YEP Letters: August 20

Memories of city fish and chip shop

Jeff Goodall, Ontario

Re “End of an era as popular north Leeds chippy to close” (YEP August 14), hopefully the business will be able to continue under new ownership.

I remember going there many times with a friend after the pubs closed, then going down the street and cutting through the graveyard on the way home.

One time in the early 60s I fell over a low spikey railing around a grave and almost lost an eye. There was fish and chips and blood everywhere.

According to what my father was told when he went to the police station the next day to thank them, my friend ran up the street very agitated, and told the desk sergeant: “My friend’s in a grave and he can’t get out”. The sergeant replied yes, he knew a few like that too. I needed an ambulance and several stitches for my stupidity.

Build affordable homes on brown field sites

Harvey Alexander, by email

There are thousands of acres of brown field sites in Leeds, Bradford and other West Yorkshire towns and cities, where factories and slums once stood.

It should be the local councils’ and government’s first priority to build affordable houses on this land and houses to rent at low prices.

Councils should also demolish most of the older council estates, where the houses have huge gardens by today’s standards and build new energy efficient houses on the land.

They could build two or three times the number of new houses in place of existing houses but they would have to compulsory purchase many of the houses bought under the “right to buy” at fair prices.

You may ask where would the money come from to do this. The answer is simple.

The government should establish an independent public housing corporation, established by charter like the BBC, which could borrow money from the public at attractive rates, with depositors’ money guaranteed by the government, as it does for money deposited in banks and building societies.

An independent public housing corporation would not increase government borrowing or the national debt and could build millions of new homes to end the housing shortage.

A hospital trust in Leeds has made more than a quarter of a million pounds selling sweets to visitors staff and patients through vending machines on its sites an investigation has revealed. Following a freedom of information request the YEP found that Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - which runs St James’ Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary - is currently home to 43 vending machines across five sites. The trust made £60k from the machines last year with each serving soft drinks and chocolate and crisps or sweets. A total of £260k was made from the machines from 2013 to 2018. Coun Stewart Golton - a member of Leeds City Council’s health and wellbeing board - said: “Hospital trusts are already under fire for their car parking charges but this is an even more controversial money-raising move. The Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust is signed up to the obesity prevention work commissioned through the Leeds Health & Wellbeing Board but the provision of high calorie snacks in vending machines throughout its buildings smacks of double standards.”
We asked YEP readers for their views and here’s what some of them said on social media...

Jo Turner-Smith

A 3am chocolate bar between seeing patients on a night shift is a blessing.

Nicola Leach

What about the visitors and workers who are also there? Same could be said about leisure centres or council owned attractions, where do their profits go? The vending machines are a service to the public, during the time people are in those buildings they are used as a comfort in bad times or a pick me up with being exhausted with a night in A&E when all the shops are closed, as a treat to the kids for being so brave for their bloods being taken for example.

Tracey Ismay

And how much was spent by visitors waiting around for hours? I’ve spent months in the LGI with my daughter and it used to be the only place I could get a cup of tea in the early hours or a much needed sugar rush! They also sell water in the machines so it’s not all bad.

Mark Harsley

Why would anyone see this as an issue? Vending machines are there for an occasional treat for people to use as and when they like. Hospitals also have canteens which serve a wide variety of meals. All I know is that if I had a loved one suffering in hospital and they fancied a chocolate bar or fizzy drink as a treat then you can be sure I’d want vending machines to be able to buy it for them.

Louise Woodhouse

I’ve had many hospital appointments with my child over the last year. Many running longer than expected. These machines have been a godsend on occasions.

Sarah Hardy

They need it given the fact NHS funding is continually decimated. As long as those profits go to the Trust what’s the problem?

Mark Ford

Why not? No one is forced to buy from them. Their income from government has been slashed massively so why shouldn’t they if it helps.

Darren Stevens

Wow let people eat what they want and if the hospital can make some money that’s all good . When you’re feeling unwell you don’t want fruit, sometimes chocolate helps.

Lake District challenge

Michaela Ifill, Meningitis Now

We’d like to invite more adventurous readers to join us on our Lake District challenge next spring and help save lives and rebuild futures shattered by meningitis. They’ll conquer eight peaks, all above 3,000 feet, over two days.

Every step they take will also help us to fight meningitis and move us closer to our vision of a future where no one in the UK dies from this devastating disease and everyone affected gets the support they need. Registration is just £49 with a fundraising pledge of £500. Accommodation, food, travel and the support of a qualified and experienced mountain leader and safety team are all included.

It takes place between Thursday May 2 and Sunday May 5 next year.

Find out more at www.MeningitisNow.org