Letters, September 19, 2014

I am writing in response to the article in the Mercury of Friday September 12 regarding parking on Kennedy Avenue.

I read with interest the article on parking on Kennedy Avenue from hospital staff. My husband and I have lived on Kennedy Avenue for 28 years and the last few years the parking has become intolerable. In the early years parents parked their cars to take their children to school and pick up, the rest of the day there was very little parking on the road. Since the hospital has imposed fees for staff and patients to park at the hospital the road is continually full from 8am to 5pm. The majority of the cars parked are from staff. Any additional spaces left (which are very few) are taken up by patients attending hospital appointments, particularly when they are late and seem to park where they like, usually half way across our driveway, or occasionally blocking our driveway completely!

How can councillor Wainwright can say this is “a police issue” as we have telephoned the police to complain and been told it is not a police matter.

We once spotted a PCSO on Kennedy Avenue and asked for her help as we could not get back into our driveway. She said it was unfortunate that we could not get into our driveway as she could only help if we needed to get out! She did however, take the car number plate and said someone would get in touch with the owner to reprimand them for their poor parking.

The reason there does not seem to be many complaints noted is that no-one seems to accept responsibility and suggest a solution. We have contacted Bert Collins who said it was a county council matter and he would bring it up at the next meeting, but we have heard nothing since speaking to him.

My husband contacted local UKIP councillors Kay Grey and Matthew Smith, both were extremely helpful and suggested a petition by residents looking at restricted parking times on Kennedy Avenue. We both retired last year and had our property up for sale, but lost two purchasers because they could not cope with the scale of the parking along the road and possibly numerous others who knew about the parking so didn’t even come to view.

We have since sold our property and hope to be moving soon so did not pursue the petition. We hope that someone on Kennedy Avenue will take up the offer from UKIP and start a petition and find a remedy to this ongoing nightmare. The parking problem is also compounded by the fact that there is a stream of cars and coaches taking the children to school twice a day.

JEAN AND JOHN JOHNSON

via email

Seize the chance over Pontins site

Of passing interest to your readers my grandpa Herbert Edward Potter started the very first holiday camp from bare land, all with permanent structures (huts) in 1920 and sold to Maddiesons. In 1924 grandad moved to Hopton-on-sea (not to our current Potters Resort cliff top site that was 1936).

Herbert Edward worked for a Norwich solicitor for 7.5p (1/6d) per week but had been inspired by his visits to Caister Camp which then were mainly all canvas tents (1908 Dodd Family).

The solicitor for whom grandad worked in 1913 summoned young Potter to the phone and The Sunday Chronicles on the other end pronounced grandpa had won £500 in a paper competition this became his capital to start this pioneering business.

Surviving the horrors of The Somme (60,000 slaughtered on the first day of that terrible day in history) grandpa purchased that site with his earlier winnings. He gave the first candle to light the interior of the hut free to his campers (250 approx) but sold the second candle for an old penny (1d).

So, winding the decades forward I myself have had to face a derelict site when Anglia Water put a compulsory purchase on a Corton caravan/chalet club I owned, which now houses their area sewerage treatment plant. The only way forward is a sensible residential development and those that hope for a return of a tourism use to a site with no appealing features have no commercial acumen, dreamers. Please take it from me - it simply will never happen, the sheer investment is beyond a commercial undertaking and Great Yarmouth Borough Council now realise this hence a change of use is no longer resisted.

Seize the moment and embrace a practical, residential solution.

BRIAN H POTTER MBE

Hopton-on-sea

Cyclists ignore the clifftop signs

I have every sympathy with Trevor Childs regarding enjoying a stroll along the so-called footpath along the top of Gorleston cliffs.

This can be a rather challenging walk due to certain cyclists.

I did contact the council sometime ago as the ‘no cycling’ signs had been removed along the cliff top footpath. They did replace them so far along with cycling prohibited signs.

However they are being ignored and cyclists ride along the footpath on a regular basis.

I did write to the council again at the beginning of May as I was getting fed up with verbal abuse from certain cyclists who like to use me as target practise on their early morning journeys to work.

Sadly I have had no reply (they know where to find me with the council tax bill) to date.

The problem is that you cannot hear the cyclist coming and in all honesty you do not expect to see them there as the full length of the prom is theirs for the choosing. It is only fair that people should be able to stroll and enjoy a nice walk without being in constant fear of bikes roaring up behind them.

