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Not a fitting tribute to our heroes
WHEN I saw that the Leeds cenotaph was being cleaned and restored ready for Remembrance Day I looked forward to seeing the refreshed deep patina of burnished bronze. So how disappointing to see that brown gloop has been painted on the three figures.
The three figures will be familiar to Leeds folks. St George slaying the dragon and Invicta Pax, the young woman cupping the dove of peace in her hands. Both of these are by Henry Charles Fehr and are surmounted by the winged figure of Peace laying flowers, a modern replacement by local sculptor Ian Judd.
No doubt the 'restorers' have made some technical pitch to our City Works Department as to why the three figures must be painted brown, but please, no more of this.
Let's keep the rich bronze finish of our other wonderful pieces of civic sculpture.
LAURENCE PUSEY, Victoria Terrace, Leeds
I would like to take the opportunity of warning some of the war veterans still around, that they are in danger of being a menace to society.
Armistice Day is approaching and my experience of last year will serve as a warning. I went into Leeds last year to pay homage to my lost comrades. I parked outside the Victoria hotel, one foot over the yellow line, despite the fact that on my windscreen was my para veteran's badge and my disabled badge displayed.
I was stalked by one of our heroes, the parking warden, and despite seeing my vets badge, veteran I might say, of Normandy and the Far East, awarded with a fine of 30, almost a third of my pension, which I guess would earn him a bonus.
Surely these heartless fellows could be instructed to use a bit of common sense.
So come on, Leeds City Council, get some more bloodsuckers out this year and make some more cash from the over-80s.
THOMAS CARTHY, Austhorpe Lane, Leeds
In response to the reader whose name was withheld regarding wearing a poppy.
His comments are untrue and are a disgrace against our nation, calling us all sheep. I wonder what planet the reader comes from.
The poppy is not an artificial flower, it is the emblem to wear with pride to remember the heroes in our armed forces throughout the world whom have lost their lives fighting for freedom.
It is also an insult to the British Legion where all the donations go to by buying the poppy to care for our heroes and their families at the source of need.
As an ex-serviceman myself, it is very sad to read these comments by the unknown.
PETER BAGNALL, Barfield Crescent, Alwoodley, Leeds
On Tuesday the YEP letters page carried three letters making the case for wearing poppies to remind us of the sacrifice made by so many servicemen and women and importantly supporting the Poppy Appeal. The red poppies are an echo of human bloodshed upon the battle fields of the First World War while flowers grew and bloomed nearby.
I suggest that today we should complement the red poppies with white poppies to mark a determination that we should not forget the past but learn from it and strive to build lasting peace between people and between nations.
Simply buying a red poppy and wearing it will not solve all the problems of those whose lives have been damaged by conflict. Simply buying and wearing a white poppy will not bring about an instant end to all conflict. However we have to start somewhere and the poppies, red and white give us a starting point.
Martin Schweiger, Member of Roundhay (Leeds) Quaker Meeting
As Remembrance Day is nearly here and our thoughts are once again with the men and women who gave their lives for peace (as they are still doing today), I enclose a poem I wrote a few years ago. Maybe it will remind people how buying a poppy helps in many ways, the servicemen and women today. I wear my poppy with pride and thanks to the brave people who gave all for their country and future generations.
The Poppy
The flower of remembrance
A poppy red and bold,
Growing in profusion
Where lives for peace were sold.
Their scarlet heads bow and sway
Upon a breeze of dreams,
Please God don't let us pay again
So dear for bad men's schemes.
They sway their heads from side to side,
A delicate scarlet ballet,
Their beauty spreading out to hide
Scars of a war-torn valley.
Blooming brightly year on year,
These flowers never fail
To bring our memories flooding back
To the Remembrance Poppy trail.
Bernadette Jackson, King George Avenue, Leeds
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
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