Letters to the Editor

By courtesy of your columns, may I thank the (anonymous) person who found it and handed it in, enabling it to be returned to me the following day.

An example of true Christmas Spirit!

A BRADBURY

Beanlands Drive, Glusburn

SIR - Keighley Branch Royal British Legion (RBL) ---from President Dennis Walsh to our newest member Councillor Andrea Walker -- would like thank all those in the Keighley and Denholme areas for their support of the Poppy appeal 2004.

Morrison's supermarket kindly gave us a position to sell Legion items and poppies and it was very successful.

The donations from the business community for the Poppy Appeal stall at the Keighley show and their support in promoting and selling of the poppies via the boxes was very much appreciated and helped to raise funds.

The support of schools, teachers, pupils and parents and the street collection on Poppy Saturday by the Sea, Army, and Air Cadets, was excellent and has to date helped to raise £12,000.

Mention must be made of the support on Remembrance Sunday, with the church being full, Town Hall Square packed, and on parade with the DLL the Lord Mayor, the Town Mayor and many town councillors, was a real mixture of ages and uniformed groups. With I believe, 93 year old Albert Joyner the oldest and Dick Eagles, 83, the furthest travelled made it a most memorable Sunday.

We sincerely thank you all for helping us to help those who need the help.

We the Legion of the living must not forget, or forsake, the Legion of the dead.

Ian Wilson

Branch Secretary and PAO

Keighley Royal British

Legion, Keighley

SIR - Silsden Business Watch held their third Christmas Extravaganza last Wednesday night. We raised over £2,000 before expenses for our campaign to bring CCTV to the town, which is a tremendous show of support.

Our aim is to provide CCTV cameras to cover the centre of Silsden to detect and deter crime. This is our main objective and any donation or ideas of how we can raise money towards this will be greatly appreciated.

Silsden Business Watch would like to thank every shop and office and everyone who helped during the Extravaganza. We hope to see even more businesses joining in the festivities next year as plans are already being made to make next year's Extravaganza more memorable than this year.

Special thanks to Brian Holmes and Leanne Rampling as Santa and his elf, the Keighley Lions for providing the sleigh, Colin Appleyard's, Peter Beck, Silsden Town Band, Marshall Waddingtons for the fun fair, Silsden All Stars, Silsden Sewer Rats, Richard and Barbara of Silsden Boat Hire, Silsden Scouts and Guides, Aireview School and Hothfield Street School, Silsden Fire Brigade, horse riders Rebecca and Georgina, the community policing team, Andrew Mallinson, chairman of the Anti-Crime Partnership, and Lawrence Walton's team who hang the Christmas lights each year.

John Lohan

Chairman of Silsden

Business Watch

SIR - I would like to say a big thankyou to everyone involved in this year's Silsden Christmas Extravaganza, especially Business Watch members who did the majority of the work.

What a brilliant event! The town took on a magical appearance as the local school children, each with their lanterns, followed the procession through the town. Bands played, carols were sung, while smiling faces awaited their turn to visit Santa in his magnificent Grotto.

The streets were packed with people taking advantage of the late night shopping in Silsden's unique shops (no high street stores here) or joining in the fun of the fair before descending on the boat yard for a spectacular firework display.

What a perfect example of a community working together.

Cllr Liz Trainor

SIR - Whilst I deplore the removal of a wreath from the War Memorial, I like many others was amazed that Cllr Kirby, a member of a fascist party, had the gall to attend the remembrance ceremony in the first place. No doubt it is part of the BNP charm offensive designed to convince us that they are a normal organisation.

My father spent five years of his life fighting against the Nazi regime, which shared many of the values that the BNP hold dear. If Cllr Kirby and his group think they can hijack the memories of those who died, he has another think coming.

I am also amazed that given the attempt by BNP Councillors at the last Bradford Council meeting to ban the T&A and the Keighley News from council property, he graces the pages of our excellent local paper with his views.

Trevor Lindley

Stanbury

SIR - Those who fought against fascism in the war would have no idea that sixty years on Councillors Kirby and Clarke of the BNP would lay a wreath in their memory on behalf of the entire council.

Nor could they have guessed that the BNP would campaign so loudly for "press freedom". Had they known, they would, I am sure, have redoubled their efforts.

Sadly the wreath has been stolen. Was it the "Stalinist-Zionists", councillors? I note that you obviously have got hold of a book. My worry is that you have managed to read it.

George Speller

Hill Top Road

Keighley

SIR - Heart Research is offering West Yorkshire community groups a talk straight from the heart.

Heart disease is the UK's biggest killer and the charity is offering to give free Healthy Heart Talks on how to look after your heart and live a healthier life. A special panel of trained speakers will share their expertise and insights in the field of heart research, heart health and the work of the charity.

The speakers will give information on healthy living, women and heart disease and the impacts and achievements of research and talk about Heart Research, which was founded in 1967 by a working heart surgeon.

Healthy Heart Talks form part of the charity's wider Healthy Lifestyle campaign, a programme combining educational and practical initiatives that aim to help tackle heart disease at its roots - through prevention. The charity currently provides over £40,000 of funding for community-based healthy lifestyle projects across the UK.

Having funded six of the first eight UK heart transplants, Heart Research leads the way funding groundbreaking medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.

At present the charity funds over £1.4m of research projects at 26 hospitals and universities across the UK, including work at Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds University and the Yorkshire Heart Centre, based at Leeds General Infirmary.

If you would like a Heart Research speaker to visit your community group, contact Geoff Horsman or Denise Armstrong on 0113 234 7474 or e-mail lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk.

Anita Hurree

PR Officer - Heart Research

SIR - The cold weather is upon us and it is important, therefore, that the elderly are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to -- especially the Winter Fuel Payment.

I will, therefore, be holding a surgery in Morrisons in Keighley from 9.30am until 11am this morning, when I will be trying to see as many pensioners as I possibly can to remind them of their entitlements.

I will also have information regarding the Warm Front Scheme, which has already helped so many vulnerable and elderly people through grants to make their homes more energy efficient and warm.

There are a whole range of other support for pensioners too - the pension Credit and free TV licenses for the over 75s, for example - and we need to ensure that they have been taken up by as many people as possible.

Any pensioner who would like to raise any matter with me can either pop in and see me in Morrisons this morning or can contact my office on 01535 210083.

ANN CRYER MP

SIR - Readers may be aware that Friday, December 3, was national Carers Rights Day with over 400 events taking place throughout the country. Our aim was to raise awareness of the benefits and support available to those who provide unpaid care.

What readers may not know is the worrying extent of ill health among carers. New research we published on the day shows that full time carers are more than twice as likely to suffer ill health compared to those without caring responsibilities.

One major cause of this problem is the lack of information about the benefits and support available to carers which can alleviate some of the pressures they face.

Carers can obtain a free copy of our Carers Rights Guide, a new booklet that gives an overview of the main rights and entitlements available to carers.

Free copies of the Guide can be obtained by ringing our 24 hour hotline 020 8880 8125, visiting our website: www.carersuk.org or emailing: carersrightsday@carersuk.org.

Imelda Redmond

Chief Executive

SIR - I would like to ask your readers -- Are you mad about your pet? How do you show your love for your animal?

Luxury holidays? Catwalk fashions? Cosmetic enhancement?

BBC2 is making a major new series celebrating people's love of pets. If you do everything you can to make your pet feel special, from cradle to grave, we'd love to hear from you!

If you'd like to find out more about the series, please email me at pets@blastfilms.co.uk or call 020 7267 4260.

DAVID BRINDLEY