Letters to the Editor

SIR - I grew up in a city full of treasures - markets, arcades, art-deco cinemas and fine, often elaborate, Victorian buildings housing such gems as Collinson's Caf and Farmer Giles American milk bar.

We played in gas-lit streets quite safely after dark and watched Mr Hockney senior argue from his soapbox on Broadway car park.

Bradford had a wonderful feeling of community and its own individual style.

All this was swept away in the 1960s by architects, builders and planners leading to a banal, concrete city centre.

As for Undercliffe Cemetery and its seeming lack of support and interest from the Council, it is hard to believe that such an important site can be left to a few devoted volunteers to cope with vandalism and to care for the trees and the nature which thrives in the green expanse.

For goodness sake learn from past mistakes before it is too late and take care of this magical space. Please support the volunteers, if not with physical help then at least by getting on to your councillor to secure more financial help to keep this gem for future generations.

K Terry Kirkbride, Rousay, Orkney.

Now get cracking

SIR - As Tesco have been given the all clear for a store in Great Horton (T&A, August 25) I hope it's not long before we see building in progress.

We are short of a good food place - people are going to Halifax. So come on Tesco, get moving.

D Burnett, Great Horton Road, Great Horton.

Thatcher's legacy

SIR - I have never been a member of the Labour Party so my opinions about public access to local police stations have nothing to do with party policy.

I admit, however, that the origin of Mr Bird's discomfort (T&A, September 10) lies in a proposal put to Harold Wilson by an adviser - Sir Leo Pliatsky - which he called Cash Limits and was intended to give politicians greater control over public expenditure.

It was left to Mrs Thatcher to develop the idea and have it imposed across the entire public sector as the Financial Management Initiative. This meant that departments received a fixed amount of money which was then allocated to individual managers as a budget within which they had to organise their work.

Although Thatcher is long gone, FMI remains, so our Chief Constable has to police the county as best he can within the resources available to him.

It is obvious that he will never have enough money to meet each and every demand made upon the service so he has to think long and hard about priorities.

Longer opening at Bingley and Shipley police stations although desirable is a low priority which can only be achieved by diverting scarce resources from other more important objectives.

I fear, therefore, that unless Mr Davies and his supporters can somehow persuade reluctant taxpayers to accept a corresponding increase in their council tax, their cause is lost.

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley.

No fun next door

SIR - Mark Hastings, of the British Beer and Pub Association, says that "the latest any pub is planning to open is until two in the morning. They will do that on a Friday or Saturday."

I would love to see a reality programme where he has to live next to them!

Sue Harrison, Denbrook Way, Bradford.

Goodbye jobs...

SIR - I have travelled extensively in Europe and always the diesel is cheaper than petrol. But our Chancellor, with his greedy tax on both, doesn't seem to grasp that he is going to see jobs disappear because of these taxes.

C A Charnock, Woodcot Avenue, Baildon.

A new beginning

SIR - The silence was broken by the chimes of the cathedral bells.

I was walking along a derelict Broadway, once bustling with shoppers and lined with top chain stores such as C&A, W H Smith, British Home Stores, Boots (later Mothercare) and H Samuel, and now awaiting the bulldozers.

In front of me the future begins. A new road system and a further three long years of construction work.

The new Broadway centre will revolutionise shopping in Bradford and hopefully property in its vicinity such as Dillons bookstore (which should remain empty until a permanent tenant of some quality can be found) and the soon-to-close post office (the perfect location for a much-needed supermarket/convenience store) will find new uses.

Jack MacPherson, Killinghall Road, Bradford.

Ashes rubbish

SIR - What a load of rubbish and fantasy yet again from David Barnett (T&A, September 13) in his analysis of England's Ashes win over Australia.

In something like a 700-word column there were fewer than 30 words about cricket, which probably sums up his knowledge or passion for the game.

His criticism of the crowd singing Jerusalem, as if it were unacceptable because of its origin to the hardships of the industrial age, showed a distinct lack of understanding of the nature of being British.

Back to facts. Cricket sessions last two hours each, so what is he talking about having sandwiches every 15 minutes?

What arrogance he shows in saying that we are all pretending to be supporters of winning the Rugby World Cup or the Ashes because we cannot win at football.

Gary Lorriman, North Walk, Harden.

We'll meet again...

SIR - The report of my visit to Monte Cassino, Italy (T&A, September 9) appears to have caused some interest in Bradford.

I have had a number of phone calls from veterans or their families who did serve at Monte Cassino during the campaign.

These were from men serving in various units of HM Forces. Unfortunately none were from my unit in the London Scottish yet approximately 200 were from the Yorkshire area.

Due to the response I would like to invite all those interested to meet up at the Rendezvous Suite, St George's Concert Hall, Bradford (opposite the Interchange Bus Station) on Thursday, September 29, at 11am.

This is an Open House for seniors to meet friends and enjoy a coffee. Any further details required or to confirm attending please phone (01274) 720072.

E K Mann, Busfield Street, Bradford.