education leaving age is now 17+. It should not be a 50pc travel subsidy being offered to this year, it should be 100pc in line with all students that have not reached the official education leaving age.

SUZANNE WELLS

Great Yarmouth

Dangerous to cycle on roads

I`ve been following the continued argument about cyclists using the pavement instead of the road. Especially with the £50 on the spot fine if you use your bike on Haven Bridge, issued by our ever efficient police force, again hitting where the true crime is... ignoring lesser important issues of burglary, violence, drugs etc.

As an everyday commuter on, sorry to say a bicycle, there is one question which has never been asked by the complaining public who insist we should all be banished to cycle hell - why do we use the unauthorised pavements?

It is because it’s so dangerous using any roads around town, that’s why. I have to go down Southtown then back along South Quay. Not much worries me, but when some idiot seems to think he is as good a driver as Jenson Button, gets to within inches of me and my bike at over the speed limit because he is cool, then sorry, I’m taking the safer option. I don’t want my 10 year old daughter visiting me in hospital. If I have to pass a pedestrian, I pass around them. I look out for them, and slow down.

There are lots of us cyclists using this way of transport to get to and from work. The police have to stop using us as an easy money-making target and look at the bigger picture and fine the idiots who make our roads a dangerous place.

Then maybe we will use roads to bike on and feel safe. At the end of the day it’s a community; respect our ways, and we will yours.

JASON SIRAGHER

email

Rubbish leads to more rubbish!

Further to my letter printed three weeks ago in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, I am pleased to say that the black bins from the back of St John’s Terrace have at last been removed. Since then there has been no dumping of rubbish or fly-tipping thus proving that rubbish accumulates even more rubbish and encourages the more irresponsible members of the public to fly-tip.

May I congratulate the council for their prompt attention, let’s hope the problem does not return.

MOLLIE TIMBY

Lancaster Road

Great Yarmouth

More interest in death than life

Mr Barkhuizen now claims there are facts that proves conclusively God made the Universe. I would be amazed if these said facts did not materialise from the one book. The Bible.

Ah, I see. It says it in the Bible therefore it must be true. Who are we to question the bible? I suggest Mr Barkhuizen, present these ‘facts’ in written format, have his work peer reviewed. But of course, facts are about as useful as a Tory backbencher, unless they can be backed up with evidence. It’s been claimed I have failed to look at the evidence, but the reality of it is, whom is living their life based on stories told by Middle Eastern sand dwellers?

Responding to Theists letters here and on other forums is like playing chess with a pigeon - it knocks the pieces over, messes on the board and flies back to its flock to claim victory. You can’t win.

They also seem more interested in dying than living and hoping for something better, when they should be looking around and seeing the Universe in all its glory.

I’m waiting for the next question that I’m always asked - if we were once monkeys, how come there are still monkeys? Here we go again, well...

R GERVAIS

Great Yarmouth

Who cares about poor animals?

Just thought I’d share my experiences of politics gone wrong. I arrived home from work to find a very malnourished Border Collie skulking near the close we live in.

After a lot of coaxing I managed to get the dog on a lead. I lead it to our back garden as it was terrified. The dog on inspection had no fur on its back, legs or tail, it was covered in bites and you could see its ribs/hip bones and spine. I gave the dog a bowl of dried food; in the end it had three bowls.

I had an idea where the dog had come from, so I went to see the owner, they eventually answered the door and said “have you found my dog?” I told them I was going to inform the RSPCA and they closed the door. On returning I rang the only RSPCA number available and was told by them the call was logged but no guarantee on when an officer could come out.

The problem I had was I have three dogs and there would be a severe chance they would catch the mange themselves.

My next port of call was to ring the local vets thinking they would be able to home the dog and possibly treat it until the RSPCA arrived. I was told they could not have it because the RSPCA was aware and why don’t I take it back to the owner.

A while later the local RSPCA officer came on the phone, my hopes soared but were dashed when I was told because I had reported the dog to the cruelty line, “protocol” said the local RSPCA officer would have to be informed of it by them and they only worked 9-5 so best thing is take the dog back to the owner and they would probably get a call sometime tomorrow.

