Monarchy is just, and works for us

Irrespective of political persuasion, I think I speak for most true British when I say that we are delighted for Prince Harry and Meghan.

Just what the nation needed: Everyone is so happy, we wish them every good wish.

We live under a Monarchy. A very just Monarchy. It works for us - all credit to Her Gracious Majesty. We are loyalists and very proud so to be. The House of Windsor has the respect we so dearly hold all the way back to the Plantagenets.

One lady who would have been incredibly happy: My thoughts go to that great lady the daughter of the Count of Angoleme, who (for better or worse) married the not so popular John Lackman (King John]) but whose son was the great King Henry III.

A long time ago, ours by loyalty: Isabelle of Angouleme. Just as was celebrated then, we celebrate now.

Is no force greater in the world save Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, our Monarchy. God Save the Queen.

R HAYES

Bradwell

Strimming verges around the bins!

Whatever is happening to the gardening services in the Gorleston area? I'm sure every resident has noticed the lack of it!

The grass on all public fields, the verges along the sides of the roads etc is so deep it is becoming quite a problem.

Now I'm sure the reply to this would be some thing along the lines of the weather or the lack of manpower, but all the excuses have now become unbelievable. Don't we all wonder why our council tax is verging on extortionate when the services we receive is getting worse, even with a 5.9pc rise this year .

Take for example the football field at Emerald Park; I am given to understand the schedule is 11 cuttings a year, last year we only got six.

Crow Hall Green had only been half cut recently, namely Brasenose Avenue end. This major event happened just over a week ago and has only just been completely cut with piles off horrible grass cuttings.

If household brown garden bin rubbish can be recycled, why can't the grass cuttings throughout the borough also be recycled? Surely this could be profitable if it is all bagged up and sold to the general public as compost, it would stop us treading the grass into our homes every time the grass eventually gets cuts when it's so very long.

However, I have noticed that the verges are all trim and tidy on the Youell Avenue, Bately Avenue etc, and even tidier than our seafront! No excuses please on as to why that is, it doesn't take an idiot to realise.

Our council and councillors should be ashamed of the state off the borough. It used to be 'great' in Great Yarmouth, but it is time for the 'great' to be dropped. Maybe someone is concerned enough to take a trip to Lowestoft and take a look at Normanston park and how well kept it is.

To my amazement, as I am writing this, a chap from the gardening services is strimming, but the bins are all out along the road waiting for collection... so, he misses each one and we are left with the verge merely half cut yet again!

Is it coincidence the verge cutting takes place on a bin collection day each time!

DARREN FLEMING

Gorleston

Walk spoiled by the dog poo in trees

On a sunny afternoon my wife and I thought we would take a stroll through Fritton woods.

Ah, the joys of early summer. The bluebells are in flower, the birds singing in the trees and the whole thing enhanced by the thoughtful dog walkers festooning the trees with bags of doggy poo that they could otherwise have taken home and put it in the bin thus depriving us of the pleasure of seeing it.

Sorry, but it is so annoying.

JOHN LAXTON

email

Lack of care of Yarmouth beaches

Robert Dineley (Mercury, May 18) is spot on about the lack of care taken with management of Yarmouth beach.

As a family with members on both sides of the river it is only too obvious the management and cleaning of Gorleston beach is delivered to a much higher standard - and yes, grass is growing out of Yarmouth beach in places where raking never or very rarely gets done.

The beach volleyball was launched in Yarmouth and then moved to Gorleston, where it seems to have petered out.

Yarmouth beach is more than twice as wide as it was 25 years ago and is steep such that there is very little distance between high and low tide. A less sophisticated Spanish approach to beach management would be far more effective - a simple tractor with two or three different attachments would deliver a far better result than what disappoints at present.

It is about time the council got a grip before it deteriorates further.

MICK CASTLE

County Councillor,

Yarmouth North and Central

Why have posters been poorly hung?

Has anyone else noticed the apparent inability of the town's advertising board operators to successfully stick a poster to an advertising board of late?

