SIR - With all the talk of re-doing the High Street may I propose that instead of using the money to demolish an already beautiful place it would be more beneficial to redesign the shop fronts to be more sympathetic with each other.

Some are already lovely but some are very nasty indeed. As a suggestion, the Victoria Quarter in Leeds has imposed a high quality style of shop name display and and colour scheme and this approach would certainly improve the overall appearance of the High Street.

Denise Mathers,

Hall Croft House,

Kildwick Grange.

SIR - Craven District Council's statement in the Craven Herald indicates that there would be no decrease in parking spaces when their multi-million pound work on the car parks is over in 15 years. In your dreams. Like the bypasses, the money will stop.

One hundred years ago the Craven Herald reported how the elders of Skipton realised the town's prosperity depended on the cattle market. Later it was water supplies.

Today the prosperity of Skipton depends on the car parks for tourists, visitors and shoppers.

On a good day 2,500 come by coach in the town hall car park and 20 small businesses rely on them.

Car parks are for cars, bus stations are for buses. Not houses, superstores, or magnificent council offices.

It is not regeneration but car parking we need - double the number and halve the price.

Please don't ruin it. The town hall car park and Coach Street are the lifeblood of Skipton.

In conclusion, if Granville Street hasn't enough office space, why not rebuild the council's single storey office, use Aireville car park and walk, like the councillors expect everyone else to. Better still, start charging council staff. That way you may understand the importance of car parks.

Norman Simpson,

Calton.

SIR - The fifth Roger Wilman Golf Tournament was held at Skipton Golf Club recently.

Prizewinners were 1 Brian Preston 2 Tom Wilman and 3 Jeff Eggleston.

A raffle and bingo at The Royal Shepherd in the evening completed this special day raising £1,380 for Cancer Bacup, the nation's leading provider of cancer information and support, helping over 50,000 people each year.

Last year they launched a freephone service offering cancer information in any language and re-launched the website making it more accessible and easier to navigate.www.cancerbacup.org.uk

Thank you to everyone who made this another successful year in memory of Roger.

Sue Wilman

Princes Drive, Skipton

SIR - Once again the kindness of local people has provided our visitors from Belarus with an action-packed holiday full of fun and activities.

Despite the appalling weather we have managed to visit a theme park thanks to Skipton Lions, enjoy a day of activities provided by Clapham village, test our skills at indoor games with Ashley Carroll and his friends at Skipton Youth Club, tour classic cars, go bowling, play table tennis at Addingham Methodists, swim at Clevedon House school and much more.

As the children return home fitter and looking healthy, the generous hosts sink thankfully into their chairs aware, I'm sure, of a job well done.

Thank you to all concerned for all that you have done to support our charity and make the children's holiday special.

Anne Hodgson,

Co-ordinator,

Chernobyl Children's Project,

Draughton.

SIR - Here we go again. Someone dumped through my door a copy of a letter from North Yorkshire social services to David Curry explaining that they want to build a new old people's home on a car park at Lower Greenfoot and a replacement car park and social housing units on the existing old people's home .

We have gone through all this before with Lords Field, Bond Lane and Castleberg all public property being sold off.

Before this is done again, can the council produce deeds showing that Greenfoot car park belongs to them?

Can prospective developers please show publicly the what for, and why, they are doing this because this land does not belong to the council but to the public? Would they do this if money did not exist?

Bob Leakey,

Sutcliffe House, Settle.

SIR - May I defend Cowling's websites and its instigators, Mark and Kathryn Wilson, who do a wonderful job in putting Cowling on the world wide map at long last.

We have always been the forgotten village, situated right on the extreme outskirts of the Craven district and of West Yorkshire, yet we do not belong to Lancashire either.

Mr Edwards (who is a former resident of Cowling many years ago) complains from Australia and though Cowling has changed a lot recently, he may not be familiar with the present scene.

I guess the anonymous person who has put the so-called racist remark on the message board has done so in complete innocence with no racist intentions.

However, it would be more honest if all the message writers would add their names - why do they hide? Maybe they are young, innocent and shy.

Other websites don't give writer's names either but would we have a lot fewer messages if the rules were changed?

Keep up the good work - it is very informative, great fun and a lovely new world for those who can't get around any more.

Joan M Tindale,

Cowling

SIR - I am undertaking family research and hope that your readers will be able to assist me in my search for relatives who may be living in the Barnoldswick area.

I am trying to trace the descendants of Thomas and Alice Hepworth, who moved from Airton to the Barnoldswick area between 1900 and 1920. My grandfather Fred was their second eldest son, who married Frances and they had two daughters, Mary and Elsie. They lived in Pudsey and Mary married Kenneth Procter and Elsie married Mark Hinchliffe.

Fred had three brothers, George, Thomas and Herbert, and at least three sisters, Annie, Alice and Clara, who are believed to have married Arthur Hawley, Fred Cook and Ernest Shaw respectively. Herbert and his wife, Mary, had a daughter, Maureen.

If there is anyone with information about any of these families or indeed any descendants still living in the area, please can they contact me at the address below or on 01704 841193.

Mrs Barbara Boyson,

24 Gregory Lane

Halsall,

Ormskirk, Lancs.