REGARDING the letter (December 3) from Chris Schofield (UK is being led in the wrong direction), had this letter not been quite so polite my wife would have thought it came from me.

For quite a while now these have been my thoughts along with many people I talk to. What does it take for the politicians to realise the same?

Privatisation of essential services was never going to work, does not work, and never will.

Recession to me just gives these services a licence to rob the public. I don’t see these companies doing their bit for Britain when you see how much they are making and how much their top men earn.

I have just spent three weeks travelling the M62 every day taking someone close to me for treatment, it’s no joke.

Leave the NHS alone, centralisation does not work. Fifty percent of the vehicles would be taken off the road if these services were localised. It is common sense.

A fortune is being spent to improve the M62, it will not work. Ask any professional driver.

I would like our local politicians to explain to me why they can’t get their heads together and sort out the problems instead of just blaming one another.

Britain is fed up with you. Can you not figure that out by the low attendance at the polls?

These politicians don’t have to worry about paying their heating bills.

I don't have any more coats left to wear. Even my dog is cold.

David Peace

Huddersfield

Shedding light

IF THE Thandi brothers get planning permission for a hotel on Castle HIll because of their offer to provide traffic lights on the approach road, who would pay for their maintenance and repair?

Kirklees, presumably, as the lights would be on their road. Some of us may think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Puzzled

Give them a break

GIVE the Thandi brothers a break.

They are trying to bring some happy time and pleasure to Castle Hill and Huddersfield

Good luck to them.

chris

Taylor Hill

Alternatives, please

FACILITIES at Castle Hill are long overdue, especially for families with young children and the elderly.

Do the Huddersfield Civic Society want the estate to fall to rack and ruin?

Why don’t they offer viable alternatives?

Piara Singh Salona

Newsome

Superior plans

IN RECENT months Castle Hill has been described quaintly as ‘a place of quiet reflection, far from the madding crowds, away from the clatter and clutter of our hectic lives’ and as ‘the countryside where we should take a flask of tea.’

And so the debate goes on and on.

I do not actually regard Castle Hill as ‘the countryside’ and it is certainly not where I would go for solitude.

Also when my flask is empty there are no walls or bushes to nip behind as there are in the ‘real’ countryside.

When up there, apart from the magnificent views especially at night-time, there is actually only one huge car park with paths around it. Oh and the Tower if open.

I believe the most recently rejected plans are far superior than the building that would be there now if all had ‘gone to plan’.

They seem to incorporate many features of the original building plus public facilities and amenities – and being so close to the proposed new cemetery just think of what a good line in funeral teas and wakes there could be.

We all accept that what happened was wrong but much of the anti-Thandi rhetoric borders on the vindictive.

Liz Sharp

Netherton

Worse to come?

HAVING joined the old Huddersfield County Borough Fire Brigade in 1971 and completed 31 years as a firefighter, I totally disagree with all these so called management restructures ‘cuts’.

In 1974 the local authorities became West Yorkshire and all went pretty well until the late Seventies.

Then the cuts started in different manners, loosing pumping appliances, cutting manning. Moving men about because of staff shortages and generally and slowly getting to were we are now.

My point basically is whatever action is taken in protesting, meetings with your MPs, union involvement, villagers signing petitions and so on, I am sorry but the decision has already been made and secured ages ago.

It will go ahead, and I dare bet worse is yet to come.

Peter Mellor

Huddersfield

Skills’ shortage

TWO headlines in your paper caught my eye. One was “Firms need more skilled workers” and the other was Barry Sheerman’s “Call to Industry”.

Unless we prepare properly in fitting our unemployed to step into the shoes of the generation about to retire and take over their skills, more firms will close and go abroad.

How shameful to have a large unemployment figure and to still have a shortage of employees.

At 15 I was an apprentice, as the older ones retired you took over, not so now.

Many jobs take years to master and that is why these skilled personnel should be showing the tricks of the trade to younger people.

Britain is slipping, so it is vital that skills are taught now.

H FOWLER

Honley

Reasoned debate

IT IS not my style to respond to replies to letters of mine that are published; I state my case, give my opinion, submit the facts and let the readership of “Mailbag” make up their own minds and form their opinions.

However, the comments of Don Robinson of Mirfield (Mailbag, Nov 30), are worthy of response; not so much as to their content but in which the manner they were given.

Whilst disagreeing on two of his replies, he does have a valid case with regard to pension funds and the small saver, but that is not what I wish to focus on.

What struck me was the measured, nonaggressive, non-combative, non-personal tone in which Mr Robinson gave his response.

It goes to demonstrate that in a democratic society people can disagree without descending to aggression and character assassination.

Through your columns can I thank Mr Robinson for his response and join with him in hoping that we may have demonstrated that opposite views do not necessary have to dissolve into enmity, isolation, polarisation and political hostility.

Democrat

Lindley