THE proposed transformation of Great Yarmouth College seems to mean there will be nothing left of the original Edward Worlledge School.I realise that Robin Parkinson, the college's principal, is a wonder go-ahead person who has achieved such a lot for the college, nevertheless to me, as one of the old Worlledgers of the 30s, I am concerned there will be no reminder of the original school which was quite unique and perhaps one of the first co-educational schools in the country.

THE proposed transformation of Great Yarmouth College seems to mean there will be nothing left of the original Edward Worlledge School.

I realise that Robin Parkinson, the college's principal, is a wonder go-ahead person who has achieved such a lot for the college, nevertheless to me, as one of the old Worlledgers of the 30s, I am concerned there will be no reminder of the original school which was quite unique and perhaps one of the first co-educational schools in the country.

It was devised by Mr Edward Worlledge and following in his footsteps was Mr W J May; both gentlemen started a tradition where pupils were taught the highest standards, including what is so often missing today: respect and good manners. According to the re-building plans, these will include taking the playing field from the remaining middle school - a covered all-weather area is not the same as playing in the open air.

A few years ago the Old Worlledgers celebrated a day at the school when the original war memorial of the first and second world war was rededicated. What will happen to this memorial? It should, and must be preserved and I suggest that the title for the new college should be: The Edward Worlledge Academy, with perhaps the old school motto Respice Finem (look to the end).

Maybe too, the old school song Forty Years On… the school song of Harrow could be adopted. How we were able to use this I do not know, perhaps by special dispensation through Mr Edward Worlledge or Mr W J May.

CECILIA EBBAGE

Lovewell Road

Gorleston

I AM sorry if your correspondent Tom Andrews (Letters, September 19) still cannot understand why council parking policies have to be different for different parts of the borough. That is just how it is I'm afraid.

Gorleston and Caister both differ massively from Yarmouth itself in terms of the sheer volume of traffic and pressure on parking - and in terms of public expectations.

I can assure Tom Andrews it will be very rare indeed for him not to find a parking space in one of our pay and display car parks when he is visiting Yarmouth - and that is true of both the town centre and the seafront areas. There is also quite a bit of free parking too for those who don't wish to pay for their parking.

In the densely-packed streets where I live however, there aren't many houses with the benefit of garages or off-street parking. That is why increasingly residents' permit parking is seen as the way forward for protecting the “quality of life” for the people I represent in the town areas - but that is, of course, only where the pressure justifies it and where residents themselves are prepared to pay for the undoubted benefits that a permit parking zone can bring.

In principle, I am not against either Caister or Gorleston residents having free parking in their areas. There isn't quite the same pressure on parking in any event. The £8,000 per year takings currently taken at the Caister Beach Road car park would not make too much of a dent in the borough's overall car parking revenues if they were dispensed with tomorrow.

Hence my contention that the council should develop parking strategies that meet the needs of the different conditions that exist in different parts of the Borough - and of course the wishes of local people.

MICHAEL CASTLE

Councillor for Yarmouth Central and Northgate

I READ Laura Bagshaw's article on targeting crime with great interest and was particularly surprised to see that “police had carried out speed checks on more than 1,000 vehicles in the town during the month of August, which revealed the average speed on High Road was 21mph.”

What time, exactly, did these Acle policemen carry out their checks? I live on High Road and I can assure you that anyone doing less than 21mph (one assumes that does happen as 21mph is the average) would very probably get lynched by an irate taxi or bus driver.

Do they count cyclists and pedestrians in that average? Skateboards perhaps and invalid chairs? Can anyone honestly imagine a van, taxi, bus, motorbike, teenager, in fact anyone averaging 21mph on High Road? If you have to cross High Road at any time I can assure you at first you look very carefully, then you listen, finally you pray, and then you run like h- !

I am a “complainant” but was not one of the chosen few to take part in observing a speed check. I would very much like to take part in a check which shows traffic going past my front door at an average of 21mph. I would feel so much safer.

Some months ago a neighbour was unfortunate enough to end up with a car in his front room. The result of that was an automated speed check immediately outside our houses showing the speed of the traffic, I can assure you there were very few, if any, doing 21mph.

Most were slamming on their brakes before they reached the sign and were lucky to hit the 30mph as they went past. The highest I saw was 57mph. the speed check was removed after six weeks and nothing was heard about it again.

It's a waste of time having one anyway, as a Norfolk County Council spokesman told me: “Even if the results were to show speeds in excess of the current speed limit the matter is one of enforcement. The speed limit at this location is in accordance with our current policies and a lower speed limit will not be considered at this time, as previously explained.”

So there. That was me put in my place.

I should feel better knowing the traffic is so slow outside my front window. After all I doubt if a car would actually knock a wall down at 21mph.

PAULINE DODD

High Road

Gorleston

I REFER to the letter from J Howes on bad management. The problem with street lighting is, I understand, that it is overseen by the Norfolk County Council and the people at the Town Hall don't know this.

