The other side of the zoo story

Having known the Petries for 34 years, I feel I am in some position to tell the true tale.

Many of the animals at Southport have already been found permanent homes within the zoo world. This is never easy as established groups often will not accept outsiders.

The main exotics that Doug and Carole hope to bring to Craven are golden oldies that simply could not be introduced into other collections with their safety guaranteed, eg a 21-year-old hand-reared lioness, a 37-year-old spider monkey and a female gibbon of a similar age.

The sanctuary that has promised to take the chimps is trying to raise a further £20,000 to build their new house and enclosure. Doug and Carole have already given a five figure sum towards this. The animal rights brigade however have refused to donate a single penny, so when they are asking for money at their begging tables, ask where the money is going.

The main argument the animal rights people had against Southport Zoo was the location, right by the funfair, so surely the beautiful surroundings of the centre would be a much more fitting environment for the birds and animals to be homed.

Having seen the animal rights campaign from close quarter over the years, and having been abused and harassed by the same, I feel this has become a personal attack against the Petries because they have refused to back down.

Any official complaints have been investigated and found to be lacking in substance. The RSPCA has always followed up complaints made to them and has always found the animals clean and healthy and well cared for.

Licensing conditions have been met each year and these conditions are set and inspected by experts - vets and zoo directors, not fanatics.

Finally, I hope your community is wise enough to form its own opinion when the animals finally arrive (subject to planning).

Lynda Shepherd,

Full address supplied,

Southport.

SIR - Regarding the new 'Kick up a stink' campaign to stop dog fouling reported in the Craven Herald on April 8.

We already have dog wardens, 170 'dog pooh bins', free poop bags, lamp post signs and a dog control committee. Why waste even more public money on printing and distributing 25,000 posters.

Unfortunately dogs (and many of their owners) cannot read and don't give a damn about the environment or Skipton's footpaths and parks. Why should the council continue to finance dogs and their owners?

Apparently Coun Polly English wants residents to phone the dog warden if they see a dog fouling.

What a farce! Are dogs and their owners going to sit and wait until the cavalry arrive? (local elections must be due soon).

The only way to stop dog fouling is:

1 Fine owners heavily if their dog fouls in the public place and list their name in local newspapers

2 Erect 'No Dogs' signs in problem areas - eg parks and canal towpaths.

Surely it's time to stop messing about with this problem.

C Burton,

Duke Street, Skipton.

Editor's note: A couple of years ago the Craven Herald did publish details of people convicted of allowing dogs to foul the streets. Now fines are distributed as fixed penalty offences and details are not made public: something to do with "data protection" - or was it "infringing their human rights"?

SIR - All Craven residents should be concerned that local councillors have apparently hi-jacked the Skipton Renaissance Committee and "removed" six members (Craven Herald April 2).

We already have a raft of local councillors attempting to manage the town - ie Skipton Town Council, Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Council. What expertise and qualifications do they have to determine Skipton's economic and social future via the Renaissance Committee?

The Renaissance Committee and Yorkshire Forward have already spent thousands of pounds of public money and made no progress.

Their hidden agenda seems to be to build new council offices on Coach Street car park, an unnecessary and expensive white elephant in view of impending local government reorganisation (it's called empire building).

Many things need to be done to help ensure Skipton's survival as a tourist town. Here are my proposals (many of them low cost):

1 Remove the new Carlton Road traffic lights and replace them with a mini roundabout.

2 Install new pelican crossings by the Town Hall and on Newmarket Street near Woolworths.

3 Provide new fringe car parks including park and rise at weekends.

4 Demolish or refurbish LMS club near the station (an eyesore).

5 Block off entry to the town hall car park via Jerry Croft (currently a lethal junction).

6 Revamp the Town Hall frontage and the piazza with flowers/flags etc.

7 Clean up the town centre and employ a "traditional" road sweeper with a brush (it works!).

8 Fix 'No Dogs" signs on the canal towpaths and piazza (it's not rocket science).

9 Improve town centre security and safety by siting a high profile, bright orange manned police caravan on the High Street setts. (It's pointless having officers tucked away in the police station. They must be visible.)