I questioned whether there wasn’t some kind of ethics missing and asked if the RSPCA turned up the next day and the dog was dead, what would happen? I was told “then they would probably get prosecuted”. I asked whether the idea of prosecution rather than prevention was the correct route. I likened this to the unfortunate case of Baby P but it seems the people we think really want to help don’t really put their money (donations) where their mouth is.

In the end I had no choice but to take the dog back as the discomfort and vet bills for my three dogs would be unthinkable.

Shame on you animal cruelty charities, shame on you vets.

STEVE PERFECT

email

Bradwell new homes insanity

It has been a long time since I have written a letter to the Mercury, but the insanity of building 1,000 homes in Bradwell goes beyond reason. Yes, they say they will build a school, will it take 2,000-plus students. Has the education authority given the go ahead?

What about healthcare. At least in excess of 3,000 extra people needing hospital care and operations, dental care, ambulance services, need I go on. They may tell you it would create more jobs, but there isn’t enough work for the present residents and school leavers.

Our hospitals are at full stretch, as are schools. I know they would say this would create more jobs for nurses, doctors, dentists, schoolteachers etc, but could they afford to employ more people? Would it give us the skilled people needed and could we afford it?

DAVID BROWN

Yallop Avenue,

Gorleston

Sadness at Fr MacCarthy going

I write to express my sadness at the imminent retirement of Father Henry MacCarthy. We have been so greatly blessed in Gorleston to have in our midst this wonderfully caring, compassionate, and kindly parish priest. His pastoral concern and commitment to share the faith, while walking in total humility by our side, will leave indelible memories.

As residents will be aware, I suffered the trauma of bereavement earlier this year and have received great kindness and succour from Father Henry. I have spent about a year of my life in France, a country which although declared ‘laic’ (secular) by Nicolas Sarkozy, has a strong core of Roman Catholicism.

Through the good offices of your newspaper I wish to offer my heartfelt gratitude and my most sincere good wishes to Father Henry on his retirement.

CAROLINE BUDDERY

Gorleston

Cllrs actions are commendable

I have had an email response from deputy mayor Cllr Colleen Walker, a board member of Great Yarmouth Port Authority in answer to my letter in the Mercury September 13 when I asked if the three serving councillors would refuse to take the £700 for a short session board meeting, netting them £2,800 each for the four scheduled meetings per annum. Mrs Walker has told me she did not want to comment further on expenses with the GYPA but one would hope her own conscience would stop her and the other two councillors from drawing this tax free cash and instruct the board to use the money to promote our port and its resources.

Last week our Mercury letters page carried Cllr Patrick Hacon’s letter, one out of three councillors realises the Port needs their help in saving money and we need the remaining 11 board members to think along the same lines as him. The action of Cllr Hacon in denouncing the £700 expenses for so little a time as a board member is most commendable. He will not lose by his action.

JOHN L COOPER

Burnt Lane,

Gorleston

Model Village visit was a treat

Having decided to spend our holiday at home, we visited Merrivale Model Village and it was our number one favourite for presentation and best value for money. Our ages were 13 to granny age. Go and see for yourselves before it closes for the season, I cannot praise the village enough, or the gardeners.

MARY WOODS

Sycamore Avenue,

Bradwell

If it’s not broken then leave alone

Further to Sam Russell’s article (September 20) and the subject of the location of the Emergency Car Practitioner (ECP) and Rapid Response Vehicle at Hemsby Surgery. This is not only about having a valuable resource and highly professional person located in the right place, it is also about efficiency, continuity, local knowledge and peace of mind.

The East Anglian Ambulance Trust, currently under temporary management and doing a good job under the circumstances, has proved itself not to be great at decision making. Not enough ambulances, low staff morale and poor response times is not a good place to be. The efforts being made by the Trust to improve and the focus by our local councillors and MPs to improve the service is appreciated and must continue.

Where good practice, with highly qualified people and an efficient service is in place as was the case at Hemsby then leave it alone. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Concentrate on where it is broke.

