Brothers in arms should do us proud
AS the surge against the Taliban continues in Afghanistan, brothers from Leeds sign up to do their bit.
By a quirk of coincidence, twins Dale and Richard Hathaway from Belle Isle joined the Yorkshire Regiment on the same day as Bramley brothers Jonathan and Damien Bailey.
Unsurprisingly, given the fact three of the four are just 17 years old, there is a sense of keen anticipation bubbling beneath the surface.
"I can't wait to start my training, especially as I will be in the same regiment as my brother," says Dale.
"My cousin also enlisted into the infantry," adds Jonathan. "I can't wait to become a soldier."
There can be no disguising the youthful exuberance felt by these lads – even if their mums and dads will no doubt feel a sense of trepidation at the idea of them seeing active service.
Meanwhile, we can feel pride in the willingness of this band of brothers to serve their country – and feel confident they will do us proud.
Bridge to future
NOT many bridges have celebrations to mark their first birthday – but then the footbridge over the River Aire at Castleford is no ordinary bridge.
This award-winning structure has become a stylish symbol of the ambitious attempt to breathe new life into the former pit town.
And it has captured the imagination of millions of television viewers who saw it on the Channel 4 show in which Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud charted the town's progress.
It's no exaggeration to say that the footbridge has helped put Castleford on the map – people from as far as Australia, America and Denmark have dropped by to see it.
But however impressive it is, it's important that Castleford shouldn't just be famous for its bridge.
Thankfully, there are signs that despite a few setbacks the regeneration drive is notching up a number of achievements.
A makeover of the Tickle Cock underpass has been a success, while attempts have been made to breathe new life into the town centre.
However, there is still much work to be done and the passion people have for their town must be tapped into to bring about further improvements.
The bridge is a good start, but we hope there is much more to come from the Castleford Project.
Stellar career
STUDENTS tend to struggle to see out three years of uni without skipping a few lectures here and there.
But Tony Haskins has notched up a 38 years in higher education and is still hungry for more.
Today, the 64-year-old boasts a remarkable amount of qualifications including a Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts and Advanced Diploma in Educational Management.
Now the former university lecturer is set to add to his impressive CV with a Certificate in Astronomy and Planetary Science.
Well done, Tony. That's out of this world.
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
