YEP Letters: July 3

Concern over loss of cash points

John Appleyard, by email

It’s been announced that thousands more bank branch closures may take place in the UK and according to the consumer magazine ‘Which’ there is to be a reduction in the number of cash points, particularly those installed inside stores on our high streets, which will further impact on the footfall of local businesses. This makes it even more necessary to support our local post offices which in my opinion are one of the finest institutions that we have in the UK.

You can access your high street bank account at any Post Office branch in the country and always remember if you don’t want to lose it, use it!

Fuming over parents who leave engines on

Jerry Dilcox, by email.

THERE’S been a lot in the news recently about air quality, particularly in towns and cities and particularly over the harmful effect it can have on the health of children and other vulnerable people.

What I witness almost daily, however, is children being dropped off and picked up from school, while others are driven to the bus stop.

The engine is often left running to keep the occupants warm in the winter or cool in the summer, all the while fumes spewing out for anyone nearby to breathe in.

Coaches collecting and dropping off for school trips will sit for 20 minutes or more with their engines running because the driver hasn’t been trained to switch it off.

All of this causes unnecessary and harmful air pollution. The parents and coach drivers don’t seem to care (presumably their own kids don’t suffer with asthma) – so why aren’t the schools setting an example?

They should be teaching the next generation about environmental and health issues, educating children about the harm being caused to themselves and others often by their own parents’ actions, and they should require coach drivers to switch off their engines when parked near the school.

Stumped by World Cup coverage

Dennis Raisin, by email

AS a child in the 1940s, I was told that the major sports in England were cricket in summer and football in winter. However, that does not seem to be the case today.

Between the BBC and ITV, they appear to be intent on televising every single match of the World Cup, not only for the 90 minutes of play, but usually a 30-minute build-up and a panel of “experts” giving us an after-match summary for another 30 minutes. Then, when the news comes on, the headlines will consist of the match results and highlights.

I bought my usual national daily last week and one particular day it had 14 pages of football plus a 24-page pull-out supplement. The previous day England’s cricket team had defeated the arch enemy, Australia. After 10 minutes of searching I found a one-inch column recording the event.

I’m certain that if one of the major national dailies had a maximum of one page of football they would double their circulation. Then, to add insult to injury, the BBC will give its undivided attention to Wimbledon, so any cricket followers will have to rely on Channel 5’s highlights.

Best deal is to be member of EU

Ken Cooke, Ilkley

DOES anyone else find it strange that many major companies are questioning whether they have a secure future in Brexit Britain?

Perhaps these important businesses are realising ‘the fear’ that was always promised by the Remoaners.

Little things like the lack of frictionless trade with Europe, lack of access to the world’s largest single market, poor access to sophisticated standards and the predatory intentions of non-doms, hedge-funds and other ‘entrepreneurs’ to exploit a poorly regulated economy.

It is indeed a great pity that Brexiters did not have the faith in ‘experts’ who might have helped predict the approaching catastrophe. By far the best trade deal for Britain is to be a member of the European Union.

‘The Don’ should stand proud with Bremner

Tony Winstanley, Castleford

Reading in the YEP about the creation of Bremner Square brought to mind something that I have been banging on about to friends for some time now.

Bremner Square is a fabulous honour to our greatest captain. A man who epitomised “team before self”. I started watching the Whites in the 1961/62 season and soon became a regular in the Scratching Shed where I met many like minded people, many of who are friends to this day.

My whole life was built around Leeds United and Billy was at the heart of that along with all the players of that era.

If there is one man who was responsible for doing more to make Leeds United the best team in the country it was Don Revie.

Bremner Square is a welcome reminder of our 
great history but it is time to move the statue of ‘The Don’ across from its rather lonely site to stand proudly outside what is nowadays the main entrance.

I urge all Whites fans to petition local media and the club itself to act immediately to bring this about and whilst we are on the subject let’s have a fitting tribute to two of the great pioneering black players in the English game, Gerry Francis and Albert Johanneson. Both from Johannesburg at a time when racism from many supporters was rife.

Lots was (quite rightly) made of the contribution made by Cyril Regis as someone who helped put black players to the forefront but Gerry and Albert were long before that time and Albert was the first black player to play in a FA cup final at Wembley.

Come on, Leeds United fans, let’s tell the club to move ‘The Don’ across the road and let him and his captain stand proud together.

Down the line

John Pearson, by email

IN my childhood, I spent many happy hours ticking off engine numbers as they thundered up and down the East Coast line. I wonder what happened to the old LNER?

Bringing peace to Middle East

Ivan Kovacks, by email

Can I say how pleased I was to hear over the weekend that Prince William, after being so concerned with the issues in the Middle East seen on a recent visit, has said he wants to help bring peace to the area.

I applaud his willingness to get involved and wish him all the luck in the world.

What we have got to do is be prepared to see how we see the people on both sides and be prepared to have a great deal of give and take.

Over the past few years we have seen how, in South Africa, the people who in the 50s and 60s we reported as terrorists became in the next few decades freedom fighters and eventually the government. Closer to home there has been the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, now all we have to do is change our attitudes and those of the people in the Middle East.

Our policy toward some people there smacks of hypocrisy. During the Second World War we were proud to finance, train, equip, and support in many other ways people in countries overridden by the German military machine and call them resistance fighters.

But now when Israel is in illegal occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and treats Gaza as the world’s biggest concentration camp, we call the people who fight against this oppression terrorists and not freedom fighters. Why?

We have firstly got to get past this, like we did in South Africa and Northern Ireland before we can even start to see any end to the current situation there.

PIP news is welcome

David Mitchell, National Chairman, The British Polio Fellowship

After pressure from charities, The British Polio Fellowship welcomes news the government has changed the rules, so ten years between PIP assessments will apply to more people with disabilities, together with a promise that reassessment will be a ‘light touch’ review.

PIP applications are stressful enough, without having them every two years. If you live with Post Polio Syndrome, a neurological condition affecting 120,000 nationally, with no cure, it will not improve in two years.

Is it effective use of taxpayers’ money to fund regular re-assessments to see if polio paralysed limbs have miraculously regained movement?

This change will only apply to those on the highest levels of PIP, anyway, which leaves many of our members no better off. With assessors reportedly ignorant of even very well-known conditions like Parkinson’s, imagine how much harder it is for those with PPS to get a fair hearing.

Fundamental change is required to a system not serving those who rely on it, or taxpayers who fund it. Government should work with disabled groups and charities and not against us; with a bit of common sense, perhaps we can all see a brighter tomorrow.

If you need our support or advice, call us now on 0800 043 1935 or visit www.britishpolio.org.uk

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