YEP Letters: September 13

Dismayed at decline of Greenwood’s

John Appleyard, Liversedge

I reckon I’ve been shopping at Greenwood’s Menswear for over 40 years so am dismayed to see the business going into liquidation.

The rise of the Greenwood’s family fortunes began in Bradford during the 1850s and became Britain’s largest privately owned chain of men’s outfitters. By the end of 1928 branches opened in Sunderland, Middlesborough, Darlington, Shipley and Heckmondwike, by 1935 there were 50 Greenwood shops.

In 1948 Greenwood’s had 87 branches open and trading, no fewer than 17 of these were in Bradford. Brian Greenwood, chairman of the group, played rugby during the 1950s for the AVRO Works XV which had a large aircraft factory adjoining what is now Leeds/Bradford airport.

In 1971 Greenwood’s had 259 units as far apart as Newcastle and Torquay. The 1980s proved to be difficult years, the tailoring business was starting to decline. Today Greenwood’s have 63 stores employing 300 people. It is indeed a challenging time for the UK retail sector.

First step to discipline is school uniform

K Palmer, by email

I celebrate the fact every day of my life that I am an ex Leeds high school teacher, particularly when I read about instances like the current fiasco regarding the uniform at West Leeds.

Why are these kids and their parents so intent on challenging the authority of the school? The first step towards discipline in any school is the uniform. And believe me I speak from experience – discipline is the biggest problem in any school today – more important than teacher work load, more important than class size, budgets, or anything you can bring to mind.

Get yourselves into school parents, and sit through a few lessons: not just one (because it will be a novelty to the kids and they will behave). Ask to sit at the back of a set 3 or 4 English or maths and watch your little darlings constantly challenge/disrupt lessons. And those good kids – watch how their education is stolen from them by a significant majority of students who constantly challenge authority and not only don’t want to learn themselves, but don’t allow others to get their rightful education. Then ask yourself what the school is doing about it?

I will tell you – they are trying in the best and only way they can, to bring discipline to schools – and there are very few ways left. It starts with the uniform – everyone wearing what they are supposed to wear, with the support of parents?

Really, I despair and I’m so glad I’m out of it.

More than enough eateries

J Westerman, by email

Re the Yorkshire Bank building, Chapel Allerton. Chapel Allerton is at saturation point with restaurants, bars and take-aways plus other food outlets.

At the last count we counted 34 such places from the Montreal Parade up as far as The Queens, taking in Stainbeck Lane and both sides of Harrogate Road. We have more than enough.

We have in place for Chapel Allerton a cumulative impact policy and have had for a good few years, unfortunately it has never been put into action, and it’s now time it was.

Parking and congestion is a big problem, we don’t like to see the buildings empty but a different business type would be far more attractive and useful to the local community in Chapel Allerton.

Turn it back into a bank

Martin J Phillips, Leeds 16

With regard to the article about turning the Yorkshire Bank on Harrogate Road into a restaurant, I’ve got a better idea: turn it back into a Yorkshire Bank.

Yorkshire Bank are doing their utmost to force customers to switch to internet, phone, or machine banking. If you were to see the queues at their Briggate branch you would realise that this is NOT what customers want.

Two branches in the city centre that had a total of 10 teller desks plus others like Headingley and Moortown have all been replaced by the Briggate branch with just two teller desks. At busy times the queues are over 20 customers, long yet Yorkshire Bank maintain that they have made the changes to meet customer needs. Clearly this is nonsense; they have done it to increase the profits of their ‘fat cat’ shareholders.

The same things has happened in Wakefield: the main city centre branch used to have six teller desks and no queues. Now it has two teller desks and long queues.

Investing in the area’s future

Ross Tebbutt, Altofts

I would like to congratulate Wakefield Council for investing in the future with the new Castleford to Wakefield cycleway and other projects particularly in arts and leisure.

I was shocked to read all the negative comments on cycling when the council are clearly trying very hard to bring Wakefield into the 21st century with the north of England way behind London and European cities with forward thinking innovate transport links.

Not everyone cycles, I get that, however £30m-plus has just been spent on a new road.

For my children and I to cycle (or people can run/ jog /walk) safely down the riverside to places like the Hepworth or to Castleford for coffee and cake, to commute off road and then eventually connect to the Transpennine Trail and into Leeds is surely a very positive step for many families and enthusiasts for a mere £2 million or so.

Most cyclists have a car and want better roads and pay their taxes, we also want better parks and leisure for Wakefield, train links, tidy streets, the list goes on. The key is new alternative schemes, improving environment and wellbeing make people happy, not the status quo.

Let’s get behind the council and be more positive or projects like this will be shelved.

The council are proving doubters wrong with investment like the Hepworth and are really trying to protect Wakefield’s interests in the Northern Powerhouse debate, so don’t see it as £2m down the drain.

Rees-Mogg is shining example

Derrick Bond, Shadwell

At last, an MP not only prepared to have the courage of his convictions, but also to stand by them in public.

We need to support voices such as Jacob Rees-Mogg,
then perhaps Tim Farron would still be leader of the Lib Dems.

I am a supporter of‘ ‘Moggmentum’, which appreciates Mr Rees-Mogg for the honourable man he is.

He stands head and shoulders above so many MPs and he doesn’t apologise two hours later due to upsetting some self-serving jobsworths who support freedom of speech only if it concurs with their bleeding heart way of thinking. He’s a shining example to other MPs.

‘Despicable’ theft at hospital

Edna Levi, by email

The theft of generator cables from a hospital is bad enough, but from a children’s hospital is despicable (YEP September 11).

I hope the low lives who did this are traced, perhaps on security cameras, or maybe the sources they try to sell them to may have a conscience and report them.

Froome’s stylish achievement

Peter Baxter, by email

Chris Froome won the double of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana and did it with the style of a real English gentleman.

The world waits to see what reward his country win honour him with and Team Sky was a superb backing for his achievement.

Let us know what you think

THE Yorkshire Evening Post wants you to share your views with other readers.

To join the debate email [email protected] or write to The Editor, Readers’ Letters, Yorkshire Evening Post, No. 1 Leeds, 26, Whitehall Road, Leeds LS12 1BE.

Please keep letters to a maximum of 300 words.