EUNICE and TERRY BYRNE

Winterton-on-Sea

Fears about aggregates loss

I worry about the enormous amount of aggregate removed from our area and it’s undoubted effects. At the Maritime festival I spoke to a man exhibiting crabs and lobsters. He was part of some marine environment agency.

He assured me that there would be no effects on the seabed of marine life. Also,100,000 tonnes of aggregate were washed down from Lincolnshire and deposited at the Wash every year. He also said the aggregate companies have to write and inform the government of all possible effects, so in theory there should be no effects. So that’s okay then? All this aggregate is for building in the UK, perhaps a few more uninhabited shards built for someone’s ego. Silly old misinformed me, worrying for nothing.

IRENE JORDAN

High Street,

Gorleston

Stop damaging Great Yarmouth!

Trevor Wainwright and Co need to be stopped before they irreversibly damage Yarmouth. Having failed to implement a detrimental parking zone in the largest part of the now, they now wish to blight out Golden Miles with another two car parks.

Why did the council build on a large part of the Beach Coach Station and restore St George’s Theatre without car park facilities if we are so short of parking spaces? How much will it cost to park at these new sites? Four existing central seafront car parks cost £12.50 for an average day out (10am to 4pm), more if you stay longer. This is prohibitively expensive for a holiday resort; we must push prices down to encourage visitors.

Toilets must also be a priority. We have already closed too many and with so few left it would be madness to close anymore. We should be adding to them; is it possible to open some of our underground sites?

Sadly, Great Yarmouth is one of the most deprived areas of the country and our council appears to do little to help, in some cases destroying any hope of a new lease of life. We all need our holiday industry to do well. I wonder what the new marketing strategy for the town will be; Welcome to Great Yarmouth, where we will gladly rip you off for parking and send you home with a burst bladder. Have a nice day!

MARIE WRIGHT

Stanley Road,

Great Yarmouth

We need buses to run on time

I have used the local bus service from Fleggburgh to Yarmouth, and back again, for the last 10 years. I used to catch the First bus regularly Monday to Friday at 8am outside the King’s Arms. The bus ran on time. However, the service was discontinued. I then started to use the Sanders service which leaves Fleggburgh at 8.13am and from Yarmouth back at 4.20pm, Monday to Saturday. As there was generally no seats available on this I decided to catch the next bus, 10.35am from Fleggburgh, and 1.45pm from Yarmouth. It has arrived late and it’s really bad when it is raining or snowing as there is no bus shelter on Town Road where the stop is. We really the buses to run on time – and a bus shelter.

Mr P TURNER

St Margaret’s Way,

Fleggburgh

Spend tax where it comes from

Have the councillors of this town taken leave of their senses, with the proposal of more toilets being taken from the town; and in such a central area where lots of people relax. If holidaymakers are enjoying their time on the Central Beach they shouldn’t have to pack everything away just to go and find a toilet, when one is already close at hand.

However, they have missed the trick of converting loos into living accommodation as it has done to the North Quay facilities. As there was a hint people could use the Marina Centre loos for a fee, I take it then that residents can use the town hall conveniences, with proof of paying council tax.

Perhaps the community could select representatives to replace councillors as it appears only the normal man and woman in the street seems to know what is essential in this borough; and it could be put back on the map where it used to be. May I suggest council tax collected in the Gorleston side of the river be spent in Gorleston, then we could see things as they were, with complete seafront promenade seating rebuilt as it was and shelters with proper seating as it used to be. Normal things that were.

C HOPKINS

Bradwell

So, is a lifeboat really a lifeship!

I was reading about people trying to see the boats on the river. This took me back many years when the river was full of so-called boats when a gentleman from a boat informed a landlubber they were not boats, but ships, powered with engines. You row a boat with oars. I have thought since you can’t call a lifeboat a lifeship can you, just because they have an engine?

JACK EDMONDS

Queensway,

Caister on Sea

Case for A47 has been proven

Transport minister Stephen Hammond is right to think many of us will be cynical about his visit to fact-find in the A47 and Acle New Road. My cynicism has reached record levels.