I did speak to one lady who had suffered quite a verbal abusing from a cyclist as she walked along the cliff top footpath. This is not necessary and the signs should be bigger along the whole length of the footpath to stop this happening.

I must admit one of these days one of the many cyclists who attempt take off when cycling down the slopes to the prom will end up hitting the railings and finish up in a crater on Gorleston beach.

It is a shame that there is a simple solution to this problem but our council cannot solve it once and for all so people can enjoy a stroll admiring such a wonderful view in peace and quiet.

ANDREA MACKLEWORTH

Cherry Road,

Gorleston

Seagulls? Find the clue in name

Having read last week’s letter from Mrs Self, regarding seagulls.

I feed wild birds all the year round, if a seagull flies down for a share of the food, winter or summer I can hardly stop him.

If the gulls could only read, then I would put up a sign saying “Gulls not Permitted”.

The lady must remember that she does live by the seaside and you will always have seagulls.

ANTHONY PLATTEN

St Hilda Close,

Caister

Weddings were once ‘simples’

You ask for unusual wedding stories. How about this?

Man and woman get married.

In a church.

Prior to having children.

Simples.

MIKE SPRAGG

Collingwood Road,

Great Yarmouth.

Falcon tribute well-deserved

What a great, timeless, tribute the town has given Michael Falcon CBE, High Steward of Great Yarmouth - a generous, kind, family man that we all know had a great love for Great Yarmouth till the day he died. If anyone deserved to be knighted, it was Michael.

I had many occasions to meet Michael and his wife April, and thought what really nice people they were, so it is nice for April, to see how much Michael was really appreciated by the town and those living here.

BRUNO PEEK LVO OBE OPR

Gorleston

Not bothered by gulls in 86 years

May I offer my condolences to Mr G Staff and Mrs Self on reading their adverse experiences of seagulls.

My stance, also is based on experience, but sense no satisfaction in recalling that during my 86 years of residence in Great YarmouthI have never suffered the intensity of their inconvenience.

Nevertheless I stand by and reiterate all my previous assertions in the knowledge I am not alone in this respect.

DAVID KING

Falcon Court,

Great Yarmouth

Your donations mean so much

On behalf of Vauxhall Links, I would like to say a big thank you to our ex-mayor, John Burroughs and his wife Jenny, for their generous donation of £500 to us, and to so many other small group in the community, towards phase two of the refurbishment of Vauxhall Bridge.

With this letter may I express my thanks to the kind people who sent cheques to Vauxhall Links, Fusion Hairdressers for offering us a ticket for a Norwich City Football match in the directors box, to raise money, and the two lovely ladies Betty and Poppy, who rang me to offer me a donation towards the bridge.

That shows this bridge means a lot, to a lot of people, and needs to be fully refurbished to improve the gateway of our town.

MIRIAM KIKIS

Chairperson

Vauxhall Links

Person pushing pins is victim

As a regular customer of the shop which allegedly sells voodoo dolls, while I have never seen them myself, they defy belief that there is an assumed market for someone who would want to hate or harm someone else.

Christianity and the study of neuroscience proves beyond doubt that vengeful retaliation begets more vengeance so that while revenge is a powerful motivator, it is also a deceiver in that taking revenge on someone (via voodoo dolls or whatever), far from quelling the anger which drives it, actually exacerbates the original perception of being wronged. So the person ‘pushing in the pins’ actually becomes a victim of the act.

Far better to forgive, which in my experience, brings immense healing and the ability to move on.

I would like to purchase one of these dolls only to write to its manufacturer to protest at their harm potentiality and would encourage others to do likewise.

ROGER HAYES

Beccles Road

Bradwell

Confusion over drive blocking

Councillor Wainright says that obstructions to drives are a police matter. (Mercury, September 12).

But the police say they will only become involved if a car is preventing someone from getting out when it may be an emergency.

A council officer gives a different story. He says that responsibility for obstructed drives has been transferred from the police to the council and that they will come out at any time to issue a parking ticket to the offender, presumably during office hours only.

Who is right? Or are there yet other explanations? The offence seems to have become more frequent so answers would be appreciated.

J F LAMBERT

Elmgrove Road,

Gorleston

Mythical belief underpins toy

What a surprise just a few weeks after deciding that we would no longer publish letters on religion we have two this week objecting to a legitimate retailer selling a plastic toy figure based on a fictitious character. The objection in both cases based of their mythical beliefs.

