GIVEN the problems caused by alcohol in terms of street disorder, domestic violence, the cost to NHS services and so on, isn’t it time the Government took real action to stem this growing social malaise?

Going back many years now it seems governments of all persuasions have paid lip service but not taken any real action.

It seems to me that the promotions by the drinks industry and the high revenues of tax raised by government take priority over the costs in terms of public health and all the crime it causes.

Anthony Smith

Springwood

Not much better

I HAD to pick myself up off the floor laughing over the recent report on the £270,000 refurbishment of the Peel Street, Marsden, Co-op store.

There was talk of a new layout – but on visiting the store I found it looked like they’d given it nothing more than a lick of paint.

It was same tight layout as before, virtually impossible to negotiate with a pram if you meet someone else on the same aisle as you.

All they seemed to have done is move stock into different aisles, which is a total waste of money.

I’m sure the refurb could have been done at a fraction of the price.

SG

Marsden

Bad old days

THE Examiner’s All Our Yesterdays pictures often tell an authentic story of life and conditions in the 1930s and early 1940s.

That period conjures up images of hardship and austerity.

It seems that these groups of children do not know how to smile, and have lived through bad economic times, which of course they had.

We are, of course going through a recession, but it is nothing like the childhood of yesteryear.

The older generation remember these bad times, and are thankful to see the vast improvement of life today.

Kathleen Etches

Springwood

That’s progress

I HAVE great sympathy with the Lindley Moor protagonists who want to keep their green land green, but I also live near them in a house built around 1860 on what was then green land.

I bought my then overdwelling in 1972, an old mill house. In 1976, I bought the underdwelling, a three room house which would once have housed a family, and in 1994 bought the house next door, a similar house built at the same time, previously two, to make into one house, all built on green land a long time ago.

Such property is considered ‘old’ and ‘quaint’ today, which it is. But at the time I wonder what the locals thought at Prospect Mills buying up the land to build mill houses on?

I bought my house because it has spectacular views over Snow Lea, the Colne Valley and Holme Moss. In 1972 views to die for, to buy for, which is why I bought my neighbour out in 1994, to keep the views, whilst gaining the extra room I needed rather than buy a bigger house elsewhere.

Back to the point, I have a lovely book called The Village Atlas, which shows Huddersfield and environs from 1840 to the present day. I can place my house on it and when it was built. What I can’t do is envisage the land before it was built.

Before Huddersfield was ‘built’ all the land was green and every building added to the town changed that, all the consequence of the Industrial Revolution and what happened after that.

Just as the times produced my home, it continues to produce the homes of the future for tomorrow’s children and as such will not look the same.

I often wonder what the whole town looked like 150 years ago: very different from now.

Every home we have was built on someone’s field once upon a time, and no doubt we’ll keep doing that.

I hate the Lindley Moor development, but I don’t think it’s unusual or out of sync with the general growth of our town. Towns grow and needs must.

A W Kleiner

Mount

Facts about pub closures

ONCE again two good local pubs have closed, both at the hand of Enterprise Inns. Both the Junction at Marsh and The White Swan at Dogley Bar were well run community pubs and good music venues.

The suits from Enterprise Inns should show their faces and explain to the customers the facts – though there’s not a chance of that.

I hope both pubs can recover, but if that happens two years down the line the same problems will probably repeat themselves.

John Taylor

Thongsbridge

A ‘real’ hospital

WHY are there so many complaints about the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary? If it’s not about food, it’s a big moan about inane stuff.

Recently I spent 25 days in hospital and couldn’t have been more satisfied with the treatment, nursing care, food, hygiene and everything else to do with the operation and recuperation.

All staff, all down the line, were so pleasant and a joy to deal with.

The trouble with people today is they watch far too many ER programmes etc, and expect the film treatment, starring George Clooney and Co.

Get real, HRI and others are places where real life and death occur, without lights, make up and costumes, and where staff, worth more than they get, work jolly hard and have all sorts to put up with.

Best wishes to all staff on Wards 6 and 7.

Shirley Paul

Almondbury

Out of Europe

WE fought two world wars to be free of the yoke of Europe.

Now we are ruled by them, and the membership fee is exorbitant. It is a corrupt organisation and this country should pull away from it.

J B Lockwood

Honley

Party of the rich

MC of Lindley (Unions V Permits, Mailbag, October 10) may have thought himself fortunate to watch on television the Tory Party conference.

No doubt he was pleased to hear of plans to make it easier for companies to sack their employees and make it difficult for trade unions to defend their members.

What he didn’t hear is that those very same bosses are flooding the Tories with cash to thank them for looking after their interests.

Hedge funds, financiers and private equity firms contributed more than a quarter of all the Tories’ private donations over the past 12 months. One top city donor contributed over £1m, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

More than 70 bosses and bankers donated at least £50,000 each to the Tories in the past year.

In return they got to meet David Cameron for an hour. If Cameron and his party aren’t representatives of the rich, I don’t know what is.

John Appleyard

Liversedge

Doorstep religion

I AM SORRY correspondent Colin Vause is upset by ‘doorstep religion’, mainly Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons (Mailbag, October 6).

What courage and dedication it must take to go knocking on doors in all weathers in this mainly neo-liberal society.

I welcome them all, for if we have any hope of building a peaceful world we need to promote family life and reach out to other religious people.

As a small child my grandmother taught me to welcome doorstep religion, for she said ‘Christ may knock at the door one day’. I am so glad she said that.

Theresa Quarmby

Kirkburton

Happy memories

I WOULD like to express my thanks to the Examiner staff for their help in putting my family in touch with local Rugby League teams.

Many thanks to Underbank and Lindley Swifts for their efforts to allow Tom to have a training season with their teams.

A special thanks to the Giants for giving Tom and his family a tour of the Stadium and the chance to meet and talk with some of the Giants players.

Also special thanks to the coaching staff and players at Moldgreen for giving Tom an opportunity to play a couple of games. He really enjoyed both run-outs and will enjoy telling his team mates in Australia how he enjoyed playing in England.

Tom and his family have now returned to Australia. I am sure that their visit to Britain will remain a happy memory for all of them for a long time.

Once again thanks to the Rugby League supporters in Huddersfield. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint.

M Roberts

Fartown