Youngsters don't know how lucky they are!

Of course, in my day, babies were born perfect. Those were the days when you just put your baby outside in its pram and ignored it for fear of it becoming "spoiled". You tied it to its playpen at six months old in order to have it potty trained by one, and if it got out of line, you just beat it. None of this "love" nonsense.

And we never had drugs. There weren't any drugs around in the 60s. None of this psychedelic nonsense. We never had weird haircuts or funny clothes in those days. Yes, the rot all started with this generation, born in the 80s.

Teenagers in the 70s were wonderful. Well, there were those punk rockers with their anarchy and their funny clothes. They'll be in their mid-thirties and forties now but, of course, none of them will be businessmen and women, or holding down responsible jobs.

Those teddy boys in the 50s, well, they'll all be criminal 50 years olds by now. Obviously. They'll all be in prison, along with the 90-year-old flappers. Yes, it's only this generation of 13-to-17 year olds who are a bad lot. And look at all we do for them.

Just look at all the marvellous entertainment in the Craven area - tea dances, coffee mornings, bingo, craft fairs. They don't know they're born. Not like we used to have: smart young men and women with their tidy hair and pleasant manners, doing exactly as they were told. Of course, that was in Germany in Hitler's day, but even so...

I don't see why they can't go to Keighley bowling (£10) or to Leeds, clubbing (£25), if they don't want to dance to "Dave and his organ" at the village hall.

Caitlin Stringer,

Wighill Street,

Sutton.

Staff penalised

SIR - I am writing this letter to make people aware of the disgusting behaviour of Airedale General Hospital towards its staff.

For some time now all staff have had to pay car parking fees yearly, this has just been increased with staff having to pay between £50 to £70 for the privilege of going to work.

Not only that but they are now been dictated to as to where they are allowing to park, having to walk through dimly lit areas to reach their cars on a morning and night, very unsafe in this day and age, if they park any closer to the wards they are issued parking tickets and then threatened with being clamped.

Earlier this year the government was crying out for nurses and we all agree that they do a hard, underpaid, and thankless job so this is hardly the attitude that is going to encourage anyone to join the profession.

Instead of penalising staff for being car drivers, wouldn't it be nice if their employers could show them the small perk of being able to park in non profit making areas.

Mary Maudsley,

The Poplars,

Sutton-in-Craven.

Sell-off disaster

SIR - The decision by the Conservative Government in 1995 to fragment and sell off British Rail - at a knock down price at that - has been an unmitigated disaster for rail passengers and a goldmine for shareholders and executive directors.

Railtrack alone, to say nothing of the 25 franchised rail companies, make a profit of more than £1 million per day.

Roy Bell, a rail safety expert, has argued that the root cause of the recent Hatfield accident is the method by which British Rail was divided up by the Conservatives.

With so much fragmentation into Railtrack, train operators, sub-contractors and so on, there is no single body to be held responsible, no single chain of command: all the companies involved blame each other, and pass the buck whenever a catastrophe occurs.

There have been umpteen reports criticising Railtrack for poor infrastructure maintenance.

The Government has so far failed to react to the growing demand by rail passengers for taking the industry back into public ownership, despite the result of an opinion poll after the Ladbroke crash. It indicated 73 per cent of respondents wanted the railway system to be renationalised.

The principal concern of the franchised train operators is to squeeze the largest possible profit out of commercially viable lines, and cut out the less profitable ones at the expense of massively reducing the workforce and holding back on vital innovation such as the automatic train protection system which acts to prevent trains passing red lights.

The public clamour for an environmentally-friendly approach to our transport system can only be effected by a nationwide transfer of passenger and freight traiffc to a publicly owned railway network, not dominated by the profit motive. The Government should act now.

Jeffrey Gordon,

St Stephen's Close,

Skipton.

Public penalised

SIR - The fuel protesters' dispute is with a political party, which happens to be in office, and their fight should be restricted to them alone.

The oft-heard statement in the past that "our fight is not with the public" has worn thin and is no longer likely to be taken seriously. It is possible that the general public will be tired of being "piggy in the middle" for the past 50 years or so.

Creating the precedent which denies the public their legal right to free access to the Queen's highway surely leaves the protesters open to suffer from similar actions.

If all other groups of dissidents in the country start blockading the streets then all will be serious losers in the general melee. One only has to look at France to see how this type of action spreads to all and sundry.

Of course, they are not likely to stop their protest so I suspect that the protesters are likely to be the only ones to benefit from the upheaval and the so-called "supportive members of the public" will gain nothing.

Gordon Adams,

Park View Drive,

Long Ashes Park,

Threshfield.

Front page views

SIR - Replacing the small ads on the front page of the Craven Herald with news items and photos would, in my opinion, be a vast improvement. What is the point of clinging to something simply for the sake of tradition and with the aim of being unusual?

I have been an avid Craven Herald reader for many years, but if I now saw the paper for the first time, I am sure I would leave it on the newsagent's shelf as it looks so unappealing.

The front page of a newspaper should be a reflection of its contents - no wonder the Herald finds it difficult to convince casual readers that it is full of "major, interesting and important stories".

Judging by its front page, the Herald would, indeed, be a very dull read.

Audrey McCabe,

Tatterhorn Lane,

Ingleton.

Editor's note: Mrs McCabe identifies our problem. What do readers think?

Mischief demands

SIR - The "Demanding money with menaces" season is upon us again.

By this I mean Halloween, bonfire night and Christmas. I would like to ask your readers if anyone else suffers from youths of 15 or 16 years old hammering and kicking their door three weeks before the event saying "Trick or treat", "Bonfire night" or "Merry Christmas" and holding out their hands and expecting cash.

These youths look at you as if you are stupid when you point out that Halloween is on October 31, Bonfire night is November 5, and Christmas carol singing is one week prior to Christmas Day not four weeks prior.

Before I realised what these youths were up to, I used to give cash but having once given a lad a £1 coin (I had no change) this news spread like wildfire and I had a constant flow of youths at my door expecting the same.

It would not be too bad if they called just once but no, they call at least five times, thinking you have forgotten who they are.

My advice to people is to buy a bag of mini Milky Ways or Mars bars from a supermarket costing about £1.50. Then give one each and see the delight shown by five-year-olds and the disdain from the 15-year-olds.

Now that is a treat.

Name and address supplied,

Skipton.

Sacrifices

SIR - The climax of the first Poppy Appeal of the new millennium will be a special event at the Millennium Dome on Armistice Day, which is Saturday November 11.

We all remember the sacrifices which were made, and are still being made, by our armed forces so that future generations are able to live in peace and freedom. The Royal British Legion was formed to care for their needs and for those of their dependants.

The appeal is the principal source of funds which directly support the Legion's welfare and benevolent work. The calls upon the Legion's services are getting greater with each year and the need for Poppy Appeal funds will continue and will grow.

Last year the appeal raised more than £18.7 million, and this year, the British Legion is aiming to raise £20 million, which will enable them to fund the many schemes from which the service and ex-service community will benefit.

I urge your readers to support the Poppy Appeal this year, as they have in past years, so that help can continue to be given to those who have given so much.

County Coun Roy Wilson,

Chairman,

North Yorkshire County Council,

County Hall,

Northallerton.

No objections

SIR - It was good to see in your reports of October 6 and 13 that the residents of Horton-in-Ribblesdale also have reservations about the proposed works at Ribblehead, but why did no-one but myself make an official objection to them?

Perhaps they could not read the very small print of the relevant official notice - I needed a magnifying glass to help out my normal quite adequate reading glasses.

As for the alleged strong demand for Mr Wilf Fenten's ambition to get rid of what he describes as inappropriate use of unpaved but vehicular roads by motorcyclists and four wheel drive cars, while I have no wish to get involved in the Settle quarry lorry controversy as I am not a Settle resident or a quarry haulier, I do wonder if, as two recent letters on this subject suggested, the fuss comes mainly from affluent incomers into the Dales.

Motorcycles have a long-standing association with Dales life, as your recent very interesting picture of old-time riders from the Ilkley and Bradford clubs confirms, and the Government is to be congratulated on its reluctance to withdraw century-old rights from one section of the community at the behest of another section.

Mr Fenten should study the conclusions of the Government inspector conducting a public inquiry a few years ago on the Wessex Ridgeway, to the effect that vehicular rights only existed on a small fraction of all public rights of way, about 5,000 miles in some 120,000 at the time, and that these were the only places where the recreation of trail riding could be carried out. While being a minority pursuit, that seemed a reasonable proportion, and he came down in favour of such rights being retained.

I am reminded of a conversation I had some years ago with a Dales park warden. I asked him what was his greatest problem with park users, expecting him to say motorcycles in view of the great head of steam raised in the media. His reply was litter, and after that, the school parties which mostly brought the litter! No mention of the nasty motorcycle.

As with hunting, which I personally neither support or oppose, one should surely live and let live.

ME Price,

Heather Cottage,

Farnhill.

Open to elements

SIR - We, Louise, Rachel, Helen, Mary and Laura, aged 15,13,10, 5 and 11, have just read the letter to the editor about Cononley Park shelter (Craven Herald October 27).

Mrs Simmons questions why do youngsters not use the shelter? Well, we will tell you. It's because there are no seats and no shelter from the rain and wind and we have to get shelter in the toilets - and they aren't the best toilets in the world.

