YEP Letters: January 20

Bleak future for centre’s staff

Paul Senior, by email

As a former worker at Knottingley Sports Centre, I feel so sorry it now faces a closure date.

I feel for the staff still there who now face a bleak future. Knottingley was not just a swimming pool, it was a thriving dry sports facility. Bookings were always full in the evenings and weekends, the only difficult time to sell was week daytime. We had a number of major events during the years which got us noticed and helped to supplement the yearly costs. The pool may be old but the pool hall is still functional and with conversion can be used for all types of sports, exhibitions and events.

It was always difficult to obtain a good working budget when I was there, against all the other demands on the council finances.

But the rot really set in after I left when the cafe/bar was closed. This made it impossible to put on major events.

Even regular use by local people was curtailed because there are so many privately run facilities, which are not so short sighted and see value in social provision.

Road network in city is in a ‘shambolic’ state

S Kavanagh, Morley

Driving around Leeds, as many others do, and through the village of Gildersome regularly, only this week did I witness a team of workmen digging up a stretch of pavement, between the Suffork housing estate and Whitehall Road, in order to resurface the same.

Commendable, though it looked at first glance that the pavement was in relatively good order. That said, the same stretch of road in Gildersome Lane is like a patchwork quilt with some pot holes having been botched up and others not having been touched at all. Whilst all uneven surfaces require attention, wherever they may be, I have walked the pavement in question and driven on Gildersome Lane and the road is certainly in more need of attention.

Then I saw a further team in Corporation Street, Morley undertaking kerb/grass verge works. Those works are surely of less importance than roads which motorists pay for the privilege of using. I am not suggesting works are not required but they should not be undertaken before more pressing requirements.

Leeds City Council (LCC) have their priorities wrong yet again, spending unnecessarily on projects which could wait, when the money could be put to far better use. When will the voting public of Leeds grasp the fact LCC waste money on projects at every given opportunity when more needy projects are left on the back burner?

The above type of projects being undertaken at this time are unlikely to be isolated but the road network in Leeds is in a shambolic state and must be a priority.

All too often botched road repairs can be seen all over Leeds and I have lost count of the number of times pot holes in Gildersome have seen such botched repairs. Readers will undoubtedly have witnessed the same poor standard of road repairs in and around Leeds.

David Bizley, RAC’s Chief Engineer, indicated in the Yorkshire Post (January 16)) the root cause of the poor standards of roads throughout the country, including our region, is brought about by lack of funding both at government and local council level, with pot holes now appearing at an unprecedented rate.

LCC’s Coun Richard Lewis stated only recently that it will cost £100 million to complete road repairs in Leeds.

That figure will continually increase unless roads, not grass verges kerbs etc, are prioritised and subjected to “quality” repairs.

No plans for baby boomers

A Ward, Leeds 8

The media is full of reports about the dire state of the NHS, but no-one, as far as I know, has mentioned the “baby-boomers” - those babies who were born immediately after the war when men were being demobbed and returning to their families. I have a sister who falls into this category, so in no way am I placing blame on them, but every Government since the 50s has been aware of this group who would be reaching retirement age at the same time, with the (possible) consequent drain on the NHS, so why were no plans made to allow for this eventuality?

Add to this the numbers of families moving into the city who may not have, or indeed know how to, registered with a GP, and who turn up at their local A&E department because they know nothing else. Perhaps it’s time some of the money paid to managers in the NHS was diverted to charitable agencies to help with the cost of educating people about how

to register with a GP and who to go to in the event of a non-emergency.

On another subject, three letters in the YEP January 18 really show up the difference between the councillors of Leeds and the people who vote for them.

Leeds Council seem to be obsessed with making our city more like London with the prices to go with it. I wrote some time ago about the cost of the Chinese lantern festival and now it appears that if the

Go Ape company gets the go-ahead to build their rope activity in Roundhay Park families will still be forced to pay and exorbitant amount of money for an afternoon’s entertainment.

Also, not content with ruining the market, I understand all the businesses on George Street, alongside the market, have been given notice to quit, presumably so that the buildings can be “prettied” up in line with the Victoria Gate complex.

Will these business owners be offered new premises in the city at the same rental? I doubt it. And where are we ordinary folk supposed to shop? As a caller to Radio Leeds so succinctly put it “we don’t all shop in fur coats, you know”.

Wedding ring debate

In her YEP column yesterday Kelly Pegg asked whether you should take off your wedding ring on a girls’ night out.

You all took to Facebook to express your feelings on the subject. Here’s some of your comments:

Ed Richmond

Not enough communication in relationships.

Talk to your husband and discuss how you feel and the reasons you feel like this, see if there is anything else that can be done to help and how open to the idea he is. Don’t want to discuss it with your husband?

There’s your answer to whether it’s right or wrong.

Louise Alice Slater

Why be engaged or married if you feel you have to take your ring off when you go out?! Surely your fiancé/husband deserves to know and for yourself why be in a relationship that you don’t want to be in? I’m so confused by people that lie and cheat in a relationship surely it’s better for both of you to just call it quits!

Joan Deighton

Wake up call for the husband! Make a bit more of an effort to make your wife feel special!

My mum said years ago if you keep a ring on you get more attention! “Safe bet for men, your’e not wanting a relationship”!

Elaine Antcliff

I’m divorced but I put mine back on when I go out lol Keeps the wolves away . most of the time anyway but some men don’t care whether you’re single or married .

Stephanie Dowson

I ain’t married but my partner of seven years with three kids means the world to me I’d put a ring on to go if I had lots of attention.. not take one off to gain attention. So wrong.

Martin Walker

Sounds less like a confidence problem and more a relationship problem. Time to return the wedding ring and end the charade!

Allana Wilks

i cant wait until I’ve got a ring on my finger after being with my partner nine years.. and I will wear it with pride!

Jan Newell

If a guy is interested in you he won’t care if you are married. No need to remove your wedding ring.

Benny Carr

If a man did this he’d be called dishonest and a snake. But when a woman does it there’s excuses made to justify it.

Matthew Wharton

Skip the girls night out and go for a romantic meal with your husband instead.

Lisa Leggott

No. Never. And if my man did then it would be over. No question.