Train was good, but bus was better

Peter and I were friends and daily commuters to Ermysted's. However, I travelled by bus, Ezra Laycock and Sons ornately embellished Bedford vehicles.

The pre-war models seated 26 but the two newer buses seated 32 on harsh, slatted wooden seats in keeping with Second World War austerity.

The old bus at that time was no 40, affectionately known as "Old Sal". Struggling up Thornton Drag, Old Sal emitted a low pitch whine which inflicted pins and needles on passengers.

I could not understand why any schoolchildren chose the train from Barlick to Skipton. The bus terminus was near the railway station but the bus departed 25 minutes later. Why give up that much extra time in bed?

For me living at the Gisburn end of town, going to the railway was a mile of back tracking. Instead I could sprint across Victory Park and intercept the school bus at Rolls Royce Bankfield Mill.

Among those who chose the bus were an illustrious head of school Colin Bury and Craven Herald former editor Jack Heald.

The drop off point was Brewery Lane, which meant a shorter walk to school compared with "the trainites".

Pick up in the evening was on the High Street cobbles. One evening as we waited in a sort of scrum a rear wheel ran over the foot of a boy.

The other boys frantically drew the driver's attention to the mishap. He, whose head from the rear resembled a coconut, was more angered than perturbed. The coconut rose slowly from his seat and pushing us aside proceeded to lecture the poor pinioned individual about where to queue in future.

All the while the lad was trying to extract his tortured toes from the shoe trapped beneath tyre and heavy metal but to no avail. Fortunately no permanent damage was done.

Another driver would rise to our bait, urging him to drive fast over the hump backed Southfield canal bridge between West Marton and Ghyll Brow. The passengers at the rear would shriek as they shot upwards out of their seats. It was a good job traffic was sparse in those days.

The dishevelled individual Peter described as being last minute for the train every day could have benefited from the leeway allowed by the bus. His two sisters used the bus, maybe because they were too embarrassed to face daily association with their sibling.

This same boy sat next to me in the school certificate art poster painting exam. Fifteen minutes before the finish he had covered about five per cent of his paper with a scattered miscellany of almost indescribable objects. Panicking he decide to apply a deep lavender wash. As we were told to put our brushes down the whole thing had degenerated into a particularly mucky mess.

No doubt in this day and age it would have won a prize at the Tate Modern. The external examiner of the day however took the opposite view of this artistic catastrophe. Fortunately the lad had aptitude in other directions.

Peter mentioned the art master from Thornton. He was Ray Taylor, a wonderful man, excellent rugby three quarter and gifted artist whose work I still see from time to time.

Ray had been torpedoed in the war and survived against all the odds, ending up a prisoner of war in Germany.

He was detained in the camp immortalised in the film 'Albert RN'. The film showed how a dummy was dismantled and taken out of the camp to an external shower house where one prisoner would hide and Albert would take his place for a few days in a discreet position on parade.

When the Germans finally rumbled what was going on they took it in remarkably good part. Albert was removed to a Berlin museum only to be lost in the blitz.

Ray fascinated us with details of the ingenuity used to fashion Albert.

These are just a few memories of a spartan but still mainly happy era on the buses.

Owen Oliver,

High Bank,

Bent Lane, Colne.

Cave's age

SIR - I read with interest your article: 'Research puts new date on cove' (Craven Herald, April 26).

I am the diver who found the stalactites in the submerged cave at the foot of Malham Cove. I thought that a few extra remarks might be of interest to some readers.

The age of the stalactite which my friend Phil Murphy dated (26,000 years) tells us two important facts. Firstly, the cave must have existed before this date. Secondly, at this time, the part of the cave where these stalactites grew must have had a water level at least 10 feet lower than it is today (as stalactites don't grow underwater).

I have to say that I would not necessarily agree that this proves the cove to be 50,000 years or more old; further research is needed.

The way in which the cove formed has been the subject of scientific debate for many decades. However, the submerged cave system formed independently. The fact that part of it was briefly air filled doesn't necessarily prove that the cove was already there as we know it today.

Other explanations for a temporary low water level are possible. It's probably better not to think of the cove as having formed at one particular time. It may well owe its existence to several stages of development over a long period.

Exploring the underwater system at Malham has been a major project for Cave Diving Group members since the early 1950s.

The cave presently totals over a mile in length and, as my colleague's work has shown, it holds great potential for scientific research.

If any Herald readers are interested in further information then I'd be pleased to help, via the address below. Meanwhile I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all concerned to thank Norman Moon of Malham for his help and encouragement over many years.

John Cordingley,

Northern Pennine Club,

Green Close House,

Clapham.

Memorable

SIR - Haydn's Creation was performed by Grassington Singers and friends in St Michael's Church, Linton, ably directed by conductor Terence Bamforth.

The three youthful soloists, Richard Eteson (tenor), Joanna Forbes (soprano) and Jeremy Sadler (bass) were outstanding and the organist, Alexander L'Estrange accompanied superbly.

Through the letters page, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this a truly memorable experience.

Julie Finkle,

Ninedales,

Threshfield.

No enthusiasm

SIR - The White Paper proposing regional government "Your Region, Your Choice..." proposes elected regional assemblies, followed by a wholesale reorganisation of local government.

These assemblies are to have the right to impose local taxes, although the demand will somewhat stealthily be rolled into our council tax demands.

