Council should review our main roads

Surely the best place for parking coaches is at the swimming pool site. As the majority of coach visitors are elderly, a 'drop-off and pick-up' point in town, perhaps nearer to the shops and public toilets, would be suitable.

This means that they are on the level and eliminates the hill to the traffic lights.

The driver can move the coach to a designated site at the swimming pool which is already used by lorries during the many events which take place on East Holmes Field.

On another matter - I know that there have been many complaints, and the Parish Council have tried to do something about the state of the Brook Street/Railway Road corner shop, last known as 'Quit'.

The owner obviously has no intention of doing anything about this eyesore and indeed it looks sometimes as if there is someone camping in the shop. It is a prime site but unless the owner is prepared to do something about it, prospective tenants will think more than twice before undertaking a lease.

JAY LANCASTER (Mrs)

Gilstead Way,

Ilkley.

JJJJJJ

SIR, - As an apolitical person, who disgracefully hasn't voted since Domesday, I really can't see why 'Sophiegate' has been covered in detail on the front pages of the national Press recently, when by rights it should have been covered in a small paragraph on page 27.

We have here two young royals who are doing their best to make a living without support from the Exchequer, one of whom as a result of Press trickery, was persuaded to make remarks with which many of the population would agree.

"Our Prime Minister doesn't understand the countryside. Because of the foot and mouth situation they've been forced to take notice of the countryside. Cherie Booth continues to work. Maybe she didn't think her husband's Government was going to last so long, she'd have to go back to work anyway. The Tories are going to lose under Haigh. As for Labour it's all promises for something in two/three years time. We call him President Bill. Charles is too formal. Actually he's always been, he likes formalities but he's great fun."

Political power always passes and that is one of the great aspects of our democracy in this country. Today's Prime Ministers are tomorrow's back benchers and although President Tony looks like being re-elected, the next lot will be in power again in four years' time.

Princess Sophie appears to be a sensible woman expressing views which many of us would not disagree and, good Lord, if she were to enter politics I might be even persuaded to vote for her.

KEITH G HARTLEY

Hangingstone Road,

Ilkley.

Closure regret

SIR, - Along with many other neighbours, I much regret the closure of Leeds Road sub-post office, but I recognise this was not the wish of Royal Mail.

However, I am at a loss to know why the immediate consequence has been the removal of the former standing post box and its replacement by a much smaller pedestal box sited in the garden of the property.

The Saturday following I was totally unable to post several first class letters intended for delivery on Monday because this new box was already crammed full, which therefore necessitated a walk to the nearest box in the town centre.

A pensioner who also arrived at the same time remarked that at her age of 93 this extra journey was a serious inconvenience.

I contacted Royal Mail's Customer Service and have received an acknowledgement from their adviser that she is 'looking into this matter'. While this breath-taking inquiry is in process, may I encourage other hitherto regular users of this facility to add their written representations to those which some of us have already made.

The address is The Customer Service Centre, Royal Mail House, Forth Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 1AA.

Rev PATRICK DEARNLEY

Beanlands Parade,

Ilkley.

Farmers grateful

SIR, - In addition to the letter I wrote the other week regarding the foot and mouth crisis, I would also like to say how much farmers appreciate the public's concern about the situation. We greatly value the public's support and are extremely grateful to everyone who is helping by avoiding public footpaths and farmland.

I know how annoying this is, as we ourselves enjoy walking and other outdoor pursuits in our spare time.

To the person who sent me an anonymous note asking if I was going to write a letter regarding the Tory handling of the BSE crisis, I would have replied if you had included an address. But it is not an issue to write about here at the moment.

Mrs Nyree Fearnley

2 St Helena's Caravan Park,

Otley Old Road,

Horsforth.

Price of greed

SIR, - The epidemic with foot and mouth is no accident. The variant E. Coli and of course BSE are basically man-created and however many tears are shed we are now paying a very high price for our greed.

Animals in close proximity doesn't help the matter making epidemics more likely. Feeding ground-up dead animals to vegetarian animals caused BSE - profit being the motive.

Due to the greed of intensive farming thousands are now suffering the consequences, and no antibiotics will stop the spread of foot and mouth in intensive rearing environments.

A recent correspondent to the Wharfedale said we live with BSE, foot and mouth, salmonella, E. Coli, destruction of hedges and woodland bird life, pollution of water course etc. All in the name of factory farming, massively subsidised for decades.

F DICKINSON

Larkfield Road,

Rawdon,

Leeds.

l Foot and mouth round-up: Page 8

Growing violence

SIR, - What kind of a country will our children and grandchildren inherit?

We must all be aware of the growing violence and greed spreading through our beautiful land. The farmers' terrible situation caused by foot and mouth disease prompted me to write this poem:

SHEPHERDS

Distraught farmers shepherd their sheep,

tending loved animals .. then .. trenches deep,

culling, burning, life's work lost,

impossible to count the cost,

why?

Jesus Shepherd, we His sheep,

have gone astray, children's sleep,

spoiled by acts of sinful men,

lost innocence never gained again,

violence, thieving, murders, wars,

drugs, pollution, broken laws,

much of God's creation spoiled,

mankind soiled;

Can it be that God is speaking,

through earthquakes, floods, disasters, seeking,

in His love to save the lost?

His son Jesus paid the cost,

yet suffers still, we feel His pain,

Lord help us turn to You again;

The farmer weeps for his lost sheep,

surely God and Jesus weep,

for us.

Perhaps the coming Easter with its message of redemption would be a good time for us to rise up in protest at the downfall of morals in our midst.

MRS E M LUND

Queens Road,

Ilkley.

Escaped owl

SIR, - The following poem was suggested by the presence of an escaped Eagle Owl in Ilkley (Gazette, March 3).

It is currently much in evidence having been heard, and indeed seen, from Panorama Drive to Ben Rhydding. In fact I can hear its melancholy hoot from my back garden.

I understand from a subsequent report in the Gazette that it had been decided to make no further attempts to recapture it.

EAGLE OWL

Hoo and hoo and hoo and hoo,

Your calls disturb the night,

An alien sound re-echoing,

Under the moon's pale light.

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

Of Olicana's Brooks and Groves,

Flying together through the dark,

We'll hunt the rats across the park,

By daylight, sitting on a bough,

We'll watch the tourists come and go,

When summer evenings veil the sky,

We'll teach our owlets how to fly,

These and more urban pleasures, all

Only await your answering call.

Oh poor deluded bird, for you,

There can be no responsive 'hoo',

The town and moors are empty,

The time has come to choose,

(Whichever way - you lose),

It's love or liberty.

JENNY DIXON

Manor Rise,

Ben Rhydding,

Ilkley.

School worry

SIR, - I have heard about the proposals for reorganising primary schools in Otley and am very worried about the closure of All Saints Junior School. I have a child at the school and chose it because of its excellent reputation and the convenience of the location.

It is in easy walking distance for us and, being in the centre of town, it is easy for me to pop to the shops and other central facilities after dropping my daughter off. I don't have transport available and am worried about what we will do if the new Church of England school is located on the edge of town at the far end of the Cambridge Estate.

I know that children go to the present junior school from all over the town and a central location is ideal for everyone. These proposals seem to be being rushed through with no real thought of their impact on the town or parents and children. I hope that the council does think again and do not know what we will do if they do not.

J Armstrong (Mrs)

Hollin Gate

Otley.