Letters to the Editor

SIR - The news that St George's Hall is to be revamped was generally expected at Tempest Towers given that some strangely-quiet councillors wanted all along to scrap the Odeon.

I do wonder what they'll say though when their electors ask them in the next few weeks why they did little to save the Odeon and instead plan to spend much-needed council tax funds on St George's Hall.

I remember more than a year ago, at a meeting in City Hall, Maud Marshall promised Coun Val Slater and those present she would enable Norman Littlewood and others to go inside the Odeon and make a full assessment.

That never happened. Was she afraid of what they might find?

Or maybe she realised the Odeon could be successfully saved after all and with private money.

John Tempest, PO Box 163, Bradford.

l Maud Marshall replies: "I'm amazed the refurbishment of St George's Hall, a Grade II listed building, and currently Bradford's only concert venue, can be met with such negativity. Surely this can only be a good development for the city?

"With regards to the Odeon, we were happy to facilitate support of people entering the site. It is just not in our interest to prevent people seeing the full extent of the internal dilapidation. Following an independent report, however, Yorkshire Forward has been advised to take the decision not to allow entry as it is too dangerous.

"A copy of the report, along with a previous independent assessment of the building and photographs of the building's interior, have been given to the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group.

"May I ask again that people hold off making their minds up until they see the plans submitted for the international design competition for the Odeon?

"These plans will be available for public viewing in May, and there will be ample opportunity for Bradfordians to tell us what they think."

Geriatric vandal

SIR - I would just like to comment on the "vandalism" that I witnessed on Friday evening while driving along Woodside Road in Wyke.

A man apparently with his grandchildren was gaily picking daffodils and encouraging the children with him to pick them to take home "to Mummy" or perhaps to Grandma.

I would like to inform this geriatric vandal that he missed a few round The Green and also at the top of Wilson Road.

It is wonderful that someone should take the trouble to "liberate" these prisoners of the earth.

Phil Boase, Elizabeth Street, Wyke.

Too much apathy

SIR - I read with great interest letters to the T&A regarding 'quality shops' and 'litter'. My group and others work tirelessly in our area to improve the environment and reduce vandalism and crime.

We are supported by a 'core' of loyal residents but are met with total apathy from those who just don't care.

In spite of annual 'clean-ups', litter and rubbish reappear both in the streets and in gardens and the public is regularly seen dropping litter and allowing dogs to foul anywhere.

Out latest shot in the foot? The closure of Kwik-Save leaving residents of Pollard Park and the lower end of Otley Road and Barkerend Road - not to mention future residents of all the new-build three, four and five bedroom houses - without a supermarket.

Millions of pounds are being spent on Bradford centre while the potential of areas such as ours is overlooked.

So come on residents, support our groups to improve your area and please, we need a quality supermarket to replace Kwik-Save.

I Metcalf, chair, Pollard Park Residents Association, Ribbleton Grove, Pollard Park, Bradford.

Archaic views

SIR - We have a small band of Christians demonstrating in Bradford about a bad opera that has dabbled in a little light blasphemy, while the whole fabric of society disintegrates before their very eyes.

I say 'get a life' and care about the important things in life, like crusading for safe streets. Crime is being decriminalised to such an extent that one wonders what one has to do to get a prison sentence nowadays.

Should they be more concerned at looking at the plight of the 82-year-old Bradford woman who cannot walk to church without being intimidated by youths?

We endure a sizeable cult of young drivers intent on speed at all costs; drivers of all ages who use their mobiles as a matter of course while behind the wheel and a whole army of uninsured/untaxed driving criminals.

We have ill people who struggle to get an appointment with their GP, while some poor souls have no access to an NHS dentist.

So please get your priorities right and stop boring people with archaic religious views.

Peter Jones, All Alone Road, Idle.

Apply the rules

SIR - Further to the letters from A G Goldsbrough and Carol A Jennings regarding abiding by the laws in Singapore compared with here in England, I have been to Singapore several times and have had no trouble whatsoever.

As regards 'fines for everything' in Singapore, well, we have the same here, it's just that no-one has the courage to implement them. Possibly because it offends criminals.

Why do people smoke in non-smoking areas? Why do people park their cars in 'no parking' areas? Why do people use their skateboards in 'no skateboards' areas? Why do people drive through 'no entry' signs?

Why do people ride their bikes in 'no cycling' areas? Why do some people need to drive at 60mph, in 30mph zones? Why do people carry knives? Why do people carry guns?

Major crimes start with minor ones and if not corrected, progress to the ultimate, most vile and violent ones. The rules should apply to everyone, indigenous, immigrants and visitors - not just a select few.

J Lewis Nicholl, Plumpton Gardens, Wrose.

Let's get tougher

SIR - I wonder how many readers out there are as sick as I am of the pathetic sentences given, not only in Bradford but across Britain, to the criminal fraternity.

Thugs, drug dealers, thieves and rapists getting away with paltry suspended sentences or at worst a few years in jail, being fed and looked after by the rest of us.

They get a chance to better themselves, do courses on whatever subject they wish, enjoy gym, TV, games, etc. No more breaking up stones or sewing mailbags, etc.

Community service, what on earth is that? We want these people out of the community, not scanning the neighbourhood for the next job.

The sooner the courts take more reasonable measures to prevent crime the better we all will be.

Jenny Sampson, Rossmore Drive, Allerton.

Why no outcry?

SIR - Where is the public outcry of the predicted and increasing number of doctors and nurses who are going to be sacked by the managers of certain NHS Trusts who themselves are paid large sums of taxpayers' money to manage finances given to them by the government?

Last year the government was in trouble internationally for poaching nurses from poorer countries while at the same time paying extraordinary amounts of money to continental doctors to come and work here. And now the government condones the sackings of the same.

How on earth can we believe Trust management saying "patient care won't be affected" when we can't trust them to manage? This situation is yet another of the several highly-publicised reasons for opposition to "market forces" being applied to our NHS.

Alan Holdsworth, Wellhouse, Mirfield.

More generosity

SIR - I have never read a more churlish letter than that of M Byrne (T&A, April 8), begrudging our senior citizens free bus travel in off-peak periods.

Apparently he has not given any thought to what many of our elderly have had to endure and sacrifice during their lives for the betterment of future generations.

To add insult to injury he then suggests that they should pay at least 10p per trip.

It's only a small concession, Mr Byrne, so try and adopt a more generous attitude.

D Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford.