We have allowed our town to fade
Here is a thought experiment: You are standing in the same place, next to a bin, for 40 years. Every day someone ignores the bin and intentionally litters next to you.
Instead of putting that litter in the bin, however, or telling the litterer to do so, you let the litter pile up, so that 40 years later there is you, a giant pile of litter, and a bin that is too small to do anything.
At this point you can either blame the people who have littered, or continue to (now understandably) throw their litter onto the giant litter-pile instead of putting it in the bin; you can blame someone who has never shown up to clean the litter in the first place, or, finally, you can blame yourself for having done nothing for 40 years.
Online, blame for the current state of Great Yarmouth is thrown around like confetti after every bad incident. But if Yarmouth is our town, then what happens in it is done by us, in the sense that it reflects what kind of place we have allowed Yarmouth to become.
We have done nothing except complain and wait for other people to solve our problems for too long, as we watch the town rot around us. The incompetent elected officials, the missing police, the shut doctors’ surgery, the overgrown scout hut, the closing pub, the riot-act schools, the feral children, the rundown corner stores, the unreported drug-dealers, the underused market and the broken windowpanes are our fault.
Hugh Sturzaker is right when he says it is not up to the council to fix problems we, through our inaction, have abetted. It is imperative we stop complaining online, accept blame, and accept responsibility for what we have let happen and what will happen in the future.
It is only our fault that our town is like this and it is only up to us to change it.
ANDERS LARSON
Great Yarmouth and Vienna
Who’s in charge of transport here?
Last week the town seemed to be in total gridlock for much of the time as far as the free movement of traffic was concerned.
Yes, it was half-term week and there was a horse races meeting on one of the days, but these are things we are used to and sort of put up with and take in our stride.
No, on this occasion the people who get away with this sort of thing decided to close the railway station for a couple of days. Who on earth gives them the authority to do this?
Not to be outdone, the highways people seem to think that they can put up temporary (ie four stops not two) traffic lights willy-nilly on even the most minor of roads. Again on whose say so?
Is anybody in charge these days?
MIKE SPRAGG
Collingwood Road,
Great Yarmouth
Trying to kill trees is criminal act
Vandalism of any sort is criminal, trying to kill 200-year-old trees is no exception. When you think about it those trees behind Koolunga were in their infancy long before all the houses that circle that part of town.
Vandalism is either directed at things that the perpetrator dislikes, or by yobs that use spray paints or key scratching along cars wings and doors.
But drilling holes in trees for me comes in a different group of person, Vandalism for gain. Just who would gain by killing those trees?
The leader of our council has been on TV, local press and even made the Times newspaper, in all his interview statements they do not address the glaring observation “who could be responsible?”.
Certainly not yobbish teenage vandals.
The articles state the drilling has been carried out over the past year that would be about the time our government started its push for building houses on green and brown belt land.
Solve the mystery who stands to gain, and the mystery of the poisoner will be solved.
JOHN L COOPER
Burnt Lane,
Gorleston
Thanks to ladies who saw me home
On Thursday, October 26, I became unwell whilst travelling on a bus from the James Paget Hospital to Caister. I would like to say thank you to the two ladies who assisted me and saw me home; their kindness was much appreciated.
CAROLE BENNETT
Faith’s help when our cat was killed
On October 26, our beautiful little cat Daisy May, aka Princess, was killed on the A149 at Rollesby.
An employee from Faith animal rescue centre of Hickling was on her way to work from Great Yarmouth when she spotted our Daisy lying in the road.
She picked her up and took her to work with her where she was scanned, and fortunately she was microchipped and they got in touch with me with the awful news. This lady reflected what Faith is; she was kind, compassionate and she hugged me through my tears.
Our Daisy May is home where she belongs but buried in our back garden.
I would like to say thanks to Faith for their kindness and understanding.
Mrs PAT BELL,
Rollesby
Only the trees will keep us alive
Climate change is fed by air pollution brought about by us. We are doing our best in trying to clean this up but in other ways we are making matters worse.
Prior to our realisation of what was causing it, nature could cope with the carbon dioxide but later came the more powerful carbon monoxide throwing everything off balance.
Earlier, the trees could cope with the air purification at night but slowly this balance was destroyed by the destruction of trees, ably assisted by forest fires all over the planet.
We are doing our best by trying to clean the oxygen we have but we need more oxygen.
The only way to get it is from the producer, we must grow more trees and fast!
Oxygen is the mainstay of life, let’s stop wiping out our provider, we must grow more trees these are the only think keeping us alive. We are reliant on trees and will die without them!
JACK DYE
Gonville Road,
Gorleston
Iconic venue has a varied calendar
I write in my capacity as NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) Representative for the Eastern Coastal District. I am aware that one of our most iconic venues, the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre, is next month (November) featuring three very different but equally outstanding productions which are all superb examples of musical theatre and each is worthy of audience support.
The first of which is Me and Me Girl from NODA members
Gorleston Theatre Company, who last year, brought you Oklahoma.
Followed almost immediately by Betty Blue Eyes from Pegasus Productions, and finally, Annie from the Dusmagrik Young Peoples Theatre Co. It is not often that three such worthy shows should be performed simultaneously in the same month. I know it can be financially difficult to support every show but I would encourage all who value the continuation of musical theatre at this wonderful old theatre, to bite the proverbial bullet, and come and support them all as a prep-Christmas treat, and before the pantomime season takes over! The theatre has had a very successful run of its Summer Laughter Show and can only offer limited space for these Autumn shows, which is why they tend to come along like those famous buses; all at once.
