ONE of the best things about living in Huddersfield is the number of green and open spaces in the town.

So the news that the new owners of Clayton Fields want to overturn its ‘village green’ status with a view to building on the site is unwelcome.

People use Clayton Fields for walking, walking dogs, picking raspberries and brambles, sitting and thinking, looking across the valley to Grimscar Woods. If we ever have snow again there will be dozens of people sledging.

The space is also used by foxes, at least two species of bats, kestrels, owls and peregrine falcons. And just a month or so ago we watched a deer peacefully exploring in the long grass!Š

Councillors should resist any threat to Clayton Fields and protect the existence of such spaces, which create and sustain a niche for wildlife and feed people’s needs for tranquility.

John and Cathy Duffy

Edgerton

Now the benefits of twinning!

THE letters from your two correspondents about the Stocksmoor and Villages Twinning Association have been brought to my attention. As the founder of the association and its first chairman may I please respond to one or two of the points made?

The inaugural meeting was held, some 12 years ago, in the bar of the Clothiers Arms in Stocksmoor. The room was free of charge but the beer was not. This arrangement suited both the members of the association and the landlord. We have continued to meet, at two-monthly intervals, in pubs in the locality and on the same basis. We therefore contribute to the local economy a little more than we otherwise might about every eight weeks.

The association is a “private” organisation, (although it is “open” to anyone who wishes to join it). As such it enjoys no sponsorship, subsidy or financial support from either Kirklees Council or Kirkburton Parish Council. In the first year of our existence, when members were few and subscription income was low, we did apply to the parish council for a small grant towards the cost of the present which groups such as ours typically and traditionally take to give to the mayor of the host community.

In refusing our request the parish council offered us a few coffee mugs with a local motif. We declined, with our thanks. That same year the council gave a grant of several tens of thousands of pounds to the National Mining Museum at Caphouse Colliery, which is not even in Kirklees. There followed a lively correspondence in these pages between myself and the councillors concerned.

There are no councillors in our membership and there never have been. No councillor has ever been to Italy with us in any capacity whatsoever. Though they would be very welcome to do so in the same private position that we all share. Our only involvement with the town hall is on our biennial visit, when the mayors of both communities or their representatives meet to exchange small, token gifts. Typically, after a tour of the town hall and the concert hall we and our guests then “junket” on tea, coffee and biscuits, for which we are always and sincerely grateful. We would want no more.

We have exchanged visits with Olgiate Molgora in alternate years for the last decade. This means that every other year some 40 to 50 residents of Kirklees take at least one, and possibly their only, holiday in Yorkshire. We might, otherwise, join the throng of people seeking the sun on foreign shores. As the host to an Italian visitor this year I know that my gas, electric, water, food and laundry bills – all money spent to the benefit of the local and wider-UK economy – will have increased during this period.

My credit card statement shows that I spent, among other things, a total of £99.05 on petrol at Morrisons during that week.

I also know that I spent well in excess of £200 on dining out for me and my party. These meals and snacks were eaten in Kirkburton, Hull, Bridlington, Helmsley, Leeds and Liverpool. In addition to the boost that I gave to the local economy I know that our 28 visitors spent a good number of their euros in the shops, bars and restaurants in our area.

Furthermore, like the English contingent, they do so, very happily, at least every other year and often several times in between. Our Italian friends and ourselves do not spend our money to buy one another’s friendship; it would be impossible to put a price on that. We do it because we firmly believe that such comradeship and internationalism are the surest way to securing world peace and harmony for all humankind. For this greater good, (and, yes, the enjoyment we derive from it), we are prepared to put our hands into our own pockets.

Your original correspondent proudly described himself as a cynic. Now that your readers have some facts at their disposal they will be able to judge the veracity of his opinion of himself. Perhaps Hard Up and Fed Up will also reconsider his ignorant and intemperate utterances?

J Brian Harrison-Jennings

Founder and past chairman Stocksmoor and Villages Twinning Association.

Gordon Hirst, of Fenay Bridge, who wrote one of the letters referred to (“Where are the benefits of town twinning?”) wrote a further letter (“I’m sorry, Stocksmoor! Mailbag August 28) in which he accepted he was in error and offered his “sincere apologies to the good people of Stocksmoor and Olgiate” – Editor

Great day for dogs

CONCERNING the dog fun day at Ravensknowle Park on August 23; I spent the day there with my husband and our border collie Padme and I must agree with John D Jackson (Huddersfield Fun4Paws) that indeed it was a wonderful day and very well organised.

The sun was shining, everyone was in good spirits and there were plenty of interesting stalls, including animal welfare, refreshments, tombola etc. But for me the highlight of the day was watching the fun dog shows, e.g. the most pretty/handsome dog or the waggiest tail, to name just two. So thank you to all and looking forward to next year’s.

Janice Deakin

Marsden

Admit you got it wrong!

I HAVE followed the controversy about the use of foreign materials in St George’s Square, but decided to make my own mind up in my own time.

I have now seen the granite after reading the paper and reading English Heritage’s comments. I could have wept when I saw what has been done to our square. The quality of workmanship looks good, but I seriously think that something has gone terribly wrong with the choice of colour. It is wrecking the square.

I cannot even think where Clr Sims thinks pink marble is used in the square. It’s overwhelmingly made of sandstone.

I’d think far better of the council if someone held their hand up and said: “OK, we got it wrong.” How was the material chosen? Why was English Heritage’s advice seemingly not taken? Is this highways or the planners’ responsibility and why has the work carried on with all this outcry?

This work is reversible and the council should think again.Thanks to the Examiner for speaking up for us.

S Newman

Huddersfield

The editorial comment of August 28 read: “We can only say we’re on the side of English Heritage on preserving the look of this very important part of the town centre. We can only repeat what we said before: Yorkstone is much more appropriate to the character of the square. Bring back the Yorkstone slabs”

– Editor

Tribute to Adrian

I MET Adrian Sudbury only once when he undertook an article with me a few years ago for the Examiner.

Although I have met many media people and international dignitaries over the years, including such people as Mikhail Gorbachev, Adrian was someone really special and above even these people. Indeed, he was a humanitarian of the highest order. He had no edge – as your editor has already pointed out – and his major concern was always for others. This came over loud and clear. Huddersfield and the world are much poorer places without such people.

Dr David Hill

World Innovation Foundation Charity (WIFC), Huddersfield

Problems of new NHS base

READERS are told (August 30) that NHS Kirklees aims to move to Bradley Business Park within the next 16 months.

It is several miles from the town centre and Huddersfield railway station. There are not enough parking spaces for staff and visitors. No-one seems to have investigated the frequency of public transport or the number of employees who will be troubled by commuting a greater distance through rush-hour traffic from home to work.

Which other two sites have been rejected and how much would they cost?

Garfi