Letters to the Editor

Here is a letter designed to do just that.

This has got to be one of the most clever of e-mails. Someone out there has too much time on their hands or is deadly at Scrabble!

For example GEORGE BUSH --

When you rearrange the letters they become: HE BUGS GORE.

DORMITORY -- DIRTY ROOM

EVANGELIST -- EVIL'S AGENT

PRESBYTERIAN -- BEST IN PRAYER

DESPERATION -- A ROPE ENDS IT

THE MORSE CODE -- HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES -- CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY -- IS NO AMITY

MOTHER-IN-LAW -- WOMAN HITLER

SNOOZE ALARMS -- ALAS NO MORE Zs

A DECIMAL POINT -- I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTH QUAKES -- THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO -- TWELVE PLUS ONE

Yep! Someone with way too much time on their hands. But isn't that interesting!

"We are nothing without each other" -- JFK.

J F ACKROYD

Thomas Street,

Haworth

SIR - Taxi drivers such as those referred to by your previous correspondents undoubtedly exist.

But let us not speak as if they were all the same.

Will you please allow me to use your columns to thank the drivers of Metro/Keighley Taxis who have from last October ferried me about during my wife's illness.

They have been efficient, punctual, friendly, considerate and helpful. I recommend the firm to your dissatisfied correspondents.

ROY BUTTERFIELD

Ashbourne Road, Keighley

SIR - I laughed out loud at the letter "Taxi Disgraces" in last week's KN.

Two years ago my legs swelled. I went to the doctor who said I could expect a stay in hospital. I packed some things and, having no car, rang for a taxi.

The taxi came and the driver saw my predicament, hardly able to walk and holding an overnight bag.

Offering no assistance, defiantly he sat, as I struggled into the back. I still had one leg out of the door when we were off. He had turned into Michael Schumacker and Haworth had become Monza. Cross Roads was a blur but I remember breakneck speeds down Halifax Road.

I assured the driver that my ailment probably wasn't life or death and could he slow down a bit. In town we got stuck in a tailback at the High Street roundabout and the driver began mouthing obscenities about Keighley.

At that moment we were struck from behind by a vehicle. I sustained a neck injury and the taxi driver was incandescent with rage. While he stood on the road confronting the driver behind, I sat in his taxi with "double" the ailments I had set off with and we were only half way to Airedale Hospital. The driver had to ring his firm for reinforcements and another taxi came to complete the journey.

Later, on the hospital ward, a doctor came to see me, he said "We'll need to do tests to establish why these legs are swollen."

He looked puzzled saying he couldn't understand how the neck injury could be linked. I interrupted and told him the full story.

I could see he wanted to laugh, so I laughed first.

The taxi ride from hell was over.

NAME AND ADDRESS

SUPPLIED

SIR - I puzzled over Robert Collinson's letter for quite some time.

Did he, I wonder, write it himself? I only ask because it seems to me more likely that he got a "fill in the blanks" circular from Central Office and just popped the words "Keighley" and "Yorkshire" in the appropriate places. Well done!

It's just that I can only assume that any group who suggest that motorists in Keighley are in some way more over-taxed than anywhere else has to be so far out of touch they probably lost two elections already.

The fact is that lots of people just don't bother with car tax and stuff hereabouts, Mr Collinson. It's actually cheaper to pay the fines.

Presumably, in Robert's brave new world the police will be instructed to ignore all but the most serious and dangerous cases of, um, tax evasion, speeding, parking on zebras and so on.

The problem is that it's not proper to suggest that the law should only be obeyed when it's really really serious, and it's not fair to expect the police only to detect crime under certain circumstances.

Robert really does seem to be saying that speed limits should only be enforced in a very few places, and ... elsewhere ... well ... boys will be boys.

But, says Mr Collinson, ""here's growing public concern (about speed cameras)".

Apart from the Prospective Conservative Candidate, who else is growing and nurturing this concern? According to the Guardian "85per cent of people believe speed cameras save lives". We can only assume that Robert Collinson is representing the remaining 15 per cent. Well, Robert, you're in the right party!

By the way, do we have to explain to Mr Collinson that "an independent audit" is just that -- Independent. I'ts not independent if you've already decided the outcome. Boy, he's got a lot to learn.

George Speller

Hill Top Road

Hainworth, Keighley

SIR - May we express our grateful thanks to everyone who has helped in any way to make our Christmas raffle and tombola a huge success this year.

The total raised is £4,858.32.

We would particularly like to thank Mrs Maureen Davies for organising the raffle and also Mr Henry Brown for his fine effort with the tombola.

All prize winners have been informed and prizes can be claimed at the Friends' office, Airedale General Hospital.