10 Close off Coach Street permanently to through traffic and close the High Street one weekend per month (many other towns do this successfully). All CDC residents pay high Council taxes and we deserve a clean, safe, well managed environment - just do it!

I look forward to the Renaissance Committee's next report giving proposals regarding Skipton's future. Let's hope that members will have the courage and determination to make real changes in the town.

Peter Jones,

Keighley Road, Skipton

SIR - I would like to add to the letter from Mr Simpson regarding the state of the roads into Skipton.

When coming in on the Keighley road a sign just prior to the roundabout was vandalised over a year ago. It would cost next to nothing to return this sign to its dull brown former glory!

While talking about the roads, who "trimmed" the hedge on Carleton road immediately after the cemetery, it is a disgrace.

I have attended training courses on hedge-laying, which is a far better way of maintaining a hedge, encouraging wildlife, and creating wildlife corridors. The old ways are not always the worst ways, we live in a rural area and we need to ensure our hedges, walls and tracks are there for our children, grandchildren and beyond.

Owen Metcalfe,

Croft Head Terrace, Glusburn.

SIR - It was good to read that a new all-weather football pitch will soon be open at Sandylands (Craven Herald April 8).

The new pitch will cost £836,000 with a grant from the Football Foundation of £562,000 on condition that it "focused on developing soccer for disabled people and women".

However, this is public money and any local sports facility should be open to all, regardless of gender, colour, age or ability; ie any group or individual should be able to book the facility in the usual way.

All women and the disabled should be angry about the Football Foundation's condescending attitudes.

J Thompson,

Gargrave Road, Skipton.

SIR - I would like to reply to the letter headlined 'Market parking ban is a good thing'.

I cannot agree. As a resident of Settle I feel that the market place is vital to Settle and as such the car parking aspect is important not least for business.

It is the only free parking in the town. How many people would pay to park if only spending literally minutes collecting groceries. Not me. And how many cars would avoid paying by clogging surrounding streets? Probably lots.

This team of consultants relentlessly bombards us with trendy ideas. Ask anyone in Settle if they enjoy a sandwich at the Naked Man with the roar of polluting through traffic. Banning cars from the Market Place will not resolve that problem.

Settle's Market Place would benefit from a facelift, no-one will deny that. But continental out-of-character ideas are not for a traditional Yorkshire Dales (almost) market town.

Michael Fielden

Victoria Street, Settle.

SIR - I read your article on renaissance in Settle leading to a traffic ban in the market place and last week's reply in your column with horror.

My husband is disabled (one of the ones more accessible facilities are supposed to be being provided for by the proposal). He has chronic asthma and already finds access to local places difficult. He relies on his car to travel even the shortest of distances, on days when his health is bad this may only be a few yards (a ridiculously short distance for most able bodied people).

If the market place is pedestrianised renaissance will be barring him and others like him from it.

"Disabled" does not only include people in wheelchairs who usually have carers to assist them, it also includes walking wounded who try desperately to live independently. As a consequence if the only shop we can park outside is Booths then that is where we shall shop (excellent news for them!) and the market place at last can become a museum purely for tourists.

The Dales are a living, working museum so, don't kill them with arty farty ideas!

A Venn,

Stainforth Road, Langcliffe

SIR - The Craven Herald reported in its edition of April 8 that a local motorist was charged with 14 traffic offences.

He pleaded guilty to all of them, including having no insurance, no MoT, driving under the influence of drugs and failing to produce his documents.

He was disqualified for two years and fined a pathetic £210. What a total waste of police and magistrates' time.

Anyone who can afford to run a car can also afford to pay a substantial fine. What sort of message does this punishment send out to law-abiding motorists who pay out for insurance, road tax, MoT tests and a driving licence?

A Jackson,

Hothfield Terrace, Skipton.