It seems that either additional training is required or a superior adhesive. In any event, I would like to see the operators fined for the mess which is created by poorly hung posters which later come down.

MATT SWANN

Lancaster Road,

Great Yarmouth

Rejected brollies make perfect bag!

On my way home from editing your newspaper for Grapevine (newspaper for the blind), I noticed a couple of very pretty umbrellas, discarded because they had blown inside out on a very blustery day.

I would like to say a big thank you to whoever it was who had given myself and a couple of friends a lovely roll-up shopping bag! They are so useful.

I'm now looking forward to more stormy days with a possibility of more recycling. Perhaps to patent the idea?

Mrs A WEST

Low Road,

Repps with Bastwick

Get bridge built while money there

Having read Mr John Cooper's letter on the new bridge I cannot but feel that such a report was not beneficial to the good being of the town.

Any new structure that helps cars, trucks and cyclists to relieve the town of bottlenecks is a good thing.

With the Haven Bridge having more trouble now as it gets older, this new briddge is a must and most truckers I speak to at the market on a Saturday afternoon are all in full support of it.

The Acle Straight is not on the planners road programme reviews until 2025. I now think let all pull together and get the bridge while the money is there for it.

Mr R COLMAN

South beach Parade,

Great Yarmouth

The Kast Off Kinks a brilliant show!

Last Friday I visited St George's Theatre to see the Kast Off Kinks, who are actual former members of the legendary band The Kinks.

Their line-up featured Mick Avory (the original drummer on all their classic hits from 1964-84), John Dalton (bass/vocals, Kinks 1966 -76), Ian Gibbons (keyboards/vocals, Kinks 1979-18) and Dave Clarke (guitar/vocals, 1998-2018). They are not to be confused with the many tribute bands who are common nowadays!

They were on stage for nearly two hours and sung 22 of their hits including You Really Got Me, Lola, Sunny Afternoon, Come Dancing, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Dead End Street, Days, Waterloo Sunset and many more. What a great night out!

It is not very often we get to see such iconic bands playing live in Great Yarmouth. St George's must be congratulated on getting such a coup and I hope they can follow this up with some more iconic acts from the 1960s and 1970s.

DAVID SAUNDERS

Burnet Road,

Bradwell

Locals failed to support the town

It is a shame that Palmers is being sold, or taken over, by Beales but to be honest the shoppers of this town have only themselves to blame.

Although I know it is not the reason Beales is in talks with Palmers for the sale, it is the local people who have failed to support the shops and market in the town - and yet they are the ones who moan about changes or closures.

Why did people stop using the market on a Wednesday and Saturday? They used to be great and I would meet many friends on a weekly basis as I walked around. I remember only 15 years ago it was difficult to walk the market stalls without stopping for people to pass by, it was packed even in the winter months.

A HATCHER

email

Village paths are a complete disgrace

What a waste of money, resurfacing the road on Westerley Way, Caister. It is a road that was hardly in need of any urgent covering of stone chips, the money would have been far better used to repair the dreadful state of the paths and driveway entrances on that road, they are an absolute disgrace. It is now far safer to walk along the road than to risk limbs using the paths.

I have lived in Westerley Way for the past 56 years and in all that time only once were the paths given a light dressing of asphalt which did not last very long and were dug up at a later date when a company came along to lay cables.

I have contacted the highways department of Norfolk County Council to enquire as to when we could expect any repairs to be carried out, only to be told 'nothing has been earmarked for the near future', so I won't hold my breath.

And whilst I'm having a whinge, grass cutting, what a disaster that is, it seems the grass has to be at least six inches high before it is cut and what a mess that makes. The cuttings are then blown into the gutter only to decompose and causes weeds to grow as we no longer have the weedkiller machine around to spray the kerbs and edges.

Would it not be more cost effective for the paths to be repaired doing away with the grass verge and a need not to cut the grass at all?

Name and Address withheld