SIR, - There are 24,000 people in Ilkley and Mr Frazer Irwin seems to be in a minority of one! The other 23,999 think that the Christmas lights in Ilkley this year are the best we've had and they surpass all other local towns' efforts.

I support M Raynor, of Leeds Road, who wrote to the Gazette last week in disbelief that the lights may be banned because one person had complained.

I agree that Mr Irwin has a serious affliction and I am sorry for that but he wrote to the Gazette himself recently about his surfing prowess on the Internet. If he manages to use his computer with no ill-effects, then the lightly flickering lights of the Christmas angels on the Grove will not have any effect either!

Come on Mr. Irwin, don't be like Ebenezer Scrooge who hated to see anyone actually enjoying something. Get a life and try a pair of dark glasses!

Forgive me for my lack of sympathy, too, and many apologies to all those other people in Ilkley who suffer from epilepsy and who do get on with their lives quietly. Please understand that I know how serious and debilitating the condition can be.

Barbara Bullock

2 St James Road,

Ilkley.

Lights .... 2

SIR, - I am fortunate not to suffer from epilepsy but do find the flickering lights along The Grove most unpleasant. They are also distracting and thus could be dangerous when driving there.

Mr Raynor is right about his ignorance and lack of sympathy. Modern drugs help some patients a great deal but epilepsy remains an unpleasant and occasionally dangerous affliction.

I hope that we again have Christmas lights next year. I also hope that those who choose the lights next year will take the minority who find flickering lights unpleasant into consideration.

Colin Carpenter

63 Grove Road,

Ilkley.

Lights .... 3

SIR, - I am glad that other readers (M Raynor, letters January 4) have felt moved to point out their disappointment at the parish council decision to ban the Christmas lights after one named complaint about the flickering angels.

As a sufferer for the past 30 years of photo sensitive epilepsy (the semi-medical name given to people affected by flashing lights), I do know that every person with or without epilepsy can have a fit brought about if the frequency of flashes of lights per second is fast enough.

As our representative, Coun Mrs Robinson should be assuring herself and us that Bradford Council, which put up the lights and maintained them has abided by the very strict Health and Safety Guidelines that exist for lighting and signs in public places. These guidelines are there to prevent people from the effects of flashing and flickering lights

If these guidelines have been abided by , could I suggest that the people of Ilkley could be allowed to continue to enjoy in the future, the splendid light show that many people worked so hard to achieve this year.

S Lawson

IIkley

Sent by e-mail.

Lights .... 4

SIR, - I have to agree totally with the letter from Mr M Raynor about the lovely angel Christmas lights being banned for next Christmas.

I am sure there must be more than one resident in Ilkley suffering from epilepsy and unless the council has been deluged with complaints how can one person have so much power as to get them removed?

Why did the lights not bother Mr Irwin last year as I am sure they were on The Grove on the same lamp-posts.

S Johnson

22 Mayfield Avenue,

Ilkley.

Lions' record

SIR, - On behalf of our President, John Hopwood, and members of the Ilkley Moors Lions Club (formerly Wharfedale Lions Club) may I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us with our main events of the Duck Race, Bonfire & Fireworks Display and other events during the year 2000.

Their help has been much appreciated and has helped considerably towards our service work and support of people less fortunate than ourselves.

Lions Clubs International are proud of the fact that all the money raised goes to their service work and charity. Nothing is taken for administration costs. All administrations costs are paid for by the Lions themselves.

Through the support of businesses and the public we have been able to make donations of £250 to an Eye Camp where more than 300 people were treated for blindness or partial loss of sight, £250 to Water Wells, £200 to the Lions Club International Foundation for emergency relief, £200 to Special Olympics for the Disabled, £350 to Cystic Fibrosis, £350 to Deaf/BlindUk, plus many other smaller donations to local people and causes.