The project has been discussed for years and surely the case has been researched and proven many times. Labour and John Prescott hardly helped with his idea that public transport was the solution and then failed to properly invest in that!

The fact that local MPs are behind A47 improvements is hardly reassuring as they were behind a campaign for rail improvements which saw Norfolk get minimal investment. Likewise, there was no A47 road pinchpoint funding in spite of the Runham roundabout daily jams and even gridlock. It may be useful to have the road properly maintained before the appalling road surface causes an accident.

More cynicism is fuelled when it seems 2015 election year may see some sort of road announcement made! No doubt the same year, rail station improvement will miraculously appear. The A47 is far more important than the rail station, being used by millions. No doubt the wildlife along the road is more important than improved transport. The A47 solution may be for the road to become a toll road again. This would be ideal to rebuild tourism encouraging visitors to go elsewhere and transport firms to avoid the town and increase commuter costs. The precedent is set with the A14 improvements are a toll road. Indeed, alternative routes to the town could be tolled to raise further funds. This would also help solve car parking problems in the town by keeping cars out of the town.

Together with a failure to address coastal erosion, the town could gradually decline further and eventually disappear.

CHRIS WRIGHT

Victoria Street,

Caister on Sea

Man acquired reasoning power

While not subscribing to the opinions of Mr Barkhuizen, I also must reject those of Mr Gervais. In spite of all the bizarre beliefs about God in ancient times, I do not think it reasonable to accept the existence of a Life Force whom to each species gave its instincts for survival and in some cases formation into families, herds and packs etc. I also believe mankind was created or evolved as a social animal.

However, at some stage in history he acquired reasoning power, not relying any more entirely on his instincts. Consequently the Life Force (God) sent people into the world to point the right direction for mankind to go.First came Moses (or someone) who tabulated the Ten Commandments by which the whole of the civilised world lives (more of less). Later came Jesus Christ who envisaged a completely new way of life which he called the Kingdom of Heaven. If his teaching had been adopted, the world now would have been a very different place.

Unfortunately for a long time his message was suppressed and was replaced by the Christian Religion, practiced by the Roman Catholic church at that time with its doctrines, heresies, rites and ceremonies. It wasn’t until the Bible and particularly the Gospels that things such as the abolition of slavery and of child slavery, women’s rights, nearly all these by people who were believers in one form or another.

I know that atheists can do good works; it is something called the Social Conscience. However, I believe Christian tradition and something in the genes may have a bit to do with it.

P REEVE

Springfield Road

Gorleston

Why shut one of best prisons?

Blundeston Prison is one of four units earmarked for closure by the Ministry of Justice because they are said to be either expensive to run or need substantial capital investment.

The category C prison near Lowestoft has a capacity for 526 prisoners, a 60-bed wing for life sentence prisoners and employs more than 100 officers and a further 130 staff. Also local businesses will also suffer with its imminent closure.

Watching local news this week it was said that Waveney MP Peter Aldous wasn’t informed regarding the closure, until it became general knowledge through national and local press. Mr Aldous has now received a response from the government to his letter to justice secretary Chris Grayling, in which he set out his disappointment regarding the closure.

The reason I’ve started this conversation is firstly we have to have prisons especially according to the government’s own inspection reports it was one of the best.

There then, are three points to consider: 1 So why close it; 2 The damage it will cause to prison officers their families; 3 The total disrespect to local businesses; 4 Finally what hope do we have constituents if MPs selected to represent our interests and concerns don’t know what’s going on in within their area, how disrespectful is that?

So I’m looking for your opinions on these matters and get the MPs and government working for its people for a change and also support our prison officers and local business interest.

STEVE GILDER

Gorleston

No evidence that Jesus existed

Now I understand Mr Barkhuizen’s problem with his view on religion. In his letter on September 20 he claims that Jesus rising from the dead was an historic fact. There is in fact no proven historic evidence that Jesus even existed.