DEREK BROWN

Royal Naval Hospital

Great Yarmouth

Still in the dark over street lights

I wish to reply to the two earlier letters regarding the street lighting issue.

Firstly in reply to Mr McSweeney I totally agree with you regarding the lack of action of GYB services.

I and my wife have phoned and emailed at least 12/15 times over the last 18 months regarding having no lighting out our back way .

New light post were put in, but no tops and our area has been in total darkness. We were advised that this would be sorted next week, but next week never came.

My near neighbours have said they had been in contact with GYB services to no avail.

Having reached the end of my patience I contacted Trevor Wainwright’s office and after having a meeting with Mr Wainwright and him coming and inspecting the area, work has finally started .

I have nothing but praise for Mr Wainwright and only wish I had contacted him earlier.

With regard to Mr Tillbrook’s letter while I’m glad you had such good service perhaps it’s because you live in Yarmouth and not Gorleston.

One of my neighbours has been waiting three years for an old concrete lamp to be taken out of their garden, having had several promises it would be done soon.

After Mr Wainwright’s visit work started on Monday.

There are always good and bad reports, unfortunately my dealings have been very bad.

MR S HOUSTON via email

Blooming well done on garden!

I was sad to see that the Yarmouth in Bloom winners did not include the rose bed, on the sea front near Amazonia, called the Scottish Garden. I hope this had nothing to do with the R word.

What GYBC has achieved in this otherwise normal rose bed is a garden, which is at least half covered in large thistles, hence the name, and it has maintained this unusual display throughout the summer. Well done to all concerned.

DAVE GAHAN

Havelock Road

Great Yarmouth

New border controls needed

As you are no doubt aware there has been a referendum to decide if the minority state north of the English border should be independent.

The border will be in way of the old Roman wall. There seems to be some doubt about the future arrangement! I am a British citizen born and brought up in Renfrew (near Glasgow). I have lived at the same address in Ormesby for 40 years but I am not allowed to vote in a referendum, but I can vote in the English politics!

All of my four children and their offspring are classed as British. This situation was the result of an agreement with the British Prime Minister.

In view of all this we must let up a new border with controls at check points. All people north of this will need to pass political controls etc. Any politicians north of our border will have no status in England and will not get any income from London also they must not use the existing flag as their emblem (ie the Union Jack will have the blue section removed). In addition they would not be allowed to use English money.

RC Lapping

Yarmouth Road,

Ormesby

No mention of Caister north PO

The people that are closing the Caister Post Office for a counter replacement for a week have given two alternatives.

Don’t they realize there is a post office on Second Avenue Caister North not mentioned at all although with everyone queuing for groceries, newspapers etc in the same queue it is not ideal.

CHARLIE PEACE

Caister.

Centre Parcs ideal for Pontins site

The Pontins saga never seems to be a positive one. Persimmon not content with having approval for 700 homes in Bradwell, now want to turn our tourism land into 250 homes. Where next I wonder?

Building 250 homes will contribute little to Hemsby, just start a precedent that you can build anywhere. Just like Wellesley Road where one by one the bed and breakfasts are disappearing for flats and then camps in Hemsby will surely follow.

If no tourism buyer can be incentivised then maybe some give and take would be in order.

I believe the council should buy the land, offer Northern Trust market rate, if not CPO it.

Subject to local approval, around 100 homes could be built with the proceeds covering costs and pay for the sea defences that Hemsby badly needs.

The remainder of the land could become a large leisure centre with swimming pool, similar to Centre Parcs or Butlins, giving Hemsby a great tourist asset and good facilities for locals.

Any other land could become a caravan park with the ground rents providing funding for the council or even grants to enhance other areas of Hemsby to boost tourism. The site should be for the benefit of locals and tourism not a few land rich individuals. On a note of affordable housing local working people from Hemsby should be given priority over the general waiting list.

ANDREW GRANT

Fairway,

Caister.

Ear plugs needed to muffle noise

I agree totally with Mrs Self’s letter in last week’s Yarmouth Mercury. Having lived in Caister for 12 years I can definitely say that the seagull problem has drastically increased over this time; it is a sad fact of life that during the ummer when I want the bedroom windows open at night I have had to resort to ear plugs to get a decent night’s sleep. Why can’t Environmental Health address the problem under noise pollution or people be prevented from feeding them.

MRS SMITH, Caister