A piece of equipment for physiotherapy has been provided for the Coronation Hospital. An appeal and collection of blankets was was made for the Mozambique Appeal, Band concerts have been held in Ilkley for nearly 400 elderly and disabled people, a trip to Todmorden Band Concert for 50 elderly plus a Christmas party for 100 elderly and disabled.

A coach was provided for a partially sighted outing. The young have not been forgotten either. We have had great co-operation and help from the Wharfedale Air Training Squadron with the Bonfire and Duck Race and the Ben Rhydding Scouts and Addingham Cubs with the Duck Race and have benefited from our fundraising. We have also run a peace poster competition for young people between the ages 11 and 13 years.

We have tried to find young people who do a lot of good work in the community for them to take part in our International Youth Award project. We have also continued with our on-going Lions Clubs Drug Awareness programme for young people.

All these events and projects may seem like hard work but we have fun whilst doing them and, in addition, we have enjoyed quizzes, games evenings, visiting other clubs and attending their social functions.

Our motto is 'We Serve' and that is what we try to do and to maintain the standards we have set over many years. We would welcome new members men and women. It is most enjoyable with a friendly and fun atmosphere.

Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th of each month at the Red Lion, Burley-in-Wharfedale, at 8pm and we thank Chris and Babs and their staff for their friendliness and allowing us to meet there.

Wishing all your readers and our supporters a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. And every good wish for the future.

Jim Shelton

Secretary,

Ilkley Moors Lions Club,

30 Lawn Avenue,

Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Adoption search

SIR, - In the past year the longest established adoption agency in Yorkshire, with 75 years experience, has gradually been increasing awareness that people over 45, either married or single, can also adopt children.

They have introduced fast-track adoption for people interested in adopting a baby with Down's syndrome, family groups of two/three children, four to seven years old, and children four to six years old.

The agency concerned is Catholic Care, which wants to encourage people of any or no religion who live in the Ilkley area to come forward and find out more.

An Adoption Information Pack is available by telephoning 0800 - 9179221 during office hours, when there will be an opportunity to talk to an adoption worker, too. The full pack is also posted on their web site at (www.adoption-yorkshire.org.uk).

Tony Ryan

For the adoption team,

Catholic Care,

11 North Grange Road,

Headingley,

Leeds.

Bankruptcy help

SIR, - I am the founder of the Bankruptcy Association which has now been providing help and advice for 18 years to people throughout the UK who are facing serious debt problems or bankruptcy.

We have helped thousands of people to cope with their debt problems during that time. We are also constantly campaigning to improve the laws in this difficult area of life. We have recently succeeded in a campaign to protect the pension rights of bankrupts.

The association can also advise on the alternatives to bankruptcy, eradicating the need for people to seek sometimes expensive legal and insolvency advice. We are also a sensitive and caring organisation, very much aware of how lonely and traumatic it can be for individuals in serious debt.

Anyone seeking personal support can obtain this by joining our Association. The annual subscription is just £15 which includes access to our advice line and regular newsletters.

We have also just published a new specialist booklet entitled 'Saving the Family Home in Bankruptcy'. This explains how the family home of a bankrupt can sometimes be saved by negotiating with the trustee in bankruptcy.

The booklet explains step by step how this is done. It is available (post free) from the address below for £9.95.

Our address (no stamp required) is The Bankruptcy Association, FREEPOST, 4 Johnson Close, Lancaster, LA1 1BR and our telephone inquiry line number is: 01524 64305.

Readers connected to the Internet may also wish to visit our web site at (www.theba.org.uk).

John McQueen

Founder,

The Bankruptcy Association.

Praise for lights

SIR, - I have been to Burley-in-Wharfedale visiting friends at several times of the year.

I love the village, the countryside which surrounds it, and, of course, I love my friends

This year after the local service on Christmas Eve, we drove through the village and I saw the wonderful display of the Christmas lights.

I was so taken with it that I had to write and congratulate whoever has been in charge of making Burley look so full of Christmas spirit.

With best wishes for a happy New Year.

I DICKINSON

Waterloo Road,

Preston,

Lancashire.