On many occasions I have reported a light out and sometimes it has taken two or three calls and up to 10 days to fix. It is all about management. Good management would make sure they know about these problems, and you don't find out by sitting behind your desk. One manager I managed to get out was the man in charge of the street cleaning, who said that it wanted a cleaner. Within two days we had a cleaner. That was nearly two years ago and we haven't seen one since!

It's all about getting out to see what the possible problems are so that they can be acted on before it gets too bad.

H G PERRY

Gorleston

TODAY I went to the local tip to get rid of my rubbish after doing up my kitchen; this entails worktops, tiles and some other bits out of the kitchen, plus a few bits of household rubbish.

Pulling on site, one very helpful man came over to tell me where I should put my tiles etc, then left me to carry on. He did see what I had in the car but never said anything, but then another man came up to me, and not in a nice way told me I could not put all my household rubbish there and I could only take one bin bag of DIY there a week, or pay him to be able to leave it at the tip.

I think this is madness. Now I know why we have so much flytipping in Great Yarmouth, if this is what we have to put up with when we do up or replace things in our homes.

I thought the borough council was trying to tidy up our area.

Mrs K EISENHAUER

Granville Road

Great Yarmouth

WITH having to visit the James Paget University Hospital on several occasions and at different times of the day, I found the congestion and traffic hold-ups at the dreadful Gapton Hall roundabout disconcerting to say the least.

Everything is okay until you pass the roundabout prior to the Gapton fiasco. The road leading to Gapton is wide then, with cars and traffic being able to drive nearly three cars abreast of one another. You are reduced to coming into a situation where you are nearly into two-lane traffic; very confusing because further on you have traffic lights and again you get three lanes.

One lane goes to Gapton Hall Road, another ahead to the Acle Straight and another to Pasteur Road. The road after the roundabout that goes to Harfreys Industrial Estate has land enough to the left hand side of the road to extend into three lanes, right up to Gapton roundabout and would stop all the confusion and allow good traffic flow up to the lights at Gapton roundabout where I think the problem arises.

I see the highways agency is meeting at the Kings Centre on October 6 to discuss the traffic situation on the A12 at the Gapton roundabout. Perhaps they might consider widening the road as I mention and the approach to the lights there. I'm not an expert by any means on the highways and byways, but what I have experienced myself leaves me to consider my suggestion should be considered for what it's worth.

ALAN EDWARD RAE

Midland Close

Great Yarmouth

I HAVE been walking in Fritton Woods at all times of day, all times of the year and in all weathers, for very many years now and I am a keen naturalist, and I don't miss anything! If you have the eye to see, you would be aware of the vast array of birds, owls, dragonflies, snakes, bats, foxes and the frequent visit of deer. At this time of year you will hear the deer barking and the owls hooting.

Now consider this: if the forest is turned into a gravel pit, we will probably be left with a few lakes - something we already have in plenty - they are called the Norfolk Broads! What we do need to keep is the only good size forest with public access in the south-east of Norfolk.

Close your eyes and open your mind. If the forest remains, not only can we continue to enjoy it, but so can future generations. The idea of log cabins is a nice one, and indeed Fritton Country Park has plenty for all to enjoy, so you could stay at one of these and still have close access to the natural delights of Fritton Woods, including the County Wildlife site on the rides and the proposed SSSI down by the river, and if you are lucky, you may stumble upon one of the many world war one and two sites.

Let's have no knee-jerk reactions now. Just because there is sand and gravel there, does not mean it has to be dug up. There are plenty more suitable sites to be had.

RICHARD WARNER

New Road

Fritton

I AM trying to locate a photo of the Yarmouth Boys football team of 1929/30. My late father Basil Garrett played for the team, and he did have a copy, but after his death we couldn't find it. I have researched the team through the back copies of the Mercury, and I wondered if any relatives of the following team have a photo that I could take a print off. The team was: Crickmore (Hospital), Thurtle (Greenacre), Burdett (Cobholm), Hardy (Priory), Bransby (Priory), Lane (Stradbroke), Snowling (EWS), Garrett (Cobholm), Knights (EWS), Reynolds (Cobholm), Snelling (Northgate). It would mean a lot to my family to recover this record of my father's schoolboy football success. I would naturally pay any expenses incurred.

J GARRETT

40 Proctor Road

Sprowston

Norwich NR6 7PQ

I AM looking for any photographs of the Filby Homeguard or Great Yarmouth GPO Homeguard, as both my grandfathers served in these and I would love to know if anyone has any photos, please. I can be contacted at the address below or on 01493 721203.

SANDRA WEBB

34 Reynolds Avenue

Caister

I HAVE been researching my family history and have found reference to number 14 internment camp at Hemsby, and it being in operation on September 7 1939. Unfortunately I can find no records of this camp, despite its importance - being open that early in the war it can only have housed category A class internees - those deemed the highest threat to the country. I am hoping that this can jog the memories of your readers, and can solve this mystery. I can be contacted at 97 Rose Park, Limavady, BT49 0BF, Co Londonderry or email: davidharvey97@aol.com

DAVID HARVEY

IT seems that the subject of the proposed new unitary authority council has finally generated public debate on the verge of it being too late to influence the decision making process, assuming any influence was ever possible.

