I WROTE to The Examiner a week or so ago to complain about Northern Rail’s poor service on our local service between Marsden and Huddersfield, with an increasing number of trains cancelled for no good reason.
It has happened again. One afternoon last week the 14.59 to Huddersfield failed to arrive. No announcements were made, so people just huddled in the shelter and waited hopefully. After a cold hour we realised the 15.59 hadn’t been announced either, so I phoned Northern.
I listened to their announcement, chose my option, and waited for it to be answered – all the while paying for the call from my mobile – but it was transferred to National Rail Enquiries. When I spoke to their operator they told me both trains had been cancelled!
I have just checked and out of the six trains running between 2pm and 7pm that day three were cancelled, two ran very late and only two had run to schedule.
So only a third of trains running as timetabled, no trains at all for over three hours between 2pm and 5pm-ish, no announcements, no customer services phone line. Has Northern just given up running our local train service altogether?
Fiona Weir
Marsden
The toll of abortion
MAY I reply to Kim Garner (Letters, December 15). Where do I begin?
Rape to a 15-year-old girl; to have an abortion or not? I think rape is abhorrent for it is a violation of womanhood! Personally I base my thinking on the fact that God is the creator and all life is sacred. He gives us laws to follow; life is a gift.
Last year I was privileged to meet a young lawyer whose mother was a rape victim. She was doing a pro-life lecture tour!
Mother Teresa once said “that for all we know we may well have already aborted the man/woman who would have found the cure for Aids. How many scientists, teachers etc have been lost in the daily toll of abortion in Britain.”
The question of a cluster of cells? After conception; on day 20 foundation of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system are already established; day 21 heart begins to beat; day 28 the backbone and muscles are forming, arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show.
Confucius wrote: “To put the world in order we must first put the nation in order. To put the family in order we first cultivate our personal life. To cultivate our personal life we must set our hearts right.”
theresa quarmby
Kirkburton
But we want a Tesco
THE report by Andrew Baldwin about the effects Tesco would have on the Wooldale Co-op business includes a few statements made by Joyce Whitworth, a director of the Co-op, which I believe are misleading .
In fairness to the many thousands of supporters of the Tesco plans may I use your columns to highlight her mistakes.
1 A housing plan for the proposed site has never been refused.
2 The highways department have never objected to the exceptionally good ‘sight lines’ to the main road from the old Midlothian Garage site.
3 Tipping on the site ended nearly 30 years ago and housing development is a possibility which could even be incorporated into the Tesco scheme, should more land become available.
4 There are no villages facing major disruption from a few extra delivery trucks. Perhaps there will be even fewer such trucks than hitherto with Midlothian Garage. The A635 is not an exceptionally busy road, particularly when compared with the other main road into Holmfirth the A6024.
Holmfirth needs a Tesco according to a Meltham resident writing to the Examiner (December 18).
I am one of the many thousands in the Holmfirth area wanting a Tesco. Perhaps we should form our own group to oppose HAT (Holmfirth Against Tesco). We could call it WANT (We All Need Tesco).
JB
Holmfirth
BBC’s appalling timing
MAY I state my disgust at the BBC’s appalling timing in the announcing the end of TV classic The Last of the Summer Wine.
Mrs Kathy Staff passed away only on December 13 and her close family and friends still will be coming to terms with their loss. But no the BBC have to try and get the last word once again.
The BBC, I hope, could have given timing and grace. But no, the BBC seems not to have a compassionate consideration of anybody but itself.
May my words towards the Staff family on their loss help alleviate the BBC’s timing. Kathy was a truly loving Christian and excellent actress. She will truly be missed in my heart.
Kathy, I hope that as you are now with the Lord you can find true happiness, as you gave me in once meeting you, and of watching The Summer Wine. Bill will be hopefully wanting to truly tell what was in his matchbox.
james gibson
Halifax
The perfect gift . . ?
YOU have to laugh at the ad of L’Oreal’s anti-wrinkle cream on TV at the moment. The comment about it being the perfect Christmas gift; personally I don’t know of any woman who would welcome that gift. I’m sure most women, myself included, would be insulted to receive such a gift.
Also is this the same Jane Fonda who protested against the Vietnam War years ago? A person you thought would have had a bit of integrity. Yet here she is promoting a company who steadfastly refuse to stop testing their cosmetics on animals. Well done Jane. I guess she needs the money!
ms kathleen stephenson
Upper Cumberworth
The wonder of Woolies
SOME time ago, I was asked to help with a school educational visit to the Science Museum in London. After the tour there was free time left. I suggested my group would enjoy a look round Hamley’s, the largest toy shop in Europe.
We started to walk up Regent Street and I was beginning to think there wasn’t much enthusiasm for my idea when a brave little voice behind me said: “Miss, can’t we go to Woolworths instead?”
What a time those children had! Notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, gifts for mums and dads, brothers, sisters, picture postcards and, yes, pockets bulging with ‘pick and mix’. A contented group settled down to the train journey home.
jeanne hand
Skelmanthorpe
Complain about comedy cut
I WAS horrified to read that The Last Of The Summer Wine may be axed after 35 years, making it the world’s longest running TV programme. To quote the Examiner: “It is a simple harmless comedy which became a record breaker.” It has millions of fans worldwide.
Have the likes of the foul-mouthed Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand millions of fans world wide? The BBC pay them millions from our money. We pay a very substantial licence fee to the BBC. Isn’t it time we the silent majority started to complain before the BBC becomes degenerate?
Alan Bell, the producer and director, says this new series is the best ever and he and the actors are devastated. We mourn the passing of Kathy Staff, who played Nora Batty, but new characters have always been brought in as stalwarts have passed away.
What can we do to make these southern executives listen to the silent majority? Can we start an Examiner-led campaign?
june hirst
Huddersfield
Self-praise panned
HAVE I missed a trick or has something happened in recent times to make it fashionable and acceptable to applaud oneself after a public performance or appearance?
Today’s increasingly lightweight “celebrities” seem to be quite comfortable clapping to applaud themselves. So do nakedly ambitious politicians, TV presenters etc in their efforts to appear uber cool.
I always thought applause was a vehicle for showing visible and audible appreciation of the efforts and talents of others and that a modicum of modesty was called for on the part of those applauded, so as not to appear conceited.
Not so in the self-centred “me, me” reality TV times we live in. The performer must always applaud his or her own performance and then jump up and down, shrieking like a banshee, before delivering a load of emotional diarrhoea. There is always an “incredible journey” involved and everybody and everything are “just amazing”.
Shame really, because there is a lot of talent about, but not much quiet, mature professionalism, modesty or individuality.
Mr Grumpy
Almondbury
Coffee on the gravy train
THE European Commission has spent 100,000 euros on 20 luxury coffee machines for the upper floors of the Berlaymont building (the Commission headquarters).
Value for the British taxpayers yet again, eh?
Les Arnott
Sheffield
