Letters to the Editor

SIR, - With regard to your letter 'Meat Imports' (July 22) from Mrs Heather Parry, one of our long-standing customers, I welcome the opportunity to respond to her comments about Lishmans Butchers selling Dutch veal and Danish bacon in our shop.

We did, in fact, stop selling Dutch veal some time ago when we became aware of inhumane fattening methods, which we found extremely distasteful.

However, calf welfare in Holland has since improved dramatically and calves are now fattened in groups as opposed to crates and their diet has also been enhanced significantly.

As a result, the quality of the product is much, much better and we, therefore, made the decision to reintroduce Dutch veal because we are now perfectly happy with welfare and nutrition standards in Holland and were unable to source a suitable equivalent English veal product.

We have looked at this possibility in depth and thoroughly tested potential English veal supplies, but found the meat to be lacking in the quality deserving of our customers.

We have always sold Danish bacon and have done so historically because it has constantly been in demand. In addition, over many years we have also produced and sold our own Yorkshire pork and traditional, rare breeds English pork products, which produce bacon that is far superior in quality to Danish.

Rare breeds are exactly that, yet by buying their products our customers are ensuring the very survival of several lesser-known English pig species. However, because of increasing demand, rare breeds pork is not always available and over the years we have had to look at other alternatives, though we need to be satisfied that we are replacing a particular product with one that is just as good, if not better.

Following recent trials, I am happy to report that we have now forged a new partnership with a Yorkshire-based pig producer to supply traditional, locally produced gammon cured to Lishmans' own recipe. This means we will be selling Yorkshire ham from Yorkshire pigs, which at the moment is almost impossible to source in reasonable quantity and quality.

Our aim in the longer term is to sell only meat products that have been produced entirely locally. We are 95 per cent of the way there, but it all takes time. It is, however, on the way.

Lishmans' customers have always had a choice. In selling Dutch veal and Danish bacon, we are not attempting to pull the wool over anyone's eyes and have always clearly labelled these products as such.

David Lishman

Lishmans Butchers,

Leeds Road,

Ilkley.

Who pays?

SIR, - As the storm of recent news reports shows, it appears that the only certainty older people and their families face when it comes to obtaining and paying for care is that it will be a confusing and daunting experience.

The chaos over who pays for care continues unabated and the real losers are older people and their families who are left feeling vulnerable at the time when they need support most .

The Government has admitted that some people have wrongly paid for their care and the NHS has set aside up to £180 million to compensate them. The cases that have been identified so far may just be the tip of the iceberg and there may be other people paying for care costs that should in fact be met by the health service.

Older people who are entering or already in care and who are confused about their fees or feel they are paying wrongly need good independent advice. The Help the Aged Care Fees Advice Helpline can help people find their way around the complex system of funding care. Readers can telephone freephone 0500 76 74 76 for further information.

Philip Spiers

Help the Aged Care Fees

Advice Service

Nose to tail

Sir, - The front page of the July 22 edition of the Gazette reported an accident at Victoria Avenue traffic lights on July 15.

Approaching the lights mid-afternoon on July 20 there was yet another queue extending back around the bend towards Addingham. As we eventually approached closer to the lights there were four vehicles stopped so as to obstruct the Ilkley-bound carriageway, obviously exchanging details following a nose-to-tail collision.

It is doubtful if this incident will even be recorded, as police were not present at this stage.

When a set of lights needs a large sign attempting to justify apparently senseless delays, that surely says it all.

Ian Henderson

3 Wheatley Avenue,

Ben Rhydding,

Ilkley.

Signs needed

SIR, - With reference to your front page report 'Crash victim raps lights' (Gazette, July 22), I write to say that I entirely agree with Julie Nixon's view that there should be clear signs warning of the possibility of stationary traffic on the A65 ahead of the blind bend before the new traffic lights at the junction of Victoria Avenue.

I was two cars in front of the tanker which was unable to stop on that day, and due to the position of the stationary traffic just beyond the bend, found myself having to brake hard, even though I travel the route every day and am aware of the hazard.

Going from 40 mph to a dead stop requires quite a distance and with no warning signs, this type of accident is bound to be repeated, given the same circumstances.

Mrs Linda Bowden

Low Wood Head Farm,

Banks Lane,

Riddlesden,

Keighley.

Help cause

SIR, - It occurred to me recently that many of your readers will have an old mobile phone or printer cartridge tucked away in a drawer at home or at work. What they may not realise is that their unwanted items can benefit the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

Old mobiles and empty printer cartridges can be recycled and the proceeds will be used to help fund vital research into the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer as well as providing support for sufferers and their families.

With 38,000 new cases of lung cancer being diagnosed each year and 80 per cent of those diagnosed not surviving longer than 12 months, lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK.

But that's not all. Recycling is environmentally friendly too (mobile phones and printer cartridges take hundreds of years to biodegrade). So you can help the Earth and support a very worthwhile cause too!

Please help us continue our vital work with lung cancer sufferers and their families by donating old printer cartridges and mobile phones from home and work. For details just call 08712 50 50 50, visit our website www.recyclingappeal.com/roycastle or simply drop your unwanted items in the post to: Roy Castle Recycling Appeal (EL), 31-37 Etna Road, FALKIRK FK2 9EG

Janine Drew

Fundraising Manager,

Roy Castle Lung Cancer

Foundation,

200 London Road,

LIVERPOOL,

L3 9TA.

No stopping

SIR, - A lot of cars are not stopping at the zebra crossing outside Bolling Road School when there are people waiting to cross.

Obviously, it would have made more sense putting the speed bump where the crossing is, as is the case at the Health Centre, rather than a few yards further away. Then people may actually slow and possibly stop for pedestrians.

I've even seen people nod in their cars as if to say thank you for letting me speed past. I presume they would stop in Ilkley town centre where there are lots of people about.

D Walker

42 Wheatley Avenue,

Ilkley.

Unsightly

SIR, - I have this morning driven past an unsightly raking up of soil and grass on Denton Road, leading out of Ilkley. I believe this is known as a 'bund'.

Not only can one not see the delights of the Wharfe but it effectively stops the hundreds of visitors to the area who park their cars and picnic. All this to stop gipsies from occupying the land for about two weeks of the year?

They have been camping on this site for 32 years to my knowledge and probably for many years before.

I have been told that some people on the other side of the river complain about noise and anti-social habits. We are used to noise in this area when all three sports facilities are in use, not to mention fairs, circuses, fun runs, bonfires, etc.

People visit and enjoy using the open grass areas around the Lido but their choice when requiring lavatories is to use the old filthy ones or nearby woods and it is not unusual to see men using the river.

At least whoever owns this land gets the grass cut by the horses, rubbish is left in tidy piles for collection and two weeks after their departure all is back to normal.

This 'bund' smacks of sheer pettiness.

J LANCASTER (Mrs)

11, Gilstead Way,

Ilkley.