Letters to the Editor

SIR, - As a shopkeeper selling secondhand books in Otley for nearly six years, I've recently been asked by friends and customers if my business could be mortally damaged by Oxfam extending their premises in the town to include a specialist books and music shop.

Inquirers have been so stunned by my positive welcome to the giant charity that it seems worth trying to give the reasons to a slightly wider audience.

Otley's two existing shops for rare and secondhand books (on Manor Square and New Market) aren't quite enough to make the town a target destination for book buyers - even with the new book trade also ably represented by Manor Books and Just Books.

Three secondhand booksellers just about make us a book town, which is the way the retail side of the trade finds it needs to go in these internet days. Indeed, Sedbergh on the north-west edge of the dales has lately declared itself an official book town!

But well before you're that far away, there's plenty to do in Wharfedale - as described in the Yorkshire Dales Book Trail, a leaflet free from any secondhand bookshop in the area. Five of the trail's 19 shops are found in Otley, Ilkley, Addingham and Bolton Abbey. So let's be glad that with Oxfam it's now six - and we can be a book town in a book dale!

John Hepworth

Books Upstairs,

9 New Market,

Otley.

Backing Otley

SIR, - Your campaign to promote local businesses is to be commended and, from my own observations, seems to be bearing fruit. I'm sure that there are now many people who have been astounded by the variety and quality of goods which are available from the small traders in Otley without the need to join long queues in supermarkets.

Now is the time for it to be taken one stage further by all those who are proud to live in this town.

At 3pm on Saturday, September 3, the new rugby union season kicks off at Cross Green with a game between Otley and Bedford. Based on last season's league tables, Otley is the 17th best club out of the many hundreds of clubs in England. Unfortunately, this is in no way reflected in the number of spectators. Watching good rugby being is a great way to spend at Saturday afternoon, so why not come along and bring your wife and children?

You'll not see any violence, nor will you hear any bad language. If you're hungry, there are plenty of snacks on offer and if you book early, you can even enjoy a full sit-down meal prior to the game and a large range of alcoholic and soft drinks are available.

Do not be put off by not knowing the rules of rugby union, there is sure to be someone close by who will explain what is happening.

So please come along and support your local team. By the way, they're the ones in black and white.

Vic Heffer

18 St. David's Road,

Otley.

Pool chaos

SIR, - The reply by Leeds-Bradford Airport to comments about the trench work which has bedevilled Pool-in-Wharfedale may be the biggest washing of hands since Pontius (report August 25).

Not surprising when one realises that the airport is awash with pilots every day!

On a more serious note about the Pool situation, are we to take it that people are being paid good sums of money to arrange this kind of chaos?

I have lived in the village for almost nine years and reckon the longest period without roadworks, street furniture or traffic lights has been one month.

Another point arises. Has drivers' courtesy gone out of the window? So often I have been waitingon Old Pool Bank to enter the main stream of traffic and not been allowed through.

Coming up the main road you often find that the right hand turn has been blocked without any room for manoeuvre, so adding to the sense of frustration.

There must be a better way to deal with the current situation but I suspect someone behind a desk merely says: "Ah, it's Pool, they will be used to it by now."

I would be interested to hear from some named person rather than the ubiquitous 'spokesman'.

David Swallow

10 Willow Court,

Old Pool Bank,

Pool-in-Wharfedale.

Principle point

SIR, - Have you ever seen water running downhill but finishing up at a higher level then when it started? If you haven't I am sure that if you have a trip down Wharfemeadows Park, Otley, to the children's new playground there will be plenty of youngsters only too willing to show how it works.

While out for a stroll, you could return into the town and walk along Kirkgate and pass where, with a help from the local council, time stood still.

It seems that it will cost every citizen of Otley one tenth of a penny a week for the next hundred years to keep it going.

Continue along Kirkgate until you reach a point opposite the arcade, and very carefully cross the road. If you wait long enough there may eventually be a proper crossing place to make it safe to cross the road where many people want to do so.

Take a leisurely stroll up the arcade and you will see what some people are trying to do to make Otley a more pleasant and attractive place in which to live. When you get to the top of the arcade, step outside, look right and you will see a sight which is a disgrace to any modern town centre.

Any whispers you hear about houses are only the wind sighing. What's wrong with an open space where people can sit and enjoy life before it passes them by?

A few trees may help a little to counteract the carbon in the fumes given off by the traffic waiting in the queues at the nearby traffic lights.

More than two thousand years ago, Archimedes never thought that one day children in Otley would be using one of his screws.

N H Graville

168 Bradford Road,

Otley.

Team effort

SIR, - I would like to draw your readers' attention to the work being done by the 1st response team.

They are a group of highly trained, unpaid volunteers who respond to emergency calls when an ambulance is not available.

Recently I had to call an ambulance for someone with severe breathing difficulties. I was informed that the ambulance would be approximately 20 minutes as it was on its way from Bradford but a member of the 1st response team would attend.

Within four minutes of making the call a member of the above team arrived with the equipment and know-how to deal with the patient until the paramedics arrived.

Later, after speaking with Edward Winpenny, who organises this team, I learned that since being formed a few months ago they had already responded to more than 40 calls, some of them of a life threatening nature.

I would like to thank them, especially Natalie, for the great job they are doing.

Frank Longstaffe

8 Newall Avenue,

Otley.

Silver Cross

SIR, - We would like to inform your readers that the developers of the Silver Cross site have agreed to hold an exhibition of their revised plans.

This will be held on Monday,h September 5, at Guiseley Library from 2pm to 7pm. The developers hope to have a model of the proposals on display and will also have comment cards available.

This is your opportunity have your say and we would like to urge you to attend the exhibition in order that as many local people as possible are consulted on the proposal.

The application is then expected to be presented to the October meeting of the Plans Panel of the City Council.

Coun Stuart Andrew

Coun Graham Latty

Coun John Bale

Leeds City Council.

Cable issue

SIR, - Re 'Pool at a standstill', Councillor Clive Fox is quite right, the cable laying should have gone over the fields if it was necessary to lay it from Pool to the airport in the first place.

Why could it not have been laid from the top end, ie Rawdon or Yeadon? That must surely have been the best solution and the shortest route.

It always amazes me that cables and pipes for utilities are put in the road. Why can't they by put in ducts under the pavements or the soft verges?

It would be cheaper to lay and cheaper to maintain. If gas and electric cannot go together for obvious reasons then there are two sides to all roads.

My record wait on Arthington Lane a week last Thursday was 40 minutes. It took me 65 minutes to travel to Denton.

Pool Parish Council has for some time expressed its opinion that it would like traffic calming measures for the village. Well, they have got just that at the moment. If they continue to want that after the present work is finished then they will have a repeat performance.

The residents adjacent to the road will not benefit at all, they will all suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning in the long term. It is just not possible to speed through the village and I hope that after this episode they will abandon the idea.

Selwyn Pennington

'Park Cottage',

Arthington