Letters to the Editor

SIR - Re the NHS Trust financial crisis, 25 years ago I was employed by the health service as a hospital porter.

At that time we had six administrators, an almoner and a chief cashier. We also had two matrons (one on nights, one on days), four senior sisters (surgical, medical, orthopaedic and gynaelogy) and approximately 36 sisters who ran the BRI like clockwork.

We also had our own laundry and stores just at the back, off Smith Lane.

We now have an army of bureaucrats with clipboards, each one having an assistant-cum-secretary.

There is no nipping across for laundry or stores if they run out. Now it's a monthly order in triplicate and if you forget anything, tough.

Laundry comes in from contractors twice a week, if you're lucky.

That's what's happening now and the rot started when contractors came in tendering for cleaners, porters and ancillary staff 20 years go.

I'm glad to be out of the mess that our so-called 'Trust' has got into.

Roy Dennison, Bierley Lane, Bierley, Bradford.

Welcome grants

SIR - It is ten years since the Conservative Government of John Major introduced the National Lottery amid the usual fierce opposition.

Since then, not much opposition to the grants made from the Lottery.

The £730,000 to fund the revamp of Manningham Sports Centre was pretty good, as was the £149,000 to improve facilities at Ingleborough Hall!

T Hill, Harbour Crescent, Bradford.

Cutting services

Sir - Mr N Brown betrays a total ignorance of the local rail system when advocating that an enlarged Forster Square station would place Bradford on the main network (T&A December 10).

Unless Bradford was served by a through line, all trains arriving at Forster Square would be required to return to Shipley, adding considerably to journey times, and such circumstances would not encourage other train operators to service the city.

On the contrary, Mr Brown may be interested to learn that GNER is proposing to reduce its Forster Square to London King's Cross train from two per day to one.

Had Bradford been served by a cross-rail link, the London-bound train would have continued from Forster Square and across Bradford to Leeds via New Pudsey and Bramley, saving considerably on time penalties and increasing passenger loadings.

In summary a cross-rail link would connect the two separate rail networks, allowing continuous journeys from Skipton and Ilkley, via Bradford to Manchester, Huddersfield, Sheffield and Blackpool.

Bradford would be served by inter-city trains, which would extend its links with other centres and significantly raise its profile.

Alec Suchi, Secretary Bradford Rail User's Group, Allerton Road, Bradford.

Railway riddle

Sir - In reply to Mr Brown (T&A December 10) concerning a 'Transport Solution', I wonder if Mr Brown could clarify a number of points for me.

Why should Forster Square station be turned into something almost as big as Leeds? What purpose would this serve? If it was to be built where would the money come from? Where would the land to build it on come from?

Also Mr Brown asserts Forster Square station is on the national electric network and you can get anywhere you want to go.

If I wanted to go to Manchester I could not go from Forster Square. If I wanted to go to York I could not go from Forster Square without changing at Leeds, as the overhead line equipment that powers the electric trains does not extend beyond Neville Hill Junction.

Without a cross-city link it would be impossible for any Aire Valley passenger to travel to Manchester without changing. With such a link direct services would be possible.

It seems there are many obvious problems that Mr Brown does not know about, none of which could be solved easier than a cross-city link.

Sean Armytage, Nuttall Road, Bradford.

Canal just a dream

SIR - Mike Priestley's view of the Bradford Canal issue (T&A, December 11) cannot go unchallenged.

I think there is as much chance of this materialising as Bradford City rubbing shoulders with the likes of Arsenal or Manchester United.

This is due to the difference in sea level between here and Shipley and the need for locks and pump houses.

Research shows us the original canal was topped up by the then perfectly-clear Bradford Beck.

These days dreamers are fuelled only with the knowledge that we once had a canal be it nearly 300 years ago, when we used to catch fish near to our City Hall from the beck.

If these people could only see Bradford as it is now with no knowledge of the past, they would have to dream elsewhere.

Kenneth Higgins, Bempton Court, Great Horton.

A great panto

SIR - Regarding the letter from John and Linda Stead of Odsal about Wyke Manor School (T&A, December 9), I would wholeheartedly like to reinforce what they said about the pantomime.

I am a parent and was in the audience and thought it was exceptional. Well done, Wyke Manor.

S Evans, Bowling Old Lane, Bradford.

Illogical solution

SIR - I see that the hunting fraternity have changed their logo from "Hunting with Dogs" to "Vermin Control" so as to try and get round the ban.

Their theory is to use the dogs to find the fox and then shoot it before the dogs tear it apart.

This is not a logical solution, as the dogs which have a lower centre of gravity than the horse, especially when it's mounted, will be out of the rider's control by being between the horse and the fox. The hunters will finish up shooting the dogs instead of the fox.

No person can shoot a fox from horseback or when surrounded by a pack of dogs, so the vermin control claim cannot be justified.

Vermin control is a job for the local authority and can be done humanely by birth control, which will relieve the hunting fraternity of their constant fear from the foxes' activities a lot quicker.

I am surprised at these people stating they will break the law and carry on hunting with dogs. This is anarchy and should not be allowed as it will only make it difficult for the judiciary to penalise other law-breakers.

Derek Wright, Westbury Street, Bradford.

Distorted facts

SIR - Your Voice of Youth columnist (T&A, December 8) left me disconcerted and nonplussed because of his distortion of the facts.

For Robert Wooller to state we should have let the UN do their job in Iraq and let Europe and Russia have a say is ludicrous.

The UN did nothing about Rwanda and are doing nothing about the worsening situation in Sudan.

Except for Spain, Germany and France, many Europeans gave military support and as for the Russians does he not think their 20th century record leaves much to be desired not to mention their recent involvement in the controversial Ukraine election?

Then he asks us to think about those who can't vote in places like Afghanistan before admitting that there had been an election in that country.

Prior to this he asks us to think about all those who fought to give us the right to vote - precisely what the Allied troops are doing in Iraq to enable them to have a democratic election in January.

I sincerely hope Mr Wooller's subjective comments are not extracts from one of his dissertations: He appears to be suffering from hysteron-proteron.

David Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford

Lucky escape

Sir - I am really pleased with Bradford Council's response to Ibrar Aziz who felled important trees and assumed no one would realise.

If anything, the Council was somewhat kind to let him get away with only having to pay £23,000 for something which could take 150 years to replace.

Abdul Jabbar, Parkway, West Bowling, Bradford.