SIR - In this day and age when it is nearly always "doom and gloom" in the news, may I, through your newspaper, thank those who have given help to me in the past year.

They include bus drivers, especially on the Bradford Moor route, who wait until I get on and off and to and from my seat as it is getting more difficult for me; all the staff at Barkerend Road post office, newsagents and Kwik Save; all the staff at Rimmington's chemist, Scholl foot care, the cooked meat shop in Ivegate and all other shopkeepers who have served me; plus the people who have helped me on and off the buses and held doors open for me and helped me cross roads.

I would like to thank all those who helped me when I fell in Keighley Bus Station outside Food Fair. Luckily I only had bruises and pulled muscles.

Last but by no means least, may I thank all those who help to produce the Talking Telegraph giving their time freely so that people like myself, who can no longer read the Telegraph & Argus, keep up-to-date with local news.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Margaret Lee, Barkerend Road, Bradford 3.

SIR - Pensioner households in England are able to get central heating grants of up to £2,000, providing they are on the minimum income guarantee.

However ALL pensioner households in Scotland are eligible for this grant.

Unfair to pensioners in England? Of course it is. Particularly when I can tell you that most of the money payable to Scots pensioners will come from taxpayers in England.

If we had a parliament for the people of England this and other unfairness would not happen.

Pensioners (those on income support only, unless you plan moving to Scotland) should phone 0800-952-0600.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden.

SIR - Re Nappy Daze (T&A, December 7). I am happy to say I chose "real" nappies for my youngest son. I managed to make the decision without the help of any councillors.

I have to own up to contributing to the "dirty nappy mountain" with my two oldest children, but I can say as a working mother that it is no more trouble washing a few nappies than it is doing the rest of the family laundry.

In the days of automatic washing machines and tumble dryers, which I am sure the majority of households possess, all of us as parents should be contributing in that small way to helping protect the environment, to say nothing of the money saved.

Sarah Colthall, Park Road, Low Moor, Bradford.

SIR - The world is astounded! Pinochet has been cleared. He has carte blanche from the Straw Man who freed him against all public worldwide condemnation. A man who put Stalin to shame: yet I who defaulted on a poll tax payment was threatened with dire consequences.

This must be Blair's Waterloo. He must think he is God, pie in the sky king: Pepsodent smile, wonder where the yellow went? It's alive and dying in the so-called Labour Party.

Council tenants are about to be screwed again by our elected representatives. Wonders never cease!

Brian Narey, Greenway Drive, Allerton.

SIR - About three months ago wheelie bins were delivered in our area and became operational the following week. I am exempt due to a disability as are at least two more, but we were all left with wheelies, even though our dustbins are emptied in the "usual" way. We all requested their removal several times (costly phone calls involved) but nothing happened.

In my case they did call one day while I was out and having been told to collect one wheelie bin instead they left me another!

I've spent a fortune on phone calls, received promises of removal the next day from the top man himself, but the two bins are still here.

I am told that there is a shortage of wheelie bins yet I know of at least four that are standing empty.

Margaret Elmslie, Vicarage Road, Windhill, Shipley.

l A Council spokesman said: "We will visit Mrs Elmslie as soon as possible to collect her bins. We would like to apologise for the delay. In delivering 200,000 wheelie bins across the Bradford district we have found that the best method is to deliver to everyone initially. The list of exempt households is constantly changing and it is better to make sure that everyone has a wheelie bin at the start and remove the unnecessary bins later."

SIR - Congratulations for making us all aware of the inhuman activities at the Swales Moor Mink Farm (T&A, December 11) and many thanks to the four brave people who graphically showed themselves off to prove this atrocious business is still going on.

These poor creatures live in disgusting conditions totally alien to their natural environment (they are semi-aquatic carnivores) but are caged from birth to death and fed on garbage.

It must be a blessing for them when they are gassed to death.

With all the imitation textiles available on the market there is no need for killing and suffering for the sake of fashion.

Also why does it take until January 2003 to make it illegal? There must be someone who can explain why all this time is required to stop this inhuman trade.

The people who make decisions regarding the licence of multiple suffering and eventual early death for profit are as bad as the perpetrators if they don't stop it straight away.

Derek Wright, Westbury Street, Bradford 4.