ASIR - May we please take up a small space to thank our local Morrison's supermarket management for allowing us to arrange an appeal for donations to help keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopter airborne.

A big thank you also to the visitors and customers to the store Easter Saturday who filled our boxes to the tune of £427, a sum that completely overwhelmed us with its generosity.

Air Ambulance needs £1 million a year to keep operating and we are proud to announce that we have now raised £25,600 over the last three years with the help of the local public who are all welcome to visit our shop on Victoria Road, Earby, to further the cause.

Quality bric-a-brac is always welcome and, of course, all proceeds from the shop go into the Air Ambulance coffers.

Neil and Carol Stronach

Voluntary fund raisers and co-ordinator, Yorkshire Air Ambulance Appeal,

Church Lane, East Marton.

SIR - Can I through your letters page say a big 'thank you' to the very kind person who handed in my purse which contained a good amount of cash along with debit and credit cards on Easter Monday evening at 'Escape' bar in Skipton and also thanks to the helpful staff there. It's good to know that there are honest people around and seemingly in Skipton.

Karen Manger,

Bennett Street, Skipton.

SIR - I also read your editorial 'Tell tale signs that Skipton is on the up' and after reading the proprietor of Spike Island's comments (Craven Herald April 8), I too feel compelled to join in.

I launched Dominion on Victoria Street last August and am grateful for the support I have received so far.

Locals and visitors alike have said my business "is just what Skipton needs". I have provided customers with contemporary furniture and unique gift ideas which thankfully have encouraged them to repeat their visits and spread the word.

I also have an excellent position being located in the same area as the ever growing Flower Company and Spike Island. I can certainly say that I too support the local businesses by tottering around Skipton's cobbles in Tootsie's finest and my supply of olives and cheesecake from Eight delicatessen keep me smiling, if a few pounds heavier, although I hope I am well disguised by the exquisite lingerie I've stocked up on from the Boudoir!

So all I am saying is please continue to support all the stylish new additions which add to Skipton's charm.

Dominique Binns

Dominion,

Victoria Street, Skipton.

SIR - Mrs C Matthews comments (Craven Herald letters, April 8) that the vegetarian choices in most restaurants are very limited or indeed non-existent.

We find this surprising too since, in our experience, there has been an increase in requests for vegetarian food in recent years. Also, in the current climate of health awareness, an increasing number of meat eating customers are choosing vegetarian dishes.

We always have a minimum of two vegetarian dishes on our starter and main course choices, all of which are home-made. Fish-eating vegetarians will have an additional two or three choices.

Our chef will also make dishes to your choice, providing we have the ingredients to hand. Furthermore, if you ring us a few days before you want to eat with us, we will make you a dish of your choice.

Sue and Steve Amphlett,

The Plough Inn, Wigglesworth.

SIR - I read the letter about the lack of vegetarian dishes served in restuarants and pubs.

It has come to my attention that there are actually a lot of good places to eat around my local area and one particular pub is the Hare and Hounds in Lothersdale. I tend to eat there a lot and the variety of vegetarian meals is fantastic and are always really nice.

My husband who isn't a vegetarian loves the steaks.

Mrs Calvin,

Shady Grove Court, Cononley.

SIR - I am writing in response to Mrs Matthews letter on the lack of catering for vegetarians.

As a vegetarian myself I experienced the difficulties which sometimes arise in finding a vegetarian option. However it is not always a problem as Mrs Matthews makes out.

The Hare and Hounds pub in Lothersdale which I regularly eat at, offers a wide choice of vegetarian meals. There are always at least 10 meals on the vegetarian board, most of which are home made. Indeed some meat eaters choose to have a vegetarian meal, instead of a meat option.

Mrs Matthews implies that vegetarians are persecuted and treated unfairly because of their eating requirements. In my experience I have found this happens in the minority of places. In most, as in Lothersdale, vegetarians are catered for with a tasty meal and a smile.

Hannah Wilson,

Rook Street, Lothersdale.