Letters to the Editor

How very different from a much more expensive Xmas show, sporting two comics and some TV names, that is an 'off the peg' product thrown on with little care or thought, but trading on past glories of pantomime at that theatre.

If the Trades Description Act could be applied to live performance, here would be a case in point and that management had certainly better look to its laurels if it wants to uphold its reputation and keep its audience.

In nearly every department the Keighley show was better (and having once been a member of the acting profession it hurts to have to say it!) Here was not a variety show, with little thought for the telling of the story, and only consideration for the bottom line on an accounts sheet, but a well thought out show with everything in its right proportion.

Keighley Amateurs deserves its reputation for a good panto. I suggest that Messrs Marsden and Rundle send a copy of the script 'up the road' and maybe we'll have two shows to look forward to at the end of the year!

ANTHONY HOMYER,

Apple Street, Oxenhope.

SIR - We hope that Simon Beaufoy's film 'Blow Dry' is as big a success as 'The Full Monty'.

But as far as the Railway Children being the last to be filmed around Keighley in 1975, that isn't exactly true.

In 1978 an advert in the Keighley News appeared wanting 'extras' for filming the two Keighley Feast holiday weeks. This film was to become 'Yanks', starring Vanessa Redgrave, Lisa Eichorn, Wendy Morgan, Richard Gere and William Devane.

There were many scenes at Keighley Station, the old goods yard, now Sainsburys and their car park, beautiful shots of Cliffe Castle and the munitions factory (The Dump) at Steeton. A very enjoyable film, much underrated.

RENEE LAPWORTH,

Airedale View, Cross Hills.

SIR - I would like to point out that Isaac Holden lived at Oakworth House not Oakworth Hall.

He was employed about 1830 by Townend Bros, of Cullingworth, as book-keeper, made manager and then director.

In 1846 he set up his own Mills, made a lot of money and Oakworth House was built in 1864 costing around £80,000 (a colossal sum in those days). It was destroyed by fire in 1909. It was in the grounds of the now Oakworth Park.

D TEMPEST,

Bridge Street, Oakworth.

SIR - I moved from Keighley six years ago and moved to Tamworth in the Midlands. However, I endeavour to return as much as possible to visit family and friends.

I lived in Keighley for 35 years, and about 20 of those years involved travelling to work by car. The journey from Keighley to Bradford was always a bit of a nightmare, with an eight mile journey taking up to 45 minutes.

When I moved to Tamworth I was surprised how quickly and efficiently I was able to travel around the region. This is due to road layouts, planning and bypasses etc. I currently travel about eight miles to work. However, even at peak times I can drive it in about ten minutes. Traffic flows well and roadworks are kept to a minimum.

When I visited Keighley recently the level of traffic in and around the town was horrendous, with the town centre almost reduced to a giant car park.

There seemed to be roadworks and temporary traffic lights at every turn. I feel Keighley's lived and coped with this problem far too long and the long suffering motorists of Keighley deserve a decent road network.

JOHN COATES,

Tamworth.

SIR - What a good idea. I agree whole heartedly with Les Thornton, Letters KN 2/2/01. Why not give local author David Samuels his own column in this newspaper?

David Samuels, with his sense of humour and devilment, the local pain in the politicians unprintables, could, if given the opportunity, make an excellent contribution.

R P BEALE,

Skipton Road, Cononley.

SIR - We wish to make the strongest possible plea that the excellent market at Keighley will be retained indefinitely, and in its present form.

Although we are fortunate in having unique markets of our own in this district of North Yorkshire, the Keighley market has a different character and offers a supply service that in some important respects is not available here. For this reason, we often have a need to visit Keighley.

In any case, the extension of the Morrison's supermarket can have nothing but a derogatory effect on Keighley.

If their Skipton store is any indication, prices will be very high and service mediocre, apart from the disastrous effect that supermarkets in general are having on the viability of small family shops, to which Keighley owes much of its characteristic charm and friendliness.

If the Keighley market disappears for any reason, we expect Keighley to lose most of its visitors from this part of the world.

DR AND MRS J R JONES,

Kirk Lane, Eastby, Skipton.

SIR - Twenty years ago plans were afoot to build a supermarket on the land now landscaped beside St Andrew's Church (Keighley Shared Church), land upon which the original open market was held.

The people of Keighley realised then, as I am sure they do now, that any building on that land would overshadow the church.

Hence the reason why planning permission for building was denied in the first place and the area landscaped. Many of the local children of the time planted trees, and there was a great celebration (a picture of this I still possess).

The Church of St Andrew, apart from its Christian significance as a focal point of the faith in the town centre, is a building of historical and architectural beauty, designed by the same architect who designed Leeds Parish Church.

Most of Keighley's old buildings have either disappeared or are now in a state of sad dilapidation, and in this I refer to North Street and Cavendish Street, proud and beautiful streets in their time but now, oh dear, in sad decline.

Prince Charles is soon to visit this town. With his interest in beautiful architecture I'm sure his feelings would be the same, that to cover and block a beautiful church building with another monstrous modern building would be a disaster.

St Andrew's was built in its position because it could be clearly seen from its northern approach (now North Street). The way things are moving we shall soon become one huge supermarket.

Keighley needs to keep its beautiful church as a strong focal point. Mr Morrison has taken up too much space already in the town centre with his shop and car parks.

MRS E CAISSIE,

Haworth Road, Cross Roads.

SIR - I note in the Keighley News Councillor Cook's pledge to the market traders and his guarantee that there will be no drop in trade if Keighley Market is moved to the Keighley Parish Church car park.

Unfortunately, councillors, it was proven 14 years ago when the Keighley Market was temporarily moved to the now proposed site that there was a disastrous drop in trade with many businesses failing - these traders have been there once and they do not wish to be there again.

From their cushioned existence the blinkered council only see the carrot of a new Market Hall funded by Morrisons, which would help towards their massive debts and would relieve them of the responsibility of a well-overdue renovation of the market on its current site.

I also note that Ann Cryer, our Labour MP, has again stuck her oar in. Since when has Mrs Cryer, and for that matter any member of the City Council, known anything about retailing?

If these councillors lived in the real world they would find that as a self-employed person, retailer or otherwise, that their livelihood and their staff's is dependent upon their own efforts - there is no sick pay, no holiday pay and any profit is fed back into the business to replenish stock/assets.

These small businesses are the backbone of England. Yet they are harried and pursued by councillors and planners alike.

BAS & DOROTHY PRIESTLEY,

High Royd, Utley.

SIR - I hope that the people of Keighley will come out in support of the call to save the market from closure.

Markets are the traditional place for people to buy a range of affordable goods from local traders. The profits from such small businesses are ploughed back into the local economy and not into the pockets of big business shareholders as in the case of supermarkets.

I also note the hypocritical actions of Cllr Cooke in supporting this petition when it is the Conservative-led council that is endangering the future of the market and likely to come before himself as member of Keighley Planning Committee.

MRS C LOWING,

Broomfield Street, Keighley.

SIR - Keighley market hall and the public car park near Keighley Town centre should have been an issue decided by Aire-Worth ratepayers, Keighley market hall traders and Keighley politicians.

Bradford bureaucrats decided months ago that our beloved market hall would be pulled down to accommodate the expansive plans and whims of Morrison's supermarkets.

Many in this region, having witnessed the results of Bradford planning, fear that once Keighley market hall is demolished many months, possibly years, may pass before it is rebuilt, as happened to Bradford's own market space. Inept, incompetent, inefficient and heavy handed are some comments levelled at Bradford's officials when its own market hall was razed.

If my memory serves me right, at the last attempted grab by Morrison's of Keighley public car parks politicians made statements that such a sale would be over dead bodies! Now Bradford is opting to add the market hall to the done deal.

Where are these politicians when the Keighley public need them, for once, to speak up for this town?

Who do we trust? Even our local Member of Parliament is reported to have met with directors of the Morrison's Board two weeks before disclosure was made of the intending carve up of publicly owned property. Never a word was said to her constituents.

For many years Bradford has financially used and abused the ratepayers of this region. Promises made and broken without thought of the feelings we proud Keighley people have for this town.

Each year politicians make soothing noises that eventually things will get better and that the prolific spending of Aire-Worth rates in Bradford inner city will cease. The majority of a now jaundiced and apathetic Keighley public no longer believe in anything Bradford ensconced politicians say.

BRIAN HUDSON,

Chair, Aire-Worth Reform Association

SIR - I applaud Morrison's for wishing to enlarge their business by building a bigger store.

Why, oh why, should they inconvenience the market traders and all their customers to achieve this? They have a huge car park, plus the lease of the market car park.

Surely they should be able to arrange somehow without having to upset the rest of Keighley.

Also, why is Bradford Met supporting them? It seems to me that if one is a developer or a millionaire anything goes and to hell with the general public who pay the bulk of the council tax.

E D HAIGH,

Cedar Grove, Sutton.

SIR - Recently, a foreign company launched a successful takeover bid for an English firm based in Derbyshire. Once bought, the English firm was closed down, thus eliminating a competitor.

Morrison's of Bradford (and there's nowhere more foreign to Keighley people than Bradford) are more subtle.

Their aim, with the likely co-operation of the landlords, Bradford Met (whose record of destroying markets is second to none), is to move Keighley Market to an out of the way site, to give the tenants all the hassle and stress involved in moving to a building and at the same time destroy one of the most used short-term car parks in the whole of Bradford Met, particularly for disabled people wanting to use the town centre or the market.

How about that for eliminating not one, but scores of competitors?

Morrison's are reported by Mrs Cryer, MP, as saying they don't want to re-build on their existing site because of the trade they would lose and perhaps not regain. They much prefer to build on someone else's site and don't care that the market traders will lose trade which they would be unlikely to regain.

I remember, when the town centre re-development was planned, that one of the basic principles of the Keighley Town Council was that there must be a pedestrian way directly between the bus station and the new market they were going to provide. As it happened it had the added advantage to the market tenants that most pedestrians intending to go to Morrison's had to pass through the market.

That wouldn't happen under the Morrison proposal - they would get this advantage and the market tenants would be isolated.

J HARRINGTON,

Banks Lane, Riddlesden.