We go to the park every day in the holidays, so as teenagers, we want shelter from the north, south, east and west and seats.

We all feel that the last shelter was better altogether. No matter where the rain was coming from we could always keep dry. We only use the bandstand once a year for the gala.

Rachel Naylor, Louise Naylor, Helen Naylor, Laura Wilson, Mary Naylor,

Cononley.

Unfinished

SIR - Every Sunday my Grandma and Grandad take me to the new playground in Aireville Park. We have a lovely time and the swings are brilliant. But when will it be finished off?

There is mud everywhere - on the slides, on the climbing frame, on our shoes, on our clothes, even on Grandma and Grandad.

Me and my little friends would like to invite Craven District Council to come and play with us next Sunday morning. Don't forget to come in your old clothes and wellies and bring towels and wipes. Remember to go to the toilet before you leave home.

My Grandma wishes the new playground had been built near the swimming baths with its caf, toilets and car park. She thinks it must have been designed by a man with no children.

Haydn Keighley (aged 4),

Skipton.

Cuts required

SIR - Shrubs and bushes overhanging the pavement often cause nuisance. It happens in all towns, including Skipton.

Friends and neighbours are embarrassed to mention it. The authorities seem too busy to take it in hand. With the pruning season now upon us, perhaps the frontagers would do us all a kindness.

Richard Harland,

Intake Lane, Grassington.

Railway link

SIR - I have just read the article "Village saved from threat of more lorries". After visiting York's Railway Museum, I noticed that a map showed that there was a passenger railway line which connected Skipton to Colne via Thornton-in-Craven, Earby and Foulridge.

I am interested to know what has happened to that line as I feel that a rail link would be a much better way of easing traffic congestion and be more ecologically sound. Would it now be impossible due to more recent developments to reopen the line?

Mr G Iannaccone,

Skipton.

Editor's note: The track on the Skipton to Colne line was, alas, ripped up when the line closed. There have been calls to investigate reopening the line but nothing has come of it.

Explosions

SIR - As November 5 approaches and fireworks are once again widely available, may I appeal to the better nature of residents in the Badgergate and Avenue area in Threshfield, who always celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks which sound like bombs going off, not just for half an hour or so but for two to three hours.

Surely there are some fabulous rockets and others which are not so frightening to the elderly and sick, who find it difficult to sleep at the best times without being made to feel war has broken out again.

It is also very upsetting for small children and babies.

Name and address supplied,

Threshfield.

Closer links

SIR - I honestly don't know what Emma Thomas means in her letter 'Concern allayed' (Craven Herald, October 27) when she wrote "however a future Harrogate collaboration will enable the primary care trust to develop closer links with other agencies such as social services", links which one might already assume to be established.

What exactly are these "closer links". In these days of bicycles, cars, telephones, letters and computers, surely the relatively minor distances in question are irrelevant?

Or perhaps the executives want physically to huddle together and be closer to social services?

To me the words "closer links" implies "communications". May we be assured this is not empire building, and what precisely is now deficient in our present linkage?

Donald Wilcox,

Garrs End Lane,

Grassington.

Unacceptable

SIR - I was also very disappointed to find Aireville swimming pool closed for the early morning session (6.15 to 9am) during the week beginning October 23.

Like many others who are regular swimmers at the early morning session, I work full time and can't swim during the day and, as a mother too, home circumstances make it difficult for me to use the pool in the evening.

The reason given for the closure was staff shortage, due to illness. I appreciate that closing for one morning might be acceptable given the difficulty of contacting staff at such an early hour but staff shortage causing closure for a full week is certainly not.

I would urge the council to examine its staffing levels in order to maintain this valuable and well used session and ensure sessions run normally in the future, both in the existing pool and at the new leisure pool due to be built in the future.

J Day,

High Green Drive,

Silsden,

Macmillan boost

SIR - Through your columns we would like to thank all who contributed to the two flag days recently held at Tesco's which raised the sum of £1,140.

Special thanks to Skipton Rotary Club and all volunteer collectors for their support.

Ann Barker,

Chairman,

Skipton District Committee,

Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Last chance

SIR - The people of Barnolds-wick have until November 20 to protest against the building of six houses on the site of the former Palace Cinema site (when demolished).

If this scheme is allowed to go forward the chance to eliminate the congestion in Church Street caused by vehicles delivering to shops and the supermarket has gone forever. There will never, repeat never, be another chance - this is it, period.

The vehicles that deliver to the shops will have no need to block Church Street if the Palace cinema is demolished and they are allowed to service the shops and supermarket from the rear. Is this common sense?

If you think it is, voice your opinion now; don't moan when the houses have been built and Church Street is even more congested in years to come because there won't be another opportunity.

Peter Gardiner,

Wellington Street,

Barnoldswick.