The dying and rising from the dead is a very common Easter story claimed by a number of religious groups but the particular one about Jesus was probably adopted from Mithras.

He was a Persian god very popular with the Romans prior to the Constantine adopting Christianity as the official Roman religion for political reasons. Mithras was born of a virgin on the 25th December, had 12 followers and died at Easter then rose from the dead 3 days later. The Mithras story is of course just a story just as the Jesus one is.

DEREK BROWN

Royal Naval Hospital,

Great Yarmouth

We are lucky to have the JPH

I have recently spent several weeks in our wonderful JPH, in wards seven and six, then for a very brief three days in ward nine. In ward seven especially, I and others enjoyed (that is the right word) the warm, friendly care, the empathy and devotion towards patients. The informality of using first names helped considerably to our well-being. There was great bonhomie between us and all the staff, no matter what their position; friendly chats between their dashing about!

There were daily visits by doctors, surgeons and others. Co-ordination between various departments was excellent. The cheery care was evident throughout the hospital.

As for food, there was a good varied menu including a huge protein/calorie diet for there who needed it - and I did! There was always help with feeding where needed.

To all the staff with whom I came into contact, my grateful thanks and very best wishes - we are very lucky to have our JPH.

PAMELA FOWLER

St Margaret’s Way,

Hopton on Sea

Bowls Festival was the best yet

Having just finished the 65th annual bowls festival I must say it was probably the best in my 20 years of organising it. The weather was brilliant which attracted huge crowds watching the bowls with the greens running very well.

My thanks to my hardworking committee and the tourism office for all their help, to the sponsors and advertisers for their continued support, to the greenkeepers for preparing the greens and the Great Yarmouth Mercury and Eastern Daily Press for their coverage of the festival. Many thanks to all who gave raffle prizes and the people who brought tickets, which helped to raise £2,746, which was given to Great Yarmouth Cancer Centre and the Leah Wilby Foundation. Many thanks to Richard, Doug and Kenny who sold the tickets.

Finally my sincere thanks to Irene and Doris who kept us all fed and watered during the tournament.

I would also like to quash any rumours concerning the festival next year as untrue, and I look forward to seeing you all again on Sunday, August 24, 2014.

DEREK WEBSTER

Lichfield Road,

Great Yarmouth

Thanks to Miriam and Links group

I am writing on behalf of myself, my family, friends and neighbours, with a huge thanks you to Mirian Kikis and her group who formed the Vauxhall Links.

This is the first group in the UK to be awarded £10,000 from the Hertiage Lottery Fund. This fund is to do projects in the community and the Vauxhall Links group have raised the awareness of the historic importance of Vauxhall Bridge. Thank you once again Vauxhall Links.

ELIZABETH MCMURRAY

Mariners Close,

Gorleston

A credit to their professions

There is such a lot of bad press concerning our hospital, especially the A&E department that we felt we wanted to convey our thanks publicly through your paper for our recent experience.

One of the ladies at our local church’s Young at Heart group had a heart attack outside the church on Tuesday morning last week. The lady at the switchboard was very supportive, and talked us through step by step, patiently and kindly. The ambulance arrived in minutes, the paramedics taking over and dealing most efficiently with the patient and her friends. When they left, making the journey to the hospital, we were naturally left wondering about our friend. Imagine our surprise when a little later, a paramedic returned to our group, thanking us and giving us an update on her condition.

These folk were a credit to the hospital and their profession, and a reminder of the good work that they do, day in, day out. We would like to send them a big “Thank you”.

JANE MILL

On behalf of Young at Heart

Professionalism of Paget team

I thought it could make a change for the Mercury to receive a letter in praise of the James Paget Hospital. During my recent stay I was impressed by the professionalism of the whole team.

Their skill, kindness and good humour returned me to better health and nobody ought to fault the standard of care, food, cleanliness and general excellence. I owe my sincere thanks to the staff of Ward 17 and the Sandra Chapman Centre in particular. We are very lucky to have a hospital of such high standard in our area.

BRIDGET BURRAGE

Lovewell Road,

Gorlestont