Letters to the Editor

My wife and I have worked hard right up to the official retiring ages of 60 and 65 respectively for this privilege. I have never been unemployed from the age of 15. I have also, as a skilled joiner/cabinet maker, been able to do a great deal of the maintenance work on the house myself.

Now, at the age of 68, I am no longer physically able to do work that I used to do, and as my wife and I are living on the generous state pension we are finding it difficult to pay for work to be carried out.

As we have never received a single penny in the way of grants for repairs or improvements, we were pleasantly surprised to see the work being carried out in Barkerend Road under the Regeneration Scheme, thinking that we might also benefit from it. Of course we should have known better.

I was under the impression that the Regeneration funding was supposed to be for the benefit of all the residents, not just for a select few who live beside the main road.

E L Roberts, Heath Terrace, Bradford 3.

SIR - Broadway and Forster Square are starting to look like parts of old Bradford did back in the Sixties and Seventies when dozens of shops held closing-down sales because of the widespread redevelopment.

By May, this area of Bradford city centre will be almost derelict and work will finally start on the long-awaited and much-needed massive new Broadway Centre.

It is an exciting thought that in around three months time the bulldozers will move in and the face of Forster Square will change once again, this time for the better.

Jack MacPherson, Killinghall Road, Bradford 3.

SIR - Returning home from visiting my sister in Bradford Royal Infirmary, I was disgusted by the state of the streets and green areas along White Abbey Road, Whetley Hill and Toller Lane. The gutters and pavements were filled with enormous amounts of rubbish as were the adjacent green areas.

Are those areas no longer being cleaned? Or are the people and community leaders living there unaware of the deplorable state of their environment? If so, they should be ashamed at the way they are treating their city.

The BRI is one of the top ten hospitals in the country and is, I gather, looking forward to a Teaching Hospital status. Visitors approaching the hospital, like myself, will be shocked at the awful state of this part of the city.

I was born in Bradford in 1948. I have always felt great warmth and affection for a wonderful city.

My mother, sister and niece all live in Baildon. I travel into the city from the motorway and out to Shipley along Canal Road every week. The city centre and the roads to Shipley are no worse than any other town but what I saw today in another area of your city made me sick in the stomach.

Carol Collins, Castlegate Drive, Pontefract.

SIR - Re your report "Council may have more say on cash" (February 14). Why has it taken so long for Councillor Simon Cooke to admit that the Council is the accountable body for SRBs? Why did he not investigate the running of Newlands SRB when people wrote to him with allegations of cronyism and vote-rigging?

The answer from Coun Cooke at the time was that they could not do anything because they had no jurisdiction over Newlands SRB as they were not the accountable body.

J R Smith (Bradford North Alliance), Flawith Drive, Fagley

Coun Simon Cooke, deputy leader of Bradford Council, said: "I have never said that the Council was not the accountable body for Newlands SRB.

"The Council's Accountable Body responsibilities relate primarily to the proper management of public funds. We will continue to investigate all specific allegations relating to regeneration partnerships and where there is substance to the allegations we will involve the police.

"The Council did investigate the running of Newlands SRB as a result of a motion I moved at Council. If Mr Smith or anyone else has specific allegations of fraud, malfeasance or criminal activity, I will ensure they are fully investigated."

SIR - On March 7 I will be putting on my hat for The Stroke Association.

Grand Hat Day is the annual millinery event organised by the country's leading stroke charity. Everyone is encouraged to enjoy the occasion and put on their hats!

I for one will be putting on mine as I have decided to support this wonderful event to raise awareness of stroke - the single biggest cause of severe adult disability. Like so many people I have seen the devastation stroke can bring to families and want to help the charity with its vital work.

Inevitably, stroke will affect all of us either directly or indirectly at some time or another. What surprises me, is that even babies and children are left paralysed, or worse, by this terrible condition. Try to imagine the effects this has on those around them.

Wearing a hat, whether it's wacky or chic, can be fun and, if it raises awareness of the devastating effects stroke causes and at the same time raises money, I take my hat off to it and urge everyone to put their hats on for The Stroke Association!

To receive a free fundraising pack and a copy of my Top Hat Tips telephone 020 8695 6557 or e-mail jthorogood@stroke.org.uk

David Shilling, British Artist & Hat Designer, on behalf of The Stroke Association.

SIR - The T&A story (February 15) about those selfish, impatient and downright dangerous drivers who are reluctant to stop for school crossing patrols brought to mind the system that I saw in Indiana, USA, on my visit there at Christmas.

Two older pupils stand on the pavement on each side of the main road near the school, each wearing a white 'Sam Browne' belt and carrying a large red flag to indicate the place where pupils have to cross.

Also, and perhaps more importantly, there was a uniformed police officer present to stop the traffic.

This was done smoothly and efficiently with no problems (and of course safely!). When one of the large yellow school buses stopped to either let pupils on or off the bus, a large 'STOP' sign automatically came out from the side of the bus and no other drivers on the road at this time drove past the stationary bus from either direction.

When after a few moments the school bus moved off, other traffic then set off.

This was done in a most orderly fashion with no risks to the children.

We seem to have a lot to learn about road safety.

Brian Pickford, Summerbridge Crescent, Eccleshill.

SIR - I do feel sorry for Corporal Foers, an NCO in one of our crack regiments the Royal Marine Commandos, who after seven days in the Gulf is ringing home complaining he is short of food.

I was a conscript in 1952 and served in Korea. At one period we went six days on haversack rations. The nearest we got to a hot meal were the self-heating cans of soup or cocoa.

So from one ex-NCO to a serving one, stop whining and get on with it.

J E Ball, Ridgeway, Wrose, Shipley.

SIR - Karl Dallas (Letters, February 12) is lucky to be able to run his own country down at every opportunity and still live in freedom and peace.

He should live in one of the countries he praises and try being critical of them. "Short shrift" are two words that come to mind.

Did he visit Kosovo when some of the "poor Muslims" were being massacred? They surely fall into the same category as the "poor Iraqis."

How about a visit to Israel after a suicide bomber blows up a bus load of people? All deserve the same, surely.

F Dickinson, Larkfield Road, Rawdon.

SIR - My thanks again to Age Concern for their kindness in supplying some heat for my home when the central heating went off and I also had no hot water.

I rang them up and within an hour I was supplied with two portable convector heaters on loan.

I was very grateful for the thoughtfulness of these people. May they continue with their service.

Mrs Margaret Wheelhouse, Eskdale Rise, Allerton.

SIR - So Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon (right) hasn't had a holiday since Christmas. How sad. If he lived in the real world he would probably find most of the real workers have been hard at it to pay tax for his Government to squander on whatever they dream up next.

Mr Hoon should have cancelled his leave just the same as the 40,000-plus servicemen and concentrated on feeding and clothing these brave lads.

But still, when you lead from the rear what does it matter?

Michael McGann, Broomcroft, Clayton.