MARGARET MOORHOUSE,

Chairman, Friends of

Airedale General Hospital.

SIR - I am writing this on behalf of the members of Keighley Lions Club.

Through your paper please may we thank the following people: the Keighley News, Colin Appleyard and his drivers, the fire service, the Explorer Scouts, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Mitchell Inns, Tanya Smith, Supa Snaps and the shopping centre manager and maintenance man.

We should also like to take this opportunity to thank our families and friends for the support they have given us. We are so grateful to all the above groups for helping us, either with our Santa's Sleigh runs, our Christmas Eve street collection, our Santa Special train ride or the Santa Grotto, at Stephen Smith's.

Without their input, we would not be able to carry out these events. By doing these activities, we have hopefully given pleasure to many people and also we have raised money for our charity fund. In the very near future it will help people, mainly local ones, who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Last, but by no means least, a big thank you to the people of Keighley for, once again, being very generous. Thanks to everyone.

Avril Emmerson

Keighley Lions Club

Secretary.

SIR - Plans to make this year's European Parliament elections for Yorkshire and the Humber an all-postal ballot should be scrapped if there is a chance they could be open to fraud or manipulation

While any efforts to increase turnout at an election are to be welcomed, I will be investigating the system to ensure its integrity.

Postal votes should not be entered into without a full certainty that they are not open to fraud.

Pensioners, disability and other interested groups should be fully consulted before the Government gives the go-ahead for Yorkshire and the Humber to be subject to a postal ballot. Everybody affected must be completely clear on the process to ensure it is a completely accessible and fair system

I plan to consult with such interest groups within the region before making representations to Yorkshire and the Humber's MPs.

Neither myself, nor the Conservative Party, is against a postal system of voting as such, however, if this means the democratic process is open to any form of fraud or manipulation of the system, then it should not go ahead

There is a danger that should a full postal ballot go ahead, the Government may then repeat this system in other major elections, such as the vote on the regional assemblies, and I believe that before such a system becomes widespread it should be tested in a very limited way and its integrity ensured.

Timothy Kirkhope MEP

(Yorkshire and The Humber)

SIR - I am writing with reference to an article and editorial in the Keighley News last week that raised some issues about Central Hall, Alice Street, Keighley.

Clearly there are some significant concerns about how it deteriorated and the subsequent loss to community groups -- one of KVS's own projects, Join, also suffered the inconvenience of having to find premises.

However, I would like to reassure you that -- although rather quietly at the moment -- there are concerted efforts going into seeing what can be done.

KVS is working closely with CAB and the youth services and we are awaiting the outcome of a funding bid to carry out an in-depth and technical survey of the site.

There are already many creative ideas about its potential and there is serious intent to make this a high profile, attractive and accessible venue for a range of activities, predominantly provided by the voluntary and community sectors. The fundamental principle behind this is that it would be designed and managed -- and preferably owned -- by the local community. The feasibility study is only one step on the way, and we know that other individuals, groups and agencies will have plenty to say -- they will get their opportunity!

At KVS we are exploring funding possibilities for a major refurbishment and want to ensure that this venture links into regional and sub-regional strategies and local developments, such as Keighley College's plans.

The project cannot stand alone if it is to succeed and it will involve partnership working and considerable commitment. KVS is happy, in principle, to co-ordinate this first step and we trust that more concrete (sic) proposals can be shared soon.

I am pleased to say that Keighley Town Council has already indicated its support and I hope the Keighley News can also help us to ensure the dreams come true.

Caroline Schwaller

Keighley Voluntary Services

Editor's note: In line with the policy of this newspaper we would be delighted to support this venture.

Sir - Within the next 12 months there is every realistic prospect that the world will be free of polio and thanks will be partly due to the people of the Keighley area, who have supported a special campaign through the Keighley Rotary Club.

Many readers may have experienced personally, or through friends and relatives, the dreaded effects of polio, which was prevalent in the United Kingdom as little as 50 years ago.

How many remember children with limbs locked into irons or bodies totally dependent on an iron lung?

There is no cure for polio - but it can be prevented. In the 1950s Jonas Salk developed a vaccine that would immunise against the disease -- it became the "Salk" vaccine.

The only hope was to treat every child in the world!

In the 1970s the world's biggest charitable organisation, Rotary International, embarked on immunising five million children in the Philippine Islands.

It worked. On the strength of this result Rotary saw the possibility of eradication worldwide.

The Rotary Polio Final Eradication Appeal started in the summer of 2002. Already £58,000 has been raised in our county, well above expectations

The public response countrywide and in Keighley has been fantastic, through its support of Rotary sponsored events.

KEIGHLEY ROTARY CLUB