Daniel Cox, the leader of Norfolk County Council writes in last week's Mercury that the future of council houses in a new unitary council would be for the authority and its elected members to consider. He then correctly states that only a ballot of council tenants can impose a change of ownership.

A new unitary council can trigger a 'stock option appraisal.' I wonder how long it would be before that happened.

However, most of the unitary options for consideration would leave council tenants out in the cold. Only Norwich, Waveney and Great Yarmouth have retained council stock.

I note Mrs P Sutherington's comments, also in last week's letters. Many of her comments are worthy and relevant, however I question her last paragraph that “the decision needs to be made, before it's taken out of the hands of the people who live in the borough”. Sorry, Mrs Sutherington, the decision has never been in the hands of local people.

I wonder how many tenants and residents have had their local councillor knock on their door asking for their opinion on the new proposals. Councillors of both main parties will vote along party lines without reference to the electorate.

Remember this; a new unitary council is not a merger between existing councils it is a new council, almost certainly based elsewhere.

Currently, Gorleston often feels a poor neighbour to Yarmouth; the rural north villages often feel left out in funding etc to the urban areas, imagine how the whole town will feel, if the centre of local government is in a town 30 or 40 miles away.

The Tenants Forum held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the options available, with particular regard to council tenants. It was unanimously agreed that retention of the status quo would be preferred, but accepting that, if a new unitary option is inevitable, then the “wedge” linking Yarmouth and Lowestoft with Norwich would be preferred.

It was noted that Norwich, who started the unitary debate in Norfolk, would prefer to go it alone, and, we believe, would prefer not to have Yarmouth and Lowestoft as part of its new set-up.

Tenant and Residents Associations across the borough have been working hard, in partnership with Great Yarmouth Community Housing, within Great Yarmouth Borough Council to develop better working practices, for the benefit of all council tenants. We would prefer to deal with local issues at a local level.

It is not too late to have your say. Contact your local Tenant and Residents Association, your borough councillor, or Tony Wright MP to express your opinion. Log on to the Boundaries Committee website electoralcommission.org.UK, for more information.

PETER KIRKPATRICK

Chairman

Rural North Tenants and Residents Association

IT has been my misfortune over the last few weeks to have broken my ankle and I was rushed to A&E of the James Paget University Hospital in a sorry state. I had a certain amount of trepidation about being admitted as I hadn't been in hospital for an operation since 1967. Having been a nurse I am told we make the worst patients. I now have to admit I am home after having spent 12 days in what I can only describe as a five star hotel. The staff, from surgeons, doctors, nurses, housekeepers, cleaners, plasterers, Xray teams, the physio and occupational health teams, were all wonderful, as were all the volunteers.

I was in a bay of six beds on ward 6 where I met a wonderful group of patients. Despite our pain we had lots of laughs. The camaraderie was wonderful; thanks to Hilda, Doreen, Maidie, Bunny, Barbara and Sandra.

What wonderful work the infection control team have done and no corner had been left unturned to combat those awful infections that rear their ugly heads. As for food, I found the menus excellent with well-balanced nutritious meals.

For me it was a wonderful experience and I cannot speak too highly of the attempts to make my care and stay an excellent one. It's so easy when entering a hospital to consider yourself as the only priority the minute you enter, but it never does to lose sight of the fact each patient is entitled to the same amount of care as the next, and that can only be administered if you allow the nurses to try their utmost, often under very difficult circumstances, to give the care that is needed.

They cannot always be all things to all people if unnecessary demands are being placed on them by patients.

Thank you all at James Paget for a successful outcome from my accident.

BEE ROWSE

St Olaves

MUCH has been written and televised about that wonderful Norfolk artist Edward Seago, a man who painted with great feeling and emotion to portray his beloved county landscapes and scenes from abroad.

Painting with equal emotion and with consummate skill in a style not unlike that of the great master, Kevin B Thompson is displaying his paintings at the Great Yarmouth Library Galleries until October 4. Kevin's work in oils ranges from landscapes and townscapes of Norfolk and Suffolk, including estuary scenes, to interiors and flower studies. Each painting is alive with light and atmosphere and gives the feeling of being there. From threatening skies to the serene summer day, Kevin has the ability to portray his subject with lively brushstrokes and choice of colour. My own favourite flower painting of a red rose from his garden, sings with vibrant colour. The interior scenes are on a smaller scale but he matches that artificial light seen in restaurants and night clubs, perfectly. Sadly Kevin could not find space for his abstract work which portray perhaps his innermost thoughts and feelings about shapes and colour.

Don't miss this wonderful exhibition by a supremely talented yet modest artist.

DAVID BALDER

Moyes Road

Lowestoft