Letters to the Editor

SIR, - I imagine that the letter from Mr Mark Rothery on the subject of heavy lorries from Greenhow Quarry will have struck a chord with much of the population of Otley.

Most people would agree, I am sure, that the presence of such vehicles in our narrow streets is a blight on our town. The quality of life is diminished by having to contend with this heavy traffic.

For example, it is not safe to walk two abreast on the footpath on Bridge Street and I have lost count of the number of times that concrete bollards outside the old Liberal Club on Courthouse Street and the Royal Oak corner have been knocked over. This can only happen when the lorry strays off the roadway on to the footpath, no doubt during the course of conversation by the driver on his - or her- hand held telephone, or whilst drinking out of a cup.

We live in a democracy, but I fail to see how that could help. Assuming that every local or national politician with an interest in Otley agreed with us, what could they do to help? That is a serious question, not a rhetorical one.

I would genuinely like to know if anything can be done to keep these heavy vehicles out of our town. I fear, though, that the great god profit and the benefits to the national economy of more roads will outweigh our parochial interests.

On a connected subject, can anyone tell me why Otley Bridge is going to have to be strengthened to take heavier vehicles to comply with EU regulations? I thought that the directive only applied to trunk roads and not B roads - am I wrong?

Geoffrey Barrett

St Martin's Avenue,

Otley.

Lorries needed

SIR, - I see from Mark Rothery's letter about HGV's that the anti-truck brigade are at it again. Keep trucks out of our towns; they're too big, too noisy.

Okay let us do that and let us take Otley for an example, Safeway's is a good instance of a business that will go to the wall within a month. What about the pubs -refuse collection -road maintenance, -smaller shops, and of course the petrol station.

Tell me what will happen to all Mr Rothery's essentials in life when he can no longer queue at the checkout, but has to go to the dairy for his milk or to the refinery for his petrol, because he has got his way and no trucks are allowed on B Roads .

What then will happen to Jefferies or Garnett's or Sinclair's pray tell! My father drove for Robert Jefferies more than 30 years ago It is a myth that wagons cause more damage to roads then cars With air suspension and more axles the weight is much more evenly distributed

My husband had delivered in his 20 years of driving heavy goods vehicles everything from beer to food packaging, to beds, to steel to hazardous chemicals and is tired of hassle from drivers on the roads who behave like madmen because wagons 'slow them down'.

Nobody gives them credit for the service they provide under extremely stressful circumstances. Take these vehicles out of towns, Mr Rothery, and watch the country's retail industry collapse.

Judith Bond

19 Gladstone Road,

Rawdon.

He's the boy!

SIR, - Your edition of October 3, was forwarded to me by my brother. I had hoped to get away with this, but I feel I may as well admit to being the page on page nine.

Following some discussion, we are certain your caption is wrong as regards dates.

I am 55 in November, and started school on or around my fifth birthday, probably in late May 1952, receiving my Coronation mug in June 1953. Your photograph may be from that May.

The May Queen, Marion Leigh, just happened to be the headmaster's daughter, tall, blonde, and beautiful. She attended Prince Henry's before leaving in her very early twenties for Canada.

Her father did tell me towards the end of his life that she had settled in or around Banff, married into the hotel business, and produced three sons, but I know no more.

Susan Brown went to Ilkley Grammar School, like me, and married Roger Leighton, one of my classmates. He was a teacher at Benton Park the last time I spoke to either of them.

Susan qualified in hospital catering and has spent quite some time in this profession. They have at least one daughter.

I became a civilian in support of the Royal Navy for three and a half years after leaving school, then did a two-year HND in Business Studies at Newcastle Polytechnic before pursuing a marketing and retailing career with Asda, a Scottish department store group, and Notcutts Garden Centres, based in Suffolk, where I spent ten years.

In 1988 I returned North for a number of good reasons, and in 1989 took a temporary driving job with a local chemicals company.

We have now grown apace and moved to Halifax, where I have eventually graduated to a 26-tonne six-wheeler, amongst my other responsibilities.

I remain unmarried and have produced no children. Nowadays I am rather camera shy and the hair's gone, but I do still keep my flies fastened, as in the original photograph.

John Dobson

12 Oldroyd,

Todmorden,

Lancashire.

Thank you

SIR, - Thank you for the article that your paper did recently on my September retirement. My wife and I would like to thank all the groups and individuals at Kirklands Community Centre, Menston for the thoughtfulness, kindness and very generous way you marked our retirement.

There are too many to mention here individually but a heartfelt thanks to you all.

David and Mary Cater

Kirklands Community Centre,

119 Main Street,

Menston.

More Tory 'fiction'

SIR, - In recent years, the Tories have produced a succession of fiction writers.

Archer, Currie, even Ann Widdecombe and Douglas Hurd, have all let their imaginations run riot in print. And now we have our own local exponent of that Tory tradition of producing dubious fiction: Graham Latty.

His latest work, 'MP under Fire' (Wharfedale Observer, October 10) had a pretty suspect plot. He suggests that I sent the wrong photo to a local newspaper because I don't know Yeadon Banks from Rawdon. He also states that the council has decided to put the Banks back in the green belt.

In real life, however, the truth is somewhat different. The mistake over the photo was the newspaper's, not the MP's. And the council certainly hasn't taken a definite decision to put Yeadon Banks back in the green belt. Our campaign, therefore, goes on.

Until he can get his facts straight, Graham Latty might consider going one better than his Party Leader and become 'The Silent Man'.

Either that or his literary endeavours should be carefully filed under 'Fiction'.

PAUL TRUSWELL MP

Aireborough and Horsforth.

FOOTNOTE: The Wharfedale Observer printed the original letter from Coun Latty in good faith but now recognises that it was inaccurate and unfair. It apologises to Mr Truswell if any embarrassment has been caused. - Editor.