The choice we will be denied will be on whether our taxes are spent on a layer of regional bureaucracy and salaries in the first place. Evidence shows that the prototype regional assemblies that the Government has set up in the North are basically talking shops, and I'd much rather my taxes were spent on what local people not politicians want.

Regional spin doctors are already hyping "strong demand" when polls actually show that five in six hardly even think about it!

Although majorities feel national and local identity more strongly, we must not be pushed towards an artificial regional set up that is EU-inspired - and therefore convenient for 'Brussels' work programmes.

Readers should write opposing these plans to DTLR Regional Policy Unit, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU or email: regions.whitepaper@dtlr.gov.uk.

George Nicholson,

Glebe Riding,

Whalton, Morpeth.

Interfering bores

SIR - On reading recent articles regarding the use of green lanes by "off road vehicles", are they targeting a minority group or are they just being interfering old bores?

What gives anyone the right to form a group to stop others doing what they enjoy, do they own this land?

The real issue is not the fact that the green lanes, or dare I say, public rights of way, are being used by off roaders, it's the non off roaders that don't want us to use them.

I own a piece of land near Mastiles Lane, I can't get there in my BMW, I have to go on my Honda motorbike.

Hold on, I've got it, let's ban farmers and landowners from using quad bikes on the lanes as well, make them walk the miles of lanes around the dales, and make sure they don't take any plastic pop bottles home with them, make them stuff them in walls next to stiles like other walkers do, Then let's ban horses and all other four legged animals.

That would make life easier for the walkers; they would be able to leave even more litter around the moors.

Horses enjoy the lanes, people who ride motor bikes, mountain bikes and drive 4X4 vehicles enjoy the lanes and have respect for the horses and riders.

We have respect for the countryside, none of the group of up to 12 of our party ever leaves rubbish, never leaves a gate open, and during the foot and mouth crisis never entered a no go area. So what have we do to deserve being stopped, and how do you choose who to stop?

We don't have a group to campaign for us to use the lanes, we have a right that has been a right for a very long time.

Adrian Green,

Ickornshaw Estate,

Cowling.

Public outcry

SIR - Imagine if every single car driver in the Dales was pulled over by the police on a regular basis to check, firstly, if they are driving a diesel car and, secondly, if red diesel was being used illegally.

Imagine if the police and HM Customs obtained warrants to enter every single house in, for example, Horton-in-Ribblesdale to search for drugs, illegally imported drink and cigarettes and pirate DVDs and video games.

Would this be deemed acceptable behaviour by the police in order to catch a small proportion of lawbreakers? Of course not - there would be a public outcry!

Why then, is it deemed acceptable for the police to pull somebody over for simply riding a motorcycle?

My understanding from fellow motorcyclists was that the police and DVLC were not stopping "suspect vehicles", they were indiscriminately stopping virtually every bike passing through Ingleton for checks, not just the ones with noisy illegal exhausts.

Only 13 people charged out of the thousands of bikers out on the roads on a Sunday proves that the perceived "problem" is, on the whole, caused by a tiny minority with illegal exhausts, yet all motorcyclists are being persecuted.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the witch hunt being waged against motorcyclists in the Yorkshire Dales by "nimby" parish councillors, which results in police resources being diverted from real crime.

For these people to ask for more even police resources to be channelled into the persecution of motorcyclists is simply outrageous - will they only be happy when this country becomes a police state?

The police could eliminate the use of illegal exhausts using minimal resources by wandering around the biker gathering spots like Hawes and Devils Bridge and issuing tickets as appropriate.

There is no need to stop people going about their lawful business - this is, after all, a free country.

S Normington,

Alma St,

Haworth.

To the rescue

SIR - It would be lovely if the young mother who was on her way to Colne and stopped her car in Glusburn at lunch time on May 10 could see this letter.

I had tripped and she took me to a friend's house from where I was able to be taken promptly to Airedale.

The staff on ward 10 and all the professionals who dealt with me treated me wonderfully well. So, heartfelt thanks to them and the young lady who came to my rescue.

Mrs C Lawrence,

Wood House,

Cowling.

Prominent notice

SIR - Oh yes, Mrs Cox, the Swadford Centre deserves all the trade it gets.

Since the present manager took it over it has become a happy, friendly meeting place where my husband and I enjoy delicious cups of coffee. As regulars we had noticed the and read the prominent notice telling us that the centre was to be closed while Ann had a much-needed short break.

How foolish she would have been to advertise to all the potential burglars in town that the premises would be totally deserted in her absence.

Barbara Binns,

Moorview Way, Skipton.

Cotton days

SIR - I am researching the cotton industry for an M.Phil thesis. During my residence at Earby many years ago I knew a Clifford Lomax, a weaver at one of the mills, and now I need to contact him for personal information.

Indeed, I would welcome a contact with any mill-worker from West Craven.

I would be grateful if they would ring me on 01843-848268 or write to the address below.

WL Horsfall,

24 St Mildred's Avenue,

Birchington-on-Sea,

Kent. CT7 9LD.

Garden thieves

SIR - To the thieving morons who made off with several stone animals from my garden during the night of May 19-20:

I hope you get some monetary gain from taking the items - all were presents from my grandchildren over some years and were worth a lot to me.

So, if anyone sees a white cat, a bronze frog, a brown owl on a green base, a hedgehog, a green duck or a stone pig feeding a litter at a car boot sale or "on offer" somewhere else - they're all stolen and they're mine.

Mrs W Duce,

Rowan Garth,

Sutton-in-Craven.

Editor's note: Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police.