Please make an effort to support them all. Your theatre needs you!
The details of these shows are listed under the
Pavilion Theatre online booking website at
www.gorlestonpavilion.co.uk .
TERRY RYMER
Tactics played on the voters
The UKIP councillors who have changed over to be Conservative councillors should be made to resign as they were voted in under the UKIP banner by the voters who did not want to vote Conservative or Labour.
So if they want to carry on as a councillor there should be local elections and they stand under the Conservative banner, and I would not be surprised if more people voted Labour because of the tactics they have just played on the voters.
DAVID KILPATRICK
Not all residents have pool issue
I am a resident living on Siskin Close opposite the Phoenix swimming pool, we feel that since the upgrade to the Phoenix it has only benefitted the community, which includes great facilities for all. The article states that “those living close to the venue have said they have had enough” where in fact we strongly disagree and refuse to sign the petition due to the fact we believe there is very low level disruption and we are not influenced by the popularity of the new facilities. The upgrade to pool has provided new facilities that includes a steam room and a sauna which the area has never had before. I strongly believe that the upgrade has only provided benefits.
CHLOE WHITE
Siskin Close
Pontins site could be used to help homeless
A report stated the people of Hemsby had a meeting regarding the use of the former Pontins site. I would like to propose it be used in some way to house the growing number of homeless people and for other good causes.
At this present time the roll out of Universal Credit is under the spotlight in Parliament and is being debated.
What we do know in this area is that Brandon Lewis, our MP, slavishly followed Tory policies when he should have manned up and said there were problems with the system that needed sorting.
So what is not in debate is the serious number of people in rent arrears and a rising number of newly homeless. For this reason I was sorry to hear that Tory councillors are happy to paper over the cracks in our fractured society and spend over £100,000 on an ice rink.
I am all for increased footfall in the town for Christmas and I trust the homeless with plenty of free time will be allowed free skating lessons.
It seems the youth in Hemsby also have plenty of free time and they want to put it to bad use. The fact that a number of fires have started at Pontins is an indication of this, at more expense to the ratepayer.
So why cannot steps be taken to do something constructive in the time it takes for a decision on the site’s development.
Could someone like the Salvation Army and other charities be asked on a short-term basis to make some of the buildings habitable and they could also be used for holiday homes for sick children and women’s refuges.
G C G HELYER
Nelson Road Central,
Great Yarmouth
Yes, councillors right to transfer
I would like to comment on the recent seven local UKIP councillors who have moved from their current positions to the Conservative party within GYBC.
Was this the right thing to do and was the timing correct? I and no doubt many local electorate will be asking themselves who voted UKIP in the last local elections, this question.
The answer is simply a yes!
It is very easy to criticize in a move such as this but we should maybe consider some of the comments I feel are just.
There is no betrayal by these members, they like any business have had to make a choice what they feel is best, not for them but for the electorate as a whole.
UKIP set out to do a job and has done just that, it has now become a dog without a tail and has no positive leadership within the party and has lost any further forward direction for the foreseeable future and is now become a voice in the wilderness.
Great Yarmouth needs a forward-thinking, positive and understanding attitude council to take the borough forward to the next level, not a council caught up with internal politics as so many are.
Voters may say this is simply UKIP councillors defecting. I disagree.
The party no longer any strength within Yarmouth or nationally and is no longer the jewel in the crown.
The GYBC conservative party should be pleased to take the new members as is the case, people like Alan and Kay Grey that have given their all to UKIP but you cannot carry on supporting something that is not working, if you do this then does become unacceptable and could be seen as taking advantage of the system and not doing what you were elected to carry out so you have to make judgement and that is what they have had to do for which I applaud them.
These seven councillors have recognised this and done the right thing, with support from UKIP not forthcoming it has ceased to be effective.
Politics is not a game, we have elected these people because of their skills and judgements and belief in making our community a better place for us all to live within and enjoy. Jumping ship, as some have voiced, is not what has happened here.
UKIP has simply had its time we don’t want a hung council nor a council in disarray but a positive team of people that will get the job done - also in harmony with its people.
The Labour Party has yet to drag itself into this century; some may disagree but what I can see at a local level things look rather stagnant on this front! So well done The Magnificent Seven!
STUART L LEECH
Who remembers the Orbinaut?
I’m a UEA student working on a piece of writing with a focus on Great Yarmouth in the 1980s. I grew up in the area, but was a little too young to remember much about the town before the 1990s, so am reaching out to see if anyone can fill in the blanks!
In 1980, a particular ride came to the Pleasure Beach called the “Jules Verne Orbinaut”. I
think it was some kind of a simulator! I’m very keen to hear from anyone who remembers this ride – anyone who saw it, went on it or even worked at the Pleasure Beach at this time.
If you have any memories relating to this ride or even simply the Pleasure Beach during the 1980s then I would be really pleased to hear from you.
Your help would be gladly appreciated.
Please contact me by email at jessmorgan7@gmail.com or by phone on 07527 128785. I’m happy to call you back.
